A mesocycle is a block of training with one main focus, typically lasting a few weeks. A block of speed endurance work before the season is an example.

What is a microcycle?

A microcycle is a short cycle of training, usually one week. The microcycle sets out each session and rest day.

What happens in the general preparation phase?

The general preparation phase builds a base of aerobic fitness, strength and conditioning. Training volume is high and intensity moderate.

How does the specific preparation phase differ from the general preparation phase?

The specific preparation phase shifts training towards the exact demands of the event. Intensity rises, volume falls and sessions become more sport-specific.

Edexcel A-Level Physical Education 9PE0

The Musculo-Skeletal System

Topic overview Muscles, bones and movements of the upper body Muscles, bones and movements of the lower body and trunk Contraction types and the stretch-shortening cycle Muscle roles and the acute response to a warm-up

Levers, Newton's Laws and Stability

Topic overview Lever systems in the body Mechanical advantage and disadvantage of levers Newton's laws of motion and force calculations Centre of mass and stability

The Respiratory System

Topic overview Structure of the airways and alveoli The mechanics of breathing Gas exchange, partial pressure and diffusion Lung volumes and capacities

The Cardiovascular System

Topic overview Heart structure and the conduction system Blood vessels, circulation and vascular shunting Heart rate, cardiac output and bradycardia Exercise responses and the effects of an unhealthy lifestyle

The Neuromuscular System

Topic overview Muscle fibre types and their characteristics Motor units, recruitment and gradation of contraction Muscle structure and the sliding filament theory Neuromuscular transmission and the response to warming up

Adaptations to Training

Topic overview Heart and lung adaptations to training Muscle and bone adaptations to training Nervous system and muscle fibre adaptations

Energy Systems

Topic overview Forms of energy and ATP The ATP-PC and glycolytic systems The aerobic system and fuel use The energy continuum and priming exercise

Fatigue and Recovery

Topic overview Fatigue from energy depletion and dehydration Lactic acid, hydrogen ions and fatigue Oxygen deficit, EPOC and the fast component The slow component and recovery windows

Diet, Nutrition and Supplements

Topic overview Energy balance, nutrients and optimal weight Hydration, electrolytes and sports drinks Legal supplements and their effects Carbohydrate loading and fuelling around exercise

Fitness Testing

Topic overview Gas analysis and aerobic field tests Lactate and functional threshold testing Anaerobic capacity and power tests Strength, agility and sprint tests

Components and Principles of Training

Topic overview Aerobic, anaerobic and muscular fitness Speed, agility, balance and coordination Principles of training and FITT Measuring intensity, Karvonen and monitoring technology

Training Methods and Periodisation

Topic overview Periodisation cycles and recovery strategies Continuous, fartlek, interval, circuit and cross training Flexibility, resistance, plyometric and SAQ training Training at altitude and in heat and humidity

Injury Prevention and Rehabilitation

Topic overview Classifying injuries and acute injuries Overuse injuries: shin splints, tendonitis and stress fractures Preventing sports injuries Rehabilitation methods, POLICE and RICE

Linear and Angular Motion

Topic overview Distance, displacement, speed and acceleration Distance–time, speed–time and velocity–time graphs Angular motion and moment of inertia Conservation of angular momentum

Projectile Motion and Fluid Mechanics

Topic overview Forces acting on a projectile in flight Release velocity, height and angle Drag, streamlining and technology Lift, the Bernoulli effect and spin

Coaching and Skill Classification

Topic overview Mosston's coaching styles Tactics and strategies in competition Analysing a skill in phases Classifying skills on continuums Transfer of skills

Learning Theories

Topic overview Classical and operant conditioning Reinforcement, punishment and the S-R bond Thorndike's laws of learning Fitts and Posner's stages of learning

Practice and Guidance

Topic overview Whole, part, progressive part and whole-part-whole practice Massed, distributed, fixed and variable practice Visual, verbal, manual and mechanical guidance Technology in guidance

Feedback and Motor Control

Topic overview Purposes and effectiveness of feedback Types of feedback Feedback technology and performance analysis Open and closed loop control

Information Processing and Memory

Topic overview Welford and Whiting's information processing models The sensory store and short-term memory Long-term memory and the multi-store model Reaction time, Hick's law and the psychological refractory period Schmidt's schema theory

Personality and Attitudes

Topic overview Sport psychology and the nature–nurture debate Trait theory: Eysenck and Cattell Interactionist theory and personality structure Attitudes, Wood's triadic model and cognitive dissonance

Arousal and Anxiety

Topic overview Arousal and the optimal level for performance Drive, inverted-U and catastrophe theories Anxiety, stress and stressors Cognitive and somatic stress management strategies

Aggression

Topic overview Aggression and assertion in sport Types of aggression Theories of aggression: Lorenz, Bandura, Dollard and Berkowitz Causes of aggression and strategies to reduce it

Motivation

Topic overview Types of motivation Internal, external, tangible and intangible rewards Achievement motivation: NACH and NAF Developing a need to achieve

Social Facilitation

Topic overview Social facilitation, social inhibition and types of others Zajonc's dominant response and evaluation apprehension Home advantage, distraction, proximity and coping with an audience

Group Dynamics and Cohesion

Topic overview Groups, teams, and task and social cohesion Carron's four factors of cohesion Steiner's model and the Ringelmann effect Social loafing and building team cohesion

Goal Setting

Topic overview SMARTER targets Outcome, performance and process goals Goal timescales and the benefits of goal setting

Attribution Theory

Topic overview Weiner's attributions for success and failure The three dimensions of attribution Attribution retraining

Confidence and Self-Efficacy

Topic overview Self-confidence and its effect on performance Vealey's model of sport confidence Bandura's four sources of self-efficacy Learned helplessness

Leadership

Topic overview Qualities and impact of an effective leader Autocratic, democratic and laissez-faire styles Fiedler's and Chelladurai's leadership models Trait, social learning and interactionist theories of leadership

The Emergence of Modern Sport

Topic overview Popular recreation in pre-industrial Britain The Industrial Revolution and recreation Rational recreation, Arnold and athleticism Factory teams, the sporting press and the first governing bodies

Equality, Diversity and Migration in Sport

Topic overview Corporate and geographically based teams Disability sport and opportunities for women Migration of sporting labour

The Globalisation of Sport

Topic overview What globalisation means for sport Colonial diffusion of sport across the British Empire National and international governing bodies Bidding for and staging world events

The Commercialisation of Sport

Topic overview Commercialisation and sport as a commodity Broken time, spectatorism and the media The Olympic Games and the 1984 commercial blueprint Franchises, Americanisation and global stars

Ethics and Deviance in Sport

Topic overview Ethics, sportsmanship and gamesmanship Performance-enhancing drugs from early use to today Simulation, bribery, bungs and match fixing Responses to deviance and the role of WADA

Sport and the Media

Topic overview The two-way relationship between sport and the media Live and social media coverage Viewing technology, sports packages and pay-per-view

Talent Identification and Elite Development

Topic overview Talent identification programmes in the UK The pathway from novice to elite performer East German and Australian influences on UK sport

Participation and the Health of the Nation

Topic overview Barriers to participation and the benefits of mass participation Mass participation initiatives in the UK Participation trends in the 21st century

Training Methods and Periodisation

4 subtopics
12 things to know
Component 1

What Training Methods and Periodisation covers

Training Methods and Periodisation is examined in Component 1, Scientific principles of physical education. It covers periodisation cycles and recovery strategies, continuous, fartlek, interval, circuit and cross training, flexibility, resistance, plyometric and SAQ training and training at altitude and in heat and humidity.

Where it is assessed

Component 1

Scientific principles of physical education, a 2 hour 30 minute paper worth 40% of the qualification.

Check the Pearson Edexcel specification ↗

The 4 subtopics

Each one has its own page.

What you need to know

Answer each one before you reveal it.

Your recallNot started

Key term

What is ballistic stretching, and what are its benefit and risk?

Key term

How do resistance methods such as parachutes and pulleys develop a sprinter?

Key term

What is functional stability training, and how does it benefit a performer?

Key term

What is periodisation?

Key term

What is continuous training?

Key term

Why is endurance performance reduced at altitude?

Key term

What is a macrocycle?

Evaluation

Give one advantage and one disadvantage of continuous training.

Key term

Which events are harmed and which helped by competing at altitude?

Key term

What is a mesocycle?

Key term

Why would continuous training suit a triathlete's preparation phase?

Key term

What is the main physiological benefit of altitude training?

Take Training Methods and Periodisation further

The same content, four other ways.

Commonly confused

Pairs that lose marks when they are blurred together.

Fartlek training vs Interval training
Fartlek training: continuous running with varied pace and terrain. Interval training: alternating set periods of work with periods of rest or light activity.
Static stretching vs Ballistic stretching
Static stretching: holding a muscle still at the end of its range. Ballistic stretching: bouncing or swinging a limb beyond its normal range.
Resisted sprinting vs Assisted sprinting
Resisted sprinting: moving at full speed against added drag from a parachute or pulley. Assisted sprinting: moving faster than normal with a bungee tow or downhill slope.

Questions from this topic

Each one with the model answer underneath.

1
What is periodisation?
Model answer
Periodisation is the division of the training year into planned phases and cycles. The aim is to peak at the right time and avoid overtraining.
2
What is a macrocycle?
Model answer
A macrocycle is the long-term training plan leading to a major goal, usually a season or a year. An Olympic athlete may plan across a four-year cycle.
3
What is a mesocycle?
Model answer
A mesocycle is a block of training with one main focus, typically lasting a few weeks. A block of speed endurance work before the season is an example.
4
What is a microcycle?
Model answer
A microcycle is a short cycle of training, usually one week. The microcycle sets out each session and rest day.
5
What happens in the general preparation phase?
Model answer
The general preparation phase builds a base of aerobic fitness, strength and conditioning. Training volume is high and intensity moderate.
6
How does the specific preparation phase differ from the general preparation phase?
Model answer
The specific preparation phase shifts training towards the exact demands of the event. Intensity rises, volume falls and sessions become more sport-specific.

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The Musculo-Skeletal System

Levers, Newton's Laws and Stability

The Respiratory System

The Cardiovascular System

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AThe training zone is 136 to 158 bpm.

BHeart rate reserve = (220 − 40) − 70 = 110 bpm.

CLower limit = (110 × 0.6) + 70 = 136 bpm.

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Training Methods and Periodisation revision questions

What does Training Methods and Periodisation cover in Edexcel A-Level Physical Education?: 4 subtopics: periodisation cycles and recovery strategies, continuous, fartlek, interval, circuit and cross training, flexibility, resistance, plyometric and saq training and training at altitude and in heat and humidity. Each one has its own page with questions and model answers.
How is Training Methods and Periodisation organised?: By the Edexcel 9PE0 specification, subtopic by subtopic, so it matches the order you are taught it in.

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