Physical Fitness, Exercise Physiology, and Conditioning
Physical Fitness, Exercise Physiology, and Conditioning
This domain tests fitness components, acute exercise responses, long-term adaptations, and training-principle application. Expect FITT-VP, target heart rate, warm-up/cool-down, and conditioning safety.
Core rules
- Health-related fitness: cardiorespiratory endurance, muscular strength, muscular endurance, flexibility, body composition. Skill-related fitness: agility, balance, coordination, power, reaction time, speed.
- FITT-VP: frequency, intensity, time, type, volume, progression. Overload, specificity, progression, reversibility, individuality, and recovery govern adaptation.
- Aerobic target intensity is often estimated as 50–85% of age-predicted maximum heart rate (220 − age), though estimates vary. Use talk-test and perceived exertion as practical checks.
- Static stretching is best after activity or in a separate flexibility session; prolonged static stretching immediately before power activities can temporarily reduce performance.
- Warm-up raises muscle temperature and rehearsal; cool-down promotes gradual return and may reduce dizziness.
Worked example
A 16-year-old wants a better 1.5-mile run. Predicted HRmax is about 204 bpm (220 − 16). A moderate-to-vigorous aerobic target is roughly 102–173 bpm, but the teacher uses the talk test and RPE to adjust. The plan: jog 20–30 minutes three days per week at conversational-to-challenging pace, add one interval day after two weeks, and progress by 5–10% weekly. This applies overload and progression while including recovery. Running only maximal sprints daily would violate recovery and specificity for endurance.
Traps
Do not treat 220 − age as a precise individual measure. Do not confuse muscular strength (maximal force) with endurance (repeated contractions). Do not replace warm-up with prolonged static stretching. Avoid adding intensity and volume at the same time.