Fitness Components, Tests and Training Principles

Unit 2 SAC 3

FITNESS COMPONENTS

HEALTH RELATED FITNESS COMPONENTS

Aerobic Capacity/Aerobic Power

• Ability of the heart, blood vessels and lungs to produce and deliver energy

• Sub-maximal effort or when predominately using the aerobic energy system

• Increased levels allow more efficient participation and recovery from activity

• VO2 max used to measure• Examples: team sports, racquet sports, long

athletic events

Anaerobic Capacity/Anaerobic Power

• Ability to produce energy quickly• Anaerobic energy systems used• Maximal or near-max efforts up to 10-60 secs• Include skills where acceleration and power are

required• Examples: sprinting, field events, explosive skills

(rebound, block, mark etc.)

Muscular Strength

• 1RM• One off performance of the skill eg. Tackle, grip

during a hockey hit• Usually in conjunction with speed to create

muscular power• Affected by: speed of muscle contraction, length

of muscle fibre, age, warm up, fibre type, hypertrophy, gender and joint angle

Muscular Endurance

• Total body endurance• Can include local muscular endurance in one

particular muscle group• Related to the tolerance of metabolic by-

products• Examples: arms in 200m swim, legs in

marathon or 20km cycling time-trial, abdominals in sit up test

HEALTH RELATED FITNESS COMPONENTS

Flexibility

• Range of movement within a joint• Required for all sports• Static (stationary)/ Dynamic (moving)• Examples: gymnastics, goal keeping, catching

positions• Affected by: sport, somatotype, skin

resistance, gender, type of joint/structure/bone, length of ligaments/muscles, age and warm up

Body Composition

• Percentage of body fat, muscle and bone• Healthy body fat ranges:– 5-18% males– 12-25% females

• Unhealthy body fat ranges:– >25% males– >32% females

SKILL RELATED FITNESS COMPONENTS

Speed• Quickly as possible from A to B• Whole body or body part• Examples: sprinting, accelerating into space,

releasing a javelin

Muscular Power

• Combination of strength and speed• Creates a powerful and explosive effort• High: field events, tackling, spiking, intercepts,

golf drive etc.• Medium: 200m, rallies, gym floor routine• Low: 2000m rowing, 400m, 1km cycling TT

Agility

• Combines speed, flexibility & dynamic balance

• Change direction with max speed and control

• Examples: evading an opponent, dribbling, changing skills in gymnastics/dancing routines & rallies

• Reactive or planned

Coordination• Brain and activated muscles work together• Series of movements which appear controlled

and efficient• Requires strength, balance and agility• Examples: dance movements, hitting, marking,

kicking etc.

Balance• Effectively control desired movement• Remain in a state of equilibrium• Dynamic (moving) & static (stationary)• Examples: running around the bend in

athletics, sprinting, routines, standing on one foot etc.

Reaction Time• Speed you react to a

stimulus• Brain to react to input

senses, process, select response and activate muscles

• Examples: fielding, starter’s gun, passing in team games

TRAINING PRINCIPLES

Specificity

• Replicating the requirements of the sport into training

• Includes: – Energy systems– Fitness components– Muscle groups– Skills

Intensity

• Matches use of energy systems– ATP-PC: 95-100% MHR– AG: 85-95% MHR– Aerobic <85% MHR

• Heart rate is most commonly used

• May also use % of VO2 max

Duration & Frequency• Duration– Length of one training session– Length of entire training program

• Frequency– Number of sessions per week– Consider recovery time

Progressive Overload & Variety

• Progressive Overload– Increasing and progressing existing training levels– Controlled carefully using frequency, intensity, time

& type (FITT principle)• Variety– Different activities, formats and drills during

training sessions– Maintain motivation and therefore intensity

Plateauing & Detraining• Diminishing Returns

– Fitness level increases, rate of improvement slows– Overload needs to be carefully managed to avoid injury or

overtraining• Reversibility/Detraining

– Loss of fitness when training stops– Aerobic lost in 2-4 weeks; Anaerobic slower

• Maintenance– Fitness level easier to maintain once reached compared to

when you started• Individuality

– Responses to training programs vary greatly for each individual

– Strongly influenced by hereditary

TRAINING METHODS

Continuous Training

• Long, slow distance• Improves aerobic power, local muscular endurance &

tolerance of metabolic by products• Examples: pre-season training, endurance events

– F: 3-4 sessions per week– I: 70-90% MHR– T: >20mins– T: whole body activities

Interval Training

• Intervals of work, intervals of rest• Easily adapted to specific energy systems

Resistance/Weight Training

• Isotonic: free weights eg. Dumbbells, barbells and resistance machines

• Isometric: fixed resistance in static position eg. Handstand, rings, grip strength

• Isokinetic: variable resistance (machine) through range of motion

Flexibility

• Specific to each joint• Full range of motion (ROM)• 3-4 per week for >3 weeks• Perform after training session– Static– Active– PNF– Dynamic– Ballistic

Plyometrics

• Skipping• Increase muscular power by

stretching then contracting quickly• Enhances neuromuscular

connections• Examples: skipping, jumping,

tucks, hopping, bounding, box jumps etc.

Circuit

• Number of activity stations in sequence• Trains a wide variety of fitness components• Can have minimal/no equipment• Can alter recovery time/type, work time, reps,

sets, resistance

Fartlek

• Change of intensity (effort of gradient) through continuous training

• Work both aerobic & anaerobic systems

Speed

• Use ATP-PC system (<10 secs duration)• Require full recovery of 3-5mins• Focus on technique

Swiss Ball/Core Strength

• Swiss Ball– Balance, flexibility &

core strength work• Core Strength– Focus on trunk

muscles and position of lower back/pelvis

– Balance, strength & coordination