Unit AS 1: Fitness and Training for Sport

Chapter: Planning Fitness Programmes and Leading Exercise Sessions

Welcome to your study notes for Planning Fitness Programmes and Leading Exercise Sessions! Whether you are aiming for top marks or finding sports science a little overwhelming, don't worry. We will break down every concept into clear, simple steps with practical examples from the world of sport and fitness.

In this chapter, you will learn how fitness instructors and coaches design safe, effective training plans. You will explore the components of fitness, the golden rules of training, how to calculate intensity using heart rates, and the primary training methods used across the active leisure industry.

Before you can plan any training programme, you need to understand what type of fitness your client or athlete needs to develop. In Sports Science, fitness is divided into two main categories:

A. Health-Related Fitness

This refers to the ability of the body's systems to work together efficiently to maintain general health, prevent lifestyle diseases, and complete everyday tasks without undue fatigue.
Key components include:
• Muscular Endurance: The ability of a muscle or muscle group to perform repeated contractions against resistance over an extended period without tiring.
• Flexibility: The range of movement available at a joint or group of joints.
• Body Composition: The relative percentage of fat mass and fat-free mass (muscle, bone, water) in the body.

B. Performance-Related Fitness

Also known as skill-related fitness, this refers to the physical qualities needed to perform tasks related to specific sports and athletic events.
Key components include:
• Power: The product of speed and strength (acting explosively).
• Agility: The ability to change direction quickly and control the position of the whole body while maintaining balance.
• Reaction Time: The time taken between the presentation of a stimulus and the onset of a movement response.

Quick Tip to Avoid an Exam Pitfall: Do not mix up strength with power! Strength is simply the maximum force a muscle can produce, whereas power involves performing a movement explosively at high speed (\(\text{Power} = \text{Force} \times \text{Velocity}\)).

2. Aerobic vs. Anaerobic Energy Production

When planning sessions, you must match the activity to the athlete's energy system demands.

1. Aerobic Energy Production:
• Energy is produced in the presence of oxygen.
• Used for continuous, long-duration, low-to-moderate intensity activities (such as a 10k run or cross-country skiing).
• The body burns fats and carbohydrates efficiently with minimal fatigue-inducing by-products.

2. Anaerobic Energy Production:
• Energy is produced without oxygen.
• Used for explosive, short-duration, high-intensity efforts (such as a 100m sprint, lifting a heavy weight, or a maximal vertical jump).
• Because oxygen is not used, lactic acid accumulates rapidly in the muscles, leading to quick fatigue.

3. The Principles of Training: S.P.O.R.T.T.

To design an effective fitness programme, coaches apply the S.P.O.R.T.T. principles. In your CCEA exam, you must not only define these principles, but also apply them directly to a specific sporting scenario.

S — Specificity:
Training must be relevant and tailored to the individual's sport, energy system, muscle groups, and fitness goals.
Example: A marathon runner must focus on aerobic endurance and leg muscular endurance, not heavy bench pressing.

P — Progression:
Gradually increasing the training workload over time to continue improving fitness without causing injury or extreme overtraining.
Example: A client begins running for \(20\) minutes in week one and increases to \(25\) minutes in week three.

O — Overload:
Working the body harder than it normally works to force physiological adaptations. We apply overload by altering the F.I.T.T. variables (Frequency, Intensity, Time, Type).

R — Reversibility:
Fitness adaptations are lost when training stops, is interrupted, or drops below the maintenance threshold ("use it or lose it").
Example: If an athlete breaks an ankle and rests for six weeks, their aerobic capacity and muscle strength will decline.

T — Tedium:
Boredom resulting from repetitive training routines. Training programmes must include variety in methods, environments, and drills to keep the athlete motivated.

T — Rest and Recovery:
Giving the body adequate time between sessions to repair tissue damage, replenish glycogen stores, and adapt to the training stimulus.

4. The F.I.T.T. Framework

The F.I.T.T. principle is the practical tool coaches use to adjust the training load and create progressive overload safely:

• Frequency: How often the athlete trains (e.g., increasing from \(3\) sessions per week to \(4\) sessions per week).
• Intensity: How hard the athlete trains (e.g., running at \(75\%\) of maximum heart rate instead of \(65\%\)).
• Time: The duration of the training session or individual work intervals (e.g., increasing a cycle ride from \(30\) minutes to \(45\) minutes).
• Type: The specific method or mode of exercise selected (e.g., switching from continuous running to interval training or circuit training).

5. Training Thresholds, Heart Rate Calculations, and RPE

To ensure clients train at the correct intensity, fitness leaders use physiological formulas and perceived exertion scales.

A. Calculating Maximum Heart Rate (MHR)

To find an individual's estimated Maximum Heart Rate, use the standard formula:
\(\text{MHR} = 220 - \text{age}\)

Worked Example:
For an \(18\)-year-old student:
\(\text{MHR} = 220 - 18 = 202 \text{ beats per minute (bpm)}\)

B. Target Training Zones

1. The Aerobic Training Zone:
• Range: \(60\% - 80\%\) of \(\text{MHR}\).
• Purpose: Improves cardiovascular fitness, lung efficiency, and aerobic stamina.
• Calculation for an 18-year-old:
Lower threshold (\(60\%\)): \(202 \times 0.60 = 121.2 \text{ bpm}\)
Upper threshold (\(80\%\)): \(202 \times 0.80 = 161.6 \text{ bpm}\)

2. The Anaerobic Training Zone:
• Range: \(80\% - 90\%\) of \(\text{MHR}\).
• Purpose: Increases anaerobic threshold, speed endurance, and tolerance to lactic acid.
• Calculation for an 18-year-old:
Lower threshold (\(80\%\)): \(202 \times 0.80 = 161.6 \text{ bpm}\)
Upper threshold (\(90\%\)): \(202 \times 0.90 = 181.8 \text{ bpm}\)

C. Rate of Perceived Exertion (RPE) Scales

When heart rate monitors are unavailable, instructors use subjective scales to monitor intensity:

• Borg RPE Scale: Ranges from \(6\) (no exertion at all / resting) to \(20\) (maximal exertion). A score of \(6\) roughly corresponds to a resting heart rate of \(60\text{ bpm}\), while \(20\) corresponds to \(200\text{ bpm}\).
• Modified RPE Scale (\(1 - 10\)): Commonly used in the active leisure industry, where \(1\) represents very light activity and \(10\) represents maximal effort.

6. Specific Training Methods

When selecting the Type of exercise in a programme, coaches choose from several core training methods:

1. Continuous Training:
• Involves steady-state exercise at a constant pace without rest periods for at least \(20 - 30\) minutes (e.g., jogging, swimming, cycling).
• Primary component developed: Aerobic endurance.

2. Fartlek Training:
• Swedish for "speed play." Continuous exercise where speed, intensity, and terrain vary throughout the session (e.g., alternating between walking, sprinting, uphill running, and jogging).
• Primary component developed: Aerobic and anaerobic endurance.

3. Interval Training:
• Involves alternating periods of high-intensity work with structured periods of rest or low-intensity recovery.
• Primary component developed: Speed, anaerobic capacity, and power.

4. Circuit Training:
• Performing a series of different exercises (stations) arranged in a specific order, moving from one station to the next with brief rests.
• Primary component developed: Can be adapted for muscular endurance, strength, or cardiovascular fitness depending on station choice.

5. Weight / Resistance Training:
• Using resistance (such as free weights, resistance machines, or body weight) to overload muscles.
• Primary component developed: Muscular strength (high weight, low reps) or muscular endurance (low weight, high reps).

6. Plyometric Training:
• Fast, explosive exercises involving rapid stretching and contracting of muscles (e.g., bounding, depth jumps, hurdle hops).
• Primary component developed: Power and explosive strength.

7. Key Pitfalls & Exam Summary

Keep these critical points in mind when answering questions on AS 1:

• Always Show Your Working: When asked to calculate training zones, write down the formula \(\text{MHR} = 220 - \text{age}\) and calculate both the lower and upper bounds in beats per minute (\(\text{bpm}\)).
• Apply the S.P.O.R.T.T. Principles: Do not write generic textbook definitions. If the question asks about a hockey player, explain how Specificity applies to hockey movements (such as repeated sprinting and change of direction).
• Link Plyometrics to Power: Whenever plyometrics is mentioned in an exam, explicitly identify the fitness component as power.
• Understand the Aerobic vs. Anaerobic Threshold: The aerobic threshold begins around \(60\%\) of \(\text{MHR}\). The anaerobic threshold sits at approximately \(80\%\) of \(\text{MHR}\), where lactic acid begins to accumulate rapidly due to insufficient oxygen delivery.