PHYSICAL TRAINING

• Agility - ability to move and change direction quickly while maintaining control
• Balance - maintaining the centre of mass over the base of support (static & dynamic)
• Cardiovascular endurance (aerobic power) - ability of the heart & lungs to supply oxygen to the working muscles
• Co-ordination - ability to use 2 or more parts of the body together, smoothly & efficiently
• Flexibilty - the range of movements possible at a joint
• Muscular endurance - ability of the muscles/muscle group to undergo repeated contractions, avoiding fatige (dynamic strength)
• Power (explosive strength/anaerobic power) - product of strength & speed
• Reaction time - time taken to start responding to a stimulus
• Speed - maximum rate an individual is able to perform a movement or cover a distance in a period of time, putting the body parts into action as quickly as possible 
• Strength - ability to overcome resistance:
• maximal - maxium force that a muscle can exert a single voluntary contraction
• explosive - muscular strength used in one short sharp movement 
• static - ability to hold a body part in a static position, muscle length stays the same
• dynamic - muscular endurance

Reasons for fitness testing:

• Identifiying strengths and/or weaknesses to inform training requirements
• Establishing a starting level of fitness and monitoring improvement
• Motivation - enables setting of realistic goals
• Providing variety - helps put together a varied training programme

Limitations of fitness testing:

• Often too general / not sport-specific e.g. 'sit and reach test' measures hamstring & lower back flexibility when swimmer's upper body flexibility is also important
• May not replicate movements of the actual activity e.g. 'stork balance test' involves a pose that isn't featured in many sports that require flexibility
• Don't replicate competitive conditions e.g. noisy crowds or anxiety might effect performance
• Inaccurate as many don't use direct measuring e.g. in the 'vertical jump test' ir can be difficult to tell if a perfromer is putting in maximum effort at all times
• Must be carried out woth the correct procedures to increase validity

• Agility - illinois agility test
• Balance - stork balance test
• Cardiovascular endurance - multi-stage fitness test (bleep test)
• Co-ordination - wall toss test
• Flexibility - sit and reach test
• Muscular endurance - sit up bleep test
• Power/explosive strength - virtical jump test
• Reaction time - ruler drop test
• Maximal strenth - one rep max test
• Speed - 30m sprint
• Strenth - handgrip dynamometer test

Qualitative data - subjective (existing in the mind), involves opinions relating to the quality of performance e.g judges scoring a routine in gymnastics 

Quantitative data - objective (not influenced by feelings but based on facts), can be quantified as a number e.g. time in seconds or goals achieved 

S.PO.R.T:

• Specificity - making training specific to the sport/movements/musces/energt e.g.a gymnast incorporating flexibility into their training programme
• Progressive Overload - gradual increase of overload (stress placed on the body during exercise) so that fitness gains occur but without potential for injury e.g. weights gradually increased 
• Reversibility - losing fitness levels when excercise is storpped or reduced
• Tedium - boredom that can occur from training the same way every time,variety is needed

F.I.T.T: (used to increase the amount of work the body does to achieve overload)

• Frequency - how often training takes place
• Intensity - how hard you train
• Time - duration of each session
• Type - method of training

• Circuit training - Consists of a number of different exercises called stations completed one after another, with a brief period of rest between. It is then repeated after a longer rest.
• Continuous training - Consists of taking part in sustained exercise at a constant rate without rest e.g. running, swimming or cycling
• Interval/High intensity interval training - Interval involves periods work and periods of rest. High-intensity interval involves periods of high-intensity exercise as well as periods of low-intensity exercise (active recovery)
• Fartlek training - form of interval training, involves periods of fast and slow work
• Static stretching - a stretch is for up to 30s (isometric contraction) 
• Weight training - free weights  (e.g. dumb-bells, core muscles have to work harder to keep them stable), resistance machines (promote good technique by providing stability)
• Plyometric training - involves high impact exercise to increase power, using an eccentric contraction followed by a concentric contraction 
• High altitude training - aerobic training at high altitude (e.g. on a mountain) 2000m above sea level, blood has to make more red blood cells to carry oxygen as there is a lack of oxygen

Training thresholds:

• maximum heart rate (MHR) = 220 - age
• aerobic training zone = 60-80% of MHR
• anaerobic training zone = 80-90% of MHR

Preventing injury:

• Match type of training & intensity to performers needs / make goals achievable 
• Do not over train
• Wear appropriate clothing & footwear
• Stretch, don't overstretch or bounce stretches
• Use taping & bracing where appropriate - it can prevents injury to joints and treat injuries
• Always use the correct technique
• Keep hydrated
• Make time for rest & recovery
• Always warm up & cool down properly 

Pre-season/preparation

• general aerobic fitness 
• training components of fitness essential for chosen sport 
• practicing skills & techniques that will prepare them for success in competitive season

Competitive/peak/playing season

• maintaining fitness levels throughout 
• avoid overtraining
• work on optimising skills 
• in team sports - practice improving team performance
• take into account strengths & weaknesses from each match

Post-season/closed season/transition

• rest and recovery
• light aerobic exercise to maintain general fitness levels

Warming up:

• gradual pulse raising activity e.g. jog
• stretching

• raises body temperature
• increases range of movement possible
• mental preparation
• increases oxygen to working muscles 
• reduces possiblility of injury

Cooling down:

• gradually reducing intensity 
• stretching 

• removes lactic acid, carbon dioxide and waste products from blood
• prevents DOMS