What are the 4 principles of training?

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These 4 principles are simple but absolutely essential to know. They are a thick wall between success and failure. If you’ve understood them and, more importantly, how to use them, you’ll be able to form strong, robust fitness training plans.

Below are descriptions of each of the 4 principles of fitness training.

1.Overload Principle

For improvements to able to take place in your fitness, you need to overload your body. There’s a need to stress and challenge the bodily system beyond what it is used to.

To make improvements in your fitness you need to overload your body. You need to stress or challenge the bodily system (aerobic/musculoskeletal) beyond what it is used to.

For example, if you start lifting weights heavier than you’re used to, your body changes to accommodate the challenge.

The same thing happens with your aerobic system. If you run for 20 minutes and find it difficult, your body will make improvements while you rest. This makes it easier for you the next time you complete the run.

2.Specificity Principle

You need to be specific as to what exactly you want or what you’re working towards to. Your exercise program must be specifically related to your training goals. This means you need to overload your muscles in the best way for your particular purpose.

For example, the training you do for building a hot set of 6 pack abs is very different to the training to improve your physical performance at martial arts.

6 pack abs training: You would do a large variety of exercises targeted directly on building muscle in your rectus abdomin and your oblique. You would use heavy weights with low reps to build the maximum muscle possible. You would also do some aerobic fitness training and perhaps some HIIT to burn off fat so your abdominal muscles would show through more.

Martial arts training: You would do many compound exercises to build strength in your whole body. You might also do some specific strength training in your arms and shoulders because these are frequently used for punching. You would do high reps with less weight because muscular endurance is required. Interval training would also be important for those short bursts of energy that are necessary whilst sparring (fighting).

Many people think that by just lifting weights or running that they are building full-body-fitness. However, in reality, a true full-body fitness program covers all the bases mentioned above.

3.Individuality Principle

You must have heard the statement in school “Everyone is different, which means everyone is special”. Your teachers were definitely right about this one.
Everyone’s body is different. Everyone has got different things that motivate them. Everyone is just different in their own special way. This tells you that when you take up an exercise program you’re going to get different results from your neighbor or classmate or close friend.

You may be someone who gets rapid strength gains from lifting weights. Whereas your neighbor might respond well to long distance running.

The bottom line is this: No one knows your body as well as you do which means that no ‘off-the-shelf’ fitness plans will be as good as anything you can build for yourself.

4. Reversibility Principle- “Use it or lose it”

Sometimes you try doing something that you used to be so good at back in the days when you were younger and you notice that you’re no longer good as you used to be. This called the principle of reversibility.

The exact same thing happens with fitness training. If you stop exercising, gradually the gains that you initially made begin to disappear. This is a sad reality and that everyone needs to come in terms with. This is why it is very important to stick to your workout routine no matter what.

Plan for the worst. Build some emergency mini-workouts which you can do when times are tough.

Conclusion

The 4 principles of fitness training you just learned will strengthen your fitness plans immensely. Use them as the foundation for all training decisions you make and you can’t go wrong!

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In order to get the most out of your training, you need to apply these key principles of training – overload, specificity, reversibility and variation.

Overload

In order to progress and improve our fitness, we have to put our bodies under additional stress. Applying this training principle will cause long-term adaptations, enabling our bodies to work more efficiently to cope with a higher level of performance the next time we train.

Overloading can be achieved by following the acronym FITT:

• Frequency: Increasing the number of times you train per week or the number of reps you perform.
• Intensity: Increasing the difficulty of the exercise you do. For example, running at 12 km/h instead of 10 or increasing the weight you are squatting with.
• Time: Increasing the length of time that you are training for. For example, cycling for 45 minutes instead of 30.
• Type: Increase the difficulty of the training you are doing. For example progress from walking to running, from accessory to free weights.

Specificity

This principle relates to the type of training that you do. It should be specific to you and your chosen sport. You should train the energy system which you use predominantly (e.g. a runner and weight lifter will require different processes), and the fitness and skill components most important to your sport, for example, agility, balance or muscular endurance. You should also test the components which are important in your sport to see your strengths and weaknesses, such as imbalances, speed, power, posture etc.

So this principle means you should consider what key conditioning you can work on, in order to boost your performance.

Reversibility

You can lose what you've gained if it's not maintained. If you stop training then the improvements you have made will be reversed. So if you do not train for a period of time, or reduce the amount you are training, you may not be able to resume training to the same level as before, so it’s important to build the body back up progressively until you reach that level again.

You want to be careful with overtraining though. It is a very common problem when you don’t get enough rest during your training schedule, overdoing workouts to a point where it is having adverse effects on your results and progress. This should not be confused with overload, which is the planned exposure to an increased workload and the right amount of rest in-between. Without the correct amount of rest, you will suffer from overtraining and your body won’t be able to correctly and safely perform the movements you need it to.

Variance

Try to vary your training, to keep you interested and to give your body (and the muscles you’re using) a different challenge. This can be by switching up the movements to circuits in your usual training, or doing something else entirely. Many athletes will take part in a completely different sport in-between their main season to keep their fitness up whilst still having a rest! 

Experts recommend that training programs should limit periods of complete inactivity to no more than two to three weeks. Prolonged periods of inactivity should be avoided, and your training programme should incorporate some form of "maintenance" training where an extended break is desired.

Think about your current training. Do you incorporate the above? If not, it's worth considering each principle and adding the relevant elements into your routine, so you can maintain and progress as best as possible.

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In order to get the most out of your training, you must follow some basic simple training principles which are overload, specificity, reversibility, and variance.

Overload means we must put our bodies under more stress than normal in order for adaptive changes to be made. Specificity relates to ensuring the training done is specific to the sport or activity. Reversibility means if you don’t keep it up you will lose it and variance relates to varying the training activities.

What are the basic principles of training?

The basic training principles for all physical exercise are:

Overload

In order to progress and improve our fitness, we have to put our bodies under additional stress. Applying this training principle will cause long-term adaptations, enabling our bodies to work more efficiently to cope with this higher level of performance. Overloading can be achieved by following the acronym FITT:

Frequency: Increasing the number of times you train per week

Intensity: Increasing the difficulty of the exercise you do. For example, running at 12 km/h instead of 10 or increasing the weight you are squatting with.

Time: Increasing the length of time that you are training for each session. For example, cycling for 45 minutes instead of 30.

Type: Increase the difficulty of the training you are doing. For example progress from walking to running.

Specificity

This principle of training relates to the type of training that you do. It should be specific to you and your sport. You should train the energy system which you use predominantly (i.e. don’t run 5,000 meters in training if you’re a sprinter!) and the fitness and skill components most important to your sport, for example, agility, balance, or muscular endurance.

Another example is to swim a lot in training and then expect your running to improve significantly. Your general fitness will improve so therefore your running may also improve, not nowhere near as much as if you focus on running instead of swimming.

You should also test the components which are important in your sport to see your strengths and weaknesses. With this information, you can focus on improving your weak points.

Reversibility

Use it or lose it! Basically, if you stop training then the improvements you have made will be reversed. So if you are ill or have a holiday and do not train for a period of time (even as little as a week) you may not be able to resume training at the point where you left off.

Variance

Try to vary your training. This keeps you interested and gives your body different challenges. Remember a change is as good as a rest with this training principle. Many professional athletes will play a completely different sport in-between their main season, to keep their fitness up whilst still having a rest!

Principles of training quizzes

Training principles External links

• Sports injuries at Sportsinjuryclinic.net