The 5 Principles of Exercise & Fitness Training Flashcards
What are the 5 principles of exercise and fitness training?
Progressive Overload (PO) Specificity, Reversibility, Variety and Individuality
What is progressive overload?
Progressive overload is a training principle that involves gradually increasing the intensity, volume, or difficulty of exercises to continually challenge the body and encourage physical adaptations such as improved strength, endurance, or muscle growth.
Key ways to apply progressive overload:
- Increase resistance/weight: Add more weight to an exercise over time.
- Increase repetitions or sets: Do more reps or additional sets at the same weight.
- Increase frequency: Train more often or add more sessions.
- Decrease rest intervals: Shorten the rest time between sets or exercises.
- Increase range of motion: Use a fuller range of motion to engage muscles differently.
How to apply Progressive Overload?
To apply progressive overload effectively:
- Increase Resistance/Weight: Gradually add weight to exercises (e.g., 1-5% more each week).
- Increase Reps or Sets: Add more repetitions or complete extra sets at the same weight.
- Shorten Rest Times: Decrease rest periods to make workouts more challenging.
- Increase Frequency: Train more often or add additional sessions.
- Enhance Range of Motion: Perform exercises through a greater range of motion for more muscle activation.
Example: If you squat 30kg for 8 reps, try 32kg next week or aim for 10 reps.
What would happen if you Overload to quickly?
Overloading too quickly can lead to:
- Injury Risk: Muscles, joints, and connective tissues may not adapt in time, leading to strains or tears.
- Poor Technique: Adding too much weight or intensity can compromise form, increasing injury risk.
- Overtraining: Fatigue, reduced performance, and prolonged recovery due to insufficient rest and recovery.
- Plateauing: The body may struggle to adapt effectively, stalling progress.
What is Specificity?
Specificity is a training principle that states exercise adaptations are specific to the type of activity performed and the muscles involved. To achieve desired results, training should closely match the goal.
Examples:
- To improve running endurance, focus on cardiovascular and leg-muscle training.
- To build upper-body strength, prioritise exercises like bench presses or pull-ups.
- For sport-specific skills, practice movements directly related to the sport.
In short, train in a way that directly supports your goals.
What is important with Specificity?
- Goal Alignment: Ensure training matches the desired outcome (e.g., endurance, strength, flexibility).
- Targeted Muscle Groups: Focus on the muscles and movements relevant to your goal or sport.
- Energy Systems: Train the energy systems (aerobic or anaerobic) most used in your activity.
- Progression and Variation: Maintain specificity while gradually increasing intensity or complexity to avoid plateaus.
Example: If your goal is sprinting speed, prioritize explosive power and short-distance drills rather than long, steady runs.
What is the Principle of Reversibility?
The Principle of Reversibility states that the gains made from training will be lost if training is stopped or reduced over time. Essentially, “use it or lose it.”
Key points:
- Muscle Loss: Without regular exercise, muscle strength and endurance will decline.
- Fitness Decline: Cardiovascular fitness will decrease if you stop aerobic training.
- Speed of Loss: The rate of reversibility depends on how long you’ve trained and how long you stop.
Example: If you take a break from lifting weights for a few weeks, you may notice a decrease in strength or muscle size.
How long until the principle of Reversibility starts to be evident?
Roughly 2 - 3 Weeks
What is the principle of Rest and Recovery?
Rest and Recovery cover the period after exercise where the body heals and adapts, enabling improved performance and preventing injury. It includes:
- Rest Between Workouts: Time off between sessions (typically 24-48 hours) for muscles to repair and grow stronger.
- Sleep: Essential for recovery, as it supports muscle repair, hormone production, and overall energy restoration.
- Active Recovery: Low-intensity activities like walking or stretching to help reduce muscle stiffness and improve circulation.
- Nutrition: Proper nutrition (e.g., protein, hydration) helps repair muscles and replenish energy stores.
- Mental Recovery: Time to relax and reduce stress, which is also crucial for physical recovery.
Example: After a heavy workout, taking a day or two off, sleeping well, eating enough protein, and doing light stretching can maximize recovery and prevent burnout.
How long does Rest and Recovery Take?
In most cases, the exerciser should be recovered within 48hrs, but with more vigorous exercise, the recovery time could take longer. The above is especially true in beginners and people who are not moderately active active between sessions.
What is Active Recovery
Active Recovery is when the Client does something like a small walk some stretches etc between exercise sessions
Each Exercise plan should be different and continuously provide challenges - not a question just a reminder
Po Sp Rv Rr are all short for what?
Progressive Overload, Specificity, Reversibility, Rest & Recovery
When do Plateaus occur?
Training plateaus can occur when the Client fails to make progress in their training programme
What causes training Plateaus?
TPs are caused by a variety of reasons: Poorly constructed TP, too much/too little rest, lack of variety & || poor diet
