Training Principles & Methods

Before any exercise or training should be started individuals must complete a PARQ.

This is an exam question, don't forget it is the first thing that a trainer should do with a new client.

The PARQ stands for Physical Activity Readiness Questionnaire and it is used to identify pre-existing health issues so a session can then be tailored to health needs to reduce risk of overexertion.

A PARQ must be completed and included in the appendix of your PEP.

The main principles of training you need to know are: individual needs, specificity, progressive overload, FITT (frequency, intensity, time, type), overtraining, reversibility and thresholds of training.

Individual Needs relate training to the person. e.g. strengths, weaknesses, level of fitness, experience, age, weight, height. Everyone is different and training should be tailored to the individual, for example, a football coach should match the training to the needs of the individual's playing position rather than simply running a whole team fitness session. The fitness requirements of a goal keeper and vastly different to those of a midfielder.

Specificity is relating the training to activity/sport. The coach should match the training to the needs of the sport for example focusing on the main energy systems used in a game or particular muscle requirements in the activity.

Therefore the difference is that specificity is linked to the activity, whereas individual needs considers the individual.

Frequency– how often training occurs. For example training once a week and then increased to twice.

Intensity - how hard the person is working. Sprinting 20 shuttles rather than 18 is an example that demonstrates working harder.

Time – how long the person trains for. For example the first session was 20mins but by 5th session the individual was working for 30mins.

Type – the training must match the needs of the activity.

Thresholds of training

Thresholds of training are the levels that you should work within to meet your training goals and are linked to intensity. Threshold is a range or training zone usually based on heart rates. There should be a lower and upper limit. Working within the threshold should give safe training effect. An individual's aerobic target zone is 60–80% and anaerobic target zone 80%–90% and is calculated using Karvonen formula as seen below.

Target Heart Rate = ((max HR − resting HR) × %Intensity) + resting

Example Training Heart Rate Zone

For a 25 yr old who has a resting heart rate of 65, wanting to know their training heart rate for the intensity level 60% - 70%.

• Their Minimum Training Heart Rate:

220 - 25 (Age) = 195

195 - 65 (Rest. HR) = 130

130 x .60 (Min. Intensity) + 65 (Rest. HR) = 143 Beats/Minute

• Their Maximum Training Heart Rate:

220 - 25 (Age) = 195

195 - 65 (Rest. HR) = 130

130 x .70 (Max. Intensity) + 65 (Rest. HR) = 156 Beats/Minute

His training heart rate zone will therefore be 143-156 beats per minute.

Warm ups are used to reduce the risk of injury and need to follow 3 stages:

1. pulse raise such as jogging to increasing HR and cardiovascular function. This moves blood to muscles so sufficient oxygen is available at the start of the activity.
2. stretch/mobilise joints which prevents muscle tear by increasing elasticity of muscle, by gradually increasing intensity muscles required to work at.
3. activity specific drills or skill-related activity and small sided games. This offers a psychological preparation to the warm up.

Cool Downs

One of the main benefits cited for a Cool Down is that it reduces the risk of muscle stiffness after exercise. This is because it speeds up removal of lactic aid and maintains circulation thus reduces the chance of muscle soreness and prevents cramp.

Cool downs do not reduce injury per-se, but can reduce the occurrence of delayed onset of muscle soreness (DOMs). The main value of the cool down is to gradually reduce work rate and therefore control the rate at which the body systems reach resting levels. Cool down can also prevent blood pooling which can lead to fainting after a vigorous exercise session.

The methods of training you need to know are: continuous, fartlek, circuit, interval, plyometrics, weight/resistance. Fitness classes for specific components of fitness, physical activity and sport (Body Pump, Aerobics, Pilates, Yoga, Spinning).

Continuous Training

Exercising at a steady workload, with no breaks or rest periods for an extended period of time.

Component of fitness: Aerobic fitness/ CV endurance / stamina

Continuous training involves working for over 20 minutes at an even pace with no rest intervals. It is sometimes referred to as ‘steady state’ training. To be considered continuous training at least 20 minutes of exercise at a moderate pace and constant heart rate must be performed. The most common forms of activity are swimming, running, rowing or cycling. It should be the method of training that is most commonly performed for those who work for long periods of time at a constant pace, for example a marathon runner, triathlete or a 10 km open water swimmer. Therefore it is a training method that predominately produces adaptations to the body’s ability to take in, deliver and use oxygen and supply energy by the aerobic energy system. It is also a common method used by games players early in the pre-season period or recovering after a long-term injury when an ‘aerobic-base’ is required before more intensive forms of aerobic training are introduced (i.e. Fartlek or interval).

Fartlek Training

Running at different paces, often over different terrains for an extended period of time (usually between 20 and 60 minutes). Also known as 'speed play'.

Component of fitness: Aerobic endurance/CV endurance / stamina

Fartlek is different to continuous training because despite involving exercising for a prolonged period of time without resting, there are many changes of speed or intensity. Fartlek training involves exercising at varying intensities and because there are changes in speed; both the aerobic and anaerobic energy systems will be stressed.

Many elite games players will carry out this type of training, although they will usually use their own pitch of field of play, rather than using different terrains. For example, football players will perform walking, running and sprinting different distances around the penalty or 18-yard box.

Interval Training

Interval training is a series of periods of work alternated with periods of rest. For example, a sprinter working on their start may sprint 30 metres and walk back to start (this is 1 rep) and repeating this on a number of occasions. Endurance athletes also use interval training but they will usually work for longer periods.

Interval training can be modified easily to make the training specific (e.g. performed in the pool for a swimmer) and to implement progressive-overload by manipulating the; length of the work periods, the time spent recovering, the intensity of the work and recovery periods and/or the number of reps/sets. It is common to use the term ‘work-to-rest’ or ‘work:rest’ ratio when discussing interval training. This relates to amount of time spent working against the rest period.

Interval training is a form of intermittent training that allows the performer to recover so they can work at high levels of intensity during training to match event requirements. Interval training helps to avoid tedium and therefore increase chances of maintaining training.

Weight training can be varied to allow targeted training on the muscles required for the sport and this reduces tedium. Weight training can be specific by using high reps, low weights to improve muscular endurance and low reps, high weights for muscular strength/power. However it requires correct balance, too much emphasis on weight training could have negative impact on body weight and sport efficiency.