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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