Syllabus coverage
- The reasons for using each training method, with a description of the type and how to achieve the training aim
- Continuous training: advantages and disadvantages; methods — run, swim, cycle, row; calculating a suitable intensity for aerobic gains at 60-80% of maximal heart rate; safety considerations, e.g. footwear
- Weight training: advantages and disadvantages; methods (isotonically) — free weights, kettle bells, resistance machines; use of one rep max to calculate suitable intensity; safety considerations, e.g. spotter
- Fartlek training: advantages and disadvantages; variation of speed and terrain; use of the Borg scale to measure intensity; safety considerations, e.g. equipment checks
- Plyometric training: advantages and disadvantages; links to improvement in power; methods such as depth jumping and hurdle jumps; safety considerations, e.g. injury prevention
- Circuit training: advantages and disadvantages; stations assigned to improve different components of fitness; periods of work and rest manipulated for different gains; safety considerations, e.g. equipment
- High-Intensity Interval Training (HIIT): advantages and disadvantages; periods of work and rest manipulated for different gains; reasons for the rest period — removal of waste products; safety considerations, e.g. risk of overexertion
- High-altitude training as a specialist training method: increase in red blood cell count; advantages linked to endurance activities; disadvantages linked to difficulties completing the training
Part of the IGCSE PE 0413 syllabus 0413 / 0995.
Choosing a method: match the tool to the training aim
There is no best method of training. There is only the method that suits the aim of the programme, and the aim comes from the demands of the activity.
The questions you will meet ask you to describe a method, explain how it is used to reach a training aim, and weigh its advantages against its disadvantages. For every method, know those four things: what it is, how you make it work, what it does well, and what it costs you.
| Training aim | Method that suits it |
|---|---|
| Improve cardiovascular endurance for a games player | Continuous training, fartlek training or circuit training |
| Improve muscular strength | Weight training — free weights or resistance machines |
| Improve muscular endurance | Circuit training, or weight training with a light load and many repetitions |
| Improve power for jumping, sprinting or throwing | Plyometric training, alongside weight training |
| Improve speed and anaerobic fitness for a stop-start game | HIIT, fartlek training or a sprint-based circuit |
| Improve aerobic fitness when time is short | HIIT or circuit training |
| Improve endurance for competition at sea level | High-altitude training as a specialist method |
Continuous training
What it is: working the whole body at a steady, moderate intensity for a long, uninterrupted period with no rest. It is the classic method for building cardiovascular endurance (stamina).
Methods to use: running, swimming, cycling and rowing — anything that can be kept going steadily for a sustained period.
How to achieve the training aim: the work must be continuous and at the right intensity for aerobic gains. For aerobic gains, the performer works at 60-80% of their maximal heart rate and keeps going for the whole session without stopping to rest.
- Advantages: needs little or no equipment; can be done alone or in a group; improves cardiovascular endurance and the muscular endurance of the working legs or arms; directly matches the demands of endurance activities such as cross-country running, cycling, rowing and swimming
- Disadvantages: repetitive, so it quickly becomes tedious; does nothing for speed, power, agility or skill; it does not match the stop-start demands of games; the repetitive impact of long-distance running is hard on the joints; hard to fit into a busy week because sessions have to be long
- Safety: wear appropriate footwear with cushioning to absorb the repeated impact of running; check bike or rowing machine set-up is correct for the performer; warm up before starting and build the distance gradually; be visible if training on roads; keep hydrated
Weight training (isotonic)
What it is: making the muscles work against a resistance. The syllabus specifies isotonic work, where the muscle changes length as it moves a load through a range of movement at a joint — the muscle shortening as it lifts the weight and lengthening as it lowers it.
Methods to use: free weights (barbells and dumbbells), kettle bells, and resistance machines, which guide the movement along a fixed path.
What it is used for: improving strength, muscular endurance and power, depending on how the load and repetitions are arranged.
How to achieve the training aim — one rep max: a performer's one rep max (1 RM) is the maximum weight they can lift correctly once. Training intensity is then set as a percentage of that 1 RM. A high percentage of 1 RM for a small number of repetitions develops strength; a lower percentage for a high number of repetitions develops muscular endurance. One rep max is also the strength fitness test, so the same figure both tests and prescribes training.
- Advantages: the load is measurable, so progress can be tracked precisely and overload applied exactly; develops strength, power and muscular endurance; can be made specific by choosing the exercises the activity uses; gym equipment is widely available; a resistance machine lets a beginner work safely without a spotter
- Disadvantages: needs equipment and often a training partner; poor technique with a heavy load causes injury; heavy loading is not suitable for young or untrained performers without supervision; used alone it does little for cardiovascular endurance; sessions can be tedious if the same exercises are repeated
- Safety: use a spotter when lifting free weights at or near maximum; learn the technique with a light load first; warm up before lifting; check collars are secure and the bar is loaded evenly; do not hold your breath through the lift; allow recovery between sessions
Fartlek training
What it is: continuous training with the intensity changed continuously — the name means 'speed play'. The performer varies their speed and the terrain within one session: a steady jog, then a sprint to a landmark, then a jog uphill, then a fast downhill section.
Methods to use: running and cycling are the most common, because both allow speed and terrain to be changed easily.
What it is used for: improving cardiovascular endurance and anaerobic fitness together, which suits games such as football, rugby, hockey and netball, where the performer has to keep moving but also sprint and recover.
How to achieve the training aim — the Borg scale: the performer cannot easily measure their heart rate while running outdoors, so they use the Borg scale, a rating of perceived exertion. The performer rates how hard the work feels, from very, very light through to very, very hard. Working at the higher ratings for the faster sections and lower ratings for recovery gives the mix of aerobic and anaerobic work that fartlek is used for.
- Advantages: can be done almost anywhere with no equipment; the constant variation removes tedium; it mimics the stop-start demands of games, so it is more specific than continuous training for team players; develops aerobic and anaerobic fitness in the same session; easy for a coach to adapt to different activities
- Disadvantages: intensity is hard to measure and record exactly, because it depends on the performer's own rating; a performer who is not honest on the Borg scale will not work hard enough to overload; harder for a coach to monitor a whole group at once; not a route to strength or power gains
- Safety: carry out equipment checks before cycling — brakes, tyres and helmet; choose a route you know and check the terrain for hazards such as potholes, traffic or uneven ground; warm up before the fast sections; build up the duration gradually; carry water
Plyometric training
What it is: training that uses fast, explosive movements. The muscle is stretched rapidly and then contracts immediately, which lets it produce more force than a normal contraction — this is why plyometrics improves power.
Methods to use: depth jumping (stepping off a box and jumping as high as possible the moment the feet land), hurdle jumps (jumping over a series of low hurdles) and bounding.
What it is used for: improving power, the combination of strength and speed. Power gains transfer directly to jumping, sprinting and throwing, so plyometrics suits basketball, netball, volleyball, track and field athletics and rugby.
How to achieve the training aim: keep the quality high and the volume low. Every jump must be at maximum effort with a short ground contact — stopping between jumps, or jumping when tired, defeats the purpose. Increase the demand by raising the height of the box, adding hurdles or increasing the number of jumps.
- Advantages: the fastest way to develop power, which most other methods do not train directly; sessions are short, so they fit easily into a programme alongside weight and skill work; progress is easy to measure by jump height or box height; needs little equipment
- Disadvantages: very high impact, so the risk of injury to the ankles, knees and hips is the highest of any method; needs a base of strength before it is safe; not suitable for beginners or untrained performers; muscles need full recovery, so it must not be done on consecutive days; contributes nothing to endurance
- Safety: injury prevention is the whole safety answer here. Warm up thoroughly; teach the landing technique — land on the balls of the feet with the knees bent to absorb the impact — before increasing the height; use a soft, non-slip surface; keep the number of jumps in a session low; do not train plyometrically when the performer is tired or has existing joint injuries
Circuit training and HIIT: manipulating work and rest
Circuit training: a set number of stations, performed one after another in a fixed order, with a work period and a rest period at each. The circuit can be repeated for several laps.
Stations can be assigned to different components of fitness. One station might be press-ups for muscular endurance, one shuttle runs for agility and speed, one sit-ups for core muscular endurance, one step-ups for cardiovascular endurance, one squat jumps for power, and one skipping for coordination. A circuit can be general or designed around one activity.
HIIT (High-Intensity Interval Training): alternating short periods of very high-intensity work with short periods of rest or low-intensity recovery — for example a hard sprint, then a light jog, repeated.
Periods of work and rest can be manipulated for different gains. In both methods, longer work periods with short rests are more demanding and develop muscular endurance and anaerobic fitness; shorter, very intense work periods with longer rests let the performer work at maximum quality again and again, which develops speed and power; longer work with longer rests at a lower intensity shifts the emphasis to aerobic endurance.
- Advantages: one session can train several components of fitness at once; easy to adapt to any activity by choosing the stations; good for large groups with limited equipment; can be done with body weight alone; progress is simple — more time at each station, more repetitions, more laps or shorter rests; the variety keeps tedium away; HIIT produces large fitness gains in short sessions
- Disadvantages: needs space, equipment and organisation, and a poorly planned circuit means performers queue at stations instead of working; a general circuit is not specific to the skill demands of a chosen activity; intensity is hard to monitor at every station; HIIT is extremely demanding and unsuitable for performers without a base of fitness
- Safety: check all equipment is safe and in working order before use; teach correct technique at each station, particularly for weighted or jumping stations; leave clear space between stations so performers do not collide; warm up thoroughly; do not hold your breath during the work; for HIIT specifically, the risk of overexertion is real — start with fewer or shorter intervals and build up, and allow full recovery between sessions
High-altitude training as a specialist method
What it is: a specialist method where a performer lives and trains at high altitude, where the air pressure is lower and there is less oxygen available to breathe in.
Why it is used — increase in red blood cell count: the body responds to the shortage of oxygen by producing more red blood cells. Red blood cells carry oxygen, so a higher count means more oxygen can be transported to the working muscles.
Advantages, linked to endurance activities: when the performer returns to sea level, they can carry more oxygen, so their aerobic performance improves. This benefits endurance activities — cross-country running, cycling, rowing, competitive swimming — where a greater oxygen supply delays fatigue.
Disadvantages, linked to difficulties in completing the training: at altitude the performer becomes breathless far more quickly, so they cannot train at their normal intensity or duration. Training quality drops, sessions have to be shortened or made easier, and the performer may suffer altitude sickness with headaches and nausea. The benefits also depend on returning to competition at the right time, and travelling to an altitude centre costs time and money.
Key terms you must be able to define
- Continuous training
- Working the whole body at a steady, moderate intensity for a long period without rest; the main method for improving cardiovascular endurance.
- Maximal heart rate
- The highest rate at which the heart can beat per minute; aerobic gains in continuous training come from working at 60-80% of it.
- Weight training (isotonic)
- Training against a resistance where the muscle changes length as it moves a load through a range of movement at a joint, e.g. free weights, kettle bells or resistance machines.
- One rep max (1 RM)
- The maximum weight a performer can lift correctly once; used to calculate the intensity of a weight-training programme.
- Fartlek training
- Continuous training in which the performer varies their speed and the terrain within a session, changing between aerobic and anaerobic work.
- Borg scale
- A rating of perceived exertion used to measure the intensity of a session by how hard the work feels to the performer.
- Plyometric training
- Training using fast, explosive movements such as depth jumping and hurdle jumps, used to improve power.
- Circuit training
- A series of stations worked through in order, with periods of work and rest, that can train several components of fitness in one session.
- HIIT
- High-Intensity Interval Training: alternating short periods of very high-intensity work with periods of rest or low-intensity recovery.
- High-altitude training
- Training at altitude, where there is less oxygen, to increase the red blood cell count and so improve endurance performance at sea level.
Applied to your sport
Cambridge requires you to apply this knowledge to physical activities. Use these as models, then write your own for the sport you play.
Continuous training at 60-80% of maximal heart rate is the core of a cross-country runner's programme, because the event is run at a steady pace for a long time. Fartlek sessions on varied terrain are added to build the speed changes needed for hills and a finishing sprint.
A rugby forward uses weight training — free weights for the squat, deadlift and press — to develop the strength and power needed in the scrum, set at a high percentage of one rep max for a small number of repetitions. A spotter is essential on the heavy lifts.
A basketball player needs power to jump for rebounds, so plyometric training with depth jumps and hurdle jumps sits alongside weight training. The ground contact is kept short and the session is stopped as soon as jump height drops, because tired jumps do not train power and risk injury.
A club swimmer uses continuous training in the pool for endurance, and a HIIT set — hard lengths with short recovery — to develop speed. The rest intervals allow waste products to be cleared from the muscles so the next effort is at full quality.
Rowing is an endurance activity where high-altitude training appeals: more red blood cells mean more oxygen delivered to the working muscles, which delays fatigue over a long race. The drawback is that at altitude the crew cannot row at race pace, so the quality of their normal training drops.
Flashcards
Click a card to flip it. Mark honestly — the tracker uses this.
Exam-style questions
8 questions, 20 marks. Write your answer, then reveal the mark scheme and tick each point you actually made. Answering honestly here is what makes the rest of the site useful.
Mark scheme — tick each point you actually made
Mark scheme — tick each point you actually made
Mark scheme — tick each point you actually made
Mark scheme — tick each point you actually made
Mark scheme — tick each point you actually made
Mark scheme — tick each point you actually made
Mark scheme — tick each point you actually made
Mark scheme — tick each point you actually made
Exam technique for this topic
- Answer the four parts of the syllabus in order for each method: description, how the training aim is reached, advantages and disadvantages. The mark scheme follows that structure.
- Advantages and disadvantages questions usually carry two or more marks. Give an advantage and what makes it an advantage — "needs little equipment, so it can be done anywhere and alone" is a full point; "good" is not.
- Learn the specific detail for each method: 60-80% of maximal heart rate for continuous, one rep max for weight training, the Borg scale for fartlek, the removal of waste products for HIIT. These are the marks that separate a 4 from a 7.
- The safety consideration always fits the method — footwear for continuous training, a spotter for weight training, equipment checks for fartlek and circuits, injury prevention for plyometrics, overexertion for HIIT. Never write the same safety point for every method.
Why students lose marks here
Where this fits in IGCSE PE 0413
This page is one topic of Cambridge IGCSE PE 0413 / 0995. IGCSE PE 0413 is the course home: every area and every topic in Cambridge's own order, the papers you sit and what each one tests, and the exam-practice tools. The full topic list, with each topic linked to its revision page, is on the IGCSE PE 0413 syllabus page.