Component 01 Revision — Movement Analysis and Physical Training

This lesson provides a comprehensive revision resource for the Movement Analysis and Physical Training content in OCR GCSE PE Component 01. It covers lever systems, planes and axes of movement, components of fitness, fitness testing, principles of training, training methods, warm-up and cool-down, and injury prevention. Use this lesson as a consolidation tool to check your knowledge and identify gaps.

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Lever Systems

A lever is a rigid bar (bone) that turns around a fixed point (fulcrum/joint) when a force (effort/muscle) is applied to move a load (resistance/weight). There are three classes of lever, and the OCR specification requires you to know all three, identify them in the body, and explain their mechanical advantage.

The Three Classes of Lever

Class	Order	Body Example	Sporting Example
First class	Fulcrum in the middle (effort – fulcrum – load)	Neck (atlas/axis joint) when heading a football	Heading a football — the neck joint is the fulcrum, the neck muscles provide the effort, and the weight of the head is the load
Second class	Load in the middle (effort – load – fulcrum)	Ankle when standing on tiptoes	Sprinting push-off — the ball of the foot is the fulcrum, the gastrocnemius provides the effort, and body weight is the load
Third class	Effort in the middle (fulcrum – effort – load)	Elbow during a bicep curl	Bicep curl — the elbow is the fulcrum, the biceps provides the effort, and the weight in the hand is the load

graph TD
    A["Lever Systems"] --> B["First Class<br/>E — F — L<br/>(like a seesaw)"]
    A --> C["Second Class<br/>E — L — F<br/>(like a wheelbarrow)"]
    A --> D["Third Class<br/>F — E — L<br/>(most common in body)"]
    B --> B1["Example: Neck<br/>when heading"]
    C --> C1["Example: Ankle<br/>during push-off"]
    D --> D1["Example: Elbow<br/>during bicep curl"]
    style A fill:#2c3e50,color:#fff
    style B fill:#e74c3c,color:#fff
    style C fill:#27ae60,color:#fff
    style D fill:#2980b9,color:#fff

Mechanical Advantage

Mechanical advantage (MA) = Effort arm ÷ Resistance arm

Class	Typical MA	What It Means
First class	Can be > 1 or < 1	Depends on the position of the fulcrum
Second class	Always > 1	Good for generating force (the effort arm is always longer than the resistance arm)
Third class	Always < 1	Good for speed and range of movement but not for force (the effort arm is always shorter than the resistance arm)

Exam Tip: Third class levers are the most common in the human body. They sacrifice force for speed and range of movement — this is why muscles need to generate a lot of force to move even light loads quickly (e.g. throwing a ball). This is a frequently tested concept.

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Planes and Axes of Movement

The OCR specification requires you to know three planes and three axes, and apply them to sporting actions.

The Three Planes

Plane	Divides the Body	Movements in This Plane	Sporting Example
Sagittal (frontal)	Left and right halves	Flexion, extension	Running (arm and leg action moves forward and backward)
Frontal (lateral)	Front and back halves	Abduction, adduction	Star jump (arms and legs moving sideways)
Transverse (horizontal)	Upper and lower halves	Rotation	Discus throw (trunk rotation)

The Three Axes

Axis	Runs Through	Movements Around This Axis	Sporting Example
Transverse	Side to side (left to right)	Flexion, extension (in the sagittal plane)	A forward roll in gymnastics rotates around the transverse axis
Sagittal	Front to back	Abduction, adduction (in the frontal plane)	A cartwheel rotates around the sagittal axis
Longitudinal (vertical)	Top to bottom	Rotation (in the transverse plane)	An ice skater spinning on the spot rotates around the longitudinal axis

The Key Rule

Each plane has a corresponding axis. Movement occurs in a plane and around an axis:

Plane	Axis	Movement
Sagittal	Transverse	Flexion / Extension
Frontal	Sagittal	Abduction / Adduction
Transverse	Longitudinal	Rotation

Exam Tip: A common OCR question gives you a sporting action and asks you to identify the plane and axis. Remember: the plane describes the direction of movement, and the axis is the imaginary line the movement rotates around. They always go together in the pairings above.

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Components of Fitness

The OCR specification identifies 11 components of fitness, divided into health-related and skill-related components.

Health-Related Components

Component	Definition	Fitness Test
Cardiovascular endurance	The ability of the heart and lungs to supply oxygen to working muscles during sustained exercise	Multi-stage fitness test (bleep test)
Muscular endurance	The ability of a muscle or muscle group to perform repeated contractions without fatigue	Sit-up bleep test
Muscular strength	The maximum force a muscle or muscle group can exert in a single contraction	Hand grip dynamometer
Flexibility	The range of movement available at a joint	Sit and reach test
Body composition	The proportion of body fat, muscle, bone, and other tissues	Skinfold callipers / BMI

Skill-Related Components

Component	Definition	Fitness Test
Agility	The ability to change direction quickly and with control	Illinois agility test
Balance	The ability to maintain the centre of mass over the base of support	Stork stand test
Co-ordination	The ability to use two or more body parts simultaneously, smoothly and efficiently	Wall toss test
Power	The ability to combine strength and speed in an action (strength × speed)	Vertical jump test
Reaction time	The time taken to respond to a stimulus	Ruler drop test
Speed	The rate at which a body or body part can move from one point to another	30-metre sprint test

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Principles of Training

SPORT Principles

Principle	Meaning	Application
S — Specificity	Training must be relevant to the sport and the individual	A sprinter trains with short, high-intensity intervals, not long slow runs
P — Progressive overload	Gradually increasing the demands of training over time	A weightlifter adds 2.5 kg to the bar each week
O — Overtraining	Training too much without adequate rest, leading to injury, illness, or performance decline	Recognise the signs: persistent fatigue, frequent illness, loss of motivation
R — Reversibility	Fitness gains are lost if training stops	3–4 weeks of inactivity can result in noticeable fitness loss
T — Thresholds of training	Training must be at the right intensity to produce adaptations	Aerobic training zone: 60–80% max HR. Anaerobic training zone: 80–90% max HR

FITT Principles

Principle	Meaning	How to Apply
F — Frequency	How often you train	3–5 times per week
I — Intensity	How hard you train	Measured by heart rate, weight, speed, or perceived exertion
T — Time	How long each session lasts	20–60 minutes per session
T — Type	The method of training used	Continuous, fartlek, interval, circuit, weight, plyometric

Exam Tip: When asked how to apply progressive overload, use FITT — you can progressively overload by increasing Frequency, Intensity, Time, or changing the Type of training.

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Training Methods

Training Method	What It Is	Fitness Component It Develops	Sporting Example
Continuous	Steady-pace exercise for 20+ minutes without rest	Cardiovascular endurance	Marathon training
Fartlek	"Speed play" — varying pace and terrain during continuous exercise	Cardiovascular endurance + speed	Football — varies between jogging and sprinting
Interval	Periods of high-intensity work alternated with rest/recovery periods	Cardiovascular endurance, speed, power	400m repeats with 2-minute rest
Circuit	A series of stations, each targeting different muscle groups or fitness components	Muscular endurance, cardiovascular endurance, strength (depends on stations)	Press-ups → shuttle runs → squats → burpees
Weight (resistance)	Exercising with external resistance (barbells, machines, resistance bands)	Muscular strength, muscular endurance, power	Bench press, squats, deadlift
Plyometric	Explosive exercises involving rapid stretching and contracting of muscles	Power, speed	Box jumps, bounding, depth jumps

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Warm-Up and Cool-Down

Warm-Up (Three Phases)

Phase	What It Involves	Purpose
1. Pulse raiser	Light aerobic activity (jogging, cycling)	Gradually increases heart rate and body temperature
2. Stretching	Static and dynamic stretches	Increases flexibility, reduces injury risk
3. Sport-specific drills	Movements that replicate the activity (e.g. passing, shooting)	Prepares the neuromuscular system for the specific demands of the activity

Cool-Down (Two Phases)