Exercise Prescription
Spring 2014
PE 4780: Individual Enrollment
M 12:15-1:00
Draper & Maynard 428
Instructor:
Office:
Email:
Office Hours:
Credits:
Prerequisites:
Ryanne Carmichael, PhD
Draper and Maynard 428
rcarmichael@mail.plymouth.edu
Monday, Wednesday, Friday 10-11, Friday 12:15-1:15, or by appointment
3 credit hours
PE 3580
Course Description:
Principles and practices of assessing and conducting health-related adult physical fitness
programs to the apparently healthy and at-risk populations.
Required Textbooks:
Swain, D. P. (Ed.). (2014). ACSM’s resource manual for guidelines for exercise testing and
prescription (7th ed.). Philadelphia, PA: Lippincott Williams & Wilkins.
Thompson, W. R. (Ed.). (2010). ACSM’s guidelines for exercise testing and prescription (8th
ed.). Philadelphia, PA: Lippincott Williams & Wilkins.
Suggested Textbook:
Glass, S. & Dwyer, G. B. (Eds.). (2007). ACSM’s metabolic calculations handbook.
Philadelphia, PA: Lippincott Williams & Wilkins.
Statement of Outcomes: At the end of this course the student will be able to:
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Describe the purposes of, and utilize pre-participation screening and informed
consent techniques/forms.
Describe the general principles of exercise prescription and the components involved
in creating an effective exercise prescription for a variety of modalities and
populations.
Identify appropriate testing procedures for the assessment of cardiorespiratory fitness,
musculoskeletal fitness, and body composition.
Develop exercise prescriptions for cardiorespiratory fitness, musculoskeletal fitness,
and weight management based on test results.
Describe the importance of nutritional factors in exercise performance.
Identify relevant legal considerations associated with exercise testing/prescription.
Identify risks associated with exercise testing and prescription.
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Describe appropriate parameters for exercise prescription in the heart diseased
population.
Describe appropriate parameters for exercise prescription in the pulmonary diseased
population.
Describe appropriate parameters for exercise prescription in the diabetic population.
Describe appropriate parameters for exercise prescription in the obese population.
Describe appropriate parameters for exercise prescription in other special populations.
Grading Overview
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Exam 1
Exam 2
Exam 3
Assignments
Final Project
20%
20%
20%
10%
30%
Grading:
A = 93 and above
B = 83 – 86
C = 73 – 76
D = 63 – 66
A- = 90 – 92
B- = 80 – 82
C- = 70 – 72
D- = 60 – 62
B+ = 87 - 89
C+ = 77 - 79
D+ = 67 – 69
F = 59 and below
Description of Evaluation Measures
Exams: Exams will be a combination of objective and subjective questions. Exam1 will
cover material presented up to the point of the exam. Exam 2 will cover material presented
immediately following exam 1 up to the point of exam 2. The third exam will serve as the
final exam and will be cumulative.
Assignments: There have been many trends in the fitness industry – some have been
successful, some have caused more harm than good. You will be asked to write about (via
Moodle post) and discuss (in weekly meetings) these trends. Specifically, you will research
the history and evolution of each fitness movement. You will compare the philosophies and
scientific principles underlying the trends with the ACSM’s guidelines for testing and
prescription. You will give your opinion on the merits of each based on your knowledge and
background in exercise physiology.
Final Project: This project requires you to perform a comprehensive exercise prescription.
For this exercise prescription all appropriate testing will be performed.
The exercise prescription will be based on the results of various assessment and testing
procedures, which may include, but are not limited to: health history lifestyle analysis, risk
factor assessment and stratification, GXT, muscle strength and endurance assessment, body
composition assessment, etc. You will create a 3-month exercise prescription as a result of
the testing procedures and specified goals.
Your prescription will include, cardiovascular and resistance training, flexibility, and
nutrition. In addition, your prescription will include the variables of exercise prescription
such as mode, frequency, duration, intensity, etc. This prescription is similar to the type of
approach that you would take working in a commercial or corporate fitness facility or clinical
facility such as in cardiac and/or pulmonary rehabilitation.
The project must be typed and formally presented in a 3-ring binder with the appropriate tabs
included (tabs must also be typed). There will be no handwritten material included with your
project. All pertinent information for this project will be covered in class throughout the
semester.
Attendance Policy
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Attendance at weekly meetings is mandatory. If you need to reschedule a meeting,
contact me prior to our scheduled time so that alternative arrangements can be made.
The University defines excused absences as absences stemming from (a) participation
in University sponsored activities and (b) compelling and extenuating circumstances
beyond a student’s control. A student who anticipates an absence of this nature must
provide adequate notice and documentation to his / her instructor regarding the nature
of the absence. For additional questions about the College attendance policy, refer to
the Academic Catalog.
Academic Integrity
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Academic integrity is the foundation of the pursuit of knowledge. All members of the
academic community are expected to be dedicated to the pursuit of knowledge in an
honest, responsible, respectful, and ethical manner. A violation of academic integrity
includes any act which portrays a member of the academic community as having
acquired knowledge through legitimate study or research which, in fact, has been stolen.
Examples of intentional violations of academic integrity include, but are not limited to,
the following: Submitting another person’s work as one’s own, that is, plagiarism. This
includes, for example: copying during examinations; purchasing papers or taking them
from Internet/World Wide Web resources; copying papers, reports, laboratory results, or
computer work; quoting or paraphrasing library or Internet/World Wide Web sources
without proper citations.
Misunderstanding of the Policy will not be accepted as an excuse for dishonest work, and
students are advised to read the complete University Policy on Academic Integrity
printed in the Academic Catalog.
Violations of the Academic Integrity policy will be reported to the Department Chair and
the Office of the Vice President for Academic Affairs. Sanctions may include receiving a
failing grade for the examination, assignment, or course, or being dismissed from the
University.
Special Needs
Plymouth State University is committed to providing students with documented disabilities equal
access to all university programs and facilities. If you think you have a disability requiring
accommodations, you should immediately contact the PASS Office in Lamson Library (5352270) to determine whether you are eligible for such accommodations. Academic
accommodations will only be considered for students who have registered with the PASS Office.
If you have a Letter of Accommodation for this course from the PASS Office, please provide the
instructor with that information privately so that you and the instructor can review those
accommodations.
Tentative Weekly Schedule
Date
Topic
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1
1/27
2
2/3
3
2/10
4
2/17
5
2/24
6
3/3
7
3/10
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Introduction and Syllabus
Review
Benefits and Risks of
Physical Activity
Health Behavior Change
Health Appraisal and Risk
Assessment
Assignment 1: Curves
for Women
Legal Issues
Introduction to Exercise
Prescription
Cardiorespiratory Fitness
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Cardiorespiratory Fitness
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EXAM 1 (3/3, time TBD)
Musculoskeletal Fitness
Musculoskeletal Fitness
Assignment 2: CrossFit
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8
3/17
9
3/24
10
3/31
11
4/7
12
4/14
Reading and Assignment Due Dates
Thompson: Chapter 1
Swain: Chapters 44, 45, and 46
Thompson: Chapter 2
Swain: Chapter 10
Thompson: Chapter 7
Swain: Chapters 21, 30, and 32
Swain: Chapters 21, 30, and 32
Swain: Chapters 22, 31, and 33
Swain: Chapters 22, 31, and 33
SPRING BREAK
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13
4/21
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14
4/28
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Flexibility
Body Composition
Body Composition
Nutrition
EXAM 2 (4/7, time TBD)
Heart Disease
Assignment 3: The Paleo
Diet
Heart Disease
Diabetes
Obesity
Assignment 4: Jogging,
Jazzercise, and Aerobics
Osteoporosis and Arthritis
Swain: Chapters 22, 31, and 33
Chapter 18
Swain: Chapter 18
Swain: Chapter 4
Swain: Chapter 38
Swain: Chapter 38
Swain: Chapter 40
Swain: Chapter 35
Swain: Chapter 42 and 43
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Assignment 5: Your
Choice
15
Swain: Chapter 36
 Special Populations
5/5
 FINAL PROJECT DUE
(5/9)
FINAL EXAM
(DATE AND TIME TBD)
All assignments and due dates are subject to change – all changes will be announced in class.