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):