Components of Fitness

Tancred (1995)^[1] believes that: "One of the misconceptions in the sports world is that a sports person gets in shape by just playing or taking part in their chosen sport. If a stationary level of performance and consistent ability in executing a few limited skills is your goal, then engaging only in your sport will keep you there. However, sportsmen and women must participate in year-round conditioning programs if they want the utmost efficiency, consistent improvement, and balanced abilities. The bottom line in sports conditioning and fitness training is stress, not mental stress, but adaptive body stress. Sportsmen and women must put their bodies under a certain amount of stress (overload) to increase physical capabilities."

Health & Fitness

The World Health Organization (WHO) defined health in its constitution of 1948 as "a state of complete physical, mental, and social well-being and not merely the absence of disease or infirmity".

Fitness is the ability to meet the demands of a physical task.

The Components of Fitness

Basic fitness can be classified into four main components: strength, speed, stamina and flexibility. However, exercise scientists have identified nine components that comprise the definition of fitness (Tancred 1995)^[1]:

Strength - the extent to which muscles can exert force by contracting against resistance (e.g. holding or restraining an object or person)
Power - the ability to exert maximum muscular contraction instantly in an explosive burst of movements. The two components of power are strength and speed. (e.g. jumping or a sprint start)
Agility - the ability to perform a series of explosive power movements in rapid succession in opposing directions (e.g. Zigzag running or cutting movements)
Balance - the ability to control the body's position, either stationary (e.g. a handstand) or while moving (e.g. a gymnastics stunt)
Flexibility - the ability to achieve an extended range of motion without being impeded by excess tissue, i.e. fat or muscle (e.g. executing a leg split)
Local Muscle Endurance - a single muscle's ability to perform sustained work (e.g. rowing or cycling)
Cardiovascular Endurance - the heart's ability to deliver blood to working muscles and their ability to use it (e.g. running long distances)
Strength Endurance - a muscle's ability to perform a maximum contraction time after time (e.g. continuous explosive rebounding through an entire basketball game)
Coordination- the ability to integrate the above-listed components so that effective movements are achieved.

Of all the nine fitness elements, cardiac respiratory qualities are the most important to develop as they enhance all the other components of the conditioning equation.

Physical Fitness

Physical fitness refers to an athlete's capacity to meet the varied physical demands of their sport without reducing the athlete to a fatigued state. The components of physical fitness are (Davis 2000)^[2]:

Motor Fitness

Motor Fitness refers to an athlete's ability to perform successfully in their sport. The components of motor fitness are (Davis 2000)^[2]:

Improving your condition

Identify the most important fitness components for success in your sport or event. Then, design sport/event specific conditioning and training programs to enhance these fitness components and energy systems.

Conditioning Exercises

The following are examples of general conditioning exercises:

General core stability exercises
General all-around body conditioning exercises using dumbbells
General conditioning exercises for the upper body
General and specific leg conditioning exercises
Specific exercises to develop lower leg strength and foot speed

Why should I exercise regularly?

Not convinced about the benefits of a regular training regime, then read the benefits of exercising page.

I am new to training, so what should I do?

Visit the general fitness training program page to get an insight into a simple weekly training program that will help develop your general fitness level.

Tests for fitness components

Fitness Component	Recognised Test
Agility	Illinois Agility Test
Balance	Standing Stork Test
Body Composition	Skinfold measures
Cardiovascular Endurance	Multistage Fitness Test
Flexibility	Sit & Reach test
Muscular Endurance	NCF Abdominal Conditioning Test
Power	Standing Long Jump or Vertical Jump
Speed	30-metre Sprint
Strength	Handgrip Dynamometer

In their research, Suni et al. (1996)^[3] found that the following tests appeared to provide acceptable reliability as methods for the field assessment of health-related fitness for adults:

Standing on one leg with eyes open for balance
Side-bending of the trunk for spinal flexibility
Modified push-ups for upper body muscular function
Jump and reach and one leg squat for muscular leg function

Training Aids

Athletes of all levels use home gym equipment to enhance their components of fitness.

References

TANCRED, B. (1995) Key Methods of Sports Conditioning. Athletics Coach, 29 (2), p. 19
DAVIS, B. et al. (2000) Training for physical fitness. In: DAVIS, B. et al. Physical Education and the study of sport. London: Harcourt Publishers, p.121-122
SUNI, J. H. et al. (1996) Health-related fitness test battery for adults: aspects of reliability. Archives of physical medicine and rehabilitation, 77 (4), p. 399-405

Page Reference

If you quote information from this page in your work, then the reference for this page is:

MACKENZIE, B. (1997) Conditioning [WWW] Available from: https://www.brianmac.co.uk/conditon.htm [Accessed