Principles of training · GCSE PE

The principles of training

Individual needs: training must match the person's sport, fitness, age and goals.
Specificity: training must match the demands of the sport, such as a sprinter doing short, fast runs.
Progressive overload: gradually making training harder than normal so the body adapts and improves.
Rest and recovery: the body adapts during rest, so training days must be balanced with rest days.
Reversibility: fitness is lost if training stops ("use it or lose it"). Endurance is lost faster than strength.
Overtraining: training too much without enough rest, causing injury, illness or poorer performance.

Frequency: how often you train.
Intensity: how hard you train.
Time: how long you train for.
Type: the method of training.
Changing one part of FITT is a way to apply progressive overload, such as running for 30 minutes instead of 25.

Maximum heart rate = 220 − age. For a 16-year-old: 220 − 16 = 204 bpm.
The aerobic training zone is 60% to 80% of maximum heart rate: for a 16-year-old, about 122 to 163 bpm.
The anaerobic training zone is 80% to 90% of maximum heart rate.

Pre-season: building general fitness, such as cardiovascular endurance, and specific fitness for the sport.
Competition (peak) season: keeping fitness and working on skills and tactics.
Post-season (transition): rest and light activity to recover, while staying active.

Specificity: Making training match the demands of the sport.
Progressive overload: Gradually increasing training so the body keeps adapting.
Reversibility: Losing fitness when training stops.
Overtraining: Training too much without enough rest, which can cause injury.
FITT: Frequency, intensity, time and type: ways to plan and adjust training.
Maximum heart rate: 220 minus age.
Training threshold: The range of heart rates in which training improves fitness.
Individual needs: Planning training to suit the person.