Fit Score Book

8/14/2019 Fit Score Book

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FitScore

A Revolutionary Approach to Fitness

Get your FitScore at HyperStrike.com


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Table of Contents

AcknowledgementsIntroduction 1A Note from Michael Greeves 1

Who We Are 1

Who You Are 1

You Becoming Fit 1

What is Fitness? 1

Real-World Fitness, How does it Benefit You? 2

Real-World Fitness and a Great-Looking Body 2

Real-World Fitness: The Essence of Human Evolution 3

Why is this Book right for You? 3

What Will You Gain from this Book? 4

Form Always Follows Function 5

Part I

Chapter One 7Analyzing Fitness 7

Understanding Fitness 7

The 5 Components of Fitness 8

Applying the 5 Components of Fitness 8

Strength 9

Power 9

Agility 9

Endurance 10

Flexibility 10

Optimize the 5 Components of Fitness to Maximize Your

Real-World Fitness 11

So, What is the Workout Program? 11Energy Systems 13

Phosphagen System 13

Anaerobic System 13

Aerobic System 14

Energy Systems and Real-World Fitness 14

Training for Real-World Fitness 14

Chapter Two FitScore 15Your Map to Success 15

How FitScore Works for You 15

Moving Forward 16

Chapter Three Strength 17What is Strength? 18

What are some Examples of Strength? 18

How is Strength Measured? 19

Strength, Put it in Your Life 19


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Chapter Four - PowerWhat is Power? 21

What are some Examples of Power? 21

How is Power Measured? 21

Power, it has a Place in Your Life 22

Chapter Five -AgilityWhat is Agility? 23

What are some Examples of Agility? 23

How is Agility Measured? 24

Agility, You should have iit 24

Chapter Six - EnduranceWhat is Endurance? 25

What are some Examples of Real-World Endurance? 26

How is Endurance Measured? 26

Endurance, You should have it 27

Chapter Seven - FlexibilityWhat is Flexibility? 28

What are some Real-World Examples of Flexibility? 29

How is Real-World Flexibility Measured? 29

Real-World FlexibilityWhy You want it 30

Part II

Chapter Eight FitScore 32Equipment Needed for Assessments 32

Fitness Component 1 Strength 32

Fitness Component 2 Power 32Fitness Component 3 Agility 32

Fitness Component 4 Endurance 33

Fitness Component 5 Flexibility 33

Strength Assessment 33

Bench Press 33

Squat 35

Power Assessment 36

Jumping 36

Agility Assessment 38

Agility Drill 38

Endurance Assessment 39

1.5 Mile Run 40

Flexibility Assessment 41

Overhead Squat 41

Keeping Your FitScore 43

Words of Advice Before Starting Assessments: The Prerequis 44

The Prerequisite 44

Chapter Nine - Putting It All Together 45How to Use the FitScore Charts 45

FitScore Graph 84


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Chapter Ten - Mapping Your Direction 86The Pentagon of FitScore 86

The Real-world Fitness Map 87

Interpreting Your Graph into a Workout 87

Chapter Eleven - Executing Your Plan 89If Your Fitness Components are Balanced 89

If You Need to Balance Your Fitness Component 89

Creating an Exercise Program 89

Frequency 89

Duration 89

Intensity 90

Determining Your Exercise Ratios: The Approximation Method 90

Examples of the Approximation Method 90

What to do with the Ratios? 91

Freedom in Program Design is the Key 91

Design it Your Way 91

Part III

Chapter 12 - The Exercises 93Strength 93

Squat 93

Deadlift 93

One-legged Chair Squat 94

Lunge 94

Lateral Lunge 95

Bench Press 95

Push-up 96

Bent-over Row 97Pull-up 97

Shoulder Press 98

Power 99

Vertical Jump 99

Broad Jump 99

Tuck Jump 100

Skipping Lunge 101

Skier 101

Clean High Pull 102

Power Jerk 103

Power Push-up 104

Medicine Ball Chest Throw 104

Medicine Ball Power Slam 105


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Agility 106

Forward Skip 106

Lateral Shuffle 106

Zigzag Run 107

10-Yard Start-Stop Sprint 108

10-Yard Reverse Sprint 109

Forward Reaching Lunge 110

Lateral Reaching Lunge 110

Rotation Reaching Lunge 111

Matrix 112

T-Cone Drill 113

Endurance 114

Speed Walking 115

Hill Walking 115

Running 116

Cycling 116

Rowing 117

Interval Running 118Interval Cycling 118

Shadow Boxing 119

Skipping Rope 120

Combo-Training 121

Flexibility 122

Sampson Lunge 122

Lateral Stretching Lunge 123

Step-Over Lunge 123

Straight-Leg Kick 124

Handwalk 124

Water Wading 125

Wings 125

Back Stroke 126Frog Drop 126

Overhead Squat 127

Progression 128

Parameters 128

Strength 129

Power 129

Agility 130

Endurance 130

Flexibility 131

Chapter 13 Conclusion 132Real-World Fitness 132

Keep it Fresh and Fun 133

Appendices 134Appendix A FitScore Record Sheet 136


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ACKNOWLEDGMENTS

First, I want to thank God for bringing the right people into my

life at the right time. Throughout this journey Ive been

blessed with the people to help turn the vision for this Company

and book into reality. Harry, Shirley Thank you!

Next, I want to thank the many people who have influenced my life

and helped me build me business. My wife, whom from day one,

believed in me and my vision. Many of my personal training

clients, several of them successful CEOs and Executives, who

have mentored me and provided invaluable feedback that helped

shape the direction of the Company and this book.

I want to thank John Johnny Nguyen for his dedication and

commitment to excellence. John provided key assistance andvaluable perspectives during the evolution of FitScore.

Special thanks to the Thom and Tracey Downing and the trainers at

Focused Individualized Training (F.I.T.) who Ive learned so much

from. Im grateful to the Downings and the staff at F.I.T. for

contributing to my education as a trainer.

Thanks to my staff and development team for the great website.

Finally, Id like to thank my parents for always encouraging me

to go for my dreams. No limits!


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INTRODUCTION

Whether an elite athlete, casual exerciser, sedentary office

worker or a gym rat, we all want to be fit and healthy. We want

to become strong, lean, flexible and active. We want to livehealthy and train with purpose and direction! We all want to

live a fit lifestyle. After 13 years of working as a personal

trainer, I developed a passion to help people live a fit

lifestyle and transform themselves. In 2005, with the help of

many smart people, I launched HyperStrike.com a fitness and

nutrition website.

As the founder, I believe Im in a unique position to help

educate people on healthy habits, reaching more people, and

teaching them how to live healthier and be fit. I believe that

with HyperStrike I can help reach more people, and teach them to:

Reach their fitness goals faster Constantly improve their fitness Change their bodies for the better Transform their perception of fitness Empower themselves to become fit

Now, with FitScore, I want to help you do the same. Where

HyperStrike gives you a simple, step-by-step plan to get in

shape, lose weight and stay healthy; FitScore provides unique

insight into your total fitness level.

When we first set out to create FitScore we didnt want to

recreate what was already available tests that give you a onedimensional view of fitness. How frustrating is it to perform a

fitness test and at the end confirm what you already suspected.

Either you performed well or poorly for that particular test,

with no real explanation for what it means in the bigger picture.

Too many people have a one-dimensional view of their fitness.

Have you ever met someone that brags about their physical

accomplishments I can bench press my bodyweight, or I can run

a 5 minute mile, or I can do the splits. Most likely, what

theyre not telling you is their weaknesses. Sure they can bench

press their body weight, but they cant run a mile. Or maybe

they can do the splits, but cant do a push up. This is common,

as its human nature to focus on our strengths and hide our

weaknesses.

What if we changed our perspective on fitness from a one

dimensional view to a multi-dimensional, holistic view? Rather

than focusing on the exercise, we focus on improving our health

and fitness. To see a marked improvement in your fitness, youll

need more than a plan. Youll need to know your FitScore.


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In the coming chapters, Ill explain how to:

Assess Your Fitness

FitScore helps you assess your current fitness level (or startingpoint) by breaking fitness into its five component elements and

rating each component. The five components are also aggregated to

provide an overall FitScore.

Improve Your FitScore

Individual fitness components can be targeted for improvement.

Push fitness to new levels and avoid plateaus with targeted

training.

Upload to HyperStrike

You can upload their FitScore directly to HyperStrike. The

Fitness Engine will evaluate the FitScore and create customized

workouts based on each individuals unique FitScore.

Share and Compare

FitScore contains a community element that allows users to share

their FitScore via online communities and compare FitScores with

friends, family and peers.

If you are currently exercising, I challenge you to get your

FitScore.

If you are sedentary and contemplating exercising, I challenge

you to get your FitScore.

If you are looking to take your fitness to the next level, I

challenge you to get your FitScore.

Everyone should know their FitScore!

No matter what you current situation, you can use FitScore to

guide your body and workouts. Find a buddy or personal trainer,

hit the gym, log your results on HyperStrike.com, and get fit! I

guarantee youll discover something about yourself: how fit you

really are. I did!

Yours in Health,

Mike Greeves


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Who You AreWe make up the staff members for a company called

HyperStrike, an on-line fitness company that delivers

individualized fitness programs to thousands of people who want

to get fit. We are also practicing coaches and personal trainers

with real-world experiences. We have changed and improved

literally thousands of lives, have worked with athletes of all

levels and ages, and we truly enjoy what we do on a daily basis.

Because we can only work one-on-one with so many people, we

decided to write a book to spread what we do to a larger audience

you. With this book, we hope to empower as many people as

possible, to help make the people of this world a much fitter and

healthier people.

Who You AreYou might be an athlete, a CEO, a lawyer, a teacher, a

student, a parent, or a grandparent. You might be one of anumber of people out there doing whatever it takes to get you

through the day: winning a race, closing a deal, digging a ditch,

earning a paycheck, studying for a test, raising young children,

climbing a mountain, or walking a dog. Whatever it is you do in

life, one thing is for sure: You want to be fit. You want to be

healthy. You want to look good and to feel good.

How do we know? First, we know this because you are

reading this book. Second, because who does not want to look

good and to feel good? To have these things, you must have

superior fitness. And, as far as this book is concerned, your

wish to be fit defines who you are!

You Becoming FitWishing to be fit is elusive as a dream, and it certainly

will not materialize unless you have the right tools and

knowledge to use it. This is where FitScore comes in, to

simplify fitness and to empower you to achieve it.

What is Fitness?Fitness, as defined in broad practical terms, is the

ability to do anything you want, and do it well; whatever the

physical task, lifting a weight, running a 10k, throwing a stone,

climbing a rock, or jumping a fence. Whatever life presents,

handling lifes circumstances without blinking an eye; this is

what we call Real-World Fitness.

Real-World Fitness, How does it Benefit You?Once you achieve real-world fitness, you can do just about

anything you want to do. You gain the energy, strength, stamina

and functional capacity to live life to its fullest. Tasks that

must get done become easier to do. Real-world fitness gives you

a body that is capable of almost anything!


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Real-World Fitness and a Great-Looking BodyNow you might be thinking this, Having real-world fitness

is a good thing, but what about getting a great-looking body?

The answer is this: Real-world fitness produces superior

physical changes that lead to a lean, well-defined body, and it

does so more effectively than the boring exercise routines found

in many magazines.

Having more functional capacity does not mean you neglect

aesthetics. In real life, Form Always Follows Function (see Box

Text, p. 5). When you improve the function of your body, the

form of your body will naturally follow.

We at HyperStrike are aware that more of you, than not,

want to have a nice, lean body for the beach, for the evening

dinner parties in a sleeveless dress, or for mowing the lawn

without a shirt. These are the reasons for which we got into

fitness, and probably the reasons for many of you who want to

workout. So, we are happy to tell you that, when you become fit

and we mean truly fit for the real world you will also lookthe part; this is fact. We have never seen anyone who can do a

lot of physical things well and not look lean, defined and

strong. The positive changes in your body are, quite simply, the

side effects of becoming functionally fit.

Simply put, if you get fit for the real world, your body

will show it with decreased body fat, greater lean muscles and

well-defined shapes.

Real-World Fitness: The Essence of Human EvolutionThink for a moment of our ancestors who did not have the

awareness of body image. Although their bodies were lean and

defined, it was not in their social fabric to be pressured into

burning body fat, building lean muscles, and sculpting their abs.What they had, though, were physical activities of all kinds

instead of cars, escalators, office chairs and television. Our

ancestors hunted and gathered, using their bodies in natural ways

long forgotten by modern culture. They had to be functionally

strong, or they did not eat, nor did they survive the winters.

As a result our ancestors increased functional capacity required

to survive in those early days, their bodies were strong, lean,

and, just as importantly, they were free of diseases common in

todays society (e.g. cardiovascular disease and diabetes).

Why is this the Right Book for You?In this book, you will learn to achieve the kind of fitness

that is used everyday in real life. Real-World Fitness is not a

revolutionary concept. Real-world fitness has been around for

millions of years, as our ancestors incorporated this into their

daily lives; they needed to stay strong, functional and learn how

to survive in their world. However, Real-World Fitness is a

revolutionary approach to achieving a strong and lean body.

You will use the same activity concepts to get strong and

stay strong, to become functional and lean, to not only survive,

but also enjoy the modern world. You will apply ancestral


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exercise strategies (based on exercise science) that deliver

superior real-world fitness. No, you will not throw spears and

hurl rocks, but you will learn to perform fresh, exciting and

highly effective exercises that nearly anyone can do almost

anywhere.

The result is that you will melt away body fat and become

lean. You will look and feel your best ever, and you will have

the physical capacity to do almost anything you want.

Essentially, it does not matter what you do in life, as

long as you participate in todays real life. If you want to be

a part of todays real life, be fit and look great, then this

book is written for you.

What Will You Gain from this Book?From this book, you will:

Learn how to exercise effectively Get fresh and fun exercise ideas for anywhere at anytime Produce visible and measurable results Save time while gaining a stronger and leaner body Look and feel your best ever Achieve the kind of real-world fitness that is used in real

life everyday

Use programs based on exercise physiology and principles


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Form Always Follows FunctionToo many people put form before function; this is a

mistake. Exercise programs that emphasize only body image often

lose out on the benefits of increased real-world fitness. We

cannot stress enough how important it is to emphasize function in

your workout program!

Below are some reasons why every workout should focus on

increasing functional capacity, or real-world fitness:

First, when you increase functional capacity, you tend to

move better and more often in life and in your workouts. You

also increase your caloric expenditure.

Second, increasing your functional capacity allows you to

do more things while preventing injury; you are more capable of

reacting and respondingto your physical environment, and you are

stronger and more able to withstand surprise assaults to the

body. Injury can slow or halt your fitness progress, and who

wants that?Third, when you have a great level of functional capacity,

you can work out nearly anywhere you choose. Any backyard, side

street, strip of beach, hotel room, playground structure, tree

branch, odd object, or a small space on an open floor all of

these places and things can become your gym for super creative

and extremely effective exercises exercises that most other

people cannot perform because they either do not know how or they

are doing traditional mindless exercises with the same old

protocols that yields less-than-optimal results.

Simply put, if you get fit for the real world, your body

will show it with decreased body fat, greater lean muscles and

well-defined shapes.


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Part I


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Chapter OneThe great thing about being human is our ability to examine

things methodically by separating them into parts and studying

their interrelations. We can deconstruct or dissect anything in

the natural world and seek to understand it; it is a skill that

separates us from animals. Our ability to conceptualize,

analyze, understandand applyinformation into performative acts

and/or tasks has advanced human development significantly since

the dark-ages of throwing stones and swinging sticks. Thus, it

is this, our intellectual skill, which allows us to analyze and

understand the thing that should be quite valuable to all of us

our fitness.

Analyzing FitnessFitness is defined in many ways, by many people. For

example, if a person can run a marathon, s/he is considered fit.

If a person can climb a mountain, s/he is considered fit. Or, ifa person lifts a barbell that weighs a ton, s/he is also

considered fit. Well, what if the marathoner cannot jump onto a

three-foot platform, the mountain climber cannot carry a bag of

cement, and the weight lifter cannot run a mile? Would they

still be considered fit?

The athletes in the above examples possess what is

considered specific fitness, or the ability to perform verywell

at one thing, but at the expense of doing well at other things.

This is not bad if your passion is doing that one thing most

elite athletes are this way. But, for the rest of us who simply

want to be fit, look great and enjoy life to its fullest,

specializing in one thing at the expense of doing well in other

things is not the best choice. Instead of specializing in onething and having only specific fitness, we should do well in all

things and possess well-rounded fitness. This is real-world

fitness.

Understanding FitnessFitness means possessing the physical capacity to do many

things, and to do them well. You should be able to run a good

distance and be able to jump high; climb a ladder and pick up a

large basket of firewood; and lift a heavy weight, yet still be

able to run on the beach with your dog. If you are truly fit,

there is no compromise. You are capable of accomplishing many

tasks, and this requires you to possess many motor qualities.

There are many individual motor qualities, all expressed by

various actions. Take, for example, a basketball player who

jumps up for a slam dunk; the motor quality seen in the jump is

expressed aspower. Throwing a shot put is also an expression of

power, as is swinging an ax down to split a log. There is also

strength, or the motor quality of lifting or moving against a

large resistance such as lifting a stone or pushing a couch.

There is endurance, or the motor quality seen in continuous work

such as running a 10k or kayaking a long river. Agilityis


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another motor quality that demonstrates how quickly a person can

change directions, such as a football running back avoiding being

tackled, or someone moving her/his feet fast to avoid a fall

after tripping on a rock. Flexibilityis also an important motor

quality, because it allows you to move easily, gracefully, and

without injury.

The 5 Components of FitnessAlthough motor qualities can be further separated and

defined, we have picked five main qualities that effectively

represent real-world fitness, and they are:

1. Strength2. Power3. Endurance4. Agility5. Flexibility

In this book, they are referred to as the 5 Components of

Fitness.

Applying the 5 Components of FitnessIn the following section, we are going to apply the 5

Components of Fitness so you can better understand how each isbeneficial to you. It is our hope that you will gain a new

appreciation and understanding for the concept of real-world

fitness and its enhancement of your physique.

Strength:Function Strength determines how easily you can pick

heavy things up or move heavy things around. If your strength is

great, you can manage difficult and heavy tasks and stay injury-

free. With great strength you are less likely to be dependent onothers; for example, when you have to lift something heavy and

others arent around, you can do it on your own. The sense of

independence is priceless!

Aesthetics To lift heavier weights, your body must

recruit more of your muscles to do the work. When more muscles

are used, more calories get burned. So, having greater strength

means you can do things that are more metabolically costly. This

helps you become lean and stay mean!

Power:Function Power determines how fast you can move against a

resistance. The resistance can be your bodyweight or an

external weight (something other than your own body). Power

helps you jump higher, throw farther, and generally move more

explosively; it puts oomph into your movement. Power is one of

the keys to staying young and athletic.

Aesthetics Moving faster means your muscles must contract

at a higher velocity. When your muscles contract at a higher

velocity, the mechanical power is high. But for that to occur,

your metabolic power output must be high. A high metabolic power

output means that you burn a large number of calories, aiding the


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goal of becoming lean and staying lean. Are you beginning to see

how this all works?

Agility:Function Agility brings into your life well, life! This

motor ability allows you to move in ways that surprise and

impress onlookers and sometimes even you! Have you ever chase a

playful dog? How about chasing a wild child who has had too much

chocolate? Have you ever recovered from a stumble and wondered

how on earth you did not bite it hard, or fall on the ground?

Agility allows you to move quickly, to change directions abruptly

and with startling accuracy, and to decelerate and accelerate in

a blink of an eye. Youve heard it: Young and agile. Its a

great thing.

Aesthetics It takes a lot of energy to move quickly (just

as it does to move powerfully see above). When you accelerate

and decelerate your body and your muscles must overcome a lot of

inertia. Muscles must contract quite readily and with a lot offorce, which means they must utilize a lot of energy. Of course,

this energy comes from the burning of calories, and this is a

great way to get lean and to stay lean!

Endurance:Function Endurance determines how long you can last while

doing something. This requires your muscles to contract

repeatedly without premature fatigue. With good endurance you

can run farther, bike longer, lift a weight for more repetitions,

get more work done and generally tire less easily. Endurance

allows you to accomplish and enjoy many activities that life has

to offer.

Aesthetics When your muscles contract repeatedly, theymust receive constant fuel to keep going; that fuel is from

calories burned. Although there are many ways of effectively

burning a lot of calories, long-term burning of calories is a

good, additional way to getting lean and staying lean.

Flexibility:Function The ability to move your body through a full

range of motion is important. With good flexibility you can move

freely and accomplish tasks more easily. Flexibility and the

ability to move freely also reduces the chance for injury (i.e.

strains or sprains). It is important, however, to recognize that

flexibility by itself is not enough, it must come with strength

and control. In other words, no matter how much you stretch a

limb, you must be able to exert control over that limb.

Otherwise, flexibility without strength and control can make the

corresponding joint flimsy and predisposes it to injury. With

this in mind, when we speak of flexibility, we really mean

functional flexibility.

Aesthetics Having freedom of motion helps prevent

injuries, which allows you to stay active and on-target with your

fitness routine. This keeps the results coming. But also, being


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able to move and exercise through a greater range of motion

requires that the muscles contract a greater distance through its

entire length. The result is that the metabolic cost is higher,

burning more calories. This helps you get lean and stay lean!

Optimize the 5 Components of Fitness to Maximize Your Real-WorldFitness

You can now see the importance in optimizing the 5

Components of Fitness. Simply working on one or two of these

components to the exclusion of the others is not a complete

fitness plan. Yet, we see so many people doing so. It is like

writing a novel while using only a third of the alphabet!

When you target all 5 Components of Fitness in your workout

program, you will achieve real-world fitness and you will speed

up the process of making your body strong and lean!

So, What is the Workout Program?

You will find out more about the workout program as youread through this book, but for now, below is a peek at the

workout program that produces real-world fitness.

You will use exercises that require whole-body involvement You will use exercises that are novel, as well as forgotten

exercises that have been around for decades, hundreds or

thousands of years

You will perform exercises in ways that maximize all themetabolic processes

Your program will be fresh, different and stimulating notlimited to the mundane stuff seen too often in so many workout

programs

At times you will use equipment while at other times you willuse your own bodyweight (and, if you do not have equipment,that is ok; there are many substitutions)

You will use varying speeds for your exercises You will work at your own ability level this program can be

done by anyone from top athletes to beginners. You can make

your workout as hard as you want or you can make it fairly

easy (although we recommend you steadily build up to working

fairly hard it is the quickest way to your fitness goal).

Your workouts will be different, fresh and fun


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Energy SystemsYour workouts are based on scientific principles. The

following section will include a quick review regarding the

basics of exercise metabolism. From this discussion, we hope

that you will have a better understanding about the effectiveness

of the real-world fitness program.

Your car requires energy to run, and that energy is the

fuel in the gas tank. In order for the human body to move, it

needs fuel, too, and this fuel for the body is called adenosine

triphosphate, or ATP.

ATP is the basic unit of energy used to move the body, and,

unlike your cars single tank of gas, the human body has more

than one tank from which to deliver ATP. In fact, the body has

three tanks, called energy systems. Depending on how you move,

your body taps into specific energy systems. Although no one

energy system is solely used at the exclusion of the other two,

often one system contributes primarily while the other two chipin secondarily. The energy systems are called:

1. Phosphagen System2. Anaerobic System3. Aerobic SystemPhosphagen System:

The phosphagen system supplies ATP primarily for short-

term, high-intensity activities, like jumping, throwing,

sprinting or lifting a very heavy weight. The phosphagen system

is the main energy source of ATP for high-intensity activities

that last approximately 5 to 10 seconds.

Anaerobic System:The anaerobic system provides ATP primarily for intense

muscular work that lasts about ten seconds to 3 minutes. Some

activities that utilize the anaerobic system include resistance

training (using weight equipment or your own bodyweight) and

sprinting distances longer than 100 yards.

Aerobic System:The aerobic system is the primary source of ATP during low-

intensity activities that are more than three minutes long, such

as running, biking, casual swimming, walking or simply resting.

Energy Systems and Real-World FitnessWe see far too many people out there training only one

energy system while neglecting the other two. Real-world fitness

means that all of these energy systems are equally trained and

maximized. Generally, in real life, no one system is favored.

You never know when you will need to use what energy system. You

may need to jump out of the way of danger; you may need to sprint

out from under a hail storm; you may need to carry a heavy weight

for a hundred feet; or you may need to hike to the next town

after your car puttered to a stop in the middle of nowhere. By


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training for real-world fitness, you will be ready for the real

world.

Training for Real-World FitnessThe FitScore exercise program is designed to balance and

then maximize the 5 Components of Fitness and the three energy

systems. FitScore will help make you the fittest person you have

ever been, and you will also look the part!


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rounded fitness, or balance in all five fitness components. When

you have well-rounded fitness, you can achieve your fitness goals

much faster than if you were only good at a few things. (And,

because your exercise program will have great variety, it will be

a good thing that you can do everything!)

Moving ForwardWhat you have in your hands is a simple yet very effective

workout plan that contains a vast array of exercises. FitScore

will help you to understand the concept of training for real-

world fitness. We sincerely know that if you use the plan in

this book, you will be impressed and delighted with your results.

The remaining chapters in Part I include more in-depth

discussions on each of the 5 Components of Fitness. These

chapters are short, but hopefully you will gain more of an

appreciation for the quality of strength, power, agility,

endurance and flexibility. Furthermore, you will read about the

importance of how these 5 Components of Fitness affect your life!In Part II, you will learn how to perform assessments for each of

the 5 Components of Fitness. Finally, in Part III, you will

learn how to train to attain balance among these components as

well as continuously progress the 5 Components of Fitness to more

advanced levels.


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Chapter ThreeStrength

What is Strength?Strength is a basic component of all human movement. Its

definition can be confusingly broad, and its term is used to

describe many things in the world. In the context of human

movement, strength can be displayed under many conditions; for

example, strength can be expressed in the form of speed, or it

can be produced repetitively and be called endurance.

As functional human beings, we possess many strength

qualities, but for the sake of simplification, we will refer to

strength solely as the ability to produce maximal force against

an external resistance.

Strength, as defined above, is an important quality to

develop and optimize because it enables us to lift, push, or pull

something heavy. And, in life, these actions occur, so we must

be prepared for it; strength can only make many things in life

easier to handle.

What are some Examples of Strength?Maybe it is a true story or maybe it is urban legend, but

the desperate mother who lifted a car to save the life of her

pinned child displayed a feat of strength. Though we sincerely

hope that you will never encounter an emergency situation like

this, we know that there are times in life when you must lift or

move something that is considerably heavy. Of course, in this

age of resources, we can rent equipment to do the job, or we can

round up a few good Samaritans, but what if those options are not

available and the heavy object in question needs to be moved,

pronto? If we are strong, chances are we can accomplish this

task. If our bodies are strong, we can also avoid injury whiledoing it. But, if we are not strong, the potential for injury is

prevalent with zero to little success of moving that heavy

object.

Strength does not have to be represented by brute, the

Charles Atlas of feats and the workhorse of getting things done.

Strength can be represented in a father hoisting his child into

his strong arms, creating a sentimental experience stored forever

in the childs mind. Strength can also be one measure of many

positive changes occurring from a workout program, or it can

offer feedback to indicate you are on the right track to losing

fat and becoming lean. Perhaps in some of us, strength can

simply be fuel for the ego, but without a doubt, in all of us,

strength is fuel for the real world.

How is Strength Measured?Many techniques have been developed to measure strength.

Two common tests for strength (maximum strength) are the back

squat and the bench press. These tests are also excellent

strengthening exercises used by athletes and many people who want

to get strong and stay strong.


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Theback squat is used to assess strength in the lower body(i.e. hips and legs), and it is also a great test for determining

strength in the back and torso. You must have strength in these

areas in order to perform the back squat, therefore, we at

HyperStrike, consider this a test for nearly the entire body.

Thebench press is used to assess strength in the upperbody (i.e. chest, shoulders and arms). Performing the bench

press requires stabilization of the shoulder girdles (i.e.

scapula or shoulder blade, clavicle or collar bone, and humeral

head or top of the arm bone) which, when done correctly, requires

the involvement of the rotator muscles of the shoulder joints and

the large muscles of the upper back (i.e. latissimus dorsi).

Without the participation of these other muscles to keep the

primary working muscles in check and balance, the bench press

would not be possible; therefore, we consider the bench press a

great all-around upper body test.

Strength, Put it in Your Life! Strength makes you a more functional human being Strength allows you to lower the risk of injury Strength allows you to use more of your muscles By using more of your muscles, strength allows you to burn

more calories

Strength assists with weight management Strength gives you more confidence Having strength makes you feel good


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Chapter FourPower

What is Power?While having strength to do something is great, it is the

possession and execution of power that gets the job done fast.

Simply defined, power is the ability to produce high force at

high speed.

A high rate of force development (RFD) allows you to move

your body or an object explosively, an ability that is often

necessary in sports, work and life. While strength is the

ability to move a heavy weight without any consideration to time,

power allows you to move it in as little time as possible. High

force and high speed equals high power.

Obviously, the heavier the weight, the slower it can be

moved; the lighter the weight, the faster. In other words, you

can move ten pounds much faster than you can 20 pounds. But,

this does not mean you cannot train to increase the speed ofmoving the weight, or increase the weight while moving at speed

or, ideally, both! In fact, one of the goals of training for

increased power is moving more weight faster: Power = Mass x

Distance / Time

Power, being one of the 5 Components of Fitness, is a

distinctive motor quality, and it can be optimized through proper

power-specific training.

What are some Examples of Power?A jump, a sprint up the stairs, a throw of a stone into the

ocean these are examples of power. Maybe there are times when

power comes out of necessity, such as dashing out of the way of

danger, sprinting to reach something precious, or pushing orpulling someone to safety. Whatever the case, your ability to

contract your muscles at high speed is a useful component of

real-world fitness, because life does not always move slowly.

How is Power Measured?Power can be measured through many means, but the simplest

way to measure power is through a vertical jump. The vertical

jump is a great exercise that can be used to assess power, as

well as train for its enhancement.

At first glance, the vertical jump appears to be a power

assessment for only the legs and hips, but other parts of the

body are also powerfully engaged. The torso must stabilize

against the high forces of acceleration and the arms must

explosively swing upward; this means that the chest, upper back,

shoulders and arms are greatly involved. The vertical jump is an

effective whole-body assessment and power exercise.


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Power, it has a Place in Your Life! Power makes you move faster Power allows faster reactions Faster reaction time may lower the risk of injury Power utilizes fast-twitch muscles Power requires a high metabolic output High metabolic output aides in weight loss and control Power gives you confidence


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Chapter FiveAgility

What is Agility?If you are agile, you can accelerate your body and suddenly

put on the breaks to change direction in a blink of an eye. You

can make quick changes of movement multidirectionally, multiple

times, continuously, and you can do it at will or even by

subconscious reaction to what is going on around you. This is

agility.

Changes in directions are decided quickly, and often

automatically; therefore the body must be able to respond

immediately if it is to be agile. Agility requires the muscles

to contract quickly; for you to align your body at the best

angles to change directions; and, agility requires that you have

good body integrity to remain injury-free through it all. Moving

well in zigzag patterns or any combination of multidirectional,

unpredictable patterns is considered agility. Agility places agreat demand on the body, and it is a great way to train and a

wonderful thing to master.

As one of the 5 Components of Fitness, agility is a

distinctive motor quality, and it can be optimized through proper

agility-specific training.

What are some Examples of Agility?Imagine a tennis player, a basketball player or a dancer

performing at his/her peak, and then imagine their agility

transferring to real-life situations where quick movement and

abrupt changes in directions are desired or even necessary - -

such as playing a pick-up game of basketball on a Saturday

afternoon engaging in a game of tag with the grandchildren, orstepping off the curb and jumping out of the way as the on-coming

car did not see you. Agility can add quality to your life, and

as in the last example, it may even save your life!

Quickness is a motor quality that keeps us all young while

we age. It is the same motor quality that allows elders to

retain (or regain) their youthful functions, which can make a

difference between continual enjoyment of life and a broken hip

if the body was not agile enough to avoid a fall. It is clear

that the importance of agility is no exaggeration.

How is Agility Measured?Since agility involves multidirectional movement and quick

acceleration and deceleration of the body, it makes perfect sense

that those elements be combined to form the test for measurement.

A great test that incorporates the above criteria to measure

agility is the T-Cone Drill. This particular drill also requiresquick footwork and proper alignment of the body.

The T-Cone Drill is an effective assessment tool, and the

abrupt starts and stops in multiple directions also make this

drill a great stand-alone exercise. The start, stop, and

multidirectional nature of this drill distributes appreciable


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forces through the entire body, which is a desirable training

effect experienced in other weight-resistance exercises.

Agility, You should have it Agility allows you to accelerate, decelerate and change

directions quickly

Agility stimulates fast-twitch muscle fibers Agility increases function and maintains youthfulness Agility allows you to enjoy many facets of life Agility helps you get out of trouble through quicker motor

responses

Agility requires great muscular contraction forces The muscular work in agility burns a good amount of calories Agility helps you lose fat and manage weight Training for agility is challenging and fun


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Chapter SixEndurance

What is Endurance?Lifting a bag of cement into the car is a show of strength.

Jumping over a big puddle of water is a demonstration of power.

Hopping quickly from rock to rock over a rushing stream of creek

water is a display of agility. But, doing anything over and over

for a period of time requires endurance.

Endurance is the ability of your muscles to perform

repeated contractions against a lighter resistance. This process

occurs through aerobic metabolism, where the body ultimately

produces energy from utilizing oxygen (as opposed to utilizing

blood and muscle sugar through anaerobic metabolism. See Energy

Systems in Chapter 1, p. 16).

Any physical activity lasting longer than about three

minutes is considered aerobic, while anaerobic activity lasts

fewer than three minutes. But, in order for an activity to beaerobic it must be lighter in resistance or lower in intensity.

Any heavier resistance or higher intensity physical activity that

decreases the duration of the workout to last only a few minutes,

switches the body to anaerobic metabolism. Examples of aerobic

versus anaerobic activity include riding a bike instead of

squatting a heavy barbell, or jogging instead of sprinting.

The idea is to train both the aerobic metabolism and

aerobic power; to push toward the aerobic metabolism ceiling,

so that you raise aerobic power. Your aerobic power is the

threshold at which your aerobic metabolism switches to anaerobic

metabolism. By raising your aerobic power, a movable threshold,

you are able to work longer with more resistance and greater

intensity, because the work remains within your aerobicmetabolism (remember, aerobic metabolism allows for work beyond 3

minutes).

Training within the aerobic metabolism is a great way to

burn calories in addition to everything else that you are doing,

but imagine being able to train your aerobic metabolism at

greater intensity! This not only burns more calories, but it is

a lot more functional, thus fitting the description of real-world

fitness.

What are some Examples of Real-World Endurance?We are reminded of a HyperStrike client who was on a small

boat that had a leak and water was rushing in filling the bottom

of the boat. He and his fishing partner took turns bailing water

out of the boat with a small pale that held their fish bait.

Being small, the pale did not hold much water so they had to move

fast! So, there in the afternoon sun, one frantically bailed

water while the other rowed, switching every five minutes or so,

until they reached shore nearly twenty minutes later.

The above story offers a good definition of endurance not

just any endurance but high-intensity endurance, or great aerobic

power. Both individuals had to move fast with intensity,


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scooping gallons after gallons of water and rowing against the

resistance of current. Since our client and his fishing partner

were athletic individuals, their aerobic power was high, allowing

them to work continuously with the intensity that would have put

a lesser trained person into anaerobic metabolism which means,

at best, only 3 minutes of intense water scooping before sinking

into the lake. That afternoon, instead of being soaked with lake

water, our client and his fishing buddy were soaked with sweat!

They burned a lot of calories, but the best thing was that they

went home with their boat, a bunch of trout and a good dinner

story; a perfect example of real-world fitness.

Certain sports, recreational activities, jobs and moments

in life require continuous work from all of us. Are we prepared?

How is Endurance Measured?In order to measure aerobic power, many tests can be used,

but we have determined that the most accessible way to measure

endurance is by running 1.5 mile for time. The speed at whichyou can run, and the time at which you can complete the 1.5 mile

test will estimate where your aerobic power exists.

During this test, the faster you run, the greater the

intensity. If you misjudged your effort and exceed your aerobic

power (i.e. you worked so hard that your body shifts from aerobic

metabolism to anaerobic metabolism) you will automatically be

forced to slow down or even stop; this will, of course, be

reflected in a longer time-to-completion. But, do not worry.

The idea with this test is to get an initial time score, and

after a period of training to improve your aerobic power, your

retest should show an improved time. With an improved time, this

means that your aerobic power will have improved, you will be

able to perform longer at a higher intensity, and your body willhave been trained to burn a greater amount of calories!

Endurance, You should have it Endurance allows you to keep going with physical tasks Endurance delays debilitating fatigue Endurance can be maximized through greater aerobic power If trained correctly, you can increase aerobic power Aerobic power allows you to last while doing demanding things Working at high aerobic power burns more calories Aerobic power helps lower body fat for a well-defined physique


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Part II


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Chapter EightFitScore

This chapter will take you step-by-step through each of the

five assessments that will measure your5 Components of Fitness.At any time you can log on to HyperStrike.com and view 3D

animations of each test.

Equipment Needed for AssessmentsFitness Component 1To assess your Strength, you will need:

1) A bench with a barbell (for upper-body strength test)2) A squat rack with a barbell (for lower-body strength test)3) Recommended: A spotterFitness Component 2To assess your Power, you will need:

1) A piece of chalk2) A Measuring tape3) A wall on where you can mark the chalkFitness Component 3To assess yourAgility, you will need:

1) 4 small cones or 4 paper cups2) An open areaFitness Component 4To assess your Endurance, you will need:

1) A stop watch or a sport watch to measure time2) A stretch of area that is 1.5 miles in distance or a treadmillFitness Component 5To assess your Flexibility, you will need:

1) A broom stick or dowel rod2) A full-length mirrorOnward!

If you are ready to start the assessments, lets go to it!

You will want to give each assessment your best effort so that

any future improvement is valid, so do not sandbag on anything

now. Good luck!

Strength Assessment[If you are going through the prerequisite phase, perform

the following exercises with lighter weights for 8 repetitions, 2

sets total; this means do one set of 8 repetitions, rest for

about one minute, and then do the second set of 8 repetitions.

Repeat this 2 to 3 times a week for two weeks. Use a weight that

is still comfortable during the last couple of repetitions of

each set. After this period, you can begin the strength test.]


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Bench PressGuideline for Position and Execution: The Lifter

Lie on a bench face up with your head, upper back and hipsfirmly on the bench, and your feet firmly on the floor

While lying, position the body so that your eyes are directlybelow the barbell

Grasp the barbell with your hands slightly wider than shoulderwidth, palms facing your legs and hands closed

When ready, signal to the spotter to help you lift the bar offthe support rack

Spotter lets go carefully ONLY when your arms are straight andyou are in control of the weight

Carefully lower the bar to the chest, at mid-sternum area andpress the bar back to the top; this is considered 1 repetition

When finished, gesture to the spotter to help you guide thebarbell back onto the support rack

Guideline for Position and Execution: The Spotter

Stand very close to the head of the lifter but withoutdistracting the lifter Bend your knees and keep your back straight Grasp the barbell with an alternating grip (one palm up, the

other down), inside the lifters grip

When the lifter signals for help, assist by carefully liftingthe barbell off the support rack

Carefully let go of the barbell only when both of you are surethat the lifter has control of the barbell with both arms

straight

When the lifter is finished, help guide the barbell back ontothe support rack

Step One - The Warm up: Bench press with an empty bar for 3 repetitions Increase the weight and perform more 3 repetitions Increase the weight a final time to complete the warm up (some

people will not need to warm up 3 sets as instructed here,

because the testing weight might not need to be so heavy)

Step Two - The Test:

Continue to increase the weight on the bar and perform 3repetitions each time; rest for 90 seconds between each

attempt

When you cannot add any more weight and still perform 3repetitions with excellent technique, then the weight you

stopped at is the measure for your upper body strength.

(Note: To prevent fatigue, it is desirable to reach your

maximum weight within 5 testing sets.)

Record this measurement


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SquatGuideline for Position and Execution: The Lifter

Set the bar on the support rack at chest level Grasp the bar with your hands wider than shoulder width (it

may vary, depending on comfort)

Step under the bar and position your body so that the bar sitson the upper part of your back (avoid bony prominences)

Keep your chest up and out With the guidance of the spotter behind you, lift the bar off

the rack and back up a couple of steps

Descend by slowly bending the hips and knees Keep your chest out and your back straight throughout the

movement (some forward leaning is appropriate)

Go as deep as you can (upper thighs at least parallel with theground)

Smoothly reverse direction and return to the top When you are finished, carefully step forward to return the

barbell onto the support rack

Guideline for Position and Execution: The Spotter:

Stay close behind the lifter without distracting or bumping When the lifter is ready, help guide the bar off the rack As the lifter moves back a couple of steps, be sure to be out

of the way

Carefully let go of the bar, but remain close behind and readyto help

As the lifter descends, the spotter descends as well, alwaysready to assist but never impede

When the lifter is finished, help guide the bar back onto thesupport rack

Step One - Warm up:

Back squat with an empty bar for 3 repetitions Increase the weight and perform 3 more repetitions Increase the weight a final time to complete the warm up (some

people will not need to warm up with 3 sets as instructed

here, because the testing weight might not need to be so

heavy)


Continue to increase the weight on the bar and perform 3repetitions each time; rest for 90 seconds between each

attempt

When you cannot add any more weight and still perform 3repetitions with excellent technique, then the weight you

stopped at is the measure for your lower body strength.

(Note: To prevent fatigue, it is desirable to reach your

maximum weight within 5 testing sets.)

Record this measurement


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Power Assessment[If you are going through the prerequisite phase, do the

following with lower intensity and effort, for 8 repetitions, 2sets total; this means perform one set of 8 jumps, and rest one

minute before doing the second set of 8 jumps. Repeat this

exercise 2 to 3 times a week for two weeks. Jump only high

enough so that each landing is soft and comfortable. Believe us,

your legs will get a workout, but your knees will not pay for it.

After the prerequisite phase, you can begin the power test.]

JumpingGuideline for Safe Jumping

NASA would not launch an astronaut into outer space without

knowing how to bring him/her back down to earth safely. So

before you attempt to jump, you must know how to land safely.

Here are things you can do to ensure a safe return to earth!Practice them first.

1. Using a stair case, step off the first step and land with bothfeet

2. Immediately upon contact with the ground, absorb the impact bybending your legs (i.e. knees and hips)

3. Your knees should point straight ahead, never collapsing intoward the midline of the body

4. The only sound should be a quiet and gentle thud5. Repeat this from the first step until the thud can barely be

heard

6. Next, move up to the second step and repeat the above landingtechniques until the thud of impact can barely be heard

7. Now you are ready for the testThe Preparation:

Stand sideways next to a wall with your dominant hand closestto the wall.

With your feet remaining flat on the ground and chalk in hand,reach up as far as you can and mark a line on the wall this

is your base mark.

Step One - Warm up:

Jog for three minutes Perform arm-circles by swinging your arms forward and backward

10 times each direction


Bending at the hips and knees, jump straight up as high as youcan, and mark the wall with the chalk at the peak height;

remember to land softly and quietly

Repeat this assessment as often as necessary but only if eachrepeated attempt gets you a higher marking than the previous

jump

When finished with the attempts, measure the differencebetween the base mark (i.e. your standing reach mark) and


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Perform the drill again at a moderately high intensity effort Perform the drill one final time; give it your best effort

(all out), timing your run from start to finish

The time is the measure of your agility Record this measurement

Endurance Assessment[If you are going through the prerequisite phase, perform

the following in short distances. Begin by running a couple of

blocks (or a quarter of a mile on the treadmill), alternating

between running and walking if necessary. Each time you go out to

run, extend the run by an extra block (or an extra fifth or

quarter of a mile on the treadmill), still alternating between

running and walking. Soon you will find a comfortable pace that

requires fewer walking intervals. For many people, running is

challenging at the beginning, but the idea is to take your time

and be patient; your body will adapt and you will feel better.Get out there (or get on the treadmill) and do this 2 to 3 times

a week for two weeks, and you will be ready for the endurance

test!]

1.5 Mile RunGuideline for Endurance Assessment:

Wear comfortable shoes Point your feet straight ahead while running (you would be

surprised how many people run with duck feet!)

Keep your posture tall and shoulders back Relax and swing your arms, elbows bent Breath rhythmicallyThe Preparation:

You can use a track at a local school, a pre-measured distanceon any safe and relatively quiet road, or a treadmill

For the track, 6 loops equals 1.5 miles For the road, measure a distance of 1.5 miles by car, marking

the start and finish

For most treadmills, the distance should be indicateddigitally on the information panel located within easy view

while running

Step One - The Warm Up:

Jog lightly for 3 minutes Perform arm-circles by swinging your arms forward and backward

10 times each direction


Start your watch and begin running Try to keep running, but if you have to slow to a jog, walk,

or stop completely, that is ok; remember, you are creating a

base measurement against which you will measure your progress

Stop your watch when you reach the finish point The time is the measure of your endurance Record this measurement


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Flexibility Assessment[If you are going through the prerequisite phase, do the

following with a light bar such as a broomstick or a dowel rod.Start with just a few repetitions, squatting down only as far as

you feel comfortable. The more important point for this drill is

to keep the bar directly above the feet, even as your trunk

inclines forward and your head moves forward. Keep the elbows

locked out straight. Try to squat a little deeper each time, but

be patient; the overhead squat is not easy for most people. Do

this for about 8 repetitions, three sets. Repeat this 2 to 3

times a week for two weeks, and you will be ready for the

assessment.]

Overhead SquatGuideline for Flexibility Assessment:

It is important to validate the flexibility assessment bykeeping to the standardized factors written in the guideline;

they are:

To determine the grip width on the bar, put your arms out tothe sides and then bend your elbows at a 90 degree angle so

that your hands are pointing forward, palm-side down

This is your grip width on the bar; you may mark the bar atthese points

The Arms: when performing the overhead squat, always keep theelbows locked straight. If the elbows bend at any point

during the descent, then that is the point where your

flexibility ends. Do not squat any deeper than this point.

The Feet: when squatting, keep your heels on the ground andyour feet flat, toes pointed forward or slightly outward.Once the heels start to come off the ground, your squat depth

is terminated. Do not go deeper than this point.

Keep the bar over your feet as you squat. If you dropped aplum line straight down from the bar, it should intersect

somewhere between the arches of your feet and remain there.

When the bar moves out of line with the feet, your squat depth

is terminated. Do not go deeper than this point.

Step One - The Warm-up:

Begin by squatting with just your body weight, hands on thehips

Perform arm-circles by swinging your arms forward and backward10 times each direction


Using a grip determined earlier, hold the bar directly aboveyour head, arms straight, elbows always locked out

Stand at the mirror Begin by bending the hips and knees Go as low as you can while keeping the elbows straight and the

heels down


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The exact point where your elbows bend, the bar comes forward,or you heels come up is the measure of your flexibility. (Use

the table below to determine the score.)

Full if your hamstrings are touching the calves

3/4 if your hip joints are slightly below knees

1/2 if your hip joints are level with knees

1/4 if your hip joints are slightly above knees

Stiff if your hip joints barely bend

Record your flexibility score by writing down one of the 5choices above

Keeping Your FitScoreCongratulations on completing your FitScore. You now have

your initial scores. Please record your scores in the space

provided in the Appendix B (p. 136) of this book. By using the

exercise program outlined in this book, your FitScores will

improve, and as your FitScores go up, you will become a lean andfit machine, ready to take on the real world with fervor!


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Chapter NinePutting It All Together

From the assessments you completed in Chapter 8, you now

possess your own measurements for the 5 Components of Fitness.

You are now ready to enter your results on HyperStrike and

determine your FitScore. Based off your FitScore results, your

workout program will be individualized to turn you into the

fittest person you can be!

To conserve paper weve uploaded all of the charts of

standardized scores for the 5 Components of Fitness on

HyperStrike.com. These charts are based on sources that denote

the performance results of various amateur athletes, but the

scores have been adjusted by HyperStrike to accommodate a diverse

population of people from various backgrounds. Whether you are

an experienced athlete or someone just starting out, these charts

ultimately create your FitScore.

FitScore GraphNow it is time to plug your scores into the FitScore

application. (Note: If you score elite on one of the 5

Components of Fitness, then chances are you will not score as

well on the others. One thing to keep in mind is that if you

specialize in one or two components of fitness, you sacrifice the

others. There are a few powerlifters who, by their nature,

specialize in lifting a lot of weight, but they cannot run half a

mile to save their lives. Lifting a lot of weight is their

sport, and they are willing to sacrifice other fitness

components. But, since you want to be well-rounded and fit for

the real world, you should avoid specialization, and you should

balance all your fitness components even if your FitScorestarts out low. With our training program, you will increase

your FitScore, and by training this way, you will gain the

greatest real-world fitness and health.)

Next, in Chapter 10, we discuss how to utilize your

FitScore graph so that you will know what direction to take on

your road to real-world fitness. Before long, you will be on

your way to the new and improved you.


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Chapter TenMapping Your Direction

Now that you have your scores entered on HyperStrike, you

have your starting point. Next, you need to know exactly where

to go on your journey to real-world fitness.

The Pentagon of FitScoreAfter entering your score on HyperStrike, youre ready to

begin your training. The purpose of this stage is to achieve

real-world fitness by balancing your scores of the 5 Components

of Fitness. This initial journey will take at least 12 weeks (or

more), but that does not matter because throughout this period

you will be working out and benefiting from it; you will actually

be working out with a purpose, rather than going through the

motions like too many people do.

If, however, you happen to have recorded a perfect score on

component scores, then congratulations! You will still followthe real-world fitness map, as its direction ultimately directs

everyone toward making the pentagon bigger and bigger! The

bigger the pentagon on your graph, the greater your real-world

fitness!

The Real-world Fitness MapHere are the essential elements of the real-world fitness

map:

Destination 1: Achieve balance in all five components, bycreating the shape of a pentagon on the FitScore Graph. You must

achieve real-world fitness before improving it!

Destination 2: Enlarge the pentagon on the FitScore Graph to

increase your real-world fitness.

Interpreting Your Graph into a WorkoutExercise science is not an exact science, but a science of

probability. Everyone responds differently to exercise programs,

and sometimes you can even guess the responses in most people by

looking at what kind of exercises they use and how often. In

other words, if you use one type of exercise more frequently than

others [e.g. back squat (strength) versus running (endurance) or

jumping (power)] then you will become better at it than at the

others; the same goes with constantly training one component of

fitness. If you constantly train for the fitness component of

endurance but neglect strength, flexibility, agility, and power,

then you will be good at endurance and mediocre at everything

else. However, if you increase your training of the other four

fitness components, then you will improve your performance in

these areas.

If you scored high on a certain fitness component, this

could be due to several reasons:

1. This component is all you train or mostly what you train2. You train this component for a long duration or with high

frequency


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If Your Fitness Components are BalancedLets say you produced a perfectly balanced set of scores

on the FitScore Graph. Your next step is to simply choose equal

ratios of exercises from the five fitness components; you will do

this in the exercise lab on HyperStrike.com to create your

workout program! As someone who already possesses well-rounded

fitness, you just need to focus on improving those fitness

components, making your scores bigger.

If You Need to Balance Your Fitness ComponentsBut, lets say your scores are not balanced, as most

peoples scores will not be. You will need to select the

appropriate ratios of exercises from the five fitness components

(i.e. ratios that will help bring about balance).

Creating an Exercise Program

To create an exercise program, consider several keyfactors:

Frequency Duration IntensityLets briefly look at each.

FrequencyHow often will you workout in a week? If you are working

out three times a week, then this is your frequency.

DurationHow long do you workout? If you workout for forty minutes,

this is your duration.

IntensityIn the exercise industry, the word intensityis defined

many ways. Intensitycan mean the amount of weight or resistance

you use. Intensitycan also refer to how hard you push yourself.

For our purpose, we will use the latter as our definition (i.e.

Intensityis how much effort you put into something, either by

lifting more weight, going faster, going longer or resting less);

it is what makes you sweat!

There are other factors to creating an exercise program but

these factors are not a big concern to us. What is important now

is how long each workout session takes and how many workout

sessions per week you will do.

Determining Your Exercise Ratios: TheApproximation MethodThis is a simple and friendly method of approximation.

It is not meant to be rigid and formulaic (remember, exercise

science is not an exact science). We like to keep things simple.

First, determine the frequencyand duration of your workouts.

We recommend 3 workouts a week (more or less depends on your

ability to commit). For the duration of each workout, we


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recommend 30 minutes to 45 minutes (longer is not necessarily

better).

3 workouts per week 30 to 45 minutes per workout

Second, to determine the ratios of exercises to perform

from the 5 Components of Fitness, look at your FitScore Graph to

see which components need to be improved.

Third, simply: a) pick more exercises from these

components, or b) perform exercises from these components more

often, or with more intensity -- this is how you create the

appropriate ratios; we call it the approximation method. This

method is low tech, but it works.

Examples of the Approximation Method:Lets say you lack power and agility. You would then want

to select higher ratios of power and agility exercises over the

other fitness components. Your approximate fitness component

ratios might look like the following:~ 30% Power exercises~ 30% Agility exercises~ 13% Strength~ 13% Endurance~ 13% Flexibility

What to do with the Ratios?You can disperse these ratios out over the course of each

workout session, or you can spread them out over the course of

the week. As long as you net the appropriate ratios that will

bring about balance to all of your fitness components!

Freedom in Program Design is the KeyThe approximation method allows for freedom and flexibility

in designing your real-world fitness program; it is to keep

things simple and to facilitate variety. However, a caveat is,

be aware of the approximate ratios you are choosing; the ratios

must address the needs of your FitScore.

You are now ready to select your exercises and to design

your own workout program!

Design it Your WayIn the HyperStrike Exercise Lab, you will find a list of

exercises and instructions on how to perform these exercises for

each component of fitness. From this list, choose your

exercises. Lets get started!


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Part III


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greater intensity for a longer stretch; this type of training

also conditions the body to consume more calories!

For effective endurance training, you may choose one of two

training methods, or attempt to combine both methods for more

variety. First, you can work hard while still being able to

continue you remain under the aerobic ceiling. This is called

steady-state training. Or, you can purposely exceed this

aerobic ceiling and tap into the anaerobic metabolism for several

seconds to a minute or more, and then slow down or stop for a

short period (work-to-recovery ratio is about the same duration)

to recover before you go again. The above method of training is

called interval training, a very effective way to raise ones

aerobic ceiling. You can manipulate the work-to-recovery ratio

in many different ways (see below under interval exercises).

Speed WalkingHill Walking

RunningCyclingRowingInterval RunningInterval CyclingShadow BoxingSkipping RopeCombo-Training (Push-up/Squat/Sit-up/Jumping Jack)

Flexibility

The following flexibility exercises are to improve

functional flexibility; that is, to increase your joint range of

motion and to increase your strength and control throughout everyinch of it.

Sampson LungeLateral Stretching LungeStep-Over LungeStraight-Leg KickHandwalk

Water WadingWingsBack StrokeFrog DropOverhead Squat

ProgressionOne of the fundamental exercising principles is that you

must slowly and steadily increase the demands placed on your body

in order for your body to continue to adapt to those demands.


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Without exercise progression your results would come to a

screeching halt. What this means is, you have to push yourself a

little more each time you workout. You must have mental focus

and mental intention to work your body a little harder, and

periodically step out of your comfort zone; only with this can

you keep achieving results.

Exercise progression can be done in several ways:

Steadily increase the weight Steadily increase the reps Steadily increase the speed of movement Steadily increase the time of work output Steadily increase distance Steadily decrease the time-to-completion Steadily decrease the rest/recovery interval

But, however you chose to increase exercise progression,

you must keep one thing at the forefront of your mind: Perfect

technique!

Parameters: Frequency, Sets, Reps, and RestNow that you have selected the exercises that will allow

you to improve your FitScore, how do you figure out how much to

do and how often?

For Session Frequency, we recommend starting with 3 workout

sessions per week. When you are ready (and you will know) you

can begin adding more workout sessions per week. Ideally, we

recommend 4 to 6 sessions a week, utilizing a mixture of all 5

fitness components of course, using ratios specific to your

FitScore.

The following section contains some general guidelines for

each fitness component. You can follow the time period as given,

but you can also alter it to suite you. Fitness is not an exactscience, nor is it rocket science; you should work hard, but

always safe!

StrengthWeight and Repetitions: Select a weight so the final repetitionor two at the end of each set is a challenge.

Level 1: 1 to 2 sets / 10 to 15 repetitions / 60 seconds rest

Level 2: 2 to 3 sets / 8 to 12 reps / 90 seconds rest

Level 3: 3 to 4 sets / 4 to 8 reps / 120 seconds rest

Schedule for each level:Weeks 1 to 4: Level 1

Weeks 4 to 8: Level 2


At week 12: Retest

After week 12: Start again at Level 1, using heavier weight.

Power


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Weight and Repetitions: The number one criterion to selecting a

proper weight for a power exercise is, the weight must be light

enough to allow for fast speed of movement. If, at any point,

the speed of movement with a selected weight is slow (as compared

to using no weight), then it is no longer a power exercise; stop

or lower the weight!

Level 1: 2 3 sets / 4 5 reps / rest 60 seconds



Schedule for each level:




At week 12: Retest

After week 12: Start again at Level 1, using heavier weight.

Note: The goal is to perfect the technique before you can movefast, and to do this with a new exercise you need to use slow

movement speed.If the exercise is new to you:First 2 weeks: Slow to moderate speed

Weeks 2 to 4: Moderate to moderately fast speed

After 4 weeks: Fast speed

AgilityThe main goal for agility exercises is to be able to move

smoothly, quickly and change directions abruptly. Agility

exercises are generally done within a specified amount of time or

for a predetermined distance.

If done for a specified time:

Level 1: 2 to 3 sets / 5 to 10 seconds / rest 30 secondsLevel 2: 3 to 4 sets / 10 to 15 seconds / rest 60 seconds

Level 3: 4 to 5 sets / 15 to 20 seconds / rest 90 seconds

If done for a predetermined distance:

Level 1: 2 to 3 sets / rest 30 seconds



EnduranceFor endurance exercises, there are no repetitions or sets,

per se. The focus is on the quality of the exercise. The

duration of the exercise will depend on primarily one thing:Intensity. If you are performing the endurance exercise with

great intensity, then the duration is shorter. If you are doing

intervals of high intensity and lower intensity, then the entire

duration of the exercise is also lower.

We recommend:

Low intensity (conversational pace): 40 minutes

Moderate intensity (breathing pace): 30 minutes

High intensity (heavy breathing pace): 20 minutes


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Interval intensity (all-out performance periods alternating with

recovery periods): 10 to 15 minutes

Beginners

Beginners may want to start with low intensity. But, it

is ok to try the other intensities because, no matter what

exercise is being performed, you have the final control of the

pace and therefore the intensity.

Beyond Beginners

After about 4 weeks of initiating your endurance exercise

program, we recommend that you move into moderate intensity,

high intensity, and interval training and never look back!

These levels are more effective for metabolic conditioning, fat

burning, and preparation for real-world demands on the body. (If

you already have experience with endurance exercise, we suggest

you start with moderate, high and interval intensity.)

FlexibilityIt is very unlikely you can over-do functional flexibility.

We leave the frequency of flexibility training up to you, and

recommend that you do it as often as you can. The sets,

repetitions and duration for all flexibility exercises accompany

their instructions. But, if you feel you need to add a little

extra, we welcome you to it!


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Chapter 13Conclusion

Real-World FitnessNothing is more rewarding than to have a healthy, fit body

that not only looks great, but that is also real-world capable!

Following the information in this book will bring you a spirited

life and let you gain and maintain into your later years the

activities that define youth.

Remember that physical abilities are specific to training

style. The movement capability and metabolic capacity you gain

from following this book will let you handle anything the world

has to offer or throw at you. The exercise program that was

meant to make you look good but without the function for real

life is not only outdated and incomplete, but it is also less

effective because of its limited stimulus. Your fitness journey

is now on a different level, you are on a journey to real-world

fitness.

Keep it Fresh and FunA fitness program should always be fresh and fun. It

should be fresh and fun because it provides new and different

stimuli to the body. The body adapts when the stimulus is

changed often, and this change is seen in the form of sets and

repetitions, resistance, speed, duration of an exercise,

intensity, and the change of exercises themselves.

It is important to regularly include new exercises into

your fitness routine. Adding new exercises to your workouts

helps to keep you mentally fresh, and it provides novel stimulus

(stimuli) needed for continual adaptation, and, therefore,

constant results.This book contains a good list of exercises that will get

you going, but if you want more exercises, literally hundreds of

exercises, we recommend that you visit our website and join as a

member. On our website, you will receive access to hundreds of

fun, interesting and effective exercises that will keep you going

for years, or, we sincerely hope, for the rest of your life!

Come visit and join us:

www.hyperstrike.com


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Appendices


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Appendix A

FitScore Record Sheet

[INSERT FITSCORE WORKBOOK HERE]

Fit Score Book

Documents

Transcript of Fit Score Book