Understanding fitness and methods of training to improve sports performance

Physical fitness has been described as a capability of the heart, blood vessels, lungs and muscles to function at optimal efficiency.
Fitness is a state of well being that is made up of several components. Each of these components is achieved through the performance of different activities

Strength the capacity of a muscle to exert a force against a resistance. Muscular Endurance Is the capacity of a muscle to exert a force repeatedly over a period of time or to hold a fixed or static contraction Flexibility Static - The range of motion about a joint. Dynamic - the opposition or resistance of a joint to movement Agility Ability to change body position quickly and to control body movement

Speed How quickly you can perform a movement or cover a certain distance Cardiovascular Endurance Aerobic the capacity of the heart, blood vessels and lungs to deliver nutrients and oxygen and to remove wastes during exercise of a prolonged nature Anaerobic the capacity of the muscles to sustain high intensity activity or exercise for short periods of time, during which the supply of oxygen to the working muscles is insufficient.

Continuous Interval Circuit Resistance

Continuous This type of training requires the athlete to work continuously at an activity over a period of time of at least twenty minutes. During this time the body should be working aerobically. This means that the intensity of the work is lower than in other methods of training. Continuous training helps to develop general endurance which forms the foundation of all fitness. It helps to prepare the body so that it can cope with the increased intensity and effort of other training methods. It includes training activities like running, cycling, swimming and aerobics

Interval

During interval training the athlete alternates work periods with rest periods. The work is more intense than in continuous training and the work period is much shorter. Interval training is used to develop anaerobic fitness but can also help develop aerobic fitness. There are 3 main variables in interval training: Duration of work and rest Intensity of work Number of repetitions. These variables change so that the type of interval training is appropriate to the particular activity for which the athlete is training eg the anaerobic requirements of a field hockey player and a 10 000 m runner are different, although both athletes use interval training

Circuit

Circuit training is an extremely versatile form of training. It can be adapted to develop aerobic power, agility, flexibility, strength and skills. Circuits can be low impact or extremely intense so that not only can the type of exercise be varied but also the level at which people work. It involves at least 8 activities or stations. The athlete performs each of the exercises in the circuit to complete one lap. When you reach a station there are two ways of deciding how many of each exercise will be done:
A fixed number depending on their level

eg sit ups 20, 30 or 40 ! As many repetitions as possible in a set amount of time, trying to improve each time the complete the circuit

Resistance Resistance training involves the athlete working against a resistance or force in order to develop muscular strength, muscular power, muscular endurance and aerobic power. The resistance used can be the athletes own body weight or the types of weights found in a gym. You would use the overload principle in resistance training. Strength training heavy weights and few reps, 3 sets, 2-3 mins rest, increase kgs when you can complete comfortably, 3 days a week, day rest in between.

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Progression As the level of fitness improves, the demands put on that person in training are increase to keep challenging them physically. It can be done by increasing the intensity and or the duration of the exercise. Week 1 :3 x 20 min runs Week 2 : 3 x 30 min runs

Overload Overload occurs when an athlete exercises at a level above that which she/he can normally work at comfortably. Eg Increase the load Increase the number of repitions Increase the number of sets Increase the speed of the work out Reduce the rest period

Specificity Make it specific to your sport Frequency How often? The average level of fitness can be maintained by training 3 to 4 times a week Intensity How hard you work during exercise. Eg,Percentage of maximum effort Duration The length of the training programme will depend type of exercise and the level of fitness, eg aerobic 20/60 min. The stage of the season off season , pres season , in season.

 Remember

:- FITT

Frequency Intensity Time Type

Aerobic fitness 70% -80 % Through continuous, interval, circuit training Anaerobic 90 100 % Through, short/medium interval training Strength and power not measured Through resistance, circuit and plyometric training