Dr.Hab., Professor A.P. Strizhak¹
Dr.Hab., Associate Professor L.G. Ryzhkova²
V.V. Bobkov³
PhD, Associate Professor M.A. Kuzmin^4
1Moscow City Pedagogical University, Moscow
²Russian State University of Physical Culture, Sports, Youth and Tourism (SCOLIPE), Moscow
³Gubkin Russian State University of Oil and Gas, Moscow
⁴Plekhanov Russian University of Economics, Moscow

Keywords: Physical Education and Sports “Ready for Labour and Defence” (GTO) Complex, physical education and sports, students, circuit training, academic Physical Education curriculum, test system, GTO Festival, Physical Culture and Sports Center of South-West Administrative District

Background. Pursuant to the Presidential Decrees of May 2012, the Russian Government will ensure by 2024 a significant growth of popular healthy lifestyles with the systemically sporting population group expected to grow to at least 55% of the total. The ambitious goal for the national physical education and sports sector was confirmed by the Presidential Decree #204 of 05.07.2018 “On National Goals and Strategic Progress Missions of the Russian Federation for the period up to 2024” that requires the sporting university student population to grow by around 80% of the total till that time, with the GTO Complex test system ranked high among the physical education and sports methods and tools applied for these purposes [1, 2, 12].

Many analysts argue that the valid academic Physical Education curriculum makes no provisions for the students’ trainings for the GTO Complex tests [13]. This issue was seriously tackled, for instance, by the International Sports Forum “Russia – a Sports Power” (October 2014, Cheboksary), when President V.V. Putin urged the national physical education and sports sector to consider changes and amendments to the Federal State Educational Standards to have them harmonized with the GTO Complex test standards and requirements.

Objective of the study was to experimentally test benefits of a circuit training model to make the students fit for the GTO Complex tests.

Methods and structure of the study. We selected for the purposes of the study 9 out of 13 GTO Complex Class V/ VI tests including 4 mandatory and 5 optional tests that may be easily run in the regular academic physical education service with qualifications for the GTO silver/ bronze badges [2]. We sampled for the study Experimental Group (EG, n=30) and Reference Group (n=30), with the EG trainings dominated by the indoor circuit training practices with long continuous exercises [10]. The circuit training trainings was designed to include seven stations, with every station securing fitness for a specific GTO test, and with the first warm-up and conditioning station at the beginning of every training session for the whole group. After the warm-up phase, the EG was split up into subgroups of 5 people each, with every subgroup running three stations per class, then three next stations in the next class etc. In 4 weeks the subgroups run 2 circuits; in 8 weeks – 3 circuits per class; and in 12 weeks, the trainings were back to one circuit with the number of stations per class increased by one every 4 weeks (plus 1, 2 and 3 stations after weeks 4, 8 and 12, respectively). As a result, the total training workload came to as many as 7 stations per every training session: see Table 1.

Table 1. Stations and their missions in the experimental circuit training model

Results and discussion. The pre-versus post-experimental EG/ RG tests found 100% of the EG fully fit for the 9 GTO Complex tests at the GTO Festival – versus 80% in the RG. It should be noted that some RG students were unwilling or incapable to pass 1-2 GTO tests – mostly due to their relatively lower motivations: see Table 2.

Table 2. Post-experimental EG (n=30) and RG (n=30) physical fitness test data

The tests found the EG and RG to make progresses in qualifications for the GTO silver/ bronze badges. The RG and EG qualified for 2+4+7 and 5+7+9 GTO gold, silver and bronze badges, respectively: see the Figure 1 hereunder.

Figure 1. EG and RG qualifications for the GTO badges

Conclusion. The circuit training model testing experiment showed benefits of the new circuit training model for the GTO Class V/VI test qualifications as verified by the following group physical fitness progress test data:

(a) Gold-badge qualifications in the EG grew up by 30% in the 100m sprint test; 24% in the shuttle sprint and standing long jump test; 12% in the supine pull-ups test; 10% in the 2/3km track race and 3/5/km cross-country race tests; 35% in the 1min supine-to-sits test; 20% in the 700/ 500g object throw test; and by 24% in the bench standing bents test;

(b) Training intensity was tested to grow by 80-85% in the EG due to the improved physical training work/ relaxation process management efficiency;

(c) Improvements in the functionality tests supported by the digital logbooks for the individual training system management purposes and exercise-specific progress analyses that greatly contributed to the trainees’ motivations for the progress and GTO Class V/ VI qualifications; with 100% of the EG making success in 9 tests versus 80% in the RG.

It should be emphasized that the GTO trainings and qualifications require hard work, endurance and determination from the trainees. We recommend the trainings being supported by experts of the Moscow Sports Committee’s GTO Complex Test Center that are always in position to help and consult on applications from the interested educational establishments to their local physical education and sports offices.

References

1. AS PCSC GTO (Information Scientific WEB-Center for Physical Education, Health and Sports. 2014. www.rosinwebc.ru.
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Abstract

Objective of the study was to experimentally test benefits of a circuit training model to make the students fit for the GTO Complex tests.
Methods and structure of the study. Sampled for the study were the 1st-4th-year students, who had passed the registration and had been admitted to participate in the testing. Training for the Physical Culture and Sports “Ready for Labour and Defence” (GTO) Complex tests was carried out during the academic year, for 8 months. The Control Group students (n=30) were trained according to the standard physical education program, while the Experimental Group ones (n=30) were offered a circuit training method.

Results and conclusions. It was proved by experiment that the use of a complex approach to university student training for Stages V-VI Physical Culture and Sports “Ready for Labour and Defence” (GTO) Complex tests, based on the circuit training method with the use of the long-term continuous exercises, is most appropriate since it increases their physical fitness level.
Reaching the qualifying Physical Culture and Sports “Ready for Labour and Defence” (GTO) Complex standards and qualifying for the GTO badges is a labour-intensive and time-consuming process. To solve this problem, the authors recommend inviting experts from the Physical Culture and Sports “Ready for Labour and Defence” (GTO) Complex Testing Center of Moscow Sports Committee.