What does the Physical training topic cover in AQA GCSE PE?

It covers six areas: the components of fitness (health-related and skill-related), fitness testing (the recognised test for each component), the principles of training (SPORT and FITT and progressive overload), training methods (continuous, fartlek, interval, circuit, weight, plyometric and HIIT), preventing injury, and warming up and cooling down. It is assessed in Paper 1 and contains most of the maths in the subject.

What is the difference between SPORT and FITT?

SPORT is the broad set of training principles: Specificity, Progressive overload, Reversibility and Tedium. FITT is how you apply progressive overload by changing one of four variables: Frequency, Intensity, Time and Type. Use SPORT to design a programme and FITT to make it harder so the body keeps adapting.

How do I calculate training intensity in AQA GCSE PE?

Estimate maximum heart rate as 220 minus your age. Aerobic training uses about 60 to 80 percent of maximum heart rate, and anaerobic training about 80 to 90 percent. For a 16 year old, maximum heart rate is 204 beats per minute, so the aerobic zone is roughly 122 to 163 beats per minute. Practise these calculations, as they appear regularly in Paper 1.

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AQA GCSE PE Physical training: a complete overview of fitness, testing and training

A deep-dive AQA GCSE PE guide to the Physical training topic. Covers the components of fitness, fitness testing, the principles of training (SPORT and FITT), training methods, preventing injury, and warming up and cooling down, with the definitions and calculations AQA repeats in Paper 1.

Generated by Claude Opus 4.816 min read8582Updated 2026-06-02

Reviewed by: AI editorial process; not yet individually human-reviewed

Jump to a section

Components of fitness and testing
The principles of training
Training methods
Staying safe
How to revise this topic

Physical training is the largest topic in AQA GCSE PE Paper 1 and the most practical. It is about how to assess fitness and design a safe, effective training programme. This guide maps the six areas and how they fit together.

Components of fitness and testing

Fitness has health-related components (cardiovascular endurance, muscular endurance, muscular strength, flexibility and body composition) and skill-related components (agility, balance, coordination, power, reaction time and speed). Each has a precise definition and a recognised test, for example the bleep test for cardiovascular endurance, the sit and reach for flexibility, and the vertical jump for power. Testing identifies strengths and weaknesses, sets a baseline and monitors progress.

The principles of training

Progressive overload means doing gradually more so the body adapts; reversibility means fitness is lost if training stops.

Training methods

Match the method to the fitness the sport needs: continuous training for cardiovascular endurance, fartlek for games players, interval and plyometric training for speed and power, circuit training for a range of components, weight training for strength or muscular endurance, and HIIT for anaerobic fitness.

Staying safe

Preventing injury comes from applying overload gradually, using protective equipment and correct technique, and choosing the right clothing and surface. A warm-up (pulse-raiser, stretching and skill practice) prepares the body, and a cool-down (light exercise and stretching) removes lactic acid and aids recovery.

How to revise this topic

Learn every component definition and a sport for each.
Match each component to its fitness test.
Drill the SPORT and FITT principles and the heart-rate calculations.
Know what each training method develops with its pros and cons.
Learn the warm-up and cool-down phases and their benefits.

Sources & how we know this

AQA GCSE Physical Education (8582) specification — AQA (2016)