WJEC/Eduqas GCSE PE Personal Fitness Programme: Student Companion

3 Self-analysis Calculat ing HR You can measure your heart rate at your wrist or your neck: 1. At your wrist: Lightly press the index and middle ngers of one hand on the opposite wrist, just below the base of the thumb. 2. At your neck: Lightly press the side of the neck, just below your jawbone. Count the number of beats in 15 seconds, and multiply by four to give your heart rate per minute. Calculating maximum heart rate A quick way to calculate maximum heart rates for different ages is to use this equation: Maximum heart rate (max HR) = 220 – age e.g. 220 – 16 = 204 b.p.m. Training zones A knowledge of heart rates can allow you to train speci cally in these training zones : • the aerobic zone , 70% to 80% of your maximum heart rate • the anaerobic zone , 80% to 90% of your maximum heart rate. Training in the aerobic zone will develop your cardiovascular system . Your body’s ability to transport oxygen to, and carbon dioxide away from, the working muscles can be developed and improved. Training in the anaerobic zone will develop your lactic acid system . In this zone, your anaerobic threshold (AT) is found. This is the point at which your body can no longer remove the lactic acid from the working muscles quickly enough. Through the correct training it is possible to delay the AT by being able to increase your ability to deal with the lactic acid for a longer time, or by pushing the AT higher. Now you should have a good understanding of: • the components of tness and their de nitions • how each component is used within sports and activities • test protocols for each component of tness. Methods of training Before you start planning a personal tness plan you will need to have speci c targets to aim for; there is more help for you to set these targets in Chapter 4. Your training programme can be designed to help improve tness and performance within your chosen activity. One way to identify targets is to identify your strengths and areas for improvement by testing a range of components of tness. From the data collected you can identify sport speci c areas to focus on to bring about improvements. Once you have identi ed your targets, you need to understand training methods so that you can develop the components of tness identi ed. The method of training you choose should match your needs (see Table 3.4 on the page opposite). Different methods will need to be used for different people. You will have seen calculations like these in your mathematics studies. You will have studied aerobic and anaerobic respiration in biology. Heart rate should be measured at the wrist or neck 28