Youth Exercise Program
Keith Drafall
Department of Exercise Science, Franklin University
EXS 400: Exercise for Special Populations
Dr. Christy McMahon
July 23, 2023
Some initial steps taken before the thirteen-year-old starts her exercise program are as follows:
Conduct a review of medical history through the questionnaire and PAR-Q (NSCA,
2017). This will be done with the father since the client is not of age.
Obtain informed consent (NSCA, 2017). This will be obtained from the father since the
client is not of age.
Conduct a fitness assessment with a chaperone, which consists of measuring height,
weight, muscular endurance, and trunk strength, along with fitness tests such as sit-and-
reach and the 2-minute step test (NSCA, 2017).
SOAP Notes:
Subjective: The client is a thirteen-year-old female track athlete who has been involved in
running track for two years. She has excelled at the one-hundred-meter dash and long jump. She
has never participated in a strength training program before, but her dad feels that she is ready to
start.
Objective: She is 5'5" tall, weighs 110 pounds, with normal vital signs. She is healthy and active,
with no current injuries or medical conditions.
Assessment: She is a beginner in strength training. The client should begin with low-intensity
activities and gradually increase the intensity and duration of her workouts over time.
Plan: Develop an evidence-based youth exercise program, with supervised instruction for four
weeks. This program will also incorporate elements of the client’s specific running and jumping
events.
According to current recommendations, children and adolescents should engage in play,
sports, transportation, recreation, physical education, and scheduled exercise for at least
sixty minutes each day (NSCA, 2017). For the young athlete, power, resistance, aerobic, which
will include speed, agility, and quickness (SAQ), and flexibility training should be sufficient
(NSCA, 2017). The program will also incorporate some recreational games, so there will be less
chance of boredom. As part of the four-week training program, the athlete will be training in an
indoor track facility, which includes a four-hundred-meter rubber-based track, a one-hundred-
yard turf area, and a fitness center, which consists of diverse equipment for resistance training.
During the first four weeks of training, the power and resistance exercise portions of the
program should initially consist of body weight (BW) exercises, with resistance at a light
intensity of 40-60% one-rep maximum (1RM), for one to two sets at six to fifteen repetitions
(NSCA, 2017). This will help the athlete develop proper form and technique (Dahab &
McCambridge, 2009). Throughout the four weeks, power exercises will stay at three to six
repetitions in one to three sets (NSCA, 2017). During weeks three and four, depending on the
athlete’s overall adaptability, training can progress to a higher intensity, roughly two to three sets
for six to fifteen repetitions at 40-80% 1RM, with more advanced exercises (NSCA, 2017).
Resistance training sessions should be scheduled two to three times per week (NSCA, 2017).
Aerobic activity will consist of a mix of sport-specific training and games. Ideally, aerobic
activity should consist of greater than or equal to sixty minutes, daily (NSCA, 2017). The
intensity will be moderate to vigorous, with rest and recovery as needed (NSCA, 2017). Static
and dynamic flexibility will also be included for five to ten minutes at the end of each training
session (NSCA, 2017).
Week one at the indoor track facility
Sunday:
-Warm-up (five to ten minutes): General jogging, skips, karaoke, sprints, jump skips, A-
skips, ‘Frankenstein’, hurdle outs, backward hurdle outs
-Aerobic (forty to fifty minutes): Sprint conditioning, races, ‘switcheroo’, breaks as
needed
-Cool-down (five to ten minutes): Sit-and-reach, supine hamstring stretch, piriformis
stretch, kneeling hip flexor stretch, 2-4 sets of 30-second holds
Monday:
-Warm-up (five minutes): General jogging, skips, karaoke, sprints, jump skips, A-skips,
‘Frankenstein’, hurdle outs, backward hurdle outs
-Power (ten minutes): Power skips (BW), bounds BW), wave squats (BW), 1-3 sets of 3-
6 reps, 2–3-minute breaks
-Resistance (twenty minutes): Wall sits (BW), modified push-ups (BW), modified planks
(BW), supine bridges (BW), 1-3 sets at 6-15 reps, 1–2-minute breaks
-Aerobic (twenty minutes): Agility ladder drills, Capture the Flag and/or Sharks and
Minnows, races, breaks as needed
-Cool down (five): Sit-and-reach, supine hamstring stretch, piriformis stretch, kneeling
hip flexor stretch, 2-4 sets of 30-second holds
Tuesday:
-Warm-up (five to ten minutes): General jogging, skips, karaoke, sprints, jump skips, A-
skips, ‘Frankenstein’, hurdle outs, backward hurdle outs
-Aerobic (forty to fifty minutes): Sprint conditioning, races, ‘switcheroo’, breaks as
needed
-Cool-down (five minutes): Sit-and-reach, supine hamstring stretch, piriformis stretch,
kneeling hip flexor stretch, 2-4 sets of 30-second holds
Wednesday:
-Warm-up (five minutes): General jogging, skips, karaoke, sprints, jump skips, A-skips,
‘Frankenstein’, hurdle outs, backward hurdle outs
-Power (ten minutes): Power skips (BW), bounds BW), wave squats (BW), 1-3 sets of 3-
6 reps, 2–3-minute breaks
-Resistance (twenty minutes): Wall sits (BW), modified push-ups (BW), modified planks
(BW), supine bridges (BW), 1-3 sets at 6-15 reps, 1–2-minute breaks
-Aerobic (twenty minutes): Agility ladder drills, Capture the Flag and/or Sharks and
Minnows, races, breaks as needed
-Cool down (five minutes): Sit-and-reach, supine hamstring stretch, piriformis stretch,
kneeling hip flexor stretch, 2-4 sets of 30-second holds
Thursday:
-Warm-up (five to ten minutes): General jogging, skips, karaoke, sprints, jump skips, A-
skips, ‘Frankenstein’, hurdle outs, backward hurdle outs
-Aerobic (forty to fifty minutes): Agility ladder drills, Capture the Flag and/or Sharks
and Minnows, races, breaks as needed
-Cool-down (five to ten minutes): Sit-and-reach, supine hamstring stretch, piriformis
stretch, kneeling hip flexor stretch, 2-4 sets of 30-second holds
Friday:
-Warm-up (five minutes): General jogging, skips, karaoke, sprints, jump skips, A-skips,
‘Frankenstein’, hurdle outs, backward hurdle outs
-Power (ten minutes): Power skips (BW), bounds BW), wave squats (BW), 1-3 sets of 3-
6 reps, 2–3-minute breaks
-Resistance (twenty minutes): Wall sits (BW), modified push-ups (BW), modified planks
(BW), supine bridges (BW), 1-3 sets at 6-15 reps, 1–2-minute breaks
-Aerobic (twenty minutes): Agility ladder drills, Capture the Flag and/or Sharks and
Minnows, races, breaks as needed
-Cool down (five): Sit-and-reach, supine hamstring stretch, piriformis stretch, kneeling
hip flexor stretch, 2-4 sets of 30-second holds
Saturday:
-Warm-up (five to ten minutes): General jogging, skips, karaoke, sprints, jump skips, A-
skips, ‘Frankenstein’, hurdle outs, backward hurdle outs
-Aerobic (forty to fifty minutes): Agility ladder drills, Capture the Flag and/or Sharks and
Minnows, races, breaks as needed
-Cool-down (five to ten minutes): Sit-and-reach, supine hamstring stretch, piriformis
stretch, kneeling hip flexor stretch, 2-4 sets of 30-second holds
Week two at the indoor track facility
Sunday:
-Warm-up (five to ten minutes): General jogging, skips, karaoke, sprints, jump skips, A-
skips, ‘Frankenstein’, hurdle outs, backward hurdle outs
-Aerobic (forty to fifty minutes): Sprint conditioning, races, ‘switcheroo’, breaks as
needed
-Cool-down (five to ten minutes): Sit-and-reach, supine hamstring stretch, piriformis
stretch, kneeling hip flexor stretch, 2-4 sets of 30-second holds
Monday:
-Warm-up (five minutes): General jogging, skips, karaoke, sprints, jump skips, A-skips,
‘Frankenstein’, hurdle outs, backward hurdle outs
-Power (ten minutes): Power skips (BW), bounds (BW), wave squats (BW), 1-3 sets of 3-
6 reps, 2–3-minute breaks
-Resistance (twenty minutes): Lunges (BW), modified push-ups (BW), modified planks
(BW), supine bridges (BW), 1-3 sets at 6-15 reps, 1–2-minute breaks
-Aerobic (twenty minutes): Agility ladders drills, Capture the Flag and/or Sharks and
Minnows, races, breaks as needed
-Cool down (five minutes): Sit-and-reach, supine hamstring stretch, piriformis stretch,
kneeling hip flexor stretch, 2-4 sets of 30-second holds
Tuesday:
-Warm-up (five to ten minutes): General jogging, skips, karaoke, sprints, jump skips, A-
skips, ‘Frankenstein’, hurdle outs, backward hurdle outs
-Aerobic (forty to fifty minutes): Sprint conditioning, races, ‘switcheroo’, breaks as
needed
-Cool-down (five to ten minutes): Sit-and-reach, supine hamstring stretch, piriformis
stretch, kneeling hip flexor stretch, 2-4 sets of 30-second holds
Wednesday:
-Warm-up (five minutes): General jogging, skips, karaoke, sprints, jump skips, A-skips,
‘Frankenstein’, hurdle outs, backward hurdle outs
-Power (ten minutes): Power skips (BW), bounds (BW), wave squats (BW), 1-3 sets of 3-
6 reps, 2–3-minute breaks
-Resistance (twenty minutes): Lunges (BW), modified push-ups (BW), modified planks
(BW), supine bridges (BW), 1-3 sets at 6-15 reps, 1–2-minute breaks
-Aerobic (twenty minutes): Agility ladders drills, Capture the Flag and/or Sharks and
Minnows, races, breaks as needed
-Cool down (five minutes): Sit-and-reach, supine hamstring stretch, piriformis stretch,
kneeling hip flexor stretch, 2-4 sets of 30-second holds
Thursday:
-Warm-up (five to ten minutes): General jogging, skips, karaoke, sprints, jump skips, A-
skips, ‘Frankenstein’, hurdle outs, backward hurdle outs
-Aerobic (forty to fifty minutes): Sprint conditioning, races, ‘switcheroo’, breaks as
needed
-Cool-down (five to ten minutes): Sit-and-reach, supine hamstring stretch, piriformis
stretch, kneeling hip flexor stretch, 2-4 sets of 30-second holds
Friday:
-Warm-up (five minutes): General jogging, skips, karaoke, sprints, jump skips, A-skips,
‘Frankenstein’, hurdle outs, backward hurdle outs
-Power (ten minutes): Power skips (BW), bounds (BW), wave squats (BW), 1-3 sets of 3-
6 reps, 2–3-minute breaks
-Resistance (twenty minutes): Lunges (BW), modified push-ups (BW), modified planks
(BW), supine bridges (BW), 1-3 sets at 6-15 reps, 1–2-minute breaks
-Aerobic (twenty minutes): Agility ladders drills, Capture the Flag and/or Sharks and
Minnows, races, breaks as needed
-Cool down (five minutes): Sit-and-reach, supine hamstring stretch, piriformis stretch,
kneeling hip flexor stretch, 2-4 sets of 30-second holds
Saturday:
-Warm-up (five to ten minutes): General jogging, skips, karaoke, sprints, jump skips, A-
skips, ‘Frankenstein’, hurdle outs, backward hurdle outs
-Aerobic (forty to fifty minutes): Sprint conditioning, races, ‘switcheroo’, breaks as
needed
-Cool-down (five to ten minutes): Sit-and-reach, supine hamstring stretch, piriformis
stretch, kneeling hip flexor stretch, 2-4 sets of 30-second holds
Week three at the indoor track facility
Sunday:
-Warm-up (five to ten minutes): General jogging, skips, karaoke, sprints, jump skips, A-
skips, ‘Frankenstein’, hurdle outs, backward hurdle outs
-Aerobic (forty to fifty minutes): Sprint conditioning, races, ‘switcheroo’, breaks as
needed
-Cool-down (five to ten minutes): Sit-and-reach, supine hamstring stretch, piriformis
stretch, kneeling hip flexor stretch, 2-4 sets of 30-second holds
Monday:
-Warm-up (five minutes): General jogging, skips, karaoke, sprints, jump skips, A-skips,
‘Frankenstein’, hurdle outs, backward hurdle outs
-Power (ten minutes): Power skips (BW), bounds BW), wave squats (BW), 1-3 sets of 3-
6 reps, 2–3-minute breaks
-Resistance (twenty minutes): Multi-planar lunges (BW), prone superman (BW), push-
ups (BW), planks (BW), supine bridges (BW), 2-3 sets at 6-15 reps, 1–2-minute breaks
-Aerobic (twenty minutes): Agility ladders drills, Capture the Flag and/or Sharks and
Minnows, races, breaks as needed
-Cool down (five minutes): Sit-and-reach, supine hamstring stretch, piriformis stretch,
kneeling hip flexor stretch, 2-4 sets of 30-second holds
Tuesday:
-Warm-up (five to ten minutes): General jogging, skips, karaoke, sprints, jump skips, A-
skips, ‘Frankenstein’, hurdle outs, backward hurdle outs
-Aerobic (forty to fifty minutes): Sprint conditioning, races, ‘switcheroo’, breaks as
needed
-Cool-down (five to ten minutes): Sit-and-reach, supine hamstring stretch, piriformis
stretch, kneeling hip flexor stretch, 2-4 sets of 30-second holds
Wednesday:
-Warm-up (five minutes): General jogging, skips, karaoke, sprints, jump skips, A-skips,
‘Frankenstein’, hurdle outs, backward hurdle outs
-Power (ten minutes): Power skips (BW), bounds BW), wave squats (BW), 1-3 sets of 3-
6 reps, 2–3-minute breaks
-Resistance (twenty minutes): Multi-planar lunges (BW), prone superman (BW), push-
ups (BW), planks (BW), supine bridges (BW), 2-3 sets at 6-15 reps, 1–2-minute breaks
-Aerobic (twenty minutes): Agility ladders drills, Capture the Flag and/or Sharks and
Minnows, races, breaks as needed
-Cool down (five minutes): Sit-and-reach, supine hamstring stretch, piriformis stretch,
kneeling hip flexor stretch, 2-4 sets of 30-second holds
Thursday:
-Warm-up (five to ten minutes): General jogging, skips, karaoke, sprints, jump skips, A-
skips, ‘Frankenstein’, hurdle outs, backward hurdle outs
-Aerobic (forty to fifty minutes): Sprint conditioning, races, ‘switcheroo’, breaks as
needed
-Cool-down (five to ten minutes): Sit-and-reach, supine hamstring stretch, piriformis
stretch, kneeling hip flexor stretch, 2-4 sets of 30-second holds
Friday:
-Warm-up (five minutes): General jogging, skips, karaoke, sprints, jump skips, A-skips,
‘Frankenstein’, hurdle outs, backward hurdle outs
-Power (ten minutes): Power skips (BW), bounds BW), wave squats (BW), 1-3 sets of 3-
6 reps, 2–3-minute breaks
-Resistance (twenty minutes): Multi-planar lunges (BW), prone superman (BW), push-
ups (BW), planks (BW), supine bridges (BW), 2-3 sets at 6-15 reps, 1–2-minute breaks
-Aerobic (twenty minutes): Agility ladders drills, Capture the Flag and/or Sharks and
Minnows, races, breaks as needed
-Cool down (five minutes): Sit-and-reach, supine hamstring stretch, piriformis stretch,
kneeling hip flexor stretch, 2-4 sets of 30-second holds
Saturday:
-Warm-up (five to ten minutes): General jogging, skips, karaoke, sprints, jump skips, A-
skips, ‘Frankenstein’, hurdle outs, backward hurdle outs
-Aerobic (forty to fifty minutes): Sprint conditioning, races, ‘switcheroo’, breaks as
needed
-Cool-down (five to ten minutes): Sit-and-reach, supine hamstring stretch, piriformis
stretch, kneeling hip flexor stretch, 2-4 sets of 30-second holds
Week four at the indoor track facility
Sunday:
-Warm-up (five to ten minutes): General jogging, skips, karaoke, sprints, jump skips, A-
skips, ‘Frankenstein’, hurdle outs, backward hurdle outs
-Aerobic (forty to fifty minutes): Sprint conditioning, races, ‘switcheroo’, breaks as
needed
-Cool-down (five to ten minutes): Sit-and-reach, supine hamstring stretch, piriformis
stretch, kneeling hip flexor stretch, 2-4 sets of 30-second holds
Monday:
-Warm-up (five to ten minutes): General jogging, skips, karaoke, sprints, jump skips, A-
skips, ‘Frankenstein’, hurdle outs, backward hurdle outs
-Power (ten minutes): Power skips (BW), bounds (BW), wave squats with medicine ball
(MB), 1-3 sets of 3-6 reps, 2–3-minute breaks
-Resistance (twenty minutes): Multi-planar lunges (BW), prone superman (BW), push-
ups (BW), planks (BW), supine bridges (BW), 2-3 sets at 6-15 reps, 1–2-minute breaks
-Aerobic (twenty minutes): Agility ladders drills, Capture the Flag and/or Sharks and
Minnows, races, breaks as needed
-Cool down (five minutes): Sit-and-reach, supine hamstring stretch, piriformis stretch,
kneeling hip flexor stretch, 2-4 sets of 30-second holds
Tuesday:
-Warm-up (five to ten minutes): General jogging, skips, karaoke, sprints, jump skips, A-
skips, ‘Frankenstein’, hurdle outs, backward hurdle outs
-Aerobic (forty to fifty minutes): Sprint conditioning, races, ‘switcheroo’, breaks as
needed
-Cool-down (five to ten minutes): Sit-and-reach, supine hamstring stretch, piriformis
stretch, kneeling hip flexor stretch, 2-4 sets of 30-second holds
Wednesday:
-Warm-up (five minutes): General jogging, skips, karaoke, sprints, jump skips, A-skips,
‘Frankenstein’, hurdle outs, backward hurdle outs
-Power (ten minutes): Power skips (BW), bounds (BW), wave squats with MB, 1-3 sets
of 3-6 reps, 2–3-minute breaks
-Resistance (twenty minutes): Multi-planar lunges (BW), prone superman (BW), push-
ups (BW), planks (BW), supine bridges (BW), 2-3 sets at 6-15 reps, 1–2-minute breaks
-Aerobic (twenty minutes): Agility ladders drills, Capture the Flag and/or Sharks and
Minnows, races, breaks as needed
-Cool down (five minutes): Sit-and-reach, supine hamstring stretch, piriformis stretch,
kneeling hip flexor stretch, 2-4 sets of 30-second holds
Thursday:
-Warm-up (five to ten minutes): General jogging, skips, karaoke, sprints, jump skips, A-
skips, ‘Frankenstein’, hurdle outs, backward hurdle outs
-Aerobic (forty to fifty minutes): Sprint conditioning, races, ‘switcheroo’, breaks as
needed
-Cool-down (five to ten minutes): Sit-and-reach, supine hamstring stretch, piriformis
stretch, kneeling hip flexor stretch, 2-4 sets of 30-second holds
Friday:
-Warm-up (five minutes): General jogging, skips, karaoke, sprints, jump skips, A-skips,
‘Frankenstein’, hurdle outs, backward hurdle outs
-Power (ten minutes): Power skips (BW), bounds (BW), wave squats with MB, 1-3 sets
of 3-6 reps, 2-3-minute breaks
-Resistance (twenty minutes): Multi-planar lunges (BW), prone superman (BW), push-
ups (BW), planks (BW), supine bridges (BW), 2-3 sets at 6-15 reps, 1–2-minute breaks
-Aerobic (twenty minutes): Agility ladders drills, Capture the Flag and/or Sharks and
Minnows, races, breaks as needed
-Cool down (five minutes): Sit-and-reach, supine hamstring stretch, piriformis stretch,
kneeling hip flexor stretch, 2-4 sets of 30-second holds
Saturday:
-Warm-up (five to ten minutes): General jogging, skips, karaoke, sprints, jump skips, A-
skips, ‘Frankenstein’, hurdle outs, backward hurdle outs
-Aerobic (forty to fifty minutes): Sprint conditioning, races, ‘switcheroo’, breaks as
needed
-Cool-down (five to ten minutes): Sit-and-reach, supine hamstring stretch, piriformis
stretch, kneeling hip flexor stretch, 2-4 sets of 30-second holds
References
Association, N.S.&. C. (2017). NSCA's Essentials of Training Special Populations. Human
Kinetics Publishers. [Link]
Dahab, K. S., & McCambridge, T. M. (2009). Strength training in children and adolescents:
raising the bar for young athletes? Sports Health, 1(3), 223-226.
doi:10.1177/1941738109334215
