Lesson Notes By Weeks and Term v4 - SHS 1

Lesson Video

This page supports the lesson note with a companion video and a short classroom-ready summary.

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Performance objectives

• Explain the key training principles for sports.
• Apply these principles to design a training program.
• Understand how to lead and evaluate training activities.

Lesson summary

This lesson introduces the fundamental scientific principles that govern how our bodies adapt and improve through physical training. It moves beyond just "playing sports" to understanding the "why" and "how" of effective training. For any student who wants to improve in sports like football, athletics, or basketball—whether for Inter-Schools competitions (Inter-Co) or personal goals—understanding these principles is the key to training smart, not just hard. It helps prevent injuries, overcome performance plateaus, and achieve peak physical condition. This knowledge is what separates casual players from serious athletes.

Lesson notes

The principles of training are the scientific rules that we must follow to get the most out of our physical activities and sports training. If you ignore them, your training will be inefficient, and you might even get injured. The Six Core Principles of Training Principle of Specificity What it is: This principle states that the training you do must be specific to your sport, the muscles you use in that sport, and the type of fitness you need (e.g., speed, endurance, strength). The body adapts specifically to the demands placed on it. Why it matters: You get what you train for. A simple saying is, "Practice doesn't make perfect; practice makes permanent." If you practice the wrong thing, you get good at the wrong thing. Ghanaian Context Example: A sprinter for the school's Inter-Co team, like Joseph Paul Amoah, needs explosive power and speed. They should focus on sprint drills, weight training for power (like squats), and plyometrics (jumping exercises). It would be a waste of their time to spend hours jogging long distances like a marathon runner. Similarly, a Black Stars midfielder like Mohammed Kudus needs stamina, agility, and ball control, so his training must include endurance runs, quick-direction-change drills, and extensive work with the football. Principle of Progressive Overload What it is: For the body to improve, it must be forced to work harder than it is used to. This "overload" stresses the body, which then adapts by becoming stronger or fitter. The overload must be *progressive*, meaning it should be increased gradually over time. Why it matters: If you always lift the same weight or run the same distance at the same speed, your body will get used to it and stop improving. This is called a *performance plateau*. How to Apply it (The FITT Principle): The FITT principle gives us four ways to apply overload. You can change one or more of these variables to make your training more challenging. F - Frequency: How often you train. *Example:* Increasing training from 3 days a week to 4 days a week. I - Intensity: How hard you train. *Example:* Running faster, lifting a heavier weight, or reducing rest time between sets. T - Time: How long you train (duration). *Example:* Increasing a jogging session from 30 minutes to 40 minutes. T - Type: The kind of exercise you do. *Example:* A swimmer adding resistance bands to their strokes to increase difficulty. Principle of Progression What it is: This is closely linked to Progressive Overload. It states that as you get fitter, the overload must continue to increase for you to keep improving. You should have a long-term plan for how you will make your training harder over weeks and months. Why it matters: It ensures long-term fitness gains. If you overload too quickly, you risk injury. If you don't progress at all, you plateau. Ghanaian Context Example: A student training for the 1500m race might start by running 2km three times a week. *Week 1-2:* Run 2km at a steady pace. *Week 3-4:* Increase the distance to 2.5km (Progression in Time/Duration). *Week 5-6:* Run the 2.5km faster (Progression in Intensity). *Week 7-8:* Add a fourth day of training (Progression in Frequency). Principle of Reversibility (or "Use it or Lose it") What it is: When you stop training, the fitness improvements you made will be lost. The body reverses its adaptations because the training stress is no longer present. Why it matters: It highlights the importance of consistency. You cannot train hard for one month and expect the benefits to last forever. Ghanaian Context Example: A school football player trains hard all term for the Inter-Co competition. The team plays well. During the long vacation, the player does no training at all. When they return to school, they will find it difficult to run, will get tired easily, and will have lost much of their skill and fitness. This is reversibility in action. Principle of Individual Differences (Individuality) What it is: Everyone's body responds to training differently. Factors like genetics, age, gender, body type, and previous experience all affect how quickly and how much we improve. Why it matters: A training programme that works perfectly for your friend might not work for you. You must listen to your own body and adjust your training accordingly. Ghanaian Context Example: Two students decide to start training for the school volleyball team. Kofi, who is naturally tall and has played before, might see rapid improvement in his jumping and spiking. Yaw, who is shorter and new to the sport, might need to focus more on his agility and passing skills and may see slower, but steady, improvement. Their coach should give them slightly different drills based on their individual needs. Principle of Rest and Recovery What it is: The body needs time to recover from the stress of training. It is during rest that muscles repair themselves, grow stronger, and energy stores are replenished. Why it matters: Without enough rest, you can suffer from *overtraining*, which leads to fatigue, poor performance, and a higher risk of injury. Rest is just as important as the training itself. Ghanaian Context Example: A weightlifter at the gym who trains their chest muscles with heavy bench presses on Monday should not train the same muscles again on Tuesday. They should give those muscles at least 48 hours to recover, perhaps by training their legs on Tuesday. Sleep is also a critical part of recovery.

Guided Practice (With Solutions)

Instructions: Let's work through these scenarios together. I will read the question, and we will discuss the answer as a class.

Question 1: Adwoa is a talented 100m sprinter. Her coach tells her to prepare for the upcoming Inter-Zonals athletics competition by jogging 5 kilometres every day. After three weeks, Adwoa feels tired but notices her sprinting speed has not improved. Which training principle has the coach ignored? Solution: The principle of Specificity. Commentary: Adwoa is a sprinter, which requires explosive power and anaerobic fitness. Long-distance jogging trains the aerobic endurance system. While general fitness is good, her training is not specific to the demands of a 100m race. She should be doing sprint drills, block starts, and power exercises.

Evaluation guide

• Apply the training principles for sports performance
• Activity -based learning: Individuals lead training activities by applying training
• principles. Peers observe and comment
• Project -Based Learning: Develop portfolios to showcase theapplication of the