Issue 11
Contents
Features
- | Foreword
- | Pump it up!
- | The 12 Rows of Schoenberg
- | Tripping the MIDI Fandango
- | Tip of the day
- | Mailbox
- | Portfolio Story 1
- | Up for it?
- | Unconventional 2k1 Report
Reviews
- | MyMail 1.50
News
Pump it up! Richard Dawid explains how to get fit using an Atari As a body builder I have discovered the benefit of eating healthily and taking regular exercise. To discover how fit you are, here is a brief guide to using my program, Fitness Profile. Fitness Profile is a compilation of three programs to analyze one's personal health status in terms of body composition, energy nutrient needs and ideal body dimensions. Using Fitness Profile To run Fitness Profile, double click on `fitpr509.tos`. The "Data Collection" screen (below) will then be displayed. The "Data Collection" screen asks for the following information:
Field | Action
Age |  | Input your age in years (use whole numbers only)
Gender |  | Input [m] or [f] (case is not important)
Height |  | Input your height in feet and inches, separating feet and inches with a comma. For example, use 5,7 not 5 7. If required, use decimals instead of fractions with the inches. For example, use (6,3.375) not (5,8 3/8)
Weight |  | Input your weight in pounds. If required, use decimals not fractions
Total hours of exercise per week |  | Input the estimated total hours of all types of exercise done each week averaged over the last 6-month period. This includes both aerobic and anaerobic exercises that you have done. Use whole numbers only.
Hours of exercise per week with weights |  | Input only the time spent exercising anaerobically with weights averaged over the last 6-month period.
After inputting each field, hit [return] to enter the data into the computer. If you have made an input error, continue the requested input on the screen. Once the last field has been completed, you must confirm that the data on the screen is correct. If correct, type [y] to output the data to your printer and display the ”MENU of Program Choices” screen. However, if the data is incorrect, type [n] to display the ”MENU of Program Choices” screen and then select number [4] to return to the "Data Collection" screen. Please note that if the printer is off, no hard copy will be printed. If you are using WinSTon, you may get an error notice regardless of whether the printer is on or off. Once you have reached the “Menu of Program Choices” screen, you are ready to select an analysis program. To select the program of your choice, input the number and then hit [Return]. 1) Body Composition (body fat) Analysis This menu choice will perform body composition analysis. The formulae have been calibrated to the gold standard of analysis, hydrostatic weighing. It also accounts for those who exercise. The flaw with most methods, other than hydrostatic weighing, is they account for only the average population, not those at the extreme ends of the curve. My formulae have taken into account this factor. Weight training is defined as being intense anaerobic activity with between 30 seconds to 2.5 minutes of rest between sets of exercise, with a single set of repetitions of the selected exercise only being to be performed for a maximum of 30 seconds. Part of being fit is to have a body fat level that falls within an acceptably healthy range. Too little body fat can be as detrimental as too much. An acceptable range for females would be between 10%-30%. A range of 10%-15% is indicative of elite athletic status with 15% being considered ideal for most women. The average American female has a body fat level of 25%. For males, a range of 5%-10% is regarded as the level for elite athletes and 10% is considered to be the ideal body fat percentage. The average body fat for American males is 15%. An acceptable range of body fat for men is 5%-20%.
BODY FAT RATINGS
Male Fat % (average=15%) | Female Fat % (average=25%)
0% - 4% | UNHEALTHY | 0% - 9%
5% - 10% | EXCELLENT | 10% - 15%
11% - 14% | VERY GOOD | 16% - 19%
15% - 17% | GOOD | 20% - 25%
18% - 19% | FAIR | 26% - 29%
20% - 24% | POOR | 30% - 34%
25% & up | UNHEALTHY | 35% & up
Body fat can be determined a number of different ways. Each method has both its strengths and weaknesses. The method to be used here employs the use of girth or circumference measurements. This method is very quick and the least expensive. It also correlates very favorably with the method of hydrostatic weighing which is still considered to be the most accurate and reliable method to date by most authorities. The newest methods, electrical resistance and sound, still have their problems and appear to hold great promise in the very near future. Caliper methods are the least reliable of all the methods for a number of reasons. Procedure for determining body fat levels To determine your body fat level, you must use a good cloth or plastic measuring tape and have someone measure you at the appropriate 3 sites as you stand in the proper stance. Having the proper stance when the measurements are being taken is absolutely critical. Small deviations can make a noticeable difference. The three selected sites are determined by your age and gender. The various sites include: Forearm: at the widest point Upper arm: at the midpoint Waist: at the narrowest point above the navel Hips (buttocks): at the widest point Thigh: where the thigh merges with the buttocks Calf: at the widest point While the measurements are being taken, it is extremely important that you stand properly; otherwise, you jeopardize the accuracy of your body fat determination. You should stand “at attention” with 1 arm perpendicular to the body and fingers “stretching out to the wall”. Refer to the illustration for the proper stance and measurement sites. Do not forcefully suck in your gut. Have someone place the tape around the proper site, as listed by the program. The tape should not squeeze nor pinch the skin, but rather lie firmly against it. The tape should be perpendicular to the long axis of the body part. Have someone take measurements and record each to the nearest 0.125(1/8) inch. Once the measurement is taken, input the number and then hit [Return]. The notation of that site and the value being used in the calculation next appear. Underneath this screen output is the second site to be measured. Continue inputting values as requested till all three sites have been entered. The interpolation adjustments of the formula are shown. Underneath the interpolation values are body fat estimates showing: the uninterpolated body fat, the next lower body fat level, if possible, should you increase the amount of exercise performed, and the interpolated body fat estimate at your current level of exercise intensity and duration averaged over the last six months. Also calculated is your lean (fat-free) body mass in pounds. The last item is a statement indicating if additional exercise will be of any value to further lower your body fat level. To return to the “MENU of Program Choices” screen, input of any number “from 1 to 9”, followed by [Return]. 2) Nutritional Requirement Analysis The Nutritional Requirement Analysis examines only the energy nutrients, which are carbohydrates, fats and proteins. This choice (2) asks for your activity level. If you are unsure or don't know, hit [y] to get a description of the activity levels presented. Upon hitting [y], you are asked to select from one of four levels to view. Pick the one you feel might be closest to you by hitting a key from [1] to [4]. A screen will appear describing the selected activity level. The cue at the bottom of the screen tells you to hit [0] sending you back to the previous screen. To return back to the nutrition analysis, once you have determined the activity level that best describes you, hit [5] and follow the prompt. The next screen asks you to input the number (1 to 4), which is closest to being your activity level for that day. Your chosen activity level appears near the bottom of the screen as verification of the correct selection. Follow the screen prompt to get to the screen with the nutrient requirements for your body based on that day's activity level. Hit [0] to return to the “MENU of Program Choices” screen. 3) Ideal Body Dimension Analysis The last analysis option is ideal body dimensions. For males, this will give you the Greek or Roman ideal, not the television version of those on anabolic drugs. For females, there are not really any good formulae because of the wide variety of shapes that we find with female physiques. These formulae appear to be more in line with clothes designer measurements for females with a healthy body fat level. To determine your ideal dimensions, simply input the requested data. Once that is done, the measurements are displayed along with your ideal weight for your body frame. Refer to the diagram for the proper stance and measurement sites. 4) New Data Input (Another Person or What if Scenario) This menu item is self-explanatory. It allows you to get back to the “Data Collection” screen to do another analysis of either another person or “what if I….”. For example, input double your present weight and input the same data for the rest of the requested information. Now compare how many calories you would need to sustain your new weight. It might shock you to see the outcome! 5) Exit (End) Program Hit number “5” and follow the prompts to exit the program.
Tips Although I have been called a “spaghetti programmer” - by those who know how to program - they work for me and I have used them extensively. To compile the source code you will need about 100 KB of buffer memory allocated in HiSoft Basic. If you get a “Buffer full“ error during compilation, go to the compilation menu, then go to “output to” box and select “maximum" for the buffer memory to change the amount of buffer memory. The programs were written using HiSoft Basic on an Atari MEGA4 STE and tested on an Atari black and white monitor and Atari color monitor. The printer codes are for the HP DeskJet 500 printer. You will need to possibly change them for your printer if you want a hard copy of your profile.
Files fitpr509.zip Archive contains, the original HiSoft Basic source code and a executable.
MyAtari magazine - Feature #2, September 2001
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