What are the main principles of fitness training?

The principles of fitness training acts as a set of basic guidelines. In order for you to maximise the full potential from your fitness training an understanding is needed of these concepts.

By adhereing to these principles your fitness goals can be achieved much more effieciently. These principles of fitness training can be split into 8 basic points.

The 8 Principles of Fitness Training:

1. Principle of Specific training - This is where training is specific to the particular sport or goal. The muscle and joint movement as well as their development is targeted to improve mobility and reflexes (neuromusclar development). The principle applies to muscle groups, movement patterns and the muscle contraction type. For example a boxer would concentrate on plyometric pushups and heavy bag sprints rather than bodyflow neck-rolls to improve punching speed and strength.
2. Principle of Overload - This is where increasing the level of normal training beyond your normal level will place more demand and stress on the muscles used. Such demands will increase performance after the rest and recovery phase. With continual and gradual increases, gains in strength, speed and performance can be achieved.
Warning

By placing to much demand on your body too soon can lead to a deterioration in performance. Gradual overload is advised to avoid overtraining.

A good rule of thumb and generaly considered to be an accepted guidline is to increase resistance by 10% per week or train within percentages of your 1 rep max weight (usually within 60-85% of your maximum rep range)

3. Principle of Recovery - to ensure that you rest between workouts. When you train you are stressing the muscle. Growth and development occur whilst you are at rest. This gives the body (muscles) time to adapt and repair themselves.
4. Principle of Reversibility - to keep fit, don’t stop. If you have been training for a period of time and for example have developed good muscle strength then a layoff due to illness or 'not having the time to train' can lead to any gains being lost or reversed i.e. to your post trained condition.

A layoff of about a week may not have any serious conscequences but after about 3 months the losses could start to become quite significant.
5. Principle of Variation - varying exercises and work all muscles. Muscles and your body is a very efficient machine. In order for it not to have adapted to your regular routine you need to vary your training or intensity levels in order to stimulate new gains.
6. Principle of Transfer - This principle suggests that certain exercises with similar movement qualities can be transfered across. For example explosive squats could help with an athletes verticle jump as the movemet required is of a similar type.
7. Principle of Individuality - Training to fit you individually. Everybody is different and everybody's needs are different. Your training needs to be tailored to your own individual requirments and goals. Such needs that have to be accounted for include, gender, specific sport, health and fitness levels, previous injuries, motivation and experience.
8. Principle of Balance - Balanced diet with lifestyle. For the maximum gains all aspects of your fitness lifestyle have to be kept in balance. This means as much focus needs to be put on your fitness specific nutritional requirements, sleep and recovery just as much as the actual training itself.

Remember moderation is key. To much focus on training can lead to 'overtraining' i.e. to much pressure being placed on your body creating an environment succeptible to injury, muscle breakdown or illness.

Too much emphasis on diet can lead to obesity while lack of rest and recovery periods can cause all sorts of health related problems.

Follow these 8 principles of fitness training and your goals will be achieved far more quickly and much more successfully for a long time to come.