“Carneros Half Marathon Finish 2006.”
Frequently Asked Questions:
- I haven’t exercised in awhile, and I am afraid to start, how will the trainer know what I am capable of handling when we start the program?
- This is a common fear of most clients just getting started. Before you even begin a fitness program, the trainer will acquire valuable information about you such as your medical history, fitness goals, prior athletic/fitness experience, and will conduct fitness testing to see where you are at physically. All of this information will be gathered so that the trainer can recommend a fitness program that will be tailored to not only your physical but also your personal needs.
- Will I need a physician’s clearance before participating in the program?
- This depends upon a variety of factors, i.e., age, current health status, personal and family health history or whether you suffer from conditions that might impact your ability to exercise safely. This information will be acquired at the initial meeting and the trainer will determine whether a physician’s clearance is necessary. According to the ACSM Guidelines for Exercise Testing and Prescription, the majority of women under age 55 and men under age 45 with no health conditions (i.e., heart & lung disease, diabetes, high blood pressure) may participate in a properly progressed program without a doctor’s clearance. Even if it is determined that you are low risk, you may wish to have a physical with your primary treating physician just to ensure that there are no contraindications to exercise, especially if you have been sedentary for quite some time or if this will be your first experience with a regular exercise program.
- I am afraid of testing, what kind of testing will this be and will it be uncomfortable?
- Don’t worry. The trainer will put you at ease and will familiarize you with the entire process BEFORE you start. The initial assessment will include acquiring your health history, weight, height, circumferences/ body measurements, and blood pressure. Assessment will also include a determination of your starting body composition (% of body fat relative to lean body mass) which may be obtained by gripping a simple machine (completely painless!) or through a more accurate assessment by obtaining skinfold measurements.
- After all of this information is obtained, cardiorespiratory, muscular strength, muscular endurance and flexibility will be assessed.
- A typical Comprehensive Health Fitness Evaluation generally includes the following:
- Prescreening/Risk Stratification
- Resting heart rate, blood pressure, height, & body mass
- Body Composition:
- Waist Circumference
- Skinfold Assessment
- Cardiorespiratory Fitness
- Submaximal YMCA cycle ergometer test or treadmill
- Muscular Strength
- 1, 4, 6 or 8 repetition maximum upper body (bench press) and lower body (leg press)
- Muscular Endurance
- Curl Up test
- Push Up test
- Flexibility
- Sit and Reach test or goniometric measures of isolated anatomical joints Remember, there is no such thing as “failing” any of these tests. They are merely a way for the trainer to assess your current, beginning fitness level to not only determine appropriate exercise programming but also to use as a baseline for evaluating progress so that improvement may be assessed throughout the program.
- How long will the testing take?
- This depends, but generally the testing can take as long as an hour. This allows for the client to rest and recover from the physical components of the testing and for the trainer to provide preparation before each component of the testing to avoid client anxiety.
- What if I feel sick or can’t finish the test?
- If the client requests to stop, the trainer will immediately stop the testing and assess the source of the discomfort to determine the appropriate next steps.
- Will I be reassessed as I proceed through the exercise program?
- Yes. The frequency will be determined after the initial clinical data is acquired, but generally, the trainer prefers to wait several weeks to allow for sufficient adaptation so that improvement can be better appreciated.
- I can only afford to meet with the trainer once a week, will this be a problem?
- This depends on a multitude of factors: fitness goals, current fitness level and familiarity with the equipment, and prior exercise experience. For example, a client who currently exercises for 60 minutes, 3 X per week at a local club who has experience working with free weights, machines, and who participates in group exercise classes, may find that once per week is sufficient to meet their health and fitness goals. One training session per week with no further guidance will not generate the same results for a sedentary individual with little or no exercise experience.
- I am considered to be at a healthy weight for my age, and body height, but I still feel “fat”.
- Body weight is only one component in assessing physical fitness, it does not determine the quality of the weight, i.e. percentage of body weight attributable to lean body mass vs. fat. Also, body fat weighs less than muscle.
- How long will it take for me to see results?
- Again, this is also depends on a variety of factors and it varies from person to person. In general to see the best results, the client should incorporate a healthy diet and must remain compliant with the prescribed program. Most people without latent metabolic problems generally will notice subtle changes during the first few weeks. As these changes are at first subtle, it is best to reassess every 6 to 8 weeks. Due to normal weight fluctuations, clients should avoid daily weigh-ins and instead weigh themselves every week or every two weeks at around the same time of the day. Weight loss should NOT be the only focus; rather, assessment should focus on changes in body composition. Remember muscle weighs more than fat!