Physical Fitness: Components, Training Principles and Testing
Physical Fitness: Components, Training Principles and Testing
This domain tests the components of fitness, the principles used to build a programme, and the field tests used in schools.
Components
- Health-related (5): cardiovascular endurance, muscular strength, muscular endurance, flexibility, body composition.
- Skill-related (6): speed, agility, balance, coordination, power, reaction time.
Training principles
- Overload - train above the normal load; Progression - increase gradually; Specificity - training matches the goal; Reversibility - use it or lose it; Individuality; Recovery; Variation.
- FITT: Frequency, Intensity, Time, Type. Warm-up before and cool-down after every session.
- Target heart rate: maximum heart rate ≈ 220 − age; training zone 60–80% of that value.
Common tests
- Cooper 12-minute run/walk - distance covered estimates VO₂ max.
- Harvard Step Test - 5-minute stepping; index = (duration in seconds × 100) ÷ (2 × sum of three 30-second recovery pulses).
- Sit-and-reach - flexibility; 1-minute sit-ups and push-ups - muscular endurance; grip dynamometer - strength; 50 m sprint - speed; 4 × 10 m shuttle run - agility; Sargent vertical jump - power; BMI - body composition.
Worked example
Find the training zone of a 15-year-old. Reasoning: MHR = 220 − 15 = 205 bpm. Lower limit = 205 × 0.60 ≈ 123; upper limit = 205 × 0.80 = 164. Zone ≈ 123–164 bpm. Because 220 − age is only an estimate, give a range, not a single number.
Traps
- Listing body composition or flexibility as skill-related.
- Confusing overload with overtraining - overload is planned and paired with recovery.
- Giving a single target heart-rate figure instead of a zone.
- Writing agility for the shuttle run but power for the 50 m sprint.