CHAPTER 3

Health

A state of complete physical, mental, and social well-being, not just the absence of disease or infirmity.

Fitness

The ability to meet the demands of the environment and maintain physical health.

General fitness

The ability to carry out everyday tasks without excessive tiredness.

Specific fitness

The type of fitness required for a specific sport or activity.

Agility

The ability to move and change direction quickly while maintaining control.

Balance

The ability to keep the body stable by maintaining the center of mass over the base of support.

Cardiovascular endurance

The ability of the heart and lungs to supply oxygen to the working muscles.

Coordination

The ability to use two or more different parts of the body together smoothly and efficiently.

Flexibility

The range of movement possible at a joint.

Muscular endurance

The ability of a muscle or muscle group to undergo repeated contractions without fatigue.

Power

The product of strength and speed, or explosive strength.

Reaction time

The time taken to start responding to a stimulus.

Speed

The maximum rate at which an individual can perform a movement or cover a distance.

Strength

The ability to overcome resistance.

Maximal strength

The greatest force possible in a single maximum muscle contraction.

Static strength

The amount of force exerted on an object that cannot be moved.

Principles of training

Guidelines that ensure effective training and result in positive adaptations and improved performance.

Specificity

Training specific to the sport or activity being performed.

Progressive overload

Gradually increasing the amount of overload to achieve fitness gains without the potential for injury.

Reversibility

Fitness levels are lost when training is stopped, and gains made through training are lost more quickly than they are achieved.

Tedium

The boredom that can occur from training the same way every time, requiring variety in a training program to maintain motivation.

Frequency

How often you train.

Intensity

How hard you train.

Time

How long you train for.

Type

The specific method of training.

Training thresholds

Measures of intensity to ensure working within the target training zone.

Aerobic training zone

Develops the ability to work aerobically.

Anaerobic training zone

Develops the ability to work anaerobically.

Circuit training

A series of exercises completed one after another with brief periods of rest in between.

Continuous training

Working for a sustained period of time without rest.

Interval training

Alternating between periods of work and rest.

High-intensity interval training (HIIT)

Alternating between short periods of intense work and periods of active recovery.

Fartlek training

Periods of fast work with intermittent periods of slower work, usually in an outdoor environment.

High altitude training

Training at high altitudes to benefit endurance athletes by increasing red blood cell production.

Plyometric training

High-impact exercises that teach muscles to perform maximum contractions faster.

Static stretching

Holding a stretch still for up to 30 seconds to increase muscle flexibility.

Weight training

Using weights or resistance to cause muscle adaptation.

Rest and recovery

Giving the body appropriate rest between training sessions or competitions to allow for recovery.

Injury prevention

Following guidelines to optimize training and avoid injury.

Warm-up

Preparing the body for physical activity by raising body temperature, increasing range of movement, and delivering oxygen to working muscles.

Cool-down

Allowing the body's systems to recover after exercise by reducing heart rate, removing waste products, and preventing delayed onset muscle soreness (DOMS).