Physical Fitness
What this domain tests
Physical Fitness tests the components of fitness, training principles and simple measurement. Expect definitions, correct training advice and a calculation such as BMI.
Core rules
- Health-related components: cardiovascular endurance, muscular strength, muscular endurance, flexibility and body composition. Skill-related components include speed, agility, balance, coordination, power and reaction time.
- Training principles: overload, progression, specificity, reversibility and recovery. Rest is part of training, not a sign of weakness.
- Warm-up prepares joints, muscles and heart; cool-down aids recovery.
- BMI = weight in kg ÷ (height in metres)². Adult BMI below 18.5 is underweight, 18.5–24.9 is normal, 25–29.9 is overweight, and 30 or above is obese.
- Target heart rate can be estimated as a percentage of maximum heart rate, where maximum heart rate ≈ 220 − age.
Worked example
A student weighs 70 kg and is 1.75 m tall. Reasoning: height squared = 1.75 × 1.75 = 3.0625. BMI = 70 ÷ 3.0625 = 22.86, which falls in the normal range. The answer should include the unit and the category.
Traps
BMI does not distinguish muscle from fat, so a muscular athlete may be classified misleadingly. Do not say sweating more means better fitness. Do not skip warm-up or train the same muscle group hard every day without recovery. Do not use 220 − age as a precise individual measurement; it is an estimate.