Gym Instructor

Knowledge and understanding: Understand the effects of exercise on bones:

• Weight bearing and non-weight-bearing exercise
• Acute and chronic effects
• Stabilisation of the body
• Neutral spine alignment
• Potential ranges of movement of the spine
• Transmission of stress caused by impact, body weight, bone density

Knowledge and understanding: Understand the function of bones:

• Muscle attachments and levers
• Protection of internal organs
• Red and white blood cell production
• Stages of bone growth – remodelling process, ageing process
• The role of osteoblasts, osteoclasts, hormonal contribution, body weight, calcium and vitamin D in bone density

Knowledge and understanding: Understand the classification and structure of bones:

• Long, short, flat, sesamoid, irregular
• Compact and spongy/cancellous tissue, articular cartilage, epiphysis, diaphysis, periosteum, epiphyseal plates, bone marrow
• The vertebral column (cervical, thoracic, lumbar, sacral and coccygeal)
• Stages of bone growth, remodelling process, ageing process, osteoblasts and osteoclasts

Knowledge and understanding: Understand the classification and structure of joints:

• Fibrous, cartilaginous, synovial
• Joint capsule, synovial membrane, synovial fluid, ligaments, tendons and cartilage (hyaline and fibrocartilage), curves/regions of the spine

Knowledge and understanding: Understand the function of joints:

• Movement terminology: flexion/extension, adduction/abduction, circumduction, supination/pronation, plantar/dorsiflexion, lateral flexion, horizontal flexion/extension, elevation/depression, inversion/eversion
• Tensile strength of ligaments
• Planes of motion: transverse, frontal and sagittal
• Point stability, passive and active structures, shock absorption (e.g., curves of spine)

Knowledge and understanding: Understand the effects of exercise on joints:

• Effect of muscle contractions (posture, impact, body weight)
• Active stability of joints: key joints at risk (spine, shoulder)
• Risks: lack of biomechanical efficiency, reduction in stress transmission, injury risk, increased loading on synergists

Knowledge and understanding: Understand classification and structure of muscles:

• Cardiac, smooth, skeletal; Connective tissue (epi/peri/endomysium)
• Muscle fibres: Type 1, Type 2a, Type 2b
• SITS (Rotator cuff) and Shoulder girdle muscles
• Spinal extensors, Hip flexors (iliopsoas), Adductors, Abductors
• Abdominals, Intercostals (diaphragm), Core and Pelvic floor
• Local/deep vs global/superficial

Knowledge and understanding: Understand the function of muscles:

• Actions: agonist, antagonist, synergist, fixators
• Contractions: concentric, eccentric, isometric, isokinetic
• Principles: All or none law, sliding filament theory, stretch reflexes, size principle
• Biomechanics: 1st, 2nd and 3rd class levers

Knowledge and understanding: Understand the effects of exercise on muscles:

• Short/long-term effects, DOMS, fatigue
• Overuse, underuse, misuse (shortening/weakening, altered roles)

Knowledge and understanding: Structure of systems:

• Cardiovascular (Heart, arteries, veins, etc.)
• Respiratory (Lungs, trachea, alveoli, etc.)
• Nervous (CNS, PNS, neurons, motor units, proprioceptors)
• Endocrine (Hormones and glands)

Knowledge and understanding: Function of systems:

• Cardiovascular: cardiac cycle, stroke volume, cardiac output, BP
• Respiratory: mechanism of breathing, gaseous exchange
• Nervous: sensory input, interpretation, motor output
• Endocrine: secretion of hormones

Knowledge and understanding: Effects of exercise:

• Cardiorespiratory: BP, aerobic respiration, venous return, blood pooling
• Nervous: motor unit recruitment, coordination
• Endocrine: hormonal responses; Signs of overtraining