Principles of Training — SPORT and FITT

This lesson covers the principles of training required by the OCR GCSE PE specification (J587). OCR uses two acronyms — SPORT and FITT — to organise these principles. You must know what each letter stands for, be able to define each principle, and apply it to a practical training scenario. This is a frequently examined topic in OCR Paper 1.

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The SPORT Principles

The five SPORT principles describe the fundamental rules that any effective training programme must follow.

Specificity

Definition: Training must be relevant to the sport, activity, or fitness component being developed.

• Training should target the muscles used, the energy systems used, and the movements performed in the performer's sport.
• A 100 m sprinter should focus on anaerobic sprint training, not long slow distance runs.
• A swimmer should train in the pool (specificity of environment), not just on a rowing machine.
• Specificity also applies to the position played — a goalkeeper's training is different from a striker's.

Exam Tip: When applying specificity, always name the sport, the muscles or energy system involved, and explain why the training method is relevant. A vague answer such as "the training should be specific" will not score marks.

Progressive Overload

Definition: Gradually increasing the demands placed on the body over time in order to bring about continued improvement.

• The body adapts to a given training load. If the load stays the same, fitness levels plateau.
• Overload can be achieved by increasing frequency, intensity, time, or changing the type of exercise (these link to FITT).
• Progression must be gradual — increasing the load too quickly risks injury.

graph LR
    A["Current<br>Fitness Level"] -->|"Apply<br>Overload"| B["Body<br>Adapts"]
    B -->|"Increase<br>Demands"| C["Higher<br>Fitness Level"]
    C -->|"Apply<br>Further Overload"| D["Further<br>Adaptation"]

    style A fill:#3498db,color:#fff
    style B fill:#2ecc71,color:#fff
    style C fill:#3498db,color:#fff
    style D fill:#2ecc71,color:#fff

Example of Progressive Overload in Practice

Week	Training Load	How Overload Is Applied
Week 1	3 × 20-minute runs per week	Baseline
Week 3	3 × 25-minute runs per week	Increased time
Week 5	4 × 25-minute runs per week	Increased frequency
Week 7	4 × 25-minute runs at faster pace	Increased intensity

Reversibility

Definition: If training stops or the intensity is significantly reduced, the body will gradually lose the fitness gains that were made.

• Often summarised as "use it or lose it."
• Fitness gains are lost approximately three times faster than they are gained.
• Reversibility can occur due to injury, illness, lack of motivation, or an off-season break.
• Cardiovascular endurance is typically lost faster than strength.
• A performer returning from a long break must rebuild fitness gradually to avoid injury.

Tedium

Definition: Training should be varied to avoid boredom and maintain motivation.

• Performing the same exercises every session leads to mental fatigue and reduced effort.
• Variety can be introduced by: changing the training method, training in different environments, training with different people, using music, or incorporating competitive elements.
• Example: a runner could alternate between continuous runs, fartlek sessions, and interval sessions during the week.

Exam Tip: Tedium is sometimes overlooked by students, but it appears regularly in OCR exams. A good answer will explain that boredom leads to reduced motivation, which leads to lower effort and poorer training adaptations — or even the performer stopping training altogether.

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The FITT Principles

FITT describes how to apply overload within a training programme. Each letter represents a variable that can be manipulated.

Frequency

Definition: How often a person trains (usually measured in sessions per week).

• A beginner might train 2–3 times per week.
• An elite athlete might train 5–6 times per week, sometimes multiple sessions per day.
• Rest days are important to allow recovery and adaptation.

Intensity

Definition: How hard a person trains during a session.

• Intensity can be measured using heart rate, percentage of 1RM, rate of perceived exertion (RPE), or pace.
• Higher intensity places greater demands on the body but also increases the risk of injury and requires more recovery.
• See Lesson 8 for detailed methods of calculating and monitoring training intensity.

Time

Definition: How long each training session lasts.

• Duration depends on the type of training and the performer's fitness level.
• A continuous training session might last 30–60 minutes.
• An interval training session (including rest periods) might last 20–40 minutes.
• Longer sessions are not always better — quality of training matters as much as duration.

Type

Definition: The kind of training being done.

• The type of training chosen should match the demands of the sport (linked to specificity).
• Examples: continuous training, fartlek training, interval training (including circuit, weight, plyometric, and HIIT as sub-types), flexibility exercises during warm-up/cool-down.
• Varying the type of training also addresses the principle of tedium.

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How SPORT and FITT Work Together

graph TD
    SP["SPORT Principles"] --> F["FITT Principles"]
    SP --> |"Specificity"| T1["Choose appropriate<br>Type of training"]
    SP --> |"Progressive<br>Overload"| T2["Adjust Frequency,<br>Intensity, Time"]
    SP --> |"Reversibility"| T3["Maintain training<br>Frequency"]
    SP --> |"Tedium"| T4["Vary the Type<br>of training"]

    style SP fill:#8e44ad,color:#fff
    style F fill:#2980b9,color:#fff
    style T1 fill:#27ae60,color:#fff
    style T2 fill:#27ae60,color:#fff
    style T3 fill:#27ae60,color:#fff
    style T4 fill:#27ae60,color:#fff

Example: Applying Both Acronyms to a Training Programme

A club netball player wants to improve her cardiovascular endurance over an eight-week pre-season period.

Principle	Application
Specificity	She includes interval training to mirror the stop-start nature of netball, with some continuous training to build an aerobic base.
Progressive Overload	She increases the duration and intensity of sessions every two weeks.
Reversibility	She trains consistently throughout the eight weeks and avoids any gaps longer than five days.
Tedium	She alternates between continuous runs, fartlek sessions, and interval sessions to maintain motivation.
Frequency	She trains 4 times per week, increasing to 5 in weeks 5–8.
Intensity	She begins at 60–70% of maximum heart rate, increasing to 70–80% by week 5.
Time	Sessions start at 30 minutes, increasing to 45 minutes by week 8.
Type	Continuous training, fartlek, and interval training.

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Common Exam Mistakes

• Confusing overload and progression. Overload is the principle of increasing demands; progression is how overload is applied gradually. In the OCR specification, they are combined as "progressive overload."
• Defining FITT without applying it. Simply stating "frequency is how often you train" scores minimal marks. You must explain how a specific performer would change their frequency and why.
• Ignoring tedium. This principle is unique to the SPORT acronym and is easy to forget. Always include it when discussing training programme design.
• Applying the wrong training type. If the question asks about a marathon runner, do not suggest weight training as the primary method — continuous and fartlek training are more specific.

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Summary