Division I: Training for Everest Challenge Activities

A. Introduction

Online Video 1 | Online Video 2 Les Gramantik and Byron Smith demonstrate Training for Everest exercises.

The physical exercises in this challenge simulate the training of Byron Smith, Everest 2000 Expedition Leader.

Les Gramantik, Byron's personal trainer emphasizes an overall approach to conditioning the body, with a focus on developing strong posture for a stronger body with longer endurance.

Participation in the exercises for Training for Everest are supplemented with songs and activities from the Heart Healthy Kids program of the Heart and Stroke Foundation of Canada.

Please see the Additional Resources section of the Energy and the Human Body Background Information for more information on the Heart and Stroke Foundation's Jump Rope for Heart fundraiser and the Heart Healthy Kids program package.

It is up to you to choose which of the following daily activities your students will participate in as they exercise, whether Training for Everest is used as a new part of your school's physical education program or as a lead-in to the Stairway to Everest Challenge.

Teachers should use the exercises and activities at their own discretion.

Set realistic, but challenging goals. The most important objective of the Training for Everest Challenge is to motivate students to make physical activity a regular part of your life. Not everyone will become an athlete, but we can all make good lifestyle choices for a longer, healthier life.

Climbing Mount Everest takes great commitment to physical training, but it also means giving your body time to rest. Byron's exercise schedule is adjusted according to his strengths and weaknesses identified as he works out. Over the past year Byron's routine has included the types of exercises given in this program, balanced with hiking, mountain climbing, running and scheduled rest periods. Les says that Byron sometimes finds it more difficult to commit to the rest periods than to his exercise regime!

MORE: Byron's training schedule or Background information on Energy and the Human Body

B. Resources - What can I do on-line?
1. Training Tips: See instructional videos regarding posture and technique for each of the exercises suggested in Training for Everest. Byron and Les will demonstrate exercises and give valuable safety information for training.

2. Review Byron's training schedule.

3. Read more in the Energy and the Human Body Background Information pages.

4. E-mail questions to Byron and Les, regarding your or Byron's training program, via the education coordinator at info@everest2000.ca. E-mails about the Training Challenge should be sent with the subject heading:"Training for Everest Question" and must be received between February 1 and March 14, in order to be reviewed by the team.

You can still participate in the Training for Everest after March 14, but your questions must be sent by March 14 to be reviewed.

C. Activity Instructions:
The following groups of activity steps may take several days. Their purpose is to get your students ready and excited about participating in the Training for Everest program as part of the Stairway to Everest Challenge.

Teacher Information about conducting the program:
a) Plan to exercise for at least 5 - 10 minutes per session.

b) Students should train three days a week for as long as you choose to have them participate. Let them know that if they like the exercises, they can continue to do them at home, at recess or at lunchtime.

c) You should let your students know that everybody's body needs time to rest and recover. That is why they are exercising only three days in the week.

d) Students should participate for six-weeks in order to notice an improvement and feel better.

e) Students should stay with the same exercise program for at least one week before changing the design unless it is really too hard for them.

f) Each activity has a "minimum volume" (number of repetitions) that you must complete at one level before moving on to the next.

g) Changes to exercise programs should be made by students paying attention to their own body and how they feel. That is what an athlete like Byron Smith does (with the help of a trainer). Byron must be willing to challenge himself without over-training. Other factors that will make a difference to performance include proper sleep, hydration and nutrition.

Please see the Additional Resources section of the Energy and the Human Body Background Information for information on where to find guidelines for a healthy lifestyle.

DAY ONE
1. Ask your students why people exercise. Record their answers, leaving room for some of the information below from the Heart and Stroke Foundation's Heart Healthy Kids program.

When you exercise ...

• Your heart beats much faster and works harder so that your blood can take extra nutrients and oxygen to your muscles.
• You have more energy.
• Your heart and the rest of your muscles get stronger with exercise.
• You have fun and will feel good about yourself.
• You will sleep better.
• You will develop a healthy body weight.

2. View online video clips. We will be investigating how exercise and training, as well as good nutrition are important for the Everest 2000 climbing team. Meet Byron Smith as he invites you to take the Stairway to Everest Challenge and participate in Training for Everest.

Byron will encourage you to choose a healthy, balanced lifestyle that includes regular, moderate exercise. Meet Byron's physical trainer, and get motivated as you set out on your virtual trip to Mount Everest! Training for Everest is the first step towards the Stairway to Everest Challenge.
Stairway to Everest Challenge | Training Tips Video 1 | Video 2
Video and Audio Archive

3. Byron Smith's favorite physical activity is climbing. Ask your students to name their favorite physical activities. Just as Byron's goal is to climb the highest mountain in the world, your students can set goals regarding their favorite activity in conjunction with the Training for Everest program. You can also suggest that they will be training for the Stairway to Everest Challenge (if you plan to have your students participate) and that their goal will be to 'climb' Mount Everest as a group (whether the group is two classes or the whole school together).

MORE: Details on the Stairway to Everest Challenge

DAY TWO
Now that your students have been invited to join the Training for Everest program for the Stairway to Everest Challenge, it's time for them to start exercising.

1. If you have a LCD projector for your computer, view the Training Tips video to see Byron Smith and Les Gramantik, Byron's trainer, demonstrate the proper way to do each exercise.

2. As you are viewing the exercises, have students choose the ones they would like to start with in the first week. Use the rules below to help you choose. If you do not have a LCD projector, arrange time for groups of students to view the video on a personal computer. Byron and Les will demonstrate exercises and give valuable safety information for training.

3. Find descriptions of the Training for Everest Exercises in the Energy and the Human Body Background Information. Print the exercise descriptions for your own reference (give them to your students if they are at an appropriate reading level). Copy the the stick-figure diagrams, with the appropriate group letter and level number for each exercise, onto chart paper and post them in the classroom as a reference for your students.

Guidelines for creating training program:

a) You will choose a total of four exercises.

b) Choose your exercises by group and level. In all, there are four groups and five levels. For example, the Level 1 exercise in Group B is called B1, the Level 5 exercise in Group A is called A5.

c) Include one exercise from each of groups C and D. Read the Training Q&A's in the Energy and the Human Body background section for an explanation of why. You may choose up to two of the four exercises from any category, while including one from C and one from D.

d) As for levels, choose exercises within a two-level range. For example, if you have chosen A1, you can choose C2 or C3, but not C4.

e) Once you and your students have chosen the four exercises, you also have to decide on how many to do (number of repetitions). You can do this by doing a number of them and monitoring students' level of breathing in general.

Alternatively, this can be done individually, if you have volunteers, by measuring heart rate. For students at this age, it may be done more easily with a stethoscope, or a homemade stethoscope (a paper towel tube).

DAY THREE
If you wish to help your students learn to measure their heart rate to determine whether their exercises are too easy or too hard for them, you can do it once a week, on the third day of exercise. Then, students can choose their own exercise levels and number of repetitions according to their heart-rate results.

1. Gather stethoscopes, if possible, or use paper towel tubes.

2. Practice using the stethoscope to find the heart beat (or pulse) and measure heart rate:

• Place the stethoscope to the left of the center of your chest, or your partners.
• Clean the ear pieces before putting them in your ears. Use rubbing alcohol.
• When you have found the pulse ('lub-DUB' sound), count the number of times it beats in 6 seconds. Multiply that number by 10 to calculate your heart rate.

4. Now you are ready to measure students' resting heart rate. Without any physical activity preceding the measurement, have students measure their heart rate. If it seems particularly high or low (below 70 or above 100), have them measure it a few more times.

Record the number that occurs most often or is in the middle of the numbers if they are not all the same. This is the Resting Heart Rate. Record it on the Student Record Chart, outlined at the end of this activity.

5. At the end of each week, or on the third day of exercise, students should finish their exercises, and measure their heart rate immediately. They should record this number in their chart. This is their Active Heart Rate.

6. Students should then rest quietly for three minutes and measure their heart rate again. Record it on the chart. This is their Post-Activity Heart Rate.

7. If the Active Heart Rate is more than 20 beats higher than their Post-Activity rate, the exercise is probably too intense and they should reduce the number of repetitions or choose an exercise at a lower level for the following week.

8. If the Post-Activity heart rate is within 10 beats of their Active Heart Rate, they can increase their level of repetitions or increase the level of their exercises chosen for the following week.

9. Students should record their plan for the next week. Make it easier by posting a stick drawing of each of the exercises in the classroom with a number to represent the level and a letter to represent the group (for example, 1B, 2D etc.). Students can just record the letter and number.

Student Record Chart
Create a chart for students to record their heart rate measurements and outline their exercise plan.

Make space to record 5 or 6 "practice resting heart rates" and a spot for the final "Resting Heart Rate."

Then create a table for the students to chart their exercise plan and record their observations on their performance. The table will have six headings across the top and six divisions (Week 1 to Week 6) down the left side.

The first heading across the top, "Program Plan, Group and Level x repetitions," will be divided into four columns underneath -- one for each of the chosen exercises.

The next column, "Active Heart Rate," is for the students to record their heart rate, immediately after exercising, each week.

Under the third heading, "Post-Activity Heart Rate," students will record their heart rate 3 minutes after completing their exercises.

Under the fourth heading, "Active Heart Rate minus Post Activity Heart Rate," students will make the calculation to determine the spread between the two rates.

Students may use the fifth heading, "Too hard? (Y/N)," to make a decision on how they're doing, based on the previous calculation. (See points 7 and 8 under DAY THREE, above)

The last heading, "Ready to increase level or reps? (Y/N)," follows directly from the last two questions.

Depending on their response, students could then adjust the planned exercises under "Program Plan" for the next week.

Also include on the page space for calculations and the following guide and instructions:

Active Heart Rate minus Post-Activity Heart Rate (after 3 minutes)
If = 10 move to next level of exercise or do more repetitions
If = 20 or more stay at same level and reduce repetitions
If = 30 or more reduce level and/or repetitions

Instructions: Record your Heart Rate. Use your results to plan each week's training program. The average Heart Rate range for your age group is 70 to 100 beats per minute.

To measure your heart rate, count the number of lub-DUBs in 6 seconds and add a zero.

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