Mr Matthews - PE Tutor & Life Coach

⏪ Forward and backward movement explained ⏩

Just like the rods (skewers) in tabletop football moving the figures forwards and backwards, the body moves in exactly the same way in the sagittal plane around the frontal (Edexcel)/transverse (AQA) axis, which is an imaginary line that runs through one hip and exits the other.

This is the plane and axis responsible for movements that involve flexion and extension - forwards and backwards actions seen in running, kicking, jumping, squatting, and striking the ball in sports.

🌪️ Rotation movement explained 🔄

Just like a chicken doner kebab spinning on its skewer, the body rotates in the transverse plane around the longitudinal/vertical axis, which is an imaginary line running straight through the body from head to toe.

This is the plane and axis behind spins, pivots, turns, twists, and rapid direction changes used in sports like basketball, football, dance, gymnastics, trampolining, and figure skating 🏀 ⚽ ⛸️ 🤸🏻

⬅️ Side-to-side movement explained ➡️

Using cartwheels and star jumps to show abduction and adduction in the frontal plane, rotating around the sagittal axis, the body’s invisible “skewer” 🤸🏻‍♂️

GCSE PE made easier 🧠

Remember it like this:

☁️ Concentric = Contracts + Clouds → movement UP
🌍 Eccentric = Elongates + Earth → movement DOWN

Memory tricks that make memorising muscular contractions simple! 🧠📚

Making GCSE PE concepts stick 🫧

“Tonic” in isotonic = think tonic water… bubbles moving when the bottle is shaken = muscles move/change length by contracting (shortening) and relaxing (lengthening) when carrying out movement 💪

Easy memory hacks for exam season!

🫀 VAVAVAVA 🫀

The GCSE PE shortcut that makes the cardiac cycle finally stick.

One small memory trick and you can now outline the journey of blood through the entire cardiovascular system.

How to correctly draw a lever system ✍🏼

F L E
1️⃣2️⃣3️⃣

F R E
1️⃣2️⃣3️⃣

👉 Fulcrum sits centrally = 1st class
👉 Load/Resistance sits centrally = 2nd class
👉 Effort sits centrally = 3rd class

Using this as a recall tool will help you remember what sits in the middle of each lever system making it easier for you to draw in the exam.

Don’t forget it!

Agonist vs Antagonist made EASY 👀💪

Agonist = shorter word → the muscle that SHORTENS & contracts 🔥

Antagonist = longer word → the muscle that’s LENGTHENS & relaxes 😌

Plus… “agonist” starts to spell the word agony… meaning the muscle doing the work is the one feeling it 😅

Revision tricks students actually remember 🧠

Why are you still breathing heavy after exercise? 👀

EPOC has entered the chat…

Aerobic vs Anaerobic respiration made simple 🧠✨

Quick memory tip: think AERO-bic = AIR ➡️ aerobic respiration uses air/oxygen! 🌬️

Most GCSE PE students are revising… but not in the way that gets tops marks!

With just 16 days before the paper 1 exam I am running multiple revision workshops to show you how.

Workshop dates:

🗓️ May 10, 17 & 21 (before Paper 1)
🗓️ May 24 & 31 (before Paper 2)

📥 Message to secure your place today!