Principles of Program Design
Principles of Program Design
1. Specificity
The principle that training should be relevant and appropriate to the sport for which the individual is training in order to produce the desired effect.
2. Reversibility
The principle that gains made from training can be lost if training ceases.
3. Overload
The principle that to improve physical fitness, individuals must continuously challenge their bodies beyond their usual level of functioning.
4. Progression
The principle that exercise programs should be gradually increased in intensity, duration, or volume to avoid plateaus.
5. Diminishing Returns
Definition: A point at which the level of benefit gained is less than the amount of energy invested.
Phases of Diminishing Returns:
Productive Phase: The start where every unit of input leads to productive gains.
Diminishing Returns Phase: After hitting this point, every additional input yields a slower gain in output.
Negative Returns Phase: If reached, the returns become negative, indicating a detrimental impact due to overtraining.
Minimum and Maximum Effective Training Dosage: Understanding the threshold of training efficiency.
a. Recommendations for Frequency
Resistance Training for Health: Engage all muscle groups at least once per week.
Aerobic Activity for Health: 150 minutes of moderate intensity per week.
Perform moderate intensity most days of the week (4-5 days), totaling about 30-40 minutes each time.
Vigorous Activity for Health: 20-60 minutes, three times a week.
b. Adherence is Key to Long-Term Health Outcomes
Start by doing activities that you enjoy.
Prioritize consistency in your routine, track your progress, but avoid overdoing it.
The best fitness habits should seamlessly integrate into your daily life.
c. Avoid All-or-Nothing Thinking
Definition: Acknowledging that even a little bit of exercise can contribute to improvement.
For example, during a training program, participants performed a single set of 8-12 repetition maximum (RM) per set and engaged in resistance training for at least one year prior to the study. The training regimen consisted of:
30 minutes of training twice a week.
Choosing enjoyable activities that can be repeated.
Notable gains observed in muscular strength across exercises such as leg press, bench press, overhead press, and hamstring curls.
d. Law of Diminishing Returns
Reiteration: A point at which the level of benefit gained is less than the amount of energy invested
Giving more energy than you are gaining results
6. It Takes Effort to Get a Return
Understanding minimum effective dose versus maximum tolerable dose is essential to achieve optimal fitness without excessive risk.
Example: For older women, as few as 4500 steps a day can significantly reduce mortality rates compared to those who only walked 2300 steps a day.
The threshold of 10,000 steps is more anecdotal than scientifically substantiated, as evidenced by studies indicating that mortality rates decrease significantly at around 7500 steps per day.
a. Scientific Study on Step Count
Study: Involving 18,000 women aged around 70 years, evaluated by the University of Chicago from 2011 to 2015 using accelerometers to track daily activity.
Mortality rates progressively decreased until it flattened out at approximately 7500 steps.
b. Sleep Research Findings
Research indicates insufficient sleep undermines efforts to reduce body fat. In a study:
Two groups with differing sleep allowances:
Group 1: Full sleep availability (normal)
Group 2: Limited to 5.5 hours in bed.
Both groups were provided identical diets aimed at creating a significant caloric deficit.
Findings revealed that sleeping for 5 hours instead of 7.5 hours:
Reduced fat loss and increased muscle loss by more than 50%.
Caloric intake was consistent, yet the results differed markedly: both groups lost a similar amount of weight (~3 kg), but the sleep-restricted group lost more fat-free mass (2.4 kg) than fat mass (0.6 kg) compared to the full sleep group (1.5 kg fat-free mass, 1.4 kg fat mass).
7. Metabolic Equivalent (MET)
Definition: A measurement of energy expenditure calculated as follows:\
1 MET = 3.5 mL O2 x kg x Min
2 MET = 7 mL O2 x kg x min
3 MET = 10.5 mL O2 x kg x min
10 MET = 35 mL O2 x kg x min
Example: a 110lb women ran at 10 METs for 60 minutes, calculate the O2 usage and caloric burn:
10 METs= 35 mL O2 x kg x min
35 mL O2 × 50 × 60= 105,000 mL
105,000 mL = 105 L
105 L x 5 (caloric burn) = 525 calories burned
Moderate (3.0-5.9 METs): Example: walking at a pace of 3.0 mi/hour (3.0 METs).
Vigorous (greater than or equal to 6 METs): Activities like jogging and running.
8. Basal Metabolic Rate (BMR)
Definition: The rate of energy expenditure required by the body to function at rest. Knowledge of BMR is crucial as it provides the baseline for understanding caloric needs.
For every liter (L) of oxygen consumed, approximately 5 calories are burned.
a. Critique of Using METs
METs are not always practical as they obscure specific intensity of activity, which can vary.
Laboratory measures are better suited for details regarding oxygen consumption and energy expenditure.
b. Rate of Perceived Exertion (RPE)
RPE is widely used for assessing workout intensity. It reflects:
The rate of whole-body fatigue during exercise and an indicator for monitoring individual’s exercise tolerance.
RPE & Metabolic Zone:
Moderate intensity correlates with an RPE of 11-12, while beyond 14 indicates a significant reliance on anaerobic metabolism.
c. Understanding Heart Rate for Prescription
Sympathetic vs. Parasympathetic Nervous System:
The sympathetic system elevates heart rate (fight or flight response)
parasympathetic relaxes and slows it (rest and digest).
Heart Rate Control:
Below 110 bpm indicates parasympathetic control
Above 110 bpm is sympathetic control
Regulating heart rate after surgeries typically involves the adrenal production of epinephrine and norepinephrine.
9. Heart Rate Prescription and Training Zones
Positive correlation exists between HR and exercise intensity.
Determining maximum HR (two methods):
Method 1: Measure max HR directly.
Method 2: Use estimation equations
HR Max= 220 - age
Calculate Heart Rate Reserve (HRR):
Find resting heart rate (RHR).
Find max heart rate.
Subtract RHR from max HR.
Multiply the difference by target intensity (use decimal percentages).
Add RHR back to the product to find the target HR.
Example Calculation:
RHR: 50 bpm.
Max HR: 200 bpm.
HRR = 200 - 50 = 150 bpm.
To find target HR at 50% intensity: 150 x 0.50 = 75 bpm.
Total target HR = 75 + 50 = 125 bpm.
a. Age Implications
Generally, resting heart rate increases with age.
b. Training Zones
Zone 5: Greater than or equal to 90% of max HR.
Zone 4: 80-90% of max HR.
Zone 3: 70-80% of max HR.
Zone 2: 60-70% of max HR.
Zone 1: 50-60% of max HR.
c. Aerobic Recommendations by Steven Gaskill
Strength train twice a week.
Four times per sport training weekly.
Three times weekly: low and slow exercises.
One time weekly, focus on race-paced training.
10. Individual Variability
Definition: Responses to training stimuli vary greatly among individuals.
Influencing factors include:
Age
Health status
Genetics
Initial fitness level
Danger Zone: Programs tailored for individuals often outperform “one-size-fits-all” approaches.
11. Initial Values and Adaptation
Individuals with lower initial fitness levels typically see greater percentage gains and faster rates of improvement from exercise compared to those with higher fitness levels.
In the first 4-8 weeks of a training program:
Many gains are primarily due to neuromuscular adaptations (nervous system induced) rather than muscle hypertrophy.
Example: In the first month on an aerobic training program, a client may improve VO2max by approximately 12% if starting with poor cardiorespiratory endurance.
a. Importance of Adherence
Sustainable activity is paramount for ensuring long-term health benefits, emphasizing the importance of enjoyment in exercise.
12. Intensity in Resistance Activities
Measuring intensity can be done through:
RPE: Rate of Perceived Exertion.
% MAX: Percentage of maximum effort in relation to individual capabilities.
RIR: Repetitions in reserve indicating training intensity levels.
Classification of exercise sets:
Warm-up Sets: Focused on increasing blood flow and preparing for exertion (should be >=6 RIR).
Working Sets: Aimed at inducing a training stimulus (0-6 RIR).
13. Upper repetition Range
muscle growth is compromised when reps are very high
load needs to be adjusted to keep reps in a certain individualized range
Repetition Techniques:
Training to failure: the set is complete when muscles stop contracting
Training to technical force: set is complete when rep can’t be completed without breaking desired form
14. Recommended number of Reps (back in the day)
Strength
maximum force
4-8 RM, 3 sets, rest greater than 3 minutes
Short term anaerobic endurance intermediate endurance
brief 2-3 mins persistence with heavy load
15-25 RM, 3 sets, rest 1-3 minutes
Intermediate endurance
persistence with intermediate load
30-50 RM, 2 sets, under minute rest
15. GRE Words
Nascent- just beginning
Mercurial- volatile
Ambivalent- uncertain
Robust- strong
Ostentatious- showy
Transgressive- disobey
Superfluous- redundant, unecessary