The basic principles of training

The basic principles of training

The Principles of Training

• The principles of training serve as fundamental guidelines to design effective fitness training regimes. They include specificity, overload, recovery, adaptation, reversibility, and variety.
• These principles help to ensure balance in a training programme, targeting all areas that need improvement, and promoting a steady and consistent increase in fitness and skill levels.

Specificity

• Specificity means the training should be relevant and appropriate for what the individual is training to achieve.
• For example, a footballer should focus on cardiovascular training, agility, and leg strength exercises whereas a weightlifter would need to focus more on muscular strength workouts and less on cardio.

Overload

• Overload is the concept of continually increasing the demands on the musculoskeletal system to steadily improve muscle endurance, strength, and size.
• This can be achieved by adjusting the FITT variables – frequency, intensity, time, and type.
• Without overload, there would be no adaption and progression within the body, and fitness levels would remain stagnant.

Recovery

• Recovery is an essential part of any training programme and involves the time that the body needs to repair and strengthen itself between workout sessions.
• The body’s systems need time to adapt to the physiological stress imposed during exercise. Neglecting recovery can lead to fatigue, poor performance, and an increased risk of injuries.

Adaptation

• Adaptation refers to the body’s physiological response to the increased demands due to exercise. It is how the body ‘reconfigures’ to become more efficient.
• For instance, with regular cardiovascular exercise, the heart muscle strengthens, and resting heart rate decreases, or with resistance training, muscle fibres grow in size and strength.

Reversibility

• Reversibility suggests that any adaptation that takes place as a result of training will be reversed if you stop training, often referred to as ‘use it or lose it’.
• Taking prolonged breaks in training can lead to a significant decrease in fitness levels and loss of benefits earned through hard work.

Variety

• Variety is crucial within a training programme to keep the individual engaged, motivated, and prevent workout plateaus.
• Changing up workout routines, types of exercise, and intensity provides new challenges for the body and mind, helping to ensure continued progression.