Principles of Training: Training should be matched to an individual’s needs. By using the principles of training as a framework, we can plan a personal training programme that uses scientific principles to improve performance, skill, game ability and physical fitness.
A successful training programme will meet individual needs which are personal fitness needs based on age, gender, fitness level and the sport for which we are training. A successful training programme will also include exercise in the correct heart-rate target zone.
The Key principles when planning a programme are:
Specificity – Training must be matched to the needs of the sporting activity to improve fitness in the body part which the sport uses.
Overload – Fitness can only be improved by training more than you normally do. You must work hard.
Progression – Start slowly and gradually increase the amount of exercise and keep overloading.
Reversibility – Any adaptation that takes place as a result of training will be reversed when you stop training. If you take a break or don’t train often or enough you will loose fitness.