ABSTRACT
Fitness programmes and the development of fi tness play an essential role in maximizing the effectiveness in performance of athletes, and there is an increasing awareness that fi tness has to be monitored methodically and systematically (Wilkinson and Moore, 1995). Many coaches do not have the luxury of being able to employ the services of a fi tness trainer to condition their performers pre-, during and post-season, therefore the responsibility may lie with the coach to design and implement a fi tness training programme. In these cases the coach should have a good understanding of the principles, components and types of fi tness training that are available and which best suit the coach’s aims and objectives. Fitness training can be integrated into the overall training programme and should be designed to maximize the physical development of the performers.
