Which method of training suits each component of fitness and each performer?
The methods of training (continuous, Fartlek, interval, circuit, weight, plyometric and flexibility training), what each develops, and how to choose the right method for a component of fitness, a performer and a sport.
A focused answer to Eduqas GCSE PE Component 1 on the methods of training: continuous, Fartlek, interval, circuit, weight, plyometric and flexibility training, what each develops, their advantages and disadvantages, and how to choose the right method for a performer.
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What this dot point is asking
Eduqas wants you to describe each method of training, know what component of fitness it develops, and choose the right method for a named performer through the principle of specificity.
The methods of training
Matching the method to the performer (specificity)
The whole skill is choosing the method that is specific to the goal. Ask: which component does this performer need most, and which method develops it?
Advantages and disadvantages
Eduqas often asks you to weigh a method, so know one strength and one limit of each. For example, continuous training is cheap and simple but can be tedious and does not train anaerobic fitness; interval training is excellent for speed and time-efficient but is very demanding; weight training builds strength precisely but needs equipment and good technique to be safe; plyometrics builds power fast but is high impact and risks injury. The ability to give a balanced view is what earns the top marks on an evaluate question.
Exam-style practice questions
Practice questions written in the style of WJEC Eduqas exam questions on this dot point, with worked answer explainers. The year tag is the paper they imitate, not the source.
Eduqas 20184 marksDescribe Fartlek training and explain why it is suitable for a games player such as a footballer.Show worked answer →
A Component 1 methods question. Two marks for the description, two for the applied justification.
Award marks for: Fartlek (Swedish for "speed play") is continuous training in which the intensity and terrain are varied, so the performer alternates between fast bursts and slower recovery running, often over changing ground (hills, grass, road). It trains both aerobic and anaerobic systems. It suits a footballer because a match is exactly this kind of mixed-intensity activity: long periods of jogging and walking broken by sudden sprints. Fartlek develops the cardiovascular endurance to last the match and the speed and recovery to repeat sprints, so the training is specific to the demands of football.
Markers reward the "varied intensity" idea and a clear link to the mixed demands of the named game. A common dropped mark is describing plain continuous running instead of varied-intensity running.
Eduqas 20226 marksA coach wants to improve a sprinter's power and a distance swimmer's cardiovascular endurance. Evaluate the methods of training the coach should choose for each performer.Show worked answer →
A 6-mark evaluation question. Markers reward matched methods, justified, with strengths and limits.
Award marks for the sprinter (power): plyometric training (bounding, hopping, depth jumps) develops explosive power by working muscles eccentrically then concentrically, and weight training with heavy loads and low reps builds the strength behind power; interval training with short maximal sprints and full recovery develops anaerobic speed. A limit is that plyometrics is high impact and risks injury if overdone. For the distance swimmer (cardiovascular endurance): continuous training (long, steady swims at a constant moderate pace) develops the aerobic system, and Fartlek-style varied-pace sets add variety and race-pace work. A limit is that continuous training can be tedious. A strong answer matches each method to the component, justifies it through specificity, and weighs at least one drawback before reaching a judgement.
A top answer evaluates (matches, justifies and critiques) rather than just listing methods.
Related dot points
- The principles of training (specificity, progressive overload, reversibility and tedium), the FITT principle (frequency, intensity, time, type), and how to apply them when planning a training programme.
A focused answer to Eduqas GCSE PE Component 1 on the principles of training: specificity, progressive overload, reversibility and tedium, the FITT principle, and how to apply each to plan an effective and safe training programme.
- The components of fitness (cardiovascular endurance, muscular endurance, strength, flexibility, speed, power, agility, balance, coordination and reaction time), how each is defined, and how they are applied to different sporting activities.
A focused answer to Eduqas GCSE PE Component 1 on the components of fitness: the definitions of cardiovascular endurance, muscular endurance, strength, flexibility, speed, power, agility, balance, coordination and reaction time, and how each is applied to a named sport.
- Aerobic and anaerobic exercise: the definitions, the word equations for aerobic and anaerobic respiration, examples of sporting situations using each, and how the training zones (using maximum heart rate) relate to aerobic and anaerobic work.
A focused answer to Eduqas GCSE PE Component 1 on aerobic and anaerobic exercise: the definitions and word equations, sporting examples of each, lactic acid and the oxygen debt, and the aerobic and anaerobic training zones calculated from maximum heart rate.
- The purpose and limitations of fitness testing, the named tests for each component of fitness (such as the multi-stage fitness test, the sit and reach test, the Illinois agility run and the vertical jump), and how to interpret and use the results.
A focused answer to Eduqas GCSE PE Component 1 on fitness testing: why we test fitness, the named test for each component (multi-stage fitness test, sit and reach, Illinois agility run, vertical jump, grip strength, 30 m sprint), the limitations of testing, and how to use the results.
Sources & how we know this
- Eduqas GCSE (9-1) Physical Education C550QS specification — Eduqas (2016)