Q.Explain the continuous, interval and fartlek methods of developing endurance.

The Continuous, Interval and Fartlek methods are the three prescribed methods of developing endurance. The Continuous Method uses a steady pace with no rest at all -- Slow Continuous keeps heart rate at 140-160 beats per minute for at least 30 minutes, while Fast Continuous pushes it to 160-180 beats per minute for at least 20 minutes. The Interval Method works on incomplete recovery: work until heart rate reaches about 180 beats per minute, rest only until it drops to 120-130 beats per minute, then repeat. The Fartlek Method (Swedish for "speed play") varies pace in an unplanned way based on terrain and feeling, and is …

Endurance training methods differ mainly in how work and recovery are arranged. Three methods are prescribed for developing endurance: the Continuous Method, the Interval Method and the Fartlek Method.

Continuous Method

In the continuous method the athlete performs an activity at a steady, sub-maximal pace with no rest at all through the session. It has two sub-types:

• Slow Continuous Method -- heart rate is kept at about 140-160 beats per minute (in a trained athlete), and the duration should not be less than 30 minutes. It is used for activities like walking, running and cycling, and is the gentler of the two forms.
• Fast Continuous Method -- heart rate rises to about 160-180 beats per minute, and the duration should be at least 20 minutes. It is more strenuous and exhaustive than the slow continuous form, since the higher pace is sustained for the whole session.

Both forms build the aerobic base that other, harder methods are then layered on top of.

Interval Method

The interval method is described as the most versatile method for improving endurance. It works on the principle of incomplete recovery: the athlete works at a speed and for a duration sufficient to push the heart rate up to about 180 beats per minute, then takes a short rest interval, and starts working again as soon as the heart rate has dropped to about 120-130 beats per minute -- not all the way back to resting. Repeating this work-and-incomplete-recovery cycle trains the body to work hard, recover partially and work hard again, which is exactly what many competitive events demand.

Fartlek Method …