TROOP 200 - PERSONAL FITNESS MERIT BADGE CLINIC
What is Personal Fitness? Fitness is the capacity to achieve the best quality of life achievable. Personal Fitness is your individual effort and desire to be the best you can be. If you are fit you are healthy. There are many different elements that make up personal fitness that involve your: Mind – mental will power and alertness, emotional balance and social skills. Body – physical health, nutrition, and athletic fitness Spirit – faith, core values, how you care for yourself and others. It is our desire that the participants of this clinic will develop a life-­‐long habit of exercising regularly and eating nutritious food that that will keep them fit and healthy . Purpose of the clinic: The clinic is to help the scouts successfully complete the Personal Fitness merit badge and will provide the following: 1) Taking the measurements and identifying a fitness program as per requirements 6 through 8. 2) Measure the body mass composition at the beginning and end of the 12-­‐week period. These measurements are listed on Page 7, Requirement 6 under Body Composition Test in the Personal Fitness Workbook. 3) Measure the components of fitness in the areas of Aerobic Fitness, Strength and Flexibility at two-­‐
week intervals for a period of 12 weeks. These measurements are listed on Page 7 Requirement 6 in the Personal Fitness Workbook under the same headings. 4) Identify a set of exercises to do regularly over a 12 week period to enhance the level of fitness. 5) Demonstrate the correct way to do exercises. How to handle a side stitch. Teach a variety of exercises. 6) Provide instruction as necessary to complete the requirements. Responsibility of the scout for this clinic: 1) All the requirements 1 thru 9, as required for this merit badge will be done by the scout and validated by one of the counselors. 2) Requirements 1 to 7 should be completed and signed off preferably by August 19 to be able to start the 12-­‐week measurement program that is part of Requirement 8. Requirement 9 can be completed preferably before August 31. The requirement resources at meritbadge.org (http://meritbadge.org/wiki/index.php/Personal_Fitness) will help in most of these but a merit badge pamphlet is strongly recommended to complete requirements 1 through 5. 3) The workbook for Personal Fitness merit badge available for free at meritbadge.org will be used for this course. Scouts are required to print this and put it in a folder and bring it to the scout meeting every week. 4) Using the Sample My Fitness Program on page-­‐3 fill out the My Fitness Program on page-­‐2, and get it approved by your parents and a counselor on or before August 19. 5) Scouts are required to bring water bottles, comfortable running shoes, head-­‐lamps, and any kind of performance clothing (top only) on measurement days. My Fitness Program (see sample on next page for details to fill this form)
This form must be completed on or before Aug 19.
(As your fitness increases, submit a revised sheet to help measure your progress)
Name of Scout:
Parent Approval and date:
Counselor Approval and date:
1) Warm-up: (before aerobic or strength routine): ( Describe type of warm-up exercise from
sample, and show or describe stretching exercise)
2) Aerobic Routine: (2 or 3 times a week alternate with strength routine)
a) Wind sprints: Running distance ______________ Repetitions __________________ Rest time __________________ Swimming distance _____________ Repetitions __________________ Rest time __________________ Other ________________________ Repetitions __________________ Rest time __________________ b) Mid-­‐distance workout(best time). Running distance: ____________ OR Swimming distance : _____________ OR Other: ___________________________________ 3) Strength Routine: ( 2 or 3 times a week alternate with aerobic routine) a) Pull ups Repetitions _________ Sets _________ Rest Time __________ b) Sit-­‐ups Repetitions _________ Sets _________ Rest Time __________ c) Push-­‐ups Repetitions _________ Sets _________ Rest Time __________ Or any other list below d) ___________ Repetitions _________ Sets _________ Rest Time___________ e) ___________ Repetitions _________ Sets _________ Rest Time___________ f)
___________ Repetitions _________ Sets _________ Rest Time___________ 4) Flexibility Routine: (5 times per week) a) Hamstring stretch – hold 15 to 20 seconds each leg – 3 repetitiions per leg b) Lower trunk rotation – hold 10 to 15 seconds each side – 3 repetitions per side c) Cats and camels – Do five repetitions d) Other – list time and repetitions below 5) Cool Down: (Mandatory -­‐ after each aerobic or strength routine) 5 minute ‘walk and talk’ Sample of My Fitness Program (Use this sample to build your first week program on page-­‐2 and get it approved by your parent and counselor) Each program should begin with a warm-­‐up, have an aerobic and/or strength workout, followed by a flexibility workout and end with a cool down. For best results follow this 4 to 6 times a week. Strength training should not be done on consecutive days on the same muscle groups. 1) Warm-­‐up: (Before each aerobic or strength routing. Low intensity movement and muscle stretching – 5 to 6 minutes) Choose one from: (a) Light jog (b) run in place for 2 to 3 minutes (c) skip rope at moderate pace for one to two minutes (d) walk briskly for 3 to 5 minutes (e) swim a crawl at a slow to moderate pace for 50 to 100 yards AND Stretch the muscles to be used – these will be demonstrated in the classes by your counselors 2) Aerobic Exercises: (2 or 3 times a week: 10 to 20 mins) Wind sprints: Choose one of: (a) A 50 yard sprint (running) resting 2 to 3 minutes and repeating this cycle 2 more times. (b) A 25 yard dash of swimming resting 2 to 3 minutes and repeating this cycle 2 more times (c) Jumping rope at a fast pace for 1 minute and resting 2 to 3 minutes and repeating this cycle 2 more times (d) Skating or bicycling or Rowing (e) Other (describe) high aerobic activity AND Mid Distance workout: a 600 yard run or a 400 yard swim or 5 minute row on a rowing machine. As your performance improves increase the number of sprints and the length of your mid-­‐distance runs. 3) Strength Exercises: (2 or 3 times a week: Rest your muscle group for at least one day between exercises) Do one of the following: Repeat to 2 or 3 sets with rest in-­‐between. Also the sets can be the same number of exercises or decrease like 15 pushups for set-­‐1, 10 for set-­‐2 and 5 for set-­‐3 a set of Pull-­‐ups, Situps and Push-­‐ups OR Do resistance training or Weight lifting (Curls, Bench press, Incline press, squats) OR Machine routine for upper body muscle development Other exercises to consider – Kneeling push-­‐up, Planks, Stability Ball leg curl 4) Flexibility Workout : (5 times per week) At least 3 of the below: (a) Cats and Camels (b) Lower Trunk Rotation (c) Hamstring Stretch e) Stick-­‐ups (e) Bird-­‐Dog (f) Hip extension (and 1-­‐leg hip extension) 5) Cool Down: Five minute walk and talk.