Fitness Testing

These are the fitness tests we will be using for the different components of fitness:

Flexibility - Sit and Reach
Strength - Grip Dynamometer
Cardiovascular Endurance - Multi-Stage Fitness Test (Beep Test) and the Cooper Run (12min Run)
Speed - 35m Sprint (running start)
Agility - Illinois Agility Run
Power - Vertical Jump Test
Muscular Endurance - 1min Sit Up Tset & 1min Press Up Test

Baseline/Normative Data - So we can measure our performance against others
Practicality - What do we need and how do we set up the tests
Validity -Does the test actually test the component of fitness we want it to. What else might it test?
Reliability - Are the results accurate? Why might they be wrong?

The Methods of Training

Training can be aerobic or anaerobic.

Aerobic training improves cardiovascular fitness. Photo courtesy of BBC Sport

• In aerobic exercise, which is steady and not too fast, the heart is able to supply enough oxygen to the muscles. Aerobic training improves cardiovascular fitness.
• Anaerobic exercise is performed in short, fast bursts where the heart cannot supply enough oxygen to the muscles. Anaerobic training improves the ability of the muscles to work without enough oxygen when lactic acid is produced.

Specific training methods can be used to improve each fitness factor.

Weight training improves muscular strength, endurance and power

• Circuit training involves performing a series of exercises in a special order called a circuit. Each activity takes place at a 'station'. It can be designed to improve speed, agility, coordination, balance and muscular endurance.
• Continuous training involves working for a sustained period of time without rest. It improves cardio-vascular fitness.
• Cross training involves using another sport or activity to improve your fitness. It happens when an athlete trains in a different environment. For example a volleyball player uses the power training for that sport to help with fitness for long jump.
• Fartlek training or 'speed play' training involves varying your speed and the type of terrain over which you run, walk, cycle or ski. It improves aerobic and anaerobic fitness.
• Interval training involves alternating between periods of hard exercise and rest. It improves speed and muscular endurance.
• Weight training uses weights to provide resistance to the muscles. It improves muscular strength (high weight, low reps), muscular endurance (low weight, high reps, many sets) and power (medium weight and reps performed quickly).
• Altitude training (AQA only) is aerobic training high above sea level, where oxygen levels are lower. It is used to increase aerobic fitness quickly.

General methods of training can be applied to specific sports. For example, continuous training might involve swimming, cycling, rowing, aerobics or running.

The Principles of Training

Training should be matched to an individual's need

By using the principles of training as a framework we can plan a personal training programme that uses scientific principles to improve performance, skill, game ability and physical fitness.

A successful training programme will meet individual needs which are personal fitness needs based on age, gender, fitness level and the sport for which we are training. A successful training programme will also include exercise in the correct heart-rate target zone.

The key principles when planning a programme are:

• Specificity – training must be matched to the needs of the sporting activity to improve fitness in the body parts the sport uses.
• Overload - fitness can only be improved by training more than you normally do. You must work hard.
• Progression – start slowly and gradually increase the amount of exercise and keep overloading.
• Reversibility – any adaptation that takes place as a result of training will be reversed when you stop training. If you take a break or don’t train often enough you will lose fitness.

In planning a programme, use the FITT principles to add the detail:

• Frequency - decide how often to train.
• Intensity - choose how hard to train.
• Time - decide for how long to train.
• Type - decide which methods of training to use.

You should also consider the principle of moderation. It is important to have rest periods which allow the body to adapt. Too much training (overtraining) can lead to injury.

Work for Tuesday 22nd October

Continue creating your PowToon on Target Zones or the Components of Fitness. You may wish to use the poster below to help with Target Zone explanations:

Sign up and Create your own PowToon

Today, I would like you to start creating your own 'PowToon' on either:

• Target Zones (include max. Heart rate, why work out your target zone etc)
• Most Important Components of Fitness for Football (or sport of your choice)

Sign up at www.powtoon.com by using your google account (same username and password as blogger).

THESE PRESENTATIONS SHOULD NOT USE LOTS OF TEXT. Just get the key points across and if you would like to include more details and definitions, you can do a voiceover once your animation is complete.

Here is the one I made on target zones:



If you would like to see a tutorial on how to use PowToon, click here. Otherwise you can start creating staright away.

Target Zones

You can use your maximum heart rate (MHR) to calculate how hard you should work your heart to develop either aerobic or anaerobic fitness.

To calculate MHR:

• 220 - age = MHR

Improve aerobic fitness by working at 60-80% of MHR

Aerobic fitness is another way of describing cardiovascular fitness, or stamina. You can improve aerobic fitness by working in your aerobic target zone. This is found between 60-85% of your MHR. You cross your aerobic threshold, the heart rate above which you gain aerobic fitness, at 60% of our MHR.

You can improve your anaerobic fitness, which includes strength and power, by working in your anaerobic target zone. This is found between 80-100% of your MHR. Anaerobic threshold is the heart rate above which you gain anaerobic fitness. You cross your anaerobic threshold at 80% of your MHR. 

Below 60% MHR you do not improve your aerobic or anaerobic fitness at all.

The graph below shows the different target zones and how they decrease with age:

Watch the video for a short tutorial on target zones:

Watch this video for another explanation. Note that the percentage of maximum heart rate varies in the second video:

Now work out your maximum heart rate and training zones for the different types of exercise. Don't worry, you can use this online calculator to work it out for you:

http://www.shapesense.com/fitness-exercise/calculators/target-heart-rate-calculator.aspx

Post these details on your latest 'Target Zone' blog entry. Also, find a graph which shows the different target zones and embed it in your blog.

Try this Quiz!

Today you should ensure that you have completed all sections of your blog and publish it so that I can read it online. At the start of the lesson, have a go at this version of the components of fitness quiz. Best scores to go on the whiteboard:

http://quizlet.com/4086293/scatter

 

Test Yourself with Quizlet

At the start of the lesson, I would like you to have a quick attempt at this test on the components of fitness.

http://quizlet.com/5231737/test

Try not to use your notes at the moment so that you get an indication of how you are getting on. Tweet your results @JWS_PE_Faculty. Don't worry if you get a low score. Try it again but use your notes this time.

For the rest of the lesson, I would like you to complete your first blog entry and then ensure that you have published (or updated it). It should include:

• The 3 most important components of fitness for 3 different sports
• Reasons why you have chosen the components
• An example of the component in action
• A YouTube clip of the component in action
• A ThingLink poster of a player with the compinets tagged on him

Use ThingLink to Enhance your Blogs

You should create an account on www.thinglink.com and then create three 'thinglinks to embed on your blog. They should state what you believe are the 3 most important components of fitness in three different sports.

See my example below for a footballer (notice I have included his position as this can sometimes require different components than other positions):

 

Penalty?

Tuesday 25th September - Task for Today

You should complete the transfer of information from the work sheets to your own blog post. Details should include:

• Name of the Component of Fitness
• Definition
• Your Example of the Component of Fitness in Action

Once you have completed this, you should try to find a video clip on YouTube of your example. If there is just a small part of the YouTube clip that you want to use, why not try cropping it on www.tubechop.com ? If you would like to see a tutorial of how to use the site then click here. Once you have the video ready, I will show you how it can be embedded into your blog.

Useful Links for Unit 1: Fitness Testing for Sport & Exercise

The Components of Physical Fitness

Watch this video on the Health Related Components of Fitness (requires sound):

Health-Related Components of Fitness

Everyone needs to have a level of fitness for everyday activities.

Health related exercise improves the health related fitness factors which are also useful to sportspeople. These are:

• Cardiovascular fitness is the ability to exercise the whole body for long periods of time and is sometimes called stamina.
• Muscular strength is the amount of force a muscle can exert against a resistance. It helps sportspeople to hit, tackle and throw.
• Muscular endurance is the ability to use voluntary muscles many times without becoming tired. It helps sportspeople to sprint or repeat quick actions for longer.
• Flexibility is the range of movement possible at a joint. It helps performers to stretch and reach further.
• Body composition is the percentage of body weight which is fat, muscle or bone. It helps sportspeople depending on the type of sport they play, eg heavy rugby players are more effective in the scrum than lightweight players, but light long distance runners will always beat heavyweights.
• NB If you are studying AQA, you should also list speed as a health related fitness factor.
• Speed is the differential rate at which an individual is able to perform a movement or cover a distance in a period of time or how quickly an individual can move. This helps all games players to move into position or get away from opponents quickly.

Components of Skill-Related Fitness

Skill-Related Components of Fitness

Skill related fitness factors are essential for success in sport.

These are:

• Agility - the ability to change the position of the body quickly and with control. This helps team players dodge their opponents.
• Balance - the ability to retain the centre of mass above the base of support when stationary (static balance) or moving (dynamic balance). This helps gymnasts maintain their position and prevents games players from falling over at speed.
• Co-ordination - the ability to use two or more body parts together. This helps all athletes to move smoothly and quickly especially when also having to control a ball.
• Power - the ability to use strength at speed. This helps athletes to jump high, throw far or sprint quickly. Power = Strength x Speed.
• Reaction time - the time between the presentation of a stimulus and the onset of a movement. This helps swimmers to make a fast start.
• NB If you are studying Edexcel, you should list speed as a skill related fitness factor.
• Speed is the differential rate at which an individual is able to perform a movement or cover a distance in a period of time or how quickly an individual can move. This helps all games players to move into position or get away from opponents quickly.

Dancers need good static and stationary balance

Rugby players use agility to dodge opponents

Welcome to the Course - Things to do before September

Welcome to the BTEC Sport course. During the the next two years, you will be using lots of different technologies, websites and online tools to help you learn and present your work. Some of your lessons will also be 'flipped'. This means that the content that you would normally have been expected to learn in the classroom, will be learnt from home using the videos and resources provided by your teachers. This is quite exciting as it will allow for more time to be spent in lessons completing coursework (and better grades), more 'hands on' activities and hopefully more practical lessons.

 

Below is a list of websites that you need to sign up to, which will be used regularly when presenting your work. You will also receive a 'business card' from me which will include my email address, the PE twitter username, the web address to this blog and a space to record your passwords.

 

You should register to all of the websites below using your school email address (yourusername@grid.johnwarner.herts.sch.uk):

 

www.powtoon.com

 

www.prezi.com

 

Future posts will include content, resources and videos that you must watch/read/follow further instructions before our lessons in September. All of this work will go towards Unit 1: Fitness for Sport & Exercise. For the first time, this unit will be tested externally. This means that to complete the unit, you will need to pass an online test. Don't worry though, as the majority of units are assessed internally (coursework).

 

Please make every effort to complete this work and register for the sites above. It won't take up too much of your time and I will always try to make the content as interesting as possible.