Instructions:

Learning experiences are designed to increase your knowledge in areas that interest you.

Learning experiences allow you to integrate the material and serve as a means for ISSA graders to assess your grasp of course concepts.

Each essay response is required to be a minimum of 250 words and, most importantly, include your personal insights as to how the topic will help you as a future professional trainer.

Because these essays are open-book, take the time to provide ample information, detail, and personal analysis in each essay response.

While there is a minimum word requirement for each essay, there is not a maximum word limit.

Feel free to elaborate as needed with relevant information to meet your own personal level of satisfaction.

Students utilize ISSA education in various ways: some target specific types of clients, some focus in a particular area of fitness, some simply want to improve their own well being.

Be sure to tailor each learning experience response to best fit your personal and professional interests.

Learning Experiences, Section 2: (Units 4 - 7)

Choose one of the learning experiences below and write a 250-word essay response.

1. Perform a chin-up (palms supinated) and determine which muscles are the prime movers, stabilizers, and synergists. Is there a difference with a pull-up (palms pronated)? If so, what are the differences? Do as many chin-ups as possible.

Which muscles inhibit your ability to perform more repetitions? What does this say about the chin-up as an effective exercise for the latissimus dorsi? List as many variations of pull-ups and chin-ups as possible. Describe how what you have learned during this experience will help you in your future training.

2. Identify and perform ten resistance training exercises. Describe which phase of the exercise is the eccentric, concentric, and isometric phase of the movement. At which phase is the muscle the strongest? Why? Describe how what you have learned during this experience will help you in your future training endeavors.

3. List the six fundamental movements of major body segments (Unit 4). Give an example exercise for each. In addition, identify an exercise that combines three or more of the primary movements. List the exercise as well as the movements involved. How will an understanding of fundamental movements help you in your future training endeavors?

4. Perform a posture test on yourself and a friend. What deviations do you observe? What exercises and stretches can correct these deviations?

Discuss the procedure(s) you used, your findings, how you came to your conclusions, and what your recommendations are. How does an understanding of posture, posture assessment, and posture correction help you in your future training endeavors?

Note: If you find that everyone you test passes the posture test (perceiving that they have perfect posture) you need to go one step farther. Observe the person in everyday activity.

How does the person stand while waiting for something? Does the person slouch? Is the person tilting the pelvis or rounding the shoulders? Perfect posture is quite rare; be sure your assessment is thorough.