GB2447915A

GB2447915A - Fitness training program creator

Info

Publication number: GB2447915A
Application number: GB0705861A
Authority: GB
Inventors: James Adam Ryder
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 2007-03-24
Filing date: 2007-03-24
Publication date: 2008-10-01
Also published as: GB0705861D0

Abstract

A computerised system consisting of a database and multimedia user interface that creates fitness training programs that are individual to the athlete. An initial computerised electronic questionnaire is filled in to provide the athlete with a training program that is personalized to their needs and that of their sport and position. Also contains a nutritional plan that is individualized and will help the athlete to achieve their sporting objectives. The program is progressive and will help the athlete to develop but is also flexible to accommodate personal improvement. The final training plan consists of a fitness training program, nutrition program, advice section, favourite activities, facility details, training partner details. All of which are interactive and adaptable.

Description

I

Filness Training Program Creator This invention solves the problem of athletes and sports coaches at amateur and semi-professional level not having access to or understanding training methods and nutritional needs. They do not see these as individual to the position or athlete. Each sport and position in that sport has its own key physical attributes that are needed to perfomi well in that position. At lower than professional level this is not recognised in training. Many performers/athletes and coaches are interested in improving but do not have the knowledge of exercise or finance available to use top sport science teams and fcilities.

This leads to many athletes continually performing the wrong exercises and training types for them and their position. This is not only pointless because it is ineffective, but in some cases can actually cause unnecessary injury.

To overcome this, the present invention proposes to use a computerised system consisting of a database and multimedia user interface (e.g. online/CD-Rom tool) that creates fitness training programs based on the individuals position in their sport, combining areas of fitness, training and nutrition to provide a sport and position specific, individualized, simple plan where no prior knowledge of sports training is needed.

The individuality of the fitness training program creator will allow athletes to train using exercises that are correct for them as an individual and their sport and position.

The final training program will be shown as a week by week timetable of training sessions that allow the athlete to further personalize their exercise around other daily activities.

An additional advantage is that the athlete can create their training program at home either over the internet or on CD-Rom and they do not have to go and see a personal trainer. The athlete does not have to wait to receive their program, it will be created while they are using the system and stay available for viewing and adapting.

Another advantage is that the athlete or coach using the fitness training program creator does not need any prior knowledge of fitness, exercise or training methods.

The athlete will go through the process of filling in questions asking their sport, position, age, fitness aims and objectives, training types enjoyed and current health and activity levels. This will be done using drop down menus. This supplies all the information needed for the database to compile a training program that is personalized. The athlete will be provided with only the final form of the training plan presented as a weekly training program that can be edited by the athlete to place the individual sessions around their daily activities. Within this training program will be training sessions, techniques, exercises and advice that progresses for the duration of the program, so constantly developing the athlete physically. The seconded phase of the process is a nutrition questionnaire that asks height, weight and age that is used to calculate the athletes BMR (amount of energy (KcaI) needed to survive one day). Then asks for the athletes physical activity level (PAL) on a scale of 1.2-1.8, with 1.8 being the most intense. These are also input using drop down menus. The athletes BMR and PAL are used to calculate their daily energy requirements (kcal). Then the energy requirements are broken down into the amounts (kcal) of carbohydrates, fats and proteins that are needed to not only survive but also perform exercise at their current activity level. The athlete is also asked for their favourite foods, drinks, any allergies and aims of the diet so that these can be taken into account when creating it. Again the athlete will only be shown the final form of the diet presented as three alternative days worth of food. The energy requirements have been converted into meals, snacks and drinks that will help the athlete achieve their aim. The training program (exercise section) is set at levels and the answers to the first section of questions decide what level the athlete starts at. Each level lasts a default of three months before automatically progressing to keep the athlete improving. The whole program (including training and nutrition) is a constantly flexible one, so if the athlete/coach feels they are improving quicker than the program they can make it more difficult This also works in reverse and they can make it easier. The system for selecting the correct program for the individual involves every question of the questionnaire having a specific purpose. The database is pre populated with exercise and nutrition information that offers options for different training methods. The completed questionnaire gives the answers to allow the program to narrow down the options until there is one training program that suits the athlete The sport that the athlete plays and their position give the program enough information for it to select the correct training types from the pie populated database. The database has been pre populated with the components of physical fitness and what training types improve these components. Each sport and position relies on certain components of physical fitness, these are the key physical components for that position. Once the type of training is selected the level of intensity is needed. This is achieved through answers to the health and activity section corresponding to exercise levels from novice to expert. The correct exercises and activities are now selected for the correct training types. An example of the process is; Sport football, Position = right midfield, 1 key physical component = Cardio Vascular Endurance, Training Type = interval, Activity = Sprint-walk-sprint, Activity level = 20m-30m-20m.

Claims

Claims 1. A computerised system consisting of a database and multimedia

user interface that creates a fitness training program based on the individuals position within their sport, combining areas of fitness, training and nutrition.
2. A computensed system according to claim 1, where the database and multimedia user interface is based online, as a website
3. A computerised system according to claim 1, where the database and multimedia user interface is a CD-Rom for use on PC
4. A computerised system according to claim 1, where the database and multimedia user interface is an interactive DVD
5. A computerised system according to claim 1, where the user interface combines many multimedia including text, graphics, photos, images, video and sound.
6. A computerised system according to claim 1, where only a computerised electronic questionnaire is required to build a personal nutrition and fitness training program
7. A computerised system according to claim 1, where all components of physical fitness are rated on how important they are for each position in each sport, and this information is used to create key physical attributes for that position to be applied to the training program.
8. A computerised system according to claim 1, where the components of physical fitness that are rated are cardio vascular endurance, muscular endurance, strength, flexibility, power, speed, agility, balance and co-ordination.
9. A computerised system according to claim 1, where the components mentioned in claim 7 are rated out of 10, with 10 being vital and 0 being un used.
10. A computerised system according to claim 1, where the pre populated database contains information on which training types are allocated to improve each individual component of physical fitness.
11. A computerised system according to claim 1, where a training program is selected from the database by following the process of; the athletes sport/position, the key physical attributes for that sport/position, the training types used to improve those key physical attributes, the activities and exercises involved in those training types.
12. A computerised system according to claim 1, where an individual's fitness aims and objectives are applied to their program.
13. A computerised system according to claim 1, where an individual's nutritional needs and requests are applied to their nutrition program.
14. A computerised system according to claim 1, where all training program information is supplied from a pre populated database.
15. A computensed system according to claim 1, where the information in the pie populated database mentioned in claim 14 contains data on components of physical fitness, key attributes of physical fitness, training types, training activities and exercises and nutritional values.
16. A computerised system according to claim 1, where the final training information is shown in the format of a week by week diary, with the athlete being allowed to arrange when they perform each exercise.
17. A computerised system according to claim 1, where final nutritional information is shown in the format of an ideal diet for I day for the individual, three alternative days of nutritional information is provided.
18. A computerised system according to claim 1, where the ideal diet mentioned in claim 17 is found using the Kcal energy requirements sourced from the formula BMR*PAL using the individuals details.
19. A computerised system according to claim 1, where the level of exercise is determined by the answeis to the current health and activity section of the computerised electronic questionnaire.
20. A computensed system according to claim 1, where the level of exercise from basic/novice to complicated/expert is applied alphabetically from A(expert) to Z (novice)
21. A computerised system according to claim 1, where the development of the athletes iraining program is progressed to the next level of exercise eveiy 3 months, but can be altered by the individual if needed.
22. A computerised system according to claim 1, where all athlete input of information for the computerised electronic questionnaire is done using drop down menus and tick boxes.
23. A computensed system according to claim 1, where the training program will be constantly available for viewing and adapting once the athlete is a member.
24. A computerised system according to claim 1, where the system can be accessed via entering a member's password and usemame.
25. A computerised system according to claim 1, where once the athlete logs in to the system he/she has their own individual home page with various options.
26. A computerised system according to claim 1, where the various options mentioned in claim 25 include; fitness training program, nutrition program, advice section, favourite activities, facility details, training partners details.