The seven principles of strength training

The seven principles of strength training

When focusing on strength training and overall athletic performance, there are seven overarching principles that determine improvement. When training, try to keep these principles in mind as you look for improvement. Often people find that they reach performance plateaus. However, if they review their program, they will find that they are most likely neglecting one or more of the following principles:

1.Principle of overloading

2.Principle of progress

3.Principle of specificity

4.Principle of variation

5.Principle of individuality

6.Principle of diminishing returns

7. Principle of reversibility

Principle of overloading

This is one of the basic fundamentals of strength training. It basically means that if you want to get stronger or make the muscle grow, you have to work or “overload” the muscle. When you overload the muscle, you actually tear the muscle tissue at a microscopic level. When this happens, the body tries to overcompensate in anticipation of having to do it again. More muscle tissue is laid down, which leads to muscle growth.

Principle of progress

This is also one of the basic principles of strength training. This means that there is no point in continuing to lift the same weight as you get stronger. You need to progress by lifting heavy weight or pumping out more reps. If the progression is too great, the weight is too heavy to lift. However, if there is little or no progression, there is no improvement in performance.

Principle of specificity

The concept of specificity is that if you want to improve your performance in a specific area, train in that area. In other words, train like you play! For example, if you want to improve athletic performance in basketball, there is no point in running laps around an oval. Do basketball-based athletics like suicide runs, ball drills, etc. Strength training is the same - if you want to improve your push. Ups, push-ups and exercises that mimic this movement.

Principle of variation

Some people are confused that variation and specificity contradict each other. In fact, they absolutely don't! The idea of ​​variation is to mix up your workout routine so your body doesn't adapt too efficiently to what you're trying to achieve. Using the push-up as an example, you can vary your push-up workout by setting it to incline or decline push-ups, place a slap in the middle, or move your hand closer to make it a triceps push-up. Alternatively, you can try a bench press – biomechanically it is almost identical.

Principle of individuality

The Principle of Individuality covers the differences between people with the X factor and those athletic freaks who seem to get stronger just by looking at weights! Seriously, individuality recognizes that all people train at different speeds. This individuality can be influenced by age, gender, race, diet, genetics and sleep factors. This is why it's important for people to follow their individual workout routine rather than copying what everyone else seems to be doing.

Principle of diminishing returns

The principle of diminishing returns means that as someone gets fitter or stronger, it takes more effort to continue getting fitter or stronger. A beginner who is morbidly obese will initially lose a significant amount of weight, but as they lose more and more weight, it becomes increasingly difficult to continue losing the weight. Strength gains are the same. This is why world-class athletes train for hours every day to achieve a 1-2% improvement!

Principle of reversibility

This is the “move or lose” rule. This means that training must continue to maintain athletic and powerful fundamentals, otherwise the results will be reversed. In general, older people are not as strong as they were in their youth, in part because they are not as active as they were in their youth. It has been estimated that an athlete loses approximately 10% of their cardiovascular performance while on bed restper week!For this reason, many athletes will maintain their strength and fitness during the off-season. It is much easier to maintain fitness and strength than to lose it and try to regain it.

These are the seven principles of strength training. Try to remember these and consider them when writing your next training program!

Inspired by Shaun Ahearn