Training Principles

Tools applicable to all clients to create good training programs for each individual

Overload Principle: the changes in body - training effect

*physical changes from training programs as a result of the overload principle can be the increase in red muscle, or increased amount of capillaries

  • Symmorphosis → the body is designed to reach an optimized threshold, but not exceed it.

  • The body builds and maintains just enough capacity to meet its regular workload (no more no less)

  • When physical demands increase, the body’s adaptations change increases systems such as cardiovascular, respiratory, and muscular systems (up-regulation)

  • Likewise, when the physical demands decrease, the body’s adaptations change to decrease those systems as the increased energy created by them is no longer necessary. (down-regulation)

  • Overload + Initial values = How much training you should give someone (inverted “U” model → tip of the arch is the greatest effect)

  • the amount of overload appropriate for an individual is dictated by their personal fitness level

Progressive Overload Principle:

  • the physiological systems of the body must continuously be taxed with greater than normal loads

  • once your body responds to the increase in total demands, by building that extra capacity you need to increase total demands again to see another response

  • Points

  • 1) have a long-term plan for inducing maximum adaptation

  • 2) 2-10% progression is useful for not adding too much nor too little (for athletes → measure in volume (intensity +time). , for healthy adults → measure in time)

  • 3) for lower fit clients, don’t worry about variation

FITT - determines the amount of overload required for progression

  • Frequency, Intensity, Time, Type

  • determines how to employ the initial and progressive overload

  • Frequency: total number of exercise or structured PA bouts per week

  • Intensity: the rate of work or effort work (good measurement is weight)

  • Time: length of PA or exercise bout

  • Type: type of exercise or PA (important to be motivated and effective)

  • Intensity + Time → total stress on the body (Volume)

Specificity Principle:

  • the tissues or body systems that are activated by exercise given their natural placement

  • follow checklist

  • 1) Component of fitness (e.g cardiovascular, muscular, respiratory system)

  • 2) Mode of activity/exercise → e.g swimming

  • 3) Energy systems involved →e.g if you want to improve your anaerobic then stress out your muscles with heavy lifting

  • 4) Muscle groups involved → e.g goal of developing larger back muscles

**each specificity factor can have a ripple effect on other factors → transferability

Principle of reversibility → the body adjusts to lower levels of stress the same way it adjusts to higher levels of stress

Principle of maintenance → by reducing training frequency, the level of fitness can be maintained if the intensity and duration of remaining workouts are similar (e.g off season)

Example: if you stop putting aerobic exercise demands on your body, your VO2max capacity will decrease

Principle of rest and recovery:

  • rest = bodily state with minimal functional and metabolic activities

  • recovery = return to normal levels → homeostasis

*a true rest day can increase training effect and reduce the risk of chronic injury + illness

  • “niggles” → functional dysfunction (e.g a stiff shoulder)

Principle of Individual differences → limits adaptability

  • biological ceiling (anthropometric, Cardiovascular-vessel diameter, Muscle morphology - fibre type compositions)

  • everyone has different genetics → individuals respond differently to exercise

  • Trainability → some more trainable athletes may require greater overload more quickly compared to the less trainable athletes

Principle of Diminishing Returns: (genetic ceiling, training, amount and quality of training, years spent training)

  • adaptation is lower as you near your genetic ceiling

  • e.g an athlete with good trainability but a low genetic ceiling (asthma) will respond fast to training effects, however they cannot overcome the disadvantage asthma has on their cardiorespiratory rate.

  • this principle helps conclude if adding more training to a persons program will be beneficial to them or not

Maturation Age → the performance of a mature adult and a junior athlete have a significant difference due to maturation age components

Menarche → first menstrual period age ~12-14→ optimal performance time

Principle of Transferability:

  • doing one sport or fitness activity or type of exercise can transfer to another sport or fitness activity

  • e.g Skiing → surfing (due to balance and the use of similar muscle groups)