Principles of training
Specificity and overload
The principles of training make a programme work. They are applied to a : a training plan designed for one person and their activity.
- training must match the demands of the activity, using the same muscles, movements and components of fitness. A netball player improving her cardiovascular endurance would use running with changes of direction, not cycling.
- to improve, you must work harder than normal, so the body has to adapt. The netball player could add an extra session a week, run faster, or run for longer.
Key terms
Progression and reversibility
- increase the training load gradually, as the body adapts. Too little and fitness stops improving; too much too soon and the risk of injury rises. The netball player could add one more interval every two weeks.
- fitness that is gained is lost when training stops or is cut back, for example through injury or illness. An injured cyclist's muscles get smaller and weaker, and their endurance falls, so they can't keep the same pace in a race.
Remember
Specificity, Progression, Overload, Reversibility.
Key terms
Applying the principles to a PEP
A 400 m runner plans a six-week PEP to improve her anaerobic power and speed:
- she does interval training on the track, running fast over short distances with rests, which matches the demands of a 400 m race.
- each session is harder than her usual training: more intense, with only short rests.
- every two weeks she adds one more fast interval, as her body adapts.
- if she is ill for two weeks, she restarts at a slightly lower level, because some of her fitness will have been lost.
Each principle should be explained for the performer in the question, not just named.
When a principle is ignored
Problems in a training programme can often be traced to a principle that hasn't been applied:
| Problem | Principle ignored |
|---|---|
| Fitness stops improving after a few weeks | Overload or progression: the load is no longer increasing |
| An injury from doing too much, too soon | Progression: the load rose too quickly |
| Training improves fitness, but not in the sport | Specificity: the training doesn't match the activity |
| Fitness falls after a long break | Reversibility |