Peripheral Heart Action Programme - PHA

As a personal trainer I meet various types of trainers at variaable types of fitness levels. One major concern I have is newcomers to training being given totally the wrong training programme to suit their present needs.

Time and time again I see a total newcomer to the gym, some very over weight and totally de conditioned, given split routines! Then if that's not bad enough being told to run after it on a treadmill! A heart attack waiting to happen!

These types of people are just not ready for this type of training. Remember the heart is a muscle if not used on a regular basis it will weaken and if overloaded it cannot take the strain being stressed upon it and fatalities can and do happen.

So after initial consultation with the new client and a clearance from their gp if need be, the best programme to give a deconditioned client is a Peripheal Heart Action Programme or PHA for short. The purpose of this programme is to delay the rapid onset of lactic acid by rotating the exercise workload around the body, thus limiting the stress placed upon the heart while working out.

This routine would be followed for around eight weeks, with two full days rest between training days of which light cardio on a stationary bike can be followed.

A Peripheral Heart Action Programme would look similar to this.....

Working out Monday and Thursday
30-50% of 1rep power max
1-2 sets Per Exercise
12 Repitions Per Set

1. Warm Up-Stationary Bike - Raise Core Temperature
2. Bicep Curl Machine - Small Upper Body Muscle
3. Seated Leg Curls - Larger lower Muscle Body
4. Dumbbell Lateral Raise - Larger Upper Body Muscle
5. Vertical Chest Press Machine - Major Upper Body Muscle
6. Leg Extensions - Major Lower Body Muscle
7. Lat Pulldowns to Front - Major Upper Body Muscle
8. Tricep Pushdown - Smaller Upper Body Muscle
9. Standing Calve Raise - Small Lower Body Muscle
10. Sit-ups/Hip Flexion - Abdominal Training
11. Cool Down-Stationary Bike - To Include Light Stretching Afterwards.

So this is how a PHA programme should look and be followed.The largest major muscle groups are located in the middle of the of the programme where the main workload is, where the hearts now prepared to work at it's peak intensity.

PHA can also be used for fitter, regular trainers looking for a change to their regular training. This should be be done in a circuit type style, again, delaying the rapid onset of lactic acid. I have found this very helpful for boxers and kickboxers who like their training to be a little more dynamic than doing one set then resting then doing another. Exercises for this fitter type of client would be changed accordingly.

So, there you have it, don't get caught in the "one cap fits all" brigade. Clients have different goals and different levels of fitness, let us fitness experts determine what bracket they fall into before you do more harm than good.