NAME ID
OTHABILE THUSO MASIRE 202404704
HALEY ONE SEGWABE 202407108
LECTURE: DOCTOR GAESENNGWE
CODE: BSS 122
TITLE: PRINCIPLES OF TRAINING IN SPORTS
PRINCIPLES OF SPORTS TRAINING: FOUNDATIONS FOR
EFFECTIVE PERFOMANCE AND HEALTH
Exercise training is a structured process designed to achieve specific
physical goals, from peak performance to improved health. In today’s
sedentary society, regular physical activity is crucial to combat obesity,
diabetes, hypertension, and heart disease (Dollman et al., 2005). Key
training principles—overload, progression, specificity, adaptation,
individualization, and reversibility—are essential for effectiveness and
positive outcomes. These principles not only help athletes but also
improve general health and fitness. As sports science evolves, the focus
expands to attributes like cardiovascular fitness, muscle strength,
endurance, flexibility, agility, and coordination. This review highlights the
role of these principles in enhancing both athletic performance and overall
well-being.
There are several key principles of training and they include;
-Specificity principle
-Progression principle
-Overload principle
-Reversibility principle
-Individualization principle
Principle of Specificity
The specificity principle tells that training should be focused on specific
goals, targeting movement patterns and fitness components like strength,
power, endurance, or flexibility. Athletes should incorporate exercises
related to their sport to trigger neuromuscular and metabolic adaptations
for improved performance(Powers and Howley, 2007). For example, power
athletes should focus on power-enhancing exercises, while endurance
athletes should prioritize stamina training. The body adapts specifically to
the exercise type, so a jogger improves aerobic conditioning but not
strength or flexibility. A well-designed program should address the specific
needs of the sport, health, and personal goal.
Principle Of Overload
Overload is the exposure of tissues to greater than accustomed-to training
stress (Powers and Howley, 2007). The overload principle involves pushing
the body beyond its usual stress levels to prompt adaptive changes,
leading to improved performance. Consistently challenging the body
enables it to function more efficiently under stress. The FITT framework—
frequency, intensity, time, and type—helps guide overload for ongoing
improvement.
Frequency: Increase the number of training sessions per week.
Intensity: Raise the difficulty of exercises, such as running faster or
increasing weight.
Time: Extend the duration of each training session.
Type: Progress to more difficult exercises, like moving from walking
to running
Progression Principle
This principle just states that training should be progressive, with
increasing intensity, difficulty, or complexity over time. The increase in
FITT principle from overload should be gradual and systematic in training
stress to maintain tissue overload and thus, provoke continued training
adaptation. Rate of progression is important in the sense that progressing
too rapidly can result in injury while progressing too slowly will delay goal
attainment.
Principle of Reversibility
The observation that withdrawal of tissue loading results in loss of
benefited fitness and performance adaptations. As one continues to train
and somehow meets injuries or illness and halts their training, this may
lead to atrophy in accumulated adaptations thus fitness level decrements.
The potential for detraining or reduced training should be should be
considered too e.g. A body builder laments his loss of muscular gains after
taking a 2weeks to a month-long vacation or emergencies.
Principle Of Individualization
Here, training programs should be tailored to each athlete’s unique ability
to adapt, rather than applying a one-size-fits-all approach. The adaptation
ability varies from person to person due to factors like age, fitness level,
training background, mindset, motivation and even lifestyle. For example,
a freshman quarterback’s training regimen would naturally differ from that
of a senior lineman on the same football team. One should also consider
the individual’s needs and goals so as to make changes in time if
necessary (Burgess et al., 2017)
There are other principles such as recovery and rest, variance principle,
maintenance principle, adaptation principle, and periodization principle.
These principles are not necessarily fundamental in the sense that at most
times they are mixed and cojoined together with the ones above (except
for periodization principle) to make the training programme entail all
aspects. That is to say, variance principle can be combined with specificity
principle in the sense that varied training methods and protocols can be
included in the training programme to reach a specific hand movement
pattern (Kluwer et al.,2013). Also, recovery and rest principle can be
combined with progressive overload principle in the sense that one sets
proper and consistent time for rest and that for resuming training.
Why do these Training principles matter???
-First and foremost, crucial factor, training principles are incorporated in
training programmes to avoid injury at any cost.
-Secondly, they are designed from experience to be effective thus
targeted approach maximizes results.
-Structured training principles provide a clear framework for workouts,
making it easier to set goals and track progress. This can then enhance
motivation and adherence to a fitness routine (Paul et al., 2012)
-Recognizing that different people have unique needs and responses to
exercises allow for personalized training plans that ensuring that
individuals can train effectively based on their fitness levels, goals and
any limitations (Anderson,2021).
-Last but not least, they govern what gains a person benefits from training
(Vincent et al.,2013).
To sum it all up, the principles of training provide a foundation for
designing and delivering effective training programs. By applying these
principles, trainers and coaches can refine learning outcomes, enhance
performance and promote long-term development. The principles of
specificity, progression, overload, reversibility, variety, individualization,
periodization and recover and rest are essential for creating successful
training experience. Ultimately, the principles are essential for anyone
involved in training and should be considered when making and delivering
training programs.
REFERENCE
1. Powers SK, Howley ET. The physiology of training: effect on VO2 max,
performance, homeostasis, and strength. In: Powers SK, Howley ET,
editors. Exercise Physiology: Theory and Application to Fitness and
Performance. 6th ed. New York (NY): McGraw-Hill; 2007. p. 261–2.
2. Hill JC. Aerobic training. In: Madden CC, Putukian M, Young CC, McCarty
EC, editors. Netter’s Sports Medicine. Philadelphia (PA): Saunders/Elsevier;
2010. p. 125–6.
3. Burgess D. Training programming and prescription. In: Brukner P,
Clarsen B, Cook J, Cool A, Crossley K, Hutchinson M, McCrory P, Bahr R,
Khan K, editors. Brukner & Khan’s Clinical Sports Medicine: Injuries. 5th
ed. Australia: McGraw-Hill Education; 2017. p. 139–40.
4. Vincent KR, Vincent HK, Seto CK. Basic principles of exercise training
and conditioning. In: O’Connor FG, Casa DJ, Davis BA, St. Pierre P, Sallis
RE, Wilder RP, editors. ACSM’s Sports Medicine: A Comprehensive Review.
Philadelphia (PA): Wolters Kluwer; 2013. p. 60–2.
5. Paul S, Rand S, Stovak M, Hilgers MP. AMSSM Sports Medicine CAQ
Study Guide. Monterey (CA): Healthy Learning; 2012. [Question 8]. p. 152.
