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Personalized Exercise Prescription

Travis Nelson      

Purdue Global University      

EF 310 Current Trends in Exercise and Fitness – Aging Well Across the Life Span      

Dr. Jan Saeger      

March 30, 2021    
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Personalized Exercise Prescription

A personalized exercise prescription is a valuable tool in order to improve overall fitness

levels and reach goals. Personalized exercise prescription are detailed plans that allow the

individual to maximize results and use their time most effectively. This paper will go over a

personalized exercise prescription for myself, based on previously done assessments as well as

for the client, Carl. The prescriptions will use the FITT principles (Frequency, Intensity, Time

and Type) as well as cover all three health-related fitness components: Cardiovascular activity,

muscle strengthening, and flexibility.

Personalized Exercise Prescription

The following exercise prescription is for an amateur gravel cyclist and cross-country

(XC) mountain biker for power and endurance building in late preseason. The plan covers

aerobic, muscle strengthening and flexibility training. The plan follows a weekly schedule and

allows for PROS principles (Progression, Regularity, Overload and Specificity) to be

incorporated as improvements are made. The following gives guidance to the activities identified

in the charts below.

Sunday. 3 to 4 hours of endurance cycling. Effort should be primarily in zone 3 for heart rate,

and zone 2 for power. Light stretching for 20 minutes should directly follow the cycling activity.

Focus should be on gluteal, quadricep, hamstring and calf muscle groups.

Monday. This day is a rest day. Only activity should be 10 to 20 minutes of light stretching.

Focus should be on full body and major muscle groups.

Tuesday. 2 hours cycling with two sets of 10 speed intervals for 30 seconds. Interval sets are 30

seconds on with 30 seconds rest. First interval set should be in first quarter of ride, after warm

up, and second interval set should be in last quarter of ride. Light stretching for 10 to 20 minutes
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should directly follow the cycling activity. Focus should be on gluteal, quadricep, hamstring and

calf muscle groups.

Wednesday. 45 minutes of gym work. This will incorporate dumbbell and body weight

exercises. Dumbbell exercises should include dumbbell deadlift, dumbbell front squats, renegade

rows, bicep curls, and shoulder press. Body weight exercises should include pushups, lunges, and

leg lifts. 20 minutes of yoga. Positions should include upward facing dog, downward facing dog,

forward folding, low lunge for flexibility. Plank, side plank and boat pose for core strength. As

well as bridge pose and cobra to open up the chest.

Exercise Sets Reps Weight

Dumbbell deadlift 2 6 to 8 50 lbs. (x2)

dumbbell front squats 2 10 to 12 50 lbs.

renegade rows 2 10 to 12 10-15 lbs. (x2)

bicep curls 3 8 to 10 20-25 lbs. (x2)

shoulder press 3 8 to 10 20-25 lbs. (x2)

pushups 3 15 to 20 N/A

lunges 2 15 to 20 N/A

leg lifts 3 10 to 15 N/A

Thursday. 2 hours of endurance cycling. Effort should be primarily in zone 3 for heart rate, and

zone 2 for power. Light stretching for 20 minutes should directly follow the cycling activity.

Focus should be on gluteal, quadricep, hamstring and calf muscle groups.

Friday. Cross training. 30 minutes of moderate intensity running, around zone 3 and 4 heart rate.

30 minutes of yoga. Positions should include upward facing dog, downward facing dog, forward

folding, low lunge for flexibility. Plank, side plank and boat pose for core strength. As well as

bridge pose and cobra to open up the chest.

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Saturday. 2 hours cycling with two sets of 10 speed intervals for 30 seconds. Interval sets are 30

seconds on with 30 seconds rest. First interval set should be in first quarter of ride, after warm

up, and second interval set should be in last quarter of ride. Light stretching for 10 to 20 minutes

should directly follow the cycling activity. Focus should be on gluteal, quadricep, hamstring and

calf muscle groups. 45 minutes of gym work. See Wednesday for exercises.

FITT Chart:
Frequency Intensity Time Type
Aerobic 5 times per week 3 x week moderate About 10 hrs. per Cycling
2 x week moderate week Running
to high
Muscle 2 times per week Moderate 45 min. per session Dumbbell and body
Strengthening weight exercises
Flexibility 7 times per week Moderate 10 to 30 min. per Stretching
session Yoga

Weekly Chart:
Sunday Monday Tuesday Wednesday Thursday Friday Saturday
Aerobic 3 to 4 hr. Rest Day 2 hr. 2 hr. Cross 2 hr.
Activity endurance cycling endurance train: 30 cycling
cycling w/ 2 cycling minutes w/ 2
10x30 running 10x30
speed speed
intervals intervals
Muscle Rest Day 45 min. 45 min.
Strengthening gym lifting gym
lifting
Flexibility Stretching Stretching Stretching 20 min. Stretching 30 min. Stretching
yoga yoga

Client Exercise Prescription: Carl

The client, Carl, is a 21-year-old male in junior college. He is 5 feet 11 inches and weighs

180 pounds. This places him at a BMI of 25.2 percent and in the overweight classification

(ExRx.net, 2021b). Carl ran 1.6 miles for the 12-minute run test and received an average rating

(ExRx.net, 2021a). On the YMCA bench press test, he did 18 repetitions and received a score of

29 with a fair rating (ExRx.net, 2021e). However, he did 19 reptations on the push up test and
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received a poor rating (ExRx.net, 2021c). Finally, Carl did 15 inches on the sit and reach test and

received an average rating (ExRx.net, 2021d).

The following exercise program is to start Carl’s fitness journey. The plan covers aerobic,

muscle strengthening and flexibility training. The plan follows a weekly schedule and allows for

PROS principles (Progression, Regularity, Overload and Specificity) to be incorporated as

improvements are made. The following gives guidance to the activities identified in the charts

below.

The plan is structured so Carl can do his aerobic work as a way to and from the gym. The

weight should be adjusted to his capacity level so sets are not too easy, or too difficult to

complete reps. As Carl progresses at the gym, he can perform the last set of an exercise to

failure. Rest periods between sets should be set at 2 to 3 minutes.

Sunday. Rest day. Light stretching for 15 minutes.

Monday. 30 minutes running. This can be broken into two 15-minute runs (Carl can run to the

gym and then run back to his dorm). 45 minutes of gym work, upper body (chest, shoulders and

triceps), followed by light stretching for 10 to 15 minutes.

Exercise Sets Reps

Bench press 3 6 to 8

Incline dumbbell press 3 8 to 12

Overhead dumbbell press 3 8 to 12

Lateral raises 3 8 to 12

Triceps pressdown 3 8 to 12
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Tuesday. 30 minutes running. This can be broken into two 15-minute runs (Carl can run to the

gym and then run back to his dorm). 45 minutes of gym work, legs and core, followed by light

stretching for 10 to 15 minutes.

Exercise Sets Reps

Squat 3 6 to 8

Leg press 3 8 to 12

Leg curl 3 8 to 12

Calf raises 3 8 to 12

Plank 3 30 to 60 second hold

Wednesday. Rest day. Light stretching for 15 minutes.

Thursday. 30 minutes running. This can be broken into two 15-minute runs (Carl can run to the

gym and then run back to his dorm). 45 minutes of gym work, upper body (back and biceps),

followed by light stretching for 10 to 15 minutes.

Exercise Sets Reps

Bicep barbell curls 3 8 to 12

Seated cable row 3 8 to 12

Lat pull down 3 8 to 12

Dumbbell hammer curls 3 8 to 12

Bent over rows 3 8 to 12

Friday. Rest day. Light stretching for 15 minutes.

Saturday. Intramural games and/or 30 minutes running (if Carl does not get 30 minutes of

aerobic activity during game, he needs to perform the run). Followed by 10 to 15 minutes of light

stretching.
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FITT Chart:
Frequency Intensity Time Type
Aerobic 4 times per week moderate 2 hrs. per week Running
Muscle 3 times per week Moderate 45 min. per session Dumbbell and body
Strengthening weight exercises
Flexibility 7 times per week Moderate 10 to 15 min. per Stretching
session

Weekly Chart:
Sunday Monday Tuesday Wednesday Thursday Friday Saturday
Aerobic Rest Day 30 minutes 30 minutes Rest Day 30 minutes Rest Day Intramural
Activity running running running Games
30 minutes
running
Muscle Rest Day 45 min. 45 min. Rest Day 45 min. Rest Day Intramural
Strengthenin gym lifting gym lifting gym lifting Games
g
Flexibility Stretching Stretching Stretching Stretching Stretching Stretching Stretching

Conclusion. A personalized exercise prescription is a valuable tool in order to improve overall

fitness levels and reach goals. Personalized exercise prescription are detailed plans that allow the

individual to maximize results and use their time most effectively. Furthermore, exercise

prescriptions should use the FITT and PROS principles in their design. By following the FITT

and PROS principles one can gain the most benefit out of an exercise prescription.
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References
ExRx.net. (2021). 12 Minute Run. https://exrx.net/Calculators/MinuteRun
ExRx.net. (2021). BMI Calculator. https://exrx.net/Calculators/BMI
ExRx.net. (2021). Push Up Test. https://exrx.net/Calculators/PushUps
ExRx.net. (2021). Sit and Reach Flexibility Test. https://exrx.net/Calculators/SitReach
ExRx.net. (2021). YMCA Bench Press. https://exrx.net/Calculators/YBenchPress