Component of Fitness / Fitness test / Advantages / Disadvantages
Body Composition / Body Mass Index (BMI)
/ /
  • Easy to carry out
  • Quick to see results
/
  • Results can be misleading as muscles weighs more than fat

Bioelectrical Impedance Analysis (BIA)
BIA = electricity passed through body from WRIST to ANKLE. Measures the resistance from muscle and fat / /
  • Quick and gives instant results
  • Can be repeated over time with no bad effects
/
  • Needs expensive equipment
  • Relies on performer to urinate 30 minutes before the test (reliability)
  • No exercise 12 hrs before test, eat 4 hrs before, drink caffeine (validity of results)

Sum of Skinfolds
Use CALLIPERS to measure skin on the THIGH, TRICEPS, SUPRAILIAC (hip) for females. CHEST, ABDOMINAL, THIGH for males
Add measurements together and use on the JACKSON-POLLOCKnomogram / /
  • Provides accurate percentages of body fat
  • Quick and easy
  • Cheap
  • Administered anywhere
/
  • Needs specialist equipment
  • Problems with people revealing bare skin
  • Assistant required

Aerobic Endurance / Multi Stage Fitness Test (MST/Bleep test)
Cones/Lines 20m apart, run in-between to the sound of a beep. Gradually gets faster. Longer you can keep up the higher the level / /
  • Can test a large group at once
  • Tests to maximum effort
  • Very cheap
  • Norm data gives good indication of fitness
/
  • Not suitable for elderly
  • If outside, environment may affect
  • Scores can be subjective
  • Low motivated performers and invalid results
  • Relies on strict rules on bleep

Forestry Step Test
Step/ bench- 33cm for females and 40cm for males. Step up and down for 5 minutes to a metronome. (90bpm/22.5steps a min). Record pulse and compare to table / /
  • Low cost (metronome is free on internet)
  • Can be performed inside or outside
  • Can test on your own
/
  • People may struggle to keep with the stepping pace on metronome
  • Unreliable results
  • Benefit to taller people

Speed / 35m sprint test
Sprint from one line/cone to another in a straight line over 35m. Record time and compare to normative data / /
  • Little equipment so cheap to run
  • Simple to set up
  • Done anywhere
/
  • Human error when timing can affect results (wind)
  • Assistant required to time
  • Non slip surface essential

Strength / Grip dynamometer
3 attempts, squeeze grip dynamometer measure result in Kg or KgW. / /
  • Simple and easy test
  • Lots of normative data
  • Completed anywhere
/
  • Must be adjusted for hand size which may affect results
  • Specialist equipment needed

Flexibility / Sit and Reach test
Both feet against the sit and reach box, reach forward and measure result in centimetres / /
  • Well known test
  • Quick and easy to perform
  • Published tables for data
/
  • Measures lower back hamstrings only
  • Length of arms and legs affect results
  • Variances of warm ups

Muscular Endurance / Sit up and press up tests
Count how many sit ups or press-ups completed in 1 minute /
/
  • Quick and easy
  • Little equipment
  • Large groups at once
/
  • Arguments of correct technique can affect results

Agility / Illinois Agility test
Cones set up as in the image, lie face down on the floor at the start, measure time to complete course in seconds / /
  • Cheap and easy to conduct
  • No specialist equipment
  • Valid test for games players
/
  • Human error with timing can affect results
  • Weather or surface (slip)conditions can affect results
  • Also tests speed (10m sprints)

Power / Vertical Jump test
Stand side on to wall reach up and mark/set the measure. Standing jump as high as possible touching wall. Measure between two marks / /
  • Quick and easy to conduct
  • Conducted most places
  • Cheap
/
  • Technique can affect result as need to jump and mark wall
  • Assistant required

Component of Fitness / Training Method / Advantages / Disadvantages
Flexibility training / Static Stretching
  • Active (on their own to apply extra force to lengthen ,muscles
  • Passive – help of an object (e.g. wall) or partner
/
  • Improving flexibility can reduce injuries
  • Easy to carry out
  • No/Low cost
/
  • Limited improvements above and beyond the normal range of movement

Ballistic Stretching
Involves fast, jerky movements such as bouncing, taking the joint past it’s normal range /
  • Improving flexibility can reduce injuries
  • Replicates sports specific movement
  • No/Low cost
  • No partner needed
/
  • Incorrect technique can lead to over stretching and muscle soreness
  • Can lead to injury too if muscles are stretched too far

PNF (Proprioceptive Neuromuscular Facilitation)
Extension of passive stretching, used a lot for rehabilitation from injury /
  • Improving flexibility can reduce injuries
  • Develops greater flexibility quickly
  • No/Low cost
/
  • Need experience to perform safely
  • Assistant required

Strength, Endurance and Power / Circuit Training
A set of ‘stations’ where you move from one exercise to another. The stations can vary to suit each sport, fitness level, age, gender etc. Circuits can be for general fitness, or specific to strength, power or/and endurance.
Can increase the time at each station, intensity of work, reduce rest periods. All linking closely to the principle of progressive overload. /
  • Can be completed in a large group all at once
  • Can be cheap
  • Indoors/outdoors
  • Limited equipment needed
  • Match to fitness goals/sport specific
  • Variety of stations (boredom)
  • Link to specific component of fitness
/
  • Time to design and set up the circuit
  • Time to demonstrate each station to performers
  • If outside, environment may affect some stations
  • Safe technique required on each station to avoid injury

Free Weights
Using barbells, dumb-bells or fixed resistance weight machines. 1 or 2 sets of each exercise
Workload should be calculated using the 1RM (1 rep. max – heaviest weight you can lift in one rep.) then intensity of work linked to the training zone
e.g. strength – low reps, high weight (6 x 90% 1RM)
elastic strength – (12 x 75% 1RM)
endurance – high reps, low weight (20 x 60% 1RM) /
  • Quick way to improve muscle strength
  • Targets specific muscle groups (specific sports)
  • Effective to improve muscular endurance (high reps, low weight)
/
  • Careful planning needed to ensure safe technique
  • Heavy weights need safe storage area
  • Expensive
  • May need a spotter
  • Heavy weights not suitable for some groups (young, elderly)
  • Incorrect weight use (not using progressive overload) can lead to soreness or injury
  • Need a variety of weights for all needs

Plyometrics
Develops explosive power, known as jump training. Used widely in sports such as athletics, netball, basketball and volleyball.
Involves quickly stretching and then shortening muscles repeatedly producing great amounts of force. Includes skipping, jumping, bounding, incline press ups, hopping /
  • Can be made sport specific
  • Quick improvements in power can improve performance in specific sports
  • Little cost involved
  • No specialist equipment needed
  • Indoors/outdoors
  • Large groups
/
  • Need to be experienced to train safely
  • Can lead to joint/muscular injury

Aerobic endurance / Continuous Training
Generally long, steady training within the aerobic training zone (60-85% 0f MHR). Moderate intensity for at least 30 mins (20 mins in the training zone) /
  • Little equipment (if any) needed
  • Cheap
  • Suitable for beginners (couch to 5k)
  • Large groups (social aspect)
  • Good to safely build endurance
  • Good for recovery from injury
/
  • Training long distances (26.2 miles – marathon – 3-5 hours!) can be boring (monotonous)
  • Risk of injury if running on hard surfaces
  • Does not develop anaerobic system and tolerance to lactic acid

Fartlek Training
Refers to Swedish ‘speed play’. Usually done outdoors and is continuous with no rest. Fartlek involves changing the speed (intensity) of the activity or terrain. /
  • Cheap, no specialist equipment
  • Large groups
  • Can overload training by adding a weight belt or weighted rucksack
  • Adds variety to avoid boredom
/
  • Careful control of speed/intensity need to stay in the aerobic training zone
  • Self-motivation important or performer can complete work at lower intensity

Long Interval training
Training with rest/recovery periods. Long interval improves aerobic endurance (60-85% of MHR). Varies work and rest periods. /
  • Cheap, large groups
  • Fits well to individual needs – work at own specific intensity
  • Easy to add more workload – progressive overload.
  • Easy to make sport specific (swimming/football/basketball etc)
/
  • Boredom due to repeating the same task over and over
  • Careful planning needed to stay in the target training zone

Speed / Hollow Sprints
Series of sprints with ‘hollow’ periods of walking or jogging. E.g. sprint 20m, jog (or walk) 20m, sprint 20m etc /
  • Simple and easy to set up
  • No specialist equipment needed
  • Sport specific
/
  • Repetition = boredom

Acceleration Sprints
Gradually increasing the speed from walking to striding to sprinting. Can vary to use hill sprints, resistance drills adding weight. Rest periods is walking back to the start point /
  • No special equipment needed, cheap
  • Large groups
  • Easy to use principle of progressive overload
  • Good variety available
/
  • Repetition = boredom

Short Interval Training
Alternating work and rest (or recovery). For speed, training is short intervals, higher intensity, working in the anaerobic (85-95% MHR) or speed (95-100% MHR) training zone /
  • Quick and easy to set up a session
  • Cheap
  • Sport specific (sprinting to football to netball)
  • Easy to apply progressive overload (time, intensity etc)
/
  • Repetition = boredom
  • Beginners will tire (fatigue quickly)
  • Too much work can lead to muscle soreness

Please note – ALL training methods should have a warm up and cool down as standard

Questions to think about:

  • If you are to plan a safe personal exercise programme over a number of weeks, what would you need to consider?
  • The sport, components of fitness you want to improve, the fitness goal (running a 5k in 25 mins), most suitable training method, variety of methods, current fitness levels, how to apply progressive overload, injuries etc etc