1 of 30

Boardworks Ltd 2006

Improving performance is not just about training more competitors need to follow a carefully planned training programme. This programme must be systematic and take into account the demands of the activity and the needs, preferences and abilities of the performer. There are a number of principles that performers and coaches must follow if they are to fulfil their potential.
2 of 30 Boardworks Ltd 2006

Individual needs
All training programmes must consider the individual needs of the performer. Before designing a training programme, you need to ask the following questions about the individual: What is their initial level of fitness?

How old are they?

Are they male or female? Why do they want to train? What is their aim or motivation? The answers will help you to tailor the training programme to the individual needs and abilities of the performer.
3 of 30 Boardworks Ltd 2006

Principles of training
Specificity Principle Progression Principle Overload Principle Reversibility Principle

Diminishing Return Principle

Variation Principle Individual Differences Principle

Moderation Principle

4 of 30

Boardworks Ltd 2006

Specificity
You must do specific types of activity to improve specific parts of the body in specific ways. Different events can require very different forms of training.

For example, if youre training for a weightlifting competition, its no use going swimming every day.
You need to concentrate on strength training for your arms and legs.
5 of 30 Boardworks Ltd 2006

You need to train specifically to develop the right muscles if your sport requires a lot of running, work mainly on your legs.

type of fitness do you need strength, speed, stamina or a combination?

skills you need to practice any relevant skills like kicking, serving and passing.

Remember that: specific individuals respond differently to the same exercise. Training may need to be adapted to suit the needs of different participants.

6 of 30

Boardworks Ltd 2006

Overload
Fitness can only be improved by training more than you normally do. Unless the body is subjected to increased demands, improvements in physical fitness will not be made. If a physical fitness programme is to be effective, it must place increased and specific demands on the body. If training levels remain the same, then the programme will only be maintaining the participants level of fitness, not improving it. Remember though you can train too much!
7 of 30 Boardworks Ltd 2006

Overload: the FITT principle

There are four ways to achieve overload in an exercise programme. They can easily be remembered using the mnemonic, FITT. Frequency how often you train. Intensity how hard you train. Time (or duration) how long you train for.

Type the kind of training you do.

8 of 30

Boardworks Ltd 2006

Reversibility
Unfortunately, most of the adaptations which result from training are reversible.

This simply means that unless you keep training, any fitness gains will be lost.
Fitness will be lost if the training load is reduced (meaning overload is not achieved) or if a performer stops training, for example, if they are injured. Coaches need to ensure that long periods of inactivity are avoided when possible.

Endurance can be lost in a third of the time it took to achieve! Strength declines more slowly, but lack of exercise will still cause muscles to wither (atrophy).
9 of 30 Boardworks Ltd 2006

Progression
Progression means gradually increasing the amount of exercise you do.

When a performer first starts exercising, their levels of fitness may be poor.
If a coach increases the training too quickly, the body will not have time to adapt and this may result in injury. Slow and steady progress is the best way forward. For example, if you were training for a 10 km run, you might start by going for two 30 minute runs a week. You could then increase the time you run for by 3 minutes each week.
10 of 30 Boardworks Ltd 2006

Progression
Gradually increasing the frequency, intensity and duration of fitness sessions is an important factor in developing an effective training programme. In terms of type of training, progression should be based on the principle of moving from easy activities to difficult ones. For example, if you were creating a training programme for a novice skier, you would not start them off on a really steep, difficult run.

11 of 30

Boardworks Ltd 2006

Moderation
Moderation means achieving a balance between not training enough and overtraining. Achieving the right balance is very important.

Without proper rest and recovery time, performers can become too tired to train effectively and become stressed and irritable.
Even worse, overtraining can lead to injury. This can occur through overstressing joints and tissues, or through poor technique resulting from exhaustion.

12 of 30

Boardworks Ltd 2006

Diminishing Return Principle

When unfit athletes begin a training regime, their fitness levels improve rapidly.
As they become fitter, the diminishing returns principle becomes low. That is, as athletes become fitter, the amount of improvement is less as they approach their genetic limits

As fitness levels increase, more work or training is needed to make the same gains.
Fitness levels will not continue to improve at the same rate as athletes become fitter.
13 of 30 Boardworks Ltd 2006

14 of 30

Boardworks Ltd 2006

Variation Principle
After the athletes have trained hard for several days, they should train lightly to give their bodies a chance to recover. Coaches need to vary the intensity and volume of training to help athletes achieve peak levels of fitness for competition. Coaches should change the exercises or activities regularly so that they do not overstress a part of the body. Changing activities also maintains athletes interest in training.
15 of 30 Boardworks Ltd 2006

Variation Principle (continued)

The specificity principle and variation principle seem to be incompatible because the specificity principle states that the more specific the training to the demands of the sport, the better.

The variation principle seemingly asserts the opposite-train by using a variety of activities.
The incompatibility is resolved by the degree to which each principle is followed. More specific training is better. Some variety that involves the same muscle groups is a useful change to avoid boredom.
16 of 30 Boardworks Ltd 2006

Individual Differences Principle

Every athlete is different and responds differently to the same training activities. The value of training depends in part on the athletes maturation. Before puberty, training is less effective than after puberty. Other factors that affect how athletes respond to training include their pretraining condition; genetic predisposition; gender and race; diet and sleep; environmental factors such as heat, cold, and humidity; and of course motivation.
17 of 30 Boardworks Ltd 2006