1.2.b. Applying the principles of training - Principles of training — OCR GCSE Physical Education
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1.2.b. Applying the principles of training - Principles of training explained
You need to know four principles of training and apply each to a personal programme.
Read the full explanation
Specificity means training matches the demands of your activity, so a sprinter trains short explosive efforts rather than long steady runs. Overload means stressing the body beyond its current level, achieved by increasing frequency, intensity, time or type, so a runner adds an extra session each week. Progression means building that overload gradually over time, so intensity rises in small planned steps rather than a sudden jump. Reversibility means fitness is lost when training stops or drops, so a performer who rests for weeks sees gains decline. In a multiple-choice question, read the scenario and match the described change to the correct principle, checking whether the stem shows matching to the activity, extra demand, gradual increase or loss of fitness.
Your focus
- State the definitions of specificity, overload, progression and reversibility.
- Distinguish between overload and progression in a given scenario.
- Apply the correct principle of training to a described change in a personal exercise or training programme.
1.2.b. Applying the principles of training - Principles of training exam tips
Marking Points
- Defines specificity as training that matches the demands and movements of the chosen activity.
- Defines overload as training beyond the current level by adjusting frequency, intensity, time or type.
- Defines progression as gradually increasing the training demand over time to keep improving.
- Defines reversibility as the loss of fitness gains when training stops or is reduced.
- Applies the correct principle to a described change in a personal exercise or training programme.
Examiner Tips
- 💡Read the stem carefully and identify whether it describes matching to the activity, extra demand, gradual increase or loss of fitness.
- 💡Eliminate options that define a different principle before choosing your answer.
- 💡Check each option against the exact definition, especially the overload and progression pair.
Common Mistakes
- Confuses overload with progression; overload is the extra demand itself while progression is the gradual increase of that demand over time.
- Treats reversibility as a way to improve fitness; reversibility describes losing fitness when training stops or drops.
- Ignores specificity and picks any training change; check that the training matches the demands of the named activity.