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New
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Year 10
Edexcel

Cardiovascular fitness, muscular endurance, strength & speed

I can define cardiovascular fitness, strength, muscular endurance and speed, and consider the appropriate fitness test for each.

icon-background-square
New
New
Year 10
Edexcel

Cardiovascular fitness, muscular endurance, strength & speed

I can define cardiovascular fitness, strength, muscular endurance and speed, and consider the appropriate fitness test for each.

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Lesson details

Key learning points

  1. Muscular endurance is tested through the 1 minute press up test and the 1 minute sit up test
  2. Cardiovascular endurance is the ability of the heart and lungs to provide oxygen to working muscles for a long time
  3. Speed is the ability to perform an action or cover a set distance as quickly as possible
  4. Strength is measured through the hand grip strength dynamometer test

Keywords

  • Cardiovascular fitness - ability to exercise your whole body for long periods of time, sometimes called stamina or aerobic endurance

  • Muscular endurance - the ability to use voluntary muscles many times without getting tired

  • Speed - the rate at which someone can perform a movement or cover a distance

  • Muscular strength - the amount of force a muscle can exert against a resistance

Common misconception

Speed is just about running fast.

An example of speed is moving quickly across the ground but also includes other body parts too, such as, the speed of arms in table tennis.


To help you plan your year 10 physical education lesson on: Cardiovascular fitness, muscular endurance, strength & speed, download all teaching resources for free and adapt to suit your pupils' needs...

Link this to practical lessons where pupils can apply the components of fitness to different activities.
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This content is © Oak National Academy Limited (2025), licensed on Open Government Licence version 3.0 except where otherwise stated. See Oak's terms & conditions (Collection 2).

Lesson video

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6 Questions

Q1.
Identify the correct definition of health.
all body systems working well, free from illness and injury
Correct answer: a state of complete physical emotional and social well-being
can cope with the normal stresses of life
the ability to meet/cope with the demands of the environment
Q2.
Match the type of health to the correct example.
Correct Answer:physical health,does regular exercise and has good muscle tone
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does regular exercise and has good muscle tone

Correct Answer:emotional health,is able to handle stressful situations positively
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is able to handle stressful situations positively

Correct Answer:social health,has good friendships and value in the community
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has good friendships and value in the community

Q3.
Having ill health means someone may be likely to take part in physical activity or exercise.
Correct Answer: less
Q4.
The winner of a specific weight lifting competition was the person who could lift the heaviest weight. Which component of fitness would they need to be successful?
flexibility
Correct answer: muscular strength
cardiovascular endurance
balance
Q5.
If an athlete competes in an 'endurance' event it means it will last for a period of time.
Correct Answer: long, sustained, prolonged
Q6.
Match the component of fitness to the correct definition.
Correct Answer:cardiovascular fitness,ability to exercise your whole body for long periods of time
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ability to exercise your whole body for long periods of time

Correct Answer:muscular endurance,the ability to use voluntary muscles many times without getting tired
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the ability to use voluntary muscles many times without getting tired

Correct Answer:speed,the rate at which some can perform a movement or cover a distance
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the rate at which some can perform a movement or cover a distance

Correct Answer:strength,the amount of force a muscle can exert against a resistance
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the amount of force a muscle can exert against a resistance

Correct Answer:flexibility,the range of motion of your joints
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the range of motion of your joints

6 Questions

Q1.
Match the component of fitness to the correct definition.
Correct Answer:speed,the rate at which some can perform a movement or cover a distance
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the rate at which some can perform a movement or cover a distance

Correct Answer:cardiovascular fitness ,ability to exercise your whole body for long periods of time
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ability to exercise your whole body for long periods of time

Correct Answer:strength,the amount of force a muscle can exert against a resistance
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the amount of force a muscle can exert against a resistance

Correct Answer:muscular endurance,the ability to use voluntary muscles many times without getting tired
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the ability to use voluntary muscles many times without getting tired

Correct Answer:flexibility,the range of motion of your joints
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the range of motion of your joints

Q2.
Which athlete is least likely to need good cardiovascular fitness?
footballer
1500m runner
triathlete
Correct answer: 200m runner
Q3.
Identify a fitness test for muscular strength.
Cooper 12-minute run/walk
multi stage fitness test
Correct answer: grip strength dynamometer test
30m sprint test
Q4.
Which athlete would require the most muscular endurance?
javelin thrower
Correct answer: badminton player
archer
50m freestyle swimmer
Q5.
Match the fitness test with the correct component of fitness.
Correct Answer:strength,grip strength dynamometer
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grip strength dynamometer

Correct Answer:speed,30m sprint test
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30m sprint test

Correct Answer:muscular endurance,one minute sit-up test
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one minute sit-up test

Correct Answer:cardiovascular fitness,Harvard step test
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Harvard step test

Q6.
Identify the correct protocol for the Cooper 12-minute run/walk by ordering the statements.
1 - warm up thoroughly
2 - use a 400m running track or measure out a track
3 - cover the furthest distance in 12 minutes
4 - record the total distance covered
5 - compare results to normative data