Exercise and Training A4: Principles of Training A5: Methods of Training By Ryan Hallahan and Tom Wilson

Principles of Training Overload- enough intensity to improve your performance. Specificity- you must do specific kinds of activity or exercise to build or improve specific body parts or skills

FITT F- Frequency (minimum of 3 training sessions a week) I- Intensity (how hard you train- target range) T- Time (how long each session lasts- at least 20 minutes in target zone) T- Type (what sort of training you do- aerobic or anaerobic etc.)

Reversibility Training hard and progressively will gradually improve fitness over time. However, the opposite also applies. If training is stopped, due to lack of motivation or injury, the training principle of reversibility is applied. This means that any changes that take place as a consequence of training will be reversed when you stop training.

Progression Starting slowly and gradually increasing the amount of exercise that you do over time. Allows improvement over time. Achieved by adapting training programme every week to accommodate any improvements made over the week. As fitness levels increase, you increase intensity and amount of exercise carried out every week.

Moderation Training in a level that does not exceed your specific target zone. Can be achieved by not pushing yourself too hard and setting realistic targets. Is essential in the prevention of injury.

Individual Needs It is important for a person to fit their training programmes to their own individual needs. If a programme is not designed to fit individual needs, then sport will become too difficult, or a person will experience tedium. It is also essential to vary a training programme to avoid tedium. For example, an athlete including swimming or cycling in their programme, not just running.

Aerobic and Anaerobic Activity Aerobic Fitness is essentially fitness with air. It is the ability to exercise or compete for a long time at a level that allows the respiratory system to cope physiologically. eg. marathon Anaerobic Fitness is basically fitness without air. It is the ability to work at a high intensity for a short period of time. eg. sprinting

Methods of Training Interval Training- Training using periods of work, followed by rest intervals. Continuous Training- aerobic training using exercise sessions with no rest intervals. Fartlek Training- literally means “speed play” training using different intensities over different terrains. Circuit training- a number of exercises set out so that you avoid exercising the same muscle group consecutively.

Thresholds of Training The threshold of training is where you are starting to approach you target zone of 60% to 80% of your maximal heart rate. People train in their threshold to maximise progression and to avoid injury. If you work below your threshold, then fitness is not maximised and if you work above your threshold, you risk injury.

Methods of Training applied to a PEP The objective of a PEP is to improve your fitness and strengths in a particular area of a sport. To do this, you must include all the principles of training into your programme. For example, the FITT principle should be the basis of your programme; make sure that you include all aspects in order to see an improvement.

Methods of Training applied to a PEP overload is needed to increase your fitness/strengths, and so is progression. For example, in football training, you can use sprinting exercises in order to improve speed. Moderation should also be taken into account, as a PEP should never be overly strenuous.

Methods of Training applied to a PEP Individual Needs and Specificity are also key in planning your programme. If you do not specify what type of training you are going to do, then you will end up wasting time and not progressing in the areas needed in you sport. For example, heavy upper body resistance training would be useless for a cyclist.

Muscle Contractions Muscles can contract in many ways. For GCSE, only isotonic and isometric contractions are needed. Isotonic contractions are over a range of movement. E.g. kicking a football Isometric contractions are where a muscle contracts, but stays in a fixed position. E.g rugby scrum.

Exercise Session – Warm Up There should be 3 different sections in a training session, these are: Warm up- prevents injury, improve performance, prepares physically for the event. There are 3 sections within a warm up; cardiovascular warm up (pulse raiser), stretching (static, ballistic, PNF), and ‘finishing the warm up’ (pep talk, or skill related exercises)

Exercise Session - Main Activity The main activity can come in many different forms, for example, continuous or resistance training. The main activity will include specificity and will have meet a person’s individual needs as much as possible. It will include both skill and fitness sessions, working within the threshold of training.

Exercise Session – Cool Down The cool down is an often overlooked section of the exercise session. It gradually returns the body to its normal temperature and resting pulse rate. It also helps to prevent stiffness and a build up of lactic acid. In a cool down activity, static stretches should be used to ease soreness.

Effects of Exercise and Training Training and exercise can have both positive and negative effects on the body, most notably injury, and improved fitness. Immediate effects - cardiovascular fitness will increase, meaning that stamina and strength will improve, hopefully meaning that performance in your sport shall improve as well. You could also experience stiffness after working hard as a result of lactic acid build-up. Long term effects - being healthier will reduce the risk of coronary heart disease, and also improve muscle girth and fitness. If you had received an injury whilst playing a sport, then as well as it being a short term effect, if it is a serious injury it could have long term, if not permanent effects of health and fitness.