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New
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Year 10
OCR

Principles of training

I can recall and apply the principles of training to bring about improvement in fitness.

icon-background-square
New
New
Year 10
OCR

Principles of training

I can recall and apply the principles of training to bring about improvement in fitness.

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Lesson details

Key learning points

  1. Key principles of training in sport include specificity, progression, overload and reversibility.
  2. Principles of traning are used to optimise training and fitness and to prevent injury.

Keywords

  • Specificity - the training must be matched to the needs of the sporting action and individual.

  • Progression - gradual increases in exercise in order for the body to adapt through overload

  • Overload - greater than normal stress that is applied on the body for training adaptation to take place

  • Reversibility - any adaptation that takes place as a result of training will be lost if you stop training

Common misconception

Overload is negative and should not be encouraged during training.

Overload is encouarged as a positive aspect of traning as progression is being managed correctly to bring about adaptations to fitness. It is not to be confused with 'overuse' which can cause injuries.

The SPOR acronym is widely used and keeps the principles memorable. Provide plenty of oportunity for learners to apply the principles to sporting scenarios.
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Teacher tip
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Equipment

The SPOR letters with the matching definitions will be a useful starter and plenary activity, as well as providing the key definitions throughout the lesson.

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Licence

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.
Which type of resistance has been used in this exercise?
An image in a quiz
free weights
resistance bands
dumbbells
Correct answer: bodyweight
Q2.
Which type of resistance has been used in this exercise?
Correct answer: free weight
resistance bands
bodyweight
Q3.
Which fitness improvement is a priority for a sprinter?
Correct answer: increase in speed
increase in cardiovascular endurance
increase in agility
increase in balance
Q4.
Match the skill to the correct sport/event.
Correct Answer:chest pass,netball
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netball

Correct Answer:sprint start,200m
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200m

Correct Answer:smash,badminton
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badminton

Correct Answer:a tackle,rugby
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rugby

Q5.
Match the fitness component correctly.
Correct Answer:ability to move quickly ,speed
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speed

Correct Answer:maximum force a muscle group can apply,strength
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strength

Correct Answer:respond quickly to a stimulus ,reaction time
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reaction time

Correct Answer:change direction at speed,agility
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agility

Q6.
A netball player will develop strength and in their arms to be able to pass the ball with power.
Correct Answer: speed

6 Questions

Q1.
Match the principle of training to the correct letter of the SPOR acronym.
Correct Answer:S,Specificity
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Specificity

Correct Answer:P,Progression
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Progression

Correct Answer:O,Overload
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Overload

Correct Answer:R,Reversibility
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Reversibility

Q2.
Which principle of training states the importance of matching the needs of the activity?
Correct answer: specificity
progression
reversibility
overload
Q3.
"I will increase the weight from 5kg to 7.5kg in week 3". Which principle of training has been described here?
specificity
Correct answer: progression
reversibility
Q4.
Match the description to the correct principle of training.
Correct Answer:specificity,making training match the needs of the sport and individual
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making training match the needs of the sport and individual

Correct Answer:progression ,gradual increase in exercise
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gradual increase in exercise

Correct Answer:reversibility,losing adaptations when you stop exercising
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losing adaptations when you stop exercising

Correct Answer:overload,greater than normal stress is applied to bring about adaptations
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greater than normal stress is applied to bring about adaptations

Q5.
Match the quote from a football goalkeeper to the correct principle of training.
Correct Answer:specificity,"I will focus on flexibility in the shoulder and power to jump high."
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"I will focus on flexibility in the shoulder and power to jump high."

Correct Answer:progression,"In the gym I started with 8 box jumps and increased to 10."
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"In the gym I started with 8 box jumps and increased to 10."

Correct Answer:reversibility,"If I do not use it, I will lose it."
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"If I do not use it, I will lose it."

Correct Answer:overload,"I reduced the rest time and felt more out of breath than normal."
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"I reduced the rest time and felt more out of breath than normal."

Q6.
Reversibility is the when fitness levels are when exercising stops.
Correct Answer: lost, loss, descreased, regressed