1. FOUNDATIONS FOR TRAINING I
LESSON 2
REC 1040 – Sports Medicine 10

2. The FOUR Principles of Conditioning
Specificity
Progressive Overload
Reversibility
Maintenance
Alberta Fitness Leadership Certification Association (AFLCA), Exercise Theory Manual, 2010

3. The FOUR Principles of Conditioning
After considering the F.I.T.T. formula, you must also consider 4 other important factors in order to put together a safe and effective exercise program that meets and individuals long term goals.
Alberta Fitness Leadership Certification Association (AFLCA), Exercise Theory Manual, 2010

4. 1) Specificity Recall the 5 COMPONENTS OF PHYSICAL FITNESS:
Cardiovascular endurance/aerobic capacity
Anaerobic capacity
Muscular strength
Muscular endurance
Flexibility
To develop or improve in any one of these 5 components, activities must be performed that are specifically designed for that component.
The body adapts to exercise training that is specific to the muscle groups involved and the type of exercise performed. This is known as the principle of specificity (Heyward, 2006).
Alberta Fitness Leadership Certification Association (AFLCA), Exercise Theory Manual, 2010

5. 1) Specificity
For example: lifting weights develops muscular strength but minimally improves cardiovascular endurance/aerobic capacity.
Alberta Fitness Leadership Certification Association (AFLCA), Exercise Theory Manual, 2010

6. 1) Specificity
Also, the type and degree of adaptation the body makes depends on not only the type but also the amount of exercise performed.
Example:
Heavy resistance work with low reps and sets builds muscle size and strength
Light resistance work with high reps and sets builds muscular endurance
Alberta Fitness Leadership Certification Association (AFLCA), Exercise Theory Manual, 2010

7. 1) Specificity
Specificity also applies to muscle groups. Only the actual muscles or integrated systems that are stimulated by the activity will show training adaptations.
To develop a certain component of fitness, you must overload
that component specifically.
Specificity also applies to the skill-related fitness components
Example:
If an individual’s goal is to improve his/her tennis serve, then he/she must practice the serve and also develop strong shoulders and forearms (muscle groups that drive the movement).
Alberta Fitness Leadership Certification Association (AFLCA), Exercise Theory Manual, 2010

8. 2) Progressive Overload
The body adapts to the demands of the activity by improving its functioning
(Recall the 5 physiological changes a body makes when a moderate load is put on it)
When the amount of overload or exercise stress is progressively increased, the fitness level of the individual continues to improve.
This is the principle of Progressive Overload.
Alberta Fitness Leadership Certification Association (AFLCA), Exercise Theory Manual, 2010

9. 2) Progressive Overload
The amount of overload is very important.
Overload should not be added too quickly or too slowly.
Too little overload will not have the effect on the fitness level, and too much overload may cause injury.
This is the “progressive” part of the overload principle.
Alberta Fitness Leadership Certification Association (AFLCA), Exercise Theory Manual, 2010

10. 2) Progressive Overload
Examples of Overload:
Increasing duration of activity in weeks 3-4 to 40 minutes, instead of 30 minutes in weeks 1-2
Changing the intensity of exercise by increasing the running pace from 6:00 min/km to 5:30 min/km, or by adding resistance to the weights being lifted by changing from 70% of one repetition max, to 75% of one repetition max (1RM).
Increasing skill level of your squash game by arranging a match with a player who is one level higher than you; going from playing against division 3 players to division 2 players.
Changing the type of training you’re doing by doing an interval workout with a heart rate of 165 bpm, versus a continuous workout of 145 bpm.
Alberta Fitness Leadership Certification Association (AFLCA), Exercise Theory Manual, 2010

11. 2) Progressive Overload - Training Threshold
The TRAINING THRESHOLD and level of fitness:
For every type of activity, there is a training threshold at which fitness benefits start to occur.
There is a zone at which maximum fitness benefits occur and an upper limit for safe and effective training.
This threshold is relative to the individual
The more fit a person is, the more work it will take to improve that person’s fitness level
For example: an individual just beginning a running program might benefit from jogging a km in 8 minutes. However, this level of exercise stress would cause no physical adaptations in a trained distance runner. It may actually result in DETRAINING a high performance athlete.
Alberta Fitness Leadership Certification Association (AFLCA), Exercise Theory Manual, 2010

12. 2) Progressive Overload – Ten Percent Rule
A general common sense guideline for improvement of physical fitness and avoiding common overuse injuries or “too much too soon” injuries, is the Ten Percent Rule.
This rule says that training intensity or duration of activity should not be increased by more than 10% per week (Powers et. al, 2006).
Example:
An individual running 20 minutes per day could increase his or her daily training duration to 22 minutes per day the following week, OR they could quicken their pace from 5:30 min/km to 4:57 min/km the following week.
Alberta Fitness Leadership Certification Association (AFLCA), Exercise Theory Manual, 2010

13. 2) Progressive Overload – Ceiling Effect
“The CEILING EFFECT”
Individuals cannot expect to continue to improve their fitness level indefinitely though.
The body will continue to adapt in small ways to increasingly strenuous levels of exercise, but at some point a ceiling effect will be reached.
In other words, an individual will eventually plateau in their fitness gains. This ceiling effect is partly determined by genetics.
It is also referred to as the ABSOLUTE LIMIT.
Alberta Fitness Leadership Certification Association (AFLCA), Exercise Theory Manual, 2010

14. 2) Progressive Overload
The “Ceiling Effect” or “Absolute Limit” can be quite discouraging for people who are used to seeing great gains in health and performance.
As a trainer or leader it is important for you to be aware of this and to explain it appropriately.
Also, you should investigate alternate forms of activity and play with the “F.I.T.T.” formula to see if that raises the “ceiling”.
However, keep in mind that there are other reasons for minimal changes:
Poor eating habits, inadequate sleep, inadequate rest between workouts, illness, poor hydration, etc.
Alberta Fitness Leadership Certification Association (AFLCA), Exercise Theory Manual, 2010

15. 2) Progressive Overload – Rest
Rest and Recovery
Sufficient recovery time is important to replenish energy stores and allow for adaptation to occur.
During training, certain tissues are broken down due to the mechanical action of the exercise stress. The training effect occurs when these tissues adapt to a higher level of strength or efficiency than before. However, a training effect can only occur when the body is rested for a period of time after.
Alberta Fitness Leadership Certification Association (AFLCA), Exercise Theory Manual, 2010

16. 2) Progressive Overload - Cross Training
As mentioned before in terms of intensity and rest, Cross Training can reduce the risk of overuse injury by reducing the impact and biomechanical stress put on different body systems and muscle groups.
Varying the type of activity (keeping in mind that “Specificity” is important too), will not only reduce risk of injury but also keep up interest and adherence too (less boredom from routine).
Alberta Fitness Leadership Certification Association (AFLCA), Exercise Theory Manual, 2010

17. 2) Progressive Overload - Overtraining
If an individual does not get enough rest/recovery between sessions, it can lead to:
Stiff and sore muscles
A feeling of general fatigue after an exercise session
Elevated resting heart rate
Poor quality training sessions (burnout)
Chronic and acute injury
Alberta Fitness Leadership Certification Association (AFLCA), Exercise Theory Manual, 2010

18. 2) Progressive Overload - Overtraining
To avoid overtraining and chronic fatigue:
Increase rest between sessions
Initially reduce and alternate the intensity, example: hard day followed by an easy day
Consume a well-balanced diet with recommended amounts of fats, carbohydrates, proteins, vitamins, minerals and water.
Get adequate amounts of sleep.
Alberta Fitness Leadership Certification Association (AFLCA), Exercise Theory Manual, 2010

19. 3) Reversibility Fitness conditioning is a reversible adaptation.
Just because you reached a certain level of fitness at age 15, does not mean you will remain that way now for the rest of your life.
The body adjusts to lower levels of physical activity the same way that it does to high levels.
This is the Principle of Reversibility (Fahey et. al, 2003).
Alberta Fitness Leadership Certification Association (AFLCA), Exercise Theory Manual, 2010

20. 3) Reversibility
This principle can also be referred to as the “Use and Disuse” Principle.
In other words, USE promotes function, and DISUSE promotes deterioration.
After stopping a training program, the training effect will be lost at about ONE- THIRD of the rate at which it was gained. This exact rate varies with tissue type, and individual differences however.
For example, AEROBIC CAPACITIES ARE QUICKER TO REVERSE THAN MUSCULAR STRENGTH
Aerobic capacities are lost much quicker than strength changes. Strength is lost somewhat slower because the quality of connective tissues changes very little. We are also likely to engage in lifting and carrying activities in our daily lives that somewhat maintains strength, whereas aerobic and cardiovascular activities do not typically occur in daily routine.
Alberta Fitness Leadership Certification Association (AFLCA), Exercise Theory Manual, 2010

21. Muscular endurance is quicker to reverse than muscular strength is.
3) Reversibility
Muscular endurance is quicker to reverse than muscular strength is.
Alberta Fitness Leadership Certification Association (AFLCA), Exercise Theory Manual, 2010

22. 3) Reversibility
Symptoms such as lowered immunity, and mood changes may occur from a break in exercise programs. If the participant has taken a break, encourage them to start back at a lower intensity and gradually overload again following the F.I.T.T. formula.
Alberta Fitness Leadership Certification Association (AFLCA), Exercise Theory Manual, 2010

23. 4) Maintenance
Maintenance is defined as the stage where exercise is performed only to sustain the current level of physical fitness (Powers et. al, 2006).
Once you have reached a desired level of fitness, it is not necessary to adjust the F.I.T.T. formula (specifically intensity or duration).
A variety of exercises can be introduced at this point to keep interest high and boredom low, which simply maintaining the level of fitness and warding off DISUSE or detraining effects (Heyward, 2006).
Alberta Fitness Leadership Certification Association (AFLCA), Exercise Theory Manual, 2010