The basic principles of training
The basic principles of training
Principles of Training
Specificity
- Specificity refers to training specific muscles, energy systems or movements associated with the sport or activity of focus.
- A high jumper would focus on exercises heightening leg power, elasticity and speed, adopting interval training and plyometrics.
Overload
- Overload involves increasing demand on muscles to improve strength, speed, endurance or flexibility.
- This can be achieved via increasing intensity (working harder), frequency (training more often) or duration (training for longer).
Progression
- Progression is about gradually increasing workload to prevent plateauing, by manipulating the overload principle.
- This might involve incrementally increasing weights in strength training, or running further in endurance training.
Adaptation
- Adaptation is when the body responds to the training load, leading to improved performance.
- For instance, strength training causes muscles to increase in size and power (hypertrophy), while endurance training enhances aerobic capacity.
Reversibility
- Reversibility highlights that fitness gains can be lost when training stops or reduces significantly; ‘use it or lose it’.
- It’s recommended to maintain a consistent training schedule to avoid significant reversibility.
F.I.T.T Principle
- The Frequency, Intensity, Time, and Type (F.I.T.T) principle provides guidelines for manipulating the overload principle.
- Frequency refers to how often one should train; Intensity indicates how hard; Time denotes how long, while Type states what kind of training should be done.
Individual Differences
- Individual Differences remind us that each person will respond differently to the same training stimulus due to factors like age, sex, genetics and previous training.
- It’s important to create an individualised programme to meet specific needs and goals.
Variation (Periodisation)
- Variety (Periodisation) involves changing training methods regularly to prevent boredom and ensure different muscle groups are targeted.
- This could mean changing the exercises (cross training), or adopting a periodised programme incorporating different phases (preparation, competition, transition).
Recovery
- Recovery is essential for the body to repair and strengthen itself between workouts.
- Rest days and balanced nutrition are key for recovery and should be part of any training programme.