Principles of Program Design
Principles of Program Design
1. Specificity
The principle that training should be tailored to specific goals and the energy systems used in each activity.
2. Reversibility
Gains made through training can be lost when individuals stop exercising or reduce their training intensity.
3. Overload
To improve fitness, the body must be challenged beyond its normal load; this can be achieved by increasing weight, frequency, or intensity of workout.
4. Progression
The gradual increase in training demands over time to foster adaptations and improvements in fitness levels.
5. Diminishing Returns
Definition: A point at which the level of benefit gained is less than the energy invested.
Phase Descriptions:
a. Productive Phase: The initial stage where every input leads to significant gains.
b. Diminishing Returns: After reaching this point, each additional input yields slower gains.
c. Negative Returns: If this phase is reached, further investment leads to losses rather than gains.
d. Minimum and Maximum Effective Training Dosage: Finding the optimal amount of training for maximizing benefits.
Recommendations for Training Frequency:
i. Resistance Training for Health: Engage all muscle groups at least once per week.
ii. Aerobic Activity for Health:
150 minutes of moderate-intensity activity per week.
iii. Moderate-Intensity Activity:
Perform most days of the week (4-5 days) for 30-40 minutes.
iv. Vigorous Activity for Health:
20-60 minutes, 3 times a week.
Adherence: Key to long-term health outcomes.
i. Start exercising with activities you enjoy.
ii. Consistency is important; track progress to avoid overdoing it.
iii. Best fitness habits fit seamlessly into one's lifestyle.
Avoiding All-or-Nothing Thinking:
i. Recognize that even a small amount of exercise is beneficial for improvement.
ii. During a training program, participants performed a single set of 8-12 repetition maximum (RM) for one set, which was effective.
iii. Resistance Training (RT) utilized:
30 minutes, 2 times per week of engaging fun activities showed increased muscular strength in leg press, bench press, overhead press, and hamstring curls.
Law of Diminishing Returns Reiteration:
Emphasizes the concept of balancing gains against energy spent.
6. Dosing Exercise & Activity Levels
Effort-Return Relationship:
i. Minimum effective dose vs. maximum tolerable dose.
ii. Notable Example: For older women, walking as few as 4,500 steps a day reduced mortality compared to 2,300 steps.
iii. 10,000 Steps: Though often cited, lacks a strong scientific foundation; based on a study of 18,000 women (aged ~70) who wore accelerometers during walking hours (2011-2015), mortality rates decreased and leveled out at approximately 7,500 steps/day.
Sleep Research: Conducted by the University of Chicago Sleep Research Lab.
Tested two groups over 2 weeks; one with full sleep availability, the other allowed only 5.5 hours in bed.
Both groups had identical caloric intakes but exhibited differing body composition changes:
Sleep restricted group lost more fat-free mass than the full sleep group.
Significant finding: Sleeping only 5 hours instead of 7.5 reduces fat loss and increases muscle loss by over 50%.
7. Metabolic Equivalent (METs)
Definition: 1 MET = 3.5 mL O2/kg/min.
a. Light Activity: 1.6 - 2.9 METs (e.g., walking slowly at home).
b. Moderate Activity: 3.0 - 5.9 METs (e.g., walking at 3.0 mi/hr).
c. Vigorous Activity: ≥ 6 METs (e.g., jogging or running).
8. Basal Metabolic Rate (BMR)
The rate of energy expenditure at rest, indicating the minimum energy required for bodily functions.
Understanding oxygen consumption is critical due to its direct correlation with calories burned.
For every liter of oxygen consumed, approximately 5 calories are burned.
Example Calculation:
If Luke’s oxygen consumption is 10.5 liters in 30 minutes, calories burned = 10.5 x 5 = 52 calories.
9. Heart Rate and Intensity Measures
Rest Rate: Indicates autonomic nervous system activity controlling heart rate.
Resting rate under 110 bpm indicates parasympathetic control.
HR Max Calculation Methods:
Method 1: Measure directly (e.g., if max HR=190 bpm, 50% = 95 bpm).
Method 2: Use estimations (e.g., Fox equation: HR_max = 220 - age).
Example of HR Reserve Calculation:
Steps: Find resting HR, max HR, subtract resting from max, multiply by target intensity percentage, then add resting HR.
For example:
Using values: 50 bpm (resting), 200 bpm (max) yields HRR = 150 bpm.
Target HR = (HRR x target % intensity) + resting HR = 125 bpm.
10. Training Zones and Recommendations
Training zones categorized by percentages of HRR:
Z1: 60-50%
Z2: 70-60%
Z3: 80-70%
Z4: 90-80%
Z5: ≥90%
11. Individual Variability in Responses to Training
Individual responses to exercise vary significantly due to factors like:
a. Age
b. Health status
c. Genetics
d. Initial fitness levels
Danger Zone: One size fits all programs may not be effective due to pronounced variability.
12. Initial Values and Training Gains
Individuals with lower initial fitness levels tend to experience:
a. More significant relative percentage gains.
b. Faster rates of improvement during the initial weeks of training, often due to nervous system adaptations rather than muscle growth.
13. Adherence to Exercise Programs
Emphasizes the importance of maintaining a long-term sustainable fitness routine.
Intensity Methods:
a. Rate of Perceived Exertion (RPE).
b. Percentage of maximum training load.
c. Repetitions in reserve (RIR).
Classy in two zones:
Warm-up sets: designed to increase blood flow, practice movement, and prepare mentally.
Working sets: core sets aiming to induce fatigue (0-6 RIR) to elicit the necessary training stimulus.
14. SIRRPOD Mnemonic
A mnemonic created to remember the Principles of Program Design:
S: Specificity
I: Individuality
R: Reversibility
R: Recovery
P: Progression
O: Overload
D: Diminishing returns.
GRE Words
Nascent- just beginning
Mercurial- volatile
Ambivalent- uncertain
Robust- strong
Ostentatious- showy
Transgressive- disobey