What Is Fartlek Training In Physical Education?

05.02.2023 Grady A. Lowry 0 Comments

Nuffield Health Senior Personal Trainer Phil Goulding explains what fartlek training is, what it’s good for and when to do it. Fartlek is a Swedish word and roughly translated means ‘speed play’. Fartlek training involves varying the intensity or speed of your run to improve your fitness and endurance.
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Contents

0.1 What is fartlek training in PE?

1 Why is it called fartlek training?
2 What is fartlek training examples?
- - 2.0.1 What is fartlek training and its benefits?
3 What are fartlek activities?
- 3.1 How do you do fartlek training?
4 What is another name for fartlek training?
5 How long is fartlek training?
6 What sports need fartlek training?
- - 6.0.1 What is fartlek training GCSE PE example?
  - 6.0.2 What sports need fartlek training?

What is fartlek training in PE?

Methods and effects of training – There are a number of different ways of training that can improve health and fitness necessary for a range of activities. Warming up and cooling down are essential parts of a training session.

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Specific training methods are used to bring about specific outcomes and even the timing and order of when to use each training method can be planned to the finest detail. All methods of training need to be specific to the individual performer, component of fitness and the activity. Continuous training develops cardiovascular fitness

A minimum of 20 minutes sub-maximal work (steady rate, lower intensity).
Target heart rate range between 60% – 80% maximum heart rate (maxHR).
Swimming, running, cycling, walking or a combination of these disciplines.
A distance runner or triathlete would use continuous training.

Fartlek training develops a range of components and is used by games players. Fartlek means ‘speed play’.

A form of continuous training.
Changes in speed, incline and terrain are used to provide changes in exercise intensity.
Aerobic and anaerobic work can be done in the quantities that suit the performer and it is more varied than continuous training.
Footballers, tennis and hockey players would use fartlek training.

Interval training can develop strength, speed, muscular endurance and cardiovascular endurance

Periods of work interspersed with periods of rest.
A wide variety of fitness types can be developed.
Structured by planning the duration of the work and rest intervals, the intensity of the work intervals and the number of work-rest intervals.
An example of a sprint session might be 6 × 100m at 12 seconds with 2 minutes rest in between.
Interval training can be used for almost any sport providing it is planned for the type of fitness required.

Circuit training can develop strength, speed, agility, muscular endurance or cardiovascular stamina

A form of interval training.
A series of exercises or activities arranged in a special order called a circuit.
A circuit usually involves 6-10 exercises performed at stations.
The exercises work different muscle groups and circuits usually avoid working the same muscle group at two consecutive stations.
Examples of circuit exercises are sit-ups, press-ups, squats, lunges and step-ups.
Sports skills can also be included such as dribbling, shooting and passing for basketball players.
Circuit training can be used for almost any sport providing it is planned for the type of fitness required.

Weight training develops strength and muscular endurance

A form of interval training.
Intensity is measured in a percentage of the most weight a person can lift one time and is known as % 1 REP MAX (% of maximum lift).
Time is structured in reps and sets with specific timings for recovery between sets.
Strength training involves high weights and low reps; muscular endurance training involves low weights and high reps.
Huge range of possible lifts combining machines, free weights and body weight exercises.
Most sports performers and athletes use weight training to improve strength and muscular endurance, for example cyclists, rugby players and athletic throwers.

Plyometric training develops power

High intensity exercise involving explosive movements.
The muscle is lengthened and then rapidly shortened to develop the explosive capability of the muscle, like an elastic band which recoils after being stretched.
Suitable for well-trained athletes; can easily cause injury if not used properly or not enough recovery allowed.
Very effective for developing power.
Involves bounding, hopping and jumping.
Any sports requiring sprinting, throwing or jumping would use plyometrics, for example netballers and volleyballers.

HIIT (High Intensity Interval Training) develops cardiovascular endurance/stamina and anaerobic fitness

Short bursts of intense exercise with short recovery breaks in between.
Gives the same effects as long duration endurance training but in a shorter period of time.
The work interval intensity should be between 80 – 95% max HR; recovery intensity should be 40-50% maxHR.
Example sessions on an exercise bike might be three minutes of high intensity pedaling followed by 3 minutes of recovery pedaling, repeated three to five times or 30 seconds of all-out effort followed by recovery pedaling for 4 minutes, repeated three to five times.
HIIT would be beneficial to many sports and is also recommended for health reasons.

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Why is it called fartlek training?

Fartlek: Sweden’s gift to running There are many names for those who run, from fun-runner and jogger through trail runner and marathoner, and, at the far end of the spectrum, sub-elite and elite athletes. What we, as runners, choose to call ourselves is indicative not only of our experience and preference for specific distances and events, but also of what we perceive our ability and commitment levels to be.

Some people call themselves joggers, other people will tell you they are athletes.
The choice of words alone provides a wealth of information about the runner’s sense of self.
Personally, I have a theory that, regardless of one’s speed or stamina, there are only really two types of people who run: runners and Runners.

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For people in the first group, running is something they do. The same is true of those in the second group, but for them, the fact that they run is part of what actually defines them. When you meet someone else who runs, it can be difficult to know at first which group they belong to.

Are they a runner or a Runner? You could ask them their times, or how often they run, but such questioning is fraught with competitive tension, and can have the unfortunate effect of making either one of you feel inferior.
There is, in my opinion, one failsafe way to make the distinction.
In order to find out on which side of the line a person falls, all you have to do is drop the word Fartlek into the conversation.

If they snigger, smirk or raise an eyebrow even the slightest bit, then you are talking to a runner – someone who runs, but is not defined by it. They hear “Fartlek”, they think “fart”. If, on the other hand, they don’t so much as bat an eyelid, but instead nod seriously and perhaps ask you something about interval sessions, then you have a Runner on your hands.

They’ve crossed the line, and running is not only what they do, it is who they are. These are people who could hear the word “fart” in any situation, and all that would pop into their mind is a particular type of training session first developed in in the 1930s. Fartlek has “fart” in it because that is the Swedish word for speed.

Lek means play, and so “speed-play” serves as a rough translation, although Fartlek (with a capital F) is how it’s always been known. It was developed by the national cross-country coach Gösta Holmér in response to the Sweden team’s poor performances against their Finnish rivals.

Fartlek is not, in fact, a common word in Sweden; most non-running Swedes wouldn’t even recognise it as a compound noun. But in running circles the world over it is respected as a tried-and-tested training technique with proven benefits for speed endurance. Holmér’s innovation was to combine speed work and stamina training into one session, in which the runner makes multiple significant alterations to their pace during a run.

Like interval training, it involves running at speeds far higher than normal for short periods. Where Fartlek differs from interval sessions is in the fact that these short bursts of pace occur within a continuous long run. The short, fast runs alternate with longer periods of easier running.

A Fartlek often occurs on trails or roads, rather than on a track, which means that it is commonly practised by solo runners. This independent element gives the runner greater control over their own session; there need not be a pre-determined schedule and the runner can instead feel their way through, gauging when and for how long to take the faster bursts.

This puts more responsibility on the individual: go too easy and the Fartlek will become nothing more than a training run, with little or no benefit to speed endurance. Go too hard, and you risk giving yourself too little time to recover between bursts.

The key to getting a Fartlek right is to be both honest and wise, and, as a result, it is usually most effectively practised by runners (or should that be Runners) with more experience.
That being said, Fartlek can also work equally well in groups, particularly if everyone is at a similar level, as the longer, slower portions of the run provide ample opportunity for everyone to catch up.

My first experience of Fartlek was also the first time I ran with my club. In fact, it was my first ever organised training session. I’d never heard the word before, and this being the first time I was meeting my new clubmates, I stifled my snigger, but it was there nonetheless.

What followed was a session that was by turns testing and reassuring.
Naturally, I went off too fast on the earlier efforts, and by the end of the session was finishing the shorter bursts in a position far nearer the back than the front.
But this didn’t bother me, as the benefits of this kind of training were immediately apparent.

Thanks to this session, and the others that followed, I began to make rapid improvements, and was soon running in cross-country and road races in times far faster than I would previously have imagined possible. In retrospect, that first Fartlek session was when I put one toe over the line, and stopped being just someone who runs.
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What is fartlek training examples?

Improved Focus – Don’t just go through the motions on your run. A fartlek session forces you to stay engaged and make active decisions about your running pace. You won’t just maintain a steady pace throughout the entire workout; you’ll be switching it up as you go, making different intervals based on what you’re trying to accomplish.
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What is fartlek training and its benefits?

What is Fartlek Training? – Fartlek training (translated from Swedish meaning ‘speed play’) is a type of running that is very similar to interval training. It is a method of speed training that is highly effective in improving both endurance and running speed. Fartlek running involves varying your pace while you run, alternating between slow jogs and fast, high-intensity segments throughout the entirety of its duration.

One of the best things about fartlek is that your intervals don’t have to be rigid and set in stone. Part of the fun of this type of training is its spontaneity. You can jog, run slowly, walk, or burst into a sprint if and when you want. It’s entirely up to you and how your body feels, if you think you can push yourself a little further, you’re encouraged to do so; at the same time, if you’re struggling, you can slow down the pace and you don’t have to feel guilty for it as it is part of the format.

There is no restrictions on where or when you can do fartlek training, all we will say is if you do plan on doing your sessions in the evening, read our running at night guide which offers a full guide of how to stay safe and get the most out of your workout.

How you measure your intervals is completely down to you.
Most popularly, many opt to use lampposts as measures, sprinting between two or three then jogging for the next couple.
Other notable measures include: jogging to music, with the song itself acting as an indicator on when to pick up or slow down the pace (for instance: sprinting when you hit the chorus and slowing down during choruses), some choose to speed up or slow down using moving objects as measures (i.e.

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cars or dogs). The unpredictability and inconsistency of fartlek training is one of its primary attractions.
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What are fartlek activities?

What is a fartlek run? – Fartlek is literally, playing around with speeds – essentially, it’s a form of unstructured speedwork. It involves a continuous run in which periods of faster running are mixed with periods of easy- or moderate-paced running (not complete rest, as with ).
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How do you do fartlek training?

Fartlek Runs Defined – Fartlek is a Swedish term that translates as “Speed play”, and as the name implies, Fartlek training is about playing speed, performing boots of fast and slow running over varying distances. It’s a speed game literally—a run during which you change u your pace multiple times throughout a run without following a set structure.
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What is another name for fartlek training?

Fartlek ( Swedish, “speed play”, originally in upper case, now generally in lower case), otherwise known as the Swedish natural method or simply the Swedish method, is a middle- and long distance-runner’s training approach developed in the late 1930’s by Swedish Olympian, Gösta Holmér,

As more recently described (and therefore accommodating changes in practice and definition that have occurred since the 1930s), fartlek is a “relatively unscientific blending” of continuous training (e.g., long slow distance training), with its steady pace of moderate-high intensity aerobic intensity, and interval training, with its “spacing of exercise and rest intervals”.

Most generally and simply stated, in its widely adapted contemporary forms, fartlek training can be seen, simply, as alternating periods of faster and slower running, intermixed, often over natural terrain outdoors, including over both “level and hilly terrain”.

As such, Holmér’s original approach to fartlek training has been widely adapted, and has evolved considerably since its introduction in the early 20th century. While Fartlek training is generally associated with running, it can in principle be incorporated into almost any kind of exercise. The variable intensities and the continuous nature of the exercise stresses both the aerobic and anaerobic parts of the runner’s physiology.

It differs from traditional interval training in that it is more unstructured; intensities (speeds) and their durations can vary, as the coach and athlete wish. As stated, although primarily a level surface and standard track training routine in its inception, it has moved far beyond, now including workouts off track, and up grades.
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How long is fartlek training?

How To Run Fartleks – When running fartleks, your main focus should be on time instead of distance. If your goal race is 5K, the fartlek portion of the workout should be a maximum of 15 to 20 minutes. If you’re an experienced runner training for a half marathon or marathon, you can allow 60 to 75 minutes for the fartlek component.

It is important to note that a fartlek workout should not leave you feeling exhausted. You should finish your run feeling refreshed. After you’ve finished your warm-up, choose a landmark to run to at a faster pace or an amount of time to run harder for. Run fast to that spot, remembering that the pace you go at is completely up to you.

Pick a further landmark and jog easily to that spot. Don’t be concerned about maintaining a consistent pace for the faster efforts, play around with your speeds for both portions of the workout. Example:

10 to 15 minute easy warm-up Run 5 minutes at a fast pace Run 3 minutes at an easy pace Run 4 minutes at a fast pace Run 2 minutes at an easy pace Repeat this pattern, decreasing the amount of time at each pace by 1 minute each time 10 to 15 minute easy cool down

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What sports need fartlek training?

Fartlek Training Fartlek training focuses on giving an athlete an effective and efficient form of endurance conditioning. Fartlek was introduced by the Swedish coach Gösta Holmer back in the 1930s for runners. Over the years, a lot of other endurance sports have adopted it as a part of their training.

The main differentiator of this training is running varying distances at varying speeds at varying intensity.
The variations are unlimited.
In most Fartlek training sessions, each workout session is kept relatively short.
Furthermore, the training routines aren’t static.
They vary from practice to practice.

This type of training can improve both aerobic and anaerobic energy levels. In addition to runners, Fartlek training helps players of field games such as football, soccer, rugby, hockey and lacrosse as it develops aerobic and aerobic capacities. A long slow run/cycle (at about 70% VO 2 max) forms the basis of the training routine and is combined with short bursts of higher intensity work.

There is no set format for a Fartlek training routine.
Over the years, several unique methods have been developed by coaches looking to improve on the basic model.
In addition to enhancing VO 2 max, Fartlek training improves exercise economy and lactate threshold.
The most common mode of fartlek training includes varying pace throughout the exercise, alternating between fast running and slow jogs.

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Fartlek intervals are generally unstructured. The intervals between work and rest can be established based on the comfort and preferences of the athlete. With fartlek training, one can experiment with pace and endurance with the goal of busting through existing plateaus.

This type of training is more flexible and less demanding than traditional interval training. Fartlek running does not need to be done on level, hard ground. It can be done on all types of terrains: roads, stairs, trails or even on hills as long as a fast run is followed by a slower paced series (below-average running pace).

By slowing the pace, one’s breathing returns to normal. Once recovery occurs, a regular paced run then follows. Later in the routine, faster run intervals begin again. Fartlek training eventually leads to faster speeds and improved anaerobic threshold. The main reason for the success of fartlek training is that it can be modified to the needs of the individual.

This type of adaptive quality helps improve an individual’s endurance base, getting the body accustomed to higher intensity exercise, which is vital in increasing anaerobic metabolism, maximizing oxygen consumption and increasing average pace speed. Because fartlek training allows for flexibility, it means one can customize each training episode according to specific course length, terrain type, weather prediction and course obstacles (e.g., stairs).

The flexibility that Fartlek provides also means this type of training is a lot of to do. : Fartlek Training
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What is fartlek training GCSE PE example?

Fartlek training methods – Fartlek is a Swedish word for speed play and is a form of continuous training during which the speed or terrain of the activity is varied so that both aerobic and anaerobic energy systems are stressed. This could involve periods of sprinting, jogging, or walking or could include uphill, downhill, and flat running.

Due to the nature of the different intensities, this type of training is useful for improving cardiovascular fitness, muscular endurance, speed, recovery times, and lactate threshold (the amount of lactate acid you can tolerate).
This is often a more demanding form of training compared to continuous training due to the higher intensities.

Example of fartlek training sessions:

5-minute jog to warm upSprint for 30 secondsJog for 90 secondsRun approx.75 % for 50 secondsJog for 90 secondsRepeat 6 times

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What sports need fartlek training?

The main differentiator of this training is running varying distances at varying speeds at varying intensity.
The variations are unlimited.
In most Fartlek training sessions, each workout session is kept relatively short.
Furthermore, the training routines aren’t static.
They vary from practice to practice.

There is no set format for a Fartlek training routine. Over the years, several unique methods have been developed by coaches looking to improve on the basic model. In addition to enhancing VO 2 max, Fartlek training improves exercise economy and lactate threshold. The most common mode of fartlek training includes varying pace throughout the exercise, alternating between fast running and slow jogs.

This type of adaptive quality helps improve an individual’s endurance base, getting the body accustomed to higher intensity exercise, which is vital in increasing anaerobic metabolism, maximizing oxygen consumption and increasing average pace speed.
Because fartlek training allows for flexibility, it means one can customize each training episode according to specific course length, terrain type, weather prediction and course obstacles (e.g., stairs).

The flexibility that Fartlek provides also means this type of training is a lot of to do. : Fartlek Training
View complete answer

Grady A. Lowry