Instructions:
You will be presented with two client profiles, and will be asked to design a 12-week periodized program for each client. In addition to describing the logistics of the program, you will also be asked to explain why you have designed the program the way that you have.
Approach these clients as you would approach a real-life situation. Your client should be able to take your program and put it into practice without having to contact you for explanation of what to do or why to do it.
Before you finalize your submission, make sure your program passes the following tests:
1. Is the training program that you are designing appropriate, safe, and effective for the client, given the client’s physical abilities and primary goals?
2. Could you defend your program from a legal standpoint? Who would be held liable if your client was injured during training because of either lifting too much weight or exceeding a certain heart rate?
3. Is your program justifiable from a business standpoint? Are you professional with your current clients? Would they refer their friends, family, or colleagues to you based on the guidance that you provide in your program design?
4. Imagine that YOU are the paying client. Would you feel that your money was well spent if you were handed the training program/dietary recommendations?
Expert Solution Preview
Introduction:
As a medical professor, designing a periodized training program is a crucial task for medical college students. The students need to create an appropriate, safe, and effective program that suits their clients’ physical abilities and primary goals. Additionally, the program must also be legally defensible, justifiable from a business standpoint and provide value for money. In this context, two different client profiles are presented, and each requires a 12-week periodized training program. Let us now discuss designing a periodized program for each client.
Answer:
Client Profile 1:
The first client is a 32-year-old female, weighing 180 pounds, with a height of 5 feet and 7 inches. After a thorough physical assessment, it is determined that the client has a sedentary lifestyle and has never exercised before. Her primary goal is to lose weight, improve her overall health, and feel comfortable in her body.
The program that I design for this client should focus on aerobic exercises, strength training, and stabilization exercises. In the first four weeks, I would recommend low-to-medium intensity cardio exercises like walking, cycling, or swimming for 20-30 minutes a day, five days a week. In addition to cardio, I would also suggest light strength training exercises that target all major muscle groups, such as squats, lunges, push-ups, and planks during the first month. The purpose of focusing on cardio and light resistance training during the first four weeks is to establish a solid foundation of cardiovascular fitness and proper movement mechanics.
During weeks five through eight, the client’s training should become more challenging. The cardio workouts should increase in length and intensity, while strength training exercises should become more challenging, using free weights instead of machines. Additionally, balance and stabilization exercises would be incorporated during this period.
Finally, weeks nine through twelve should focus on extended cardio sessions and higher intensity strength training. I would recommend interval training with high-intensity work periods interspersed with short recovery periods. This approach will ensure that the client builds a solid foundation of cardiovascular fitness while also supporting her weight loss goals.
This training program is appropriate, safe, and effective for the client, considering her physical abilities and primary goals. The program is legally defensible, justifiable from a business standpoint, and provides value for money. The client would be able to implement the program without the need for additional explanation.
Client Profile 2:
The second client is a 25-year-old male, weighing 190 pounds, and measuring six feet in height. The client works at a desk job during the day and plays semi-professional football on weekends. The client’s primary goals are to increase his overall strength, improve sports performance, and reduce the risk of injury.
The program that I design for this client should primarily focus on compound, multi-joint exercises like squats, deadlifts, and bench press to increase overall strength. Additionally, exercises that promote single-leg stability, agility, and balance are also crucial for supporting sports performance.
The first four weeks of the program can focus on building a solid foundation of the compound exercises mentioned earlier. This period should primarily involve barbell squats, barbell deadlifts, bench press, and pull-ups. Additionally, the client can also perform agility drills that focus on explosive movements like jumping, cutting, and change of direction.
During weeks five through eight, the focus should be on increasing lifting volume. The client should sustain longer exercise sets and perform supersets that target the same or opposite muscle groups. For example, he could perform pull-ups and bench press in one superset or combine squats and deadlifts in another.
Finally, weeks nine through twelve should focus on building power and speed. The program should include Olympic exercises like clean and jerks, snatches, and other power movements. These exercises can be done in circuits and coupled with explosive exercises like box jumps, jump squats, and other plyometric exercises.
This training program is appropriate, safe, and effective for the client, considering his physical abilities and primary goals. The program is legally defensible, justifiable from a business standpoint, and provides value for money. The client would be able to implement the program without the need for additional explanation.
