1. Methods of Training
DEFINITION: These are the different types of training that athletes use to help improve their components of fitness.
There are 6 main methods of training that you need to remember:
Continuous
Interval
Fartlek
Circuit
Weight
Cross
For each of these you need to know:
The characteristics
The benefits
Examples of sports people that would use them
Examples of how you could show progressive overload
Methods of Training (GCSE PE: Unit 1.1.4)

2. 1.
Continuous Training
CHARACTERISTICS: Training that does not have any rest periods/breaks. It is completed at a steady pace and has to last for a minimum of 20 minutes.
BENEFITS: Non-stop exercise would help to improve cardiovascular fitness and muscular endurance.
SPORTING EXAMPLES: It would help improve AEROBIC fitness (exercise with oxygen).
Aerobic sports include long-distance running, marathon runners, rugby and football (sports that last for a long time).
HOW TO SHOW PROGRESSIVE OVERLOAD: You could make continuous training harder by increasing the amount of time (more minutes of exercise) or increasing the intensity (running faster on a treadmill or cycling on a higher resistance level).
Methods of Training (GCSE PE: Unit 1.1.4)

3. 2.
Interval Training
CHARACTERISTICS: Sets of high intensity exercise followed by rest periods. It is repeated (eg: exercise-rest-exercise-rest-exercise)
BENEFITS: Can help with weight loss as it burns calories. Is often used to increase speed and power.
SPORTING EXAMPLES: It would help improve ANAEROBIC fitness (exercise that does not require oxygen).
Anaerobic sports are over very quickly and include sprinters. It is also used by games players (footballers, rugby players, netball players) to help improve speed and power.
HOW TO SHOW PROGRESSIVE OVERLOAD: You could make continuous training harder by changing the time (more minutes of exercise OR less minutes of rest) or increasing the intensity (by reducing the number of rest periods).
Methods of Training (GCSE PE: Unit 1.1.4)

4. 3.
Fartlek Training
CHARACTERISTICS: A form of continuous training. Rather than exercising at a constant pace, it uses changes in speed (jog-walk-sprint-walk-jog).
BENEFITS: It allows athletes to work both AEROBICALLY (jogging & walking) and ANAEROBICALLY (sprinting). It suits team games because it reflects the change in speeds that happen in a game situation.
SPORTING EXAMPLES: It would be used by games players who have changes of speed within their sport: football, rugby, netball and basketball.
HOW TO SHOW PROGRESSIVE OVERLOAD: You could make continuous training harder by increasing the time (more minutes of exercise) or by increasing the intensity (only including running & sprinting OR by running on difficult terrain).
Methods of Training (GCSE PE: Unit 1.1.4)

5. 4.
Circuit Training
CHARACTERISTICS: A form of interval training. It has a number of different stations and is periods of exercise followed by rest (eg: exercise-rest-exercise-rest-exercise).
BENEFITS: Stations are focused around health-related exercise and/or skill-related fitness components. This means that circuit training can be used to improve multiple areas of fitness or certain body parts/muscles.
SPORTING EXAMPLES: Can be used by any sports people because it is very adaptable (eg: basketball players might design a circuit to improve their agility, power, muscular endurance and speed).
HOW TO SHOW PROGRESSIVE OVERLOAD: You could make continuous training harder by increasing the time (more time at each station OR reducing the time of rest periods) or by increasing the intensity (increasing weights OR changing exercises at each station).
Methods of Training (GCSE PE: Unit 1.1.4)

6. 5.
Weight Training
CHARACTERISTICS: A form of interval training. Uses weights to provide a resistance for the muscles to work against. Involves ‘sets’ and ‘reps’.
BENEFITS: Can be used to improve muscular endurance (high reps & low weight) and muscular strength (low reps & high weights). It can also be used to target certain body parts or specific muscles.
SPORTING EXAMPLES: It would be used by athletes where muscle use is important. Weight-lifters (so they can lift heavier weights), shot putt (so they can throw further) and rugby players (so they can tackle/push harder) would all use weight training.
HOW TO SHOW PROGRESSIVE OVERLOAD: You could make continuous training harder by increasing the intensity (by increasing the weight OR increasing the number of reps).
Methods of Training (GCSE PE: Unit 1.1.4)

7. 6.
Cross Training
CHARACTERISTICS: Is when athletes use more than one method of training during their training programme.
BENEFITS: It can help to improve all around fitness (as different methods are used). It can also help to increase motivation (using different methods keeps training exciting).
SPORTING EXAMPLES: It is often used by athletes who compete in more than one sport. A triathlete would use it (since they have to do running, cycling and swimming).
HOW TO SHOW PROGRESSIVE OVERLOAD: Depends on what methods of training you are using.
Methods of Training (GCSE PE: Unit 1.1.4)