2.4 Design an aerobic or anaerobic training program based on the FITT principle
About the dot point
Aerobic and anaerobic training programmes are planned ways of improving fitness by manipulating the workload the body completes over time. In sport and physical activity, the aim is not just to “train hard”, but to apply the right stress to the right body systems so the athlete develops specific physiological adaptations, such as improved cardiorespiratory endurance or greater repeated-sprint capacity. A useful framework for doing this is the FITT principle, which organises training decisions around frequency, intensity, time, and type so that training load is purposeful and matched to the desired outcome.
How to approach it
Because this dot point uses the directive verb design, you must create an actual training programme, not just describe what one might include. Your job is to produce a logical plan that uses FITT choices to build either aerobic or anaerobic fitness, and to make sure each setting suits the goal and conditions of the programme. The strongest designs show clear purpose, include all required features, and demonstrate how the programme would work in practice.
1. What FITT controls in a training program
FITT controls overall training load. If you change one variable, you usually need to adjust the others. For example, if you increase intensity, you may need fewer sessions (frequency) or shorter time so technique stays good and recovery is possible.
Training should stress body systems enough to trigger an adaptation. This is a useful change that happens after repeated training. For instance, training in an aerobic zone, over time, helps muscles use oxygen more effectively.
2. Selecting the training focus
Aerobic focus
An aerobic program aims to improve endurance. It helps you keep working at moderate-to-vigorous intensity for longer. It targets the cardiorespiratory system so working muscles can produce more ATP using oxygen.
Anaerobic focus
An anaerobic program aims to improve high-intensity performance such as speed, power, and strength. It also helps you repeat intense efforts with short recovery. It targets the ATP-PC system (very short, maximal efforts) and anaerobic glycolysis (high-intensity efforts that last longer, where fatigue builds quickly).
Example: An AFL midfielder needs an aerobic base to cover distance across a match, and anaerobic capacity to produce repeated bursts of speed, tackles, and accelerations.
3. Setting the FITT variables
3.1 Frequency
Frequency is how many training sessions you do each week. To improve fitness, training usually needs to happen at least three times per week. Going above five sessions per week often adds only small extra benefit for most recreational and school-aged athletes, especially if sleep and recovery are not strong.
Aerobic training: typical training guide
3–5 sessions per week
Anaerobic: typical training guide
2–4 sessions per week
Resistance training: typical training guide
- 3 sessions per week is usually enough.
- 4 is often the practical upper limit because muscles need time to recover and adapt.
NB: resistance training can be either aerobic or anaerobic
Example: Two anaerobic conditioning sessions on Tuesday and Friday usually leaves recovery days in between. Lighter aerobic sessions can maintain fitness without creating too much fatigue.
3.2 Intensity
intensity is how hard you work. The best way to measure intensity depends on the type of training.
For aerobic exercise, intensity is often set using target heart rate. You aim to stay in a target heart rate (THR) zone long enough to get a training effect. For anaerobic work, intensity is more often set using effort, work to rest ratios, and resistance training variables. This is because heart rate can take time to rise, so it may not match short maximal efforts.
Aerobic intensity
A simple way to estimate aerobic intensity is to calculate maximum heart rate (MHR) and then use a percentage.
Two common steps:
- Estimate MHR using 220 − age.
- Choose a training percentage.
A common aerobic zone is 70–85% MHR for people with reasonable fitness. Beginners may start lower (for example, 50–70% MHR) and then build up with progression.
Anaerobic intensity
Anaerobic training is usually high to maximal. It is commonly planned using:
- Sprint and change-of-direction effort: near maximal (for example, 90–100% intent), with enough recovery to keep speed and technique high.
- Resistance training: set by load, repetitions, sets, and rest periods.
- work to rest ratios: set so the intended energy system is stressed while movement quality stays high.
For some interval conditioning, you might describe intensity as 85%+ of MHR, but this is less useful for short sprints and heavy resistance work because heart rate does not always show immediate maximal muscular effort.
3.3 Time
Time is the duration of training. In program design, it helps to separate total session length from the main work time at the intended intensity.
For aerobic training, the key time is how long you stay in the THR zone. Many people start with 20–30 minutes in the zone. This can build towards 40 minutes or more as fitness improves. This does not include the warm-up and cool-down.
Aerobic: typical training guide
Aerobic: 20–60 minutes or more of aerobic work, with longer sessions sometimes extending further (especially for well-trained endurance athletes).
Anaerobic: typical training guide
Anaerobic: the total session may last 20–45 minutes or more, but the amount of true high-intensity work is usually much lower because rest intervals are needed to maintain speed, power, and technique.
There is usually little benefit in regularly training until complete exhaustion. Too much fatigue increases the risk of overtraining symptoms and overuse injuries, especially when recovery behaviours are poor.
Training effects also take time across weeks, not just within one session. Around six weeks is often needed to see clear training adaptations.
Example: A HIIT session may last 30–45 minutes in total, but the amount of true high-intensity work is often only a few minutes up to about 16 minutes, depending on the interval method used. The rest of the session is made up of the warm-up, recovery intervals, and cool-down. NB: Some advanced programs aim for 15–20 minutes of high-quality work intervals.
3.4 Type
Type is the method of training you choose. It should match the sport’s movement patterns and the main energy demands you are targeting.
Aerobic training
Aerobic training often uses continuous exercise with large muscle groups (for example, running, cycling, swimming). It can also include fartlek, long intervals, or aerobic circuit training. These methods keep oxygen demand high, which supports cardiorespiratory adaptations.
Anaerobic training
Anaerobic training uses short bursts of intense work to develop speed, power, and strength. Methods include sprinting (for example, 100–400 m), repeated sprint intervals, plyometrics, agility drills, and resistance training. The interval structure, including work to rest ratios, is a key part of choosing the right type for the intended outcome.
Example: A netball athlete may use continuous cycling to build aerobic fitness with reduced impact load, while still using short court-based sprints and change-of-direction drills to target anaerobic match demands.
4. Worked programs
Aerobic example: swimming
Example: An Australian 1500 m swimmer designs a week to build aerobic fitness.
Goal: Improve the ability to sustain a strong pace by developing aerobic endurance (cardiorespiratory endurance).
FITT settings:
- frequency: 5 sessions per week
- intensity: mainly 70–85% of maximum heart rate (MHR), working in the aerobic training zone
- time: about 30–45 minutes of main aerobic swimming work per session (excluding warm-up and cool-down)
- type: freestyle continuous swimming and long aerobic intervals
Weekly structure:
- Monday – Session 1: Continuous aerobic swim, steady pace
- Tuesday – Session 2: Long aerobic intervals
- Wednesday: Rest (full recovery)
- Thursday – Session 3: Continuous aerobic swim, steady pace
- Friday – Session 4: Long aerobic intervals
- Saturday – Session 5: Mixed aerobic session (steady swim plus controlled aerobic intervals)
- Sunday: Rest (full recovery)
One session design (long-interval focus):
- Warm-up: 10 minutes easy freestyle
- Main set: 8 × 200 m at steady aerobic pace with 20–30 seconds rest between reps
- Cool-down: 5 minutes easy swimming
This keeps the swimmer working at a steady aerobic intensity for long enough to drive cardiorespiratory adaptations and help maintain pace across the 1500 m distance.
Anaerobic example: AFL
Example: An AFL midfielder designs sessions to improve repeated sprint ability (RSA) and anaerobic capacity.
Goal: Improve the ability to produce repeated high-intensity efforts (accelerations, sprints and change-of-direction) with incomplete recovery, and to recover faster between efforts.
FITT settings:
- frequency: 2 high-intensity conditioning sessions per week, separated by recovery days
- intensity: high to near-maximal sprint and change-of-direction efforts (about 90–95%+ effort), so speed and technique stay high across repetitions
- time: about 1.5–2 minutes of true high-intensity sprint work within a longer session of about 30–45 minutes, once warm-up, recovery periods, skills, and cool-down are included
- type: repeated short sprints, agility/change-of-direction drills, and game-relevant running patterns using a work:rest ratio that creates incomplete recovery
Weekly structure:
- Monday – Session 1: Recovery or light aerobic work (low load)
- Tuesday – Session 2: RSA intervals + agility (high intensity)
- Wednesday – Session 3: Skills and lower intensity conditioning (moderate load)
- Thursday – Session 4: Speed/RSA top-up (high quality, slightly lower volume)
- Friday – Session 5: Light skills session (very low load)
- Saturday – Match (main weekly high-intensity load)
- Sunday: Rest (very low load recovery)
One session design (interval focus):
- Warm-up: 10 minutes movement prep + progressive run-throughs
- Main set: 3 sets of 6 × 6 seconds sprint + change-of-direction efforts
- Recovery between reps: 24 seconds walk/jog (about 1:4 work:rest; incomplete recovery)
- Recovery between sets: 2 minutes easy walk
- Additional football-specific work: 15–20 minutes of lower-intensity skills, ball movement, positioning, or tactical drills
- Cool-down: 5–10 minutes easy jog/walk + mobility
Note: Although the true sprint work only adds up to about 1.8 minutes, the full session is much longer because recovery periods, skill work, warm-up, and cool-down are all needed to support high-quality anaerobic training.
This structure targets anaerobic performance and repeated sprint ability by forcing the athlete to repeat high-intensity efforts with limited recovery, which is similar to the stop-start demands of AFL match play. The actual sprint efforts only add up to a small amount of time because the goal is quality, not continuous fatigue. The rest of the session includes recovery, preparation, and lower-intensity skill work so the athlete can maintain speed and technique during the repeated sprint efforts.
Brief Summary
About the dot point and how to approach it
- Aerobic and anaerobic training programmes improve fitness by manipulating workload over time to create specific physiological adaptations.
- The FITT principle organises training decisions around frequency, intensity, time, and type so training load matches the desired outcome.
- Because the directive verb is design, you must create an actual training programme that shows how it would work in practice.
1. What FITT controls in a training program
- FITT controls overall training load.
- Changing one FITT variable usually requires adjusting the others so technique and recovery are possible.
- An adaptation is a useful change that happens after repeated training.
2. Selecting the training focus
- An aerobic program improves endurance by targeting the cardiorespiratory system so muscles can produce more ATP using oxygen.
- An anaerobic program improves speed, power, and strength by targeting the ATP-PC system and anaerobic glycolysis, and by training repeated intense efforts with short recovery.
3. Setting the FITT variables
- Frequency is sessions per week (often at least three; typical guide: Aerobic 3–5, Anaerobic 2–4).
- Intensity is how hard you work (aerobic often uses target heart rate (THR) zone; MHR can be estimated with 220 − age and common zones include 70–85% MHR).
- Time is duration, especially main work time at the intended intensity (aerobic often focuses on time in the THR zone; too much fatigue increases risk of overtraining symptoms and overuse injuries).
- Type is the training method, chosen to match movement patterns and energy demands (aerobic continuous work; anaerobic short intense bursts and interval structure including work to rest ratios).
4. Worked programs
- Aerobic example uses FITT settings (e.g., 5 sessions per week, about 75% MHR, about 45 minutes of main work, appropriate aerobic swim sets) to build aerobic endurance.
- Anaerobic example uses FITT settings (e.g., 2 high-intensity sessions per week, near maximal efforts, 15–20 minutes of true high-intensity work, repeated sprint and agility drills) to improve repeated sprint ability and recovery.