Training programs must follow key principles: individuality by accounting for each athlete's strengths and needs; overload by gradually increasing volume or intensity over time; specificity by mimicking competition demands; reversibility by maintaining adaptations; variation to stay motivated; and recovery to allow the body to repair. Periodization divides the training year into phases with cycles of harder and easier sessions to manage workload and peak for competition.

1. PRINCIPLES OF TRAINING
2

2. TRAINING
PRINCIPLES
Individuality

Overload
Specificity
Reversibility
Variation
Recovery
Periodisation

3. INDIVIDUALITY
Individuals may be predisposed to a particular
component of fitness without training:
strength, power, speed, endurance, flexibility,
agility, balance.
Individuals may respond at different rates to
various types of training.
Some athletes may have a greater recovery time
than others.
Some athletes may have a greater tolerance to
training than others.
THEREFORE, INDIVIDUAL PROGRAMS.

4. Therefore training
programs must be written
to suit the individual! YOU!

5. OVERLOAD
To get a continual adaptation, training VOLUME
(FREQUENCY or DURATION) or INTENSITY
should be gradually increased to force to body to
respond to stimuli.
A solid, biomechanically correct base must be
established first. Even the best training program
can cause injury.

6. Overload
Training should commence slowly
No sudden increases
10% per week (rough estimate)
Cycle hard & easy sessions
48-72 hours between hard sessions

7. PERIODISATION
Training plans/programs need to be divided into smaller
phases.
Typically the training year has three phases:
Transition or off season phase.
Preparatory or pre-season phase.
Competitive or in-season phase.
Each of these phases can be further divided into:
macrocycles (6 weeks).
microcycles (1 week).
The training year should have manageable and
measurable short term goals.
Cycle macro and micro cycles - eg. Strength, speed,
power, recovery.
Cycle easy and hard training sessions by varying the
volume, intensity and rest.

8. PERIODISATION

9. PERIODISATION

11. SPECIFICITY
Training should mimic
competition demands:
movement and energy
systems
components of fitness
intensity and work
interval
non-specific carry over
effects
mental rehearsal and
practice

13. REVERSIBILITY
 "Use it or lose it"
Adaptation
works in both
directions
Strength Vs
endurance
 Obtain, Maintain
or Re-gain.

14. VARIATION
Provide variety
in training
programs/task
s to maintain
interest and
motivation.

15. RECOVERY
 Training programs must allow for adequate
recovery time.
 Hard sessions should be followed by enough
recovery time to allow the body to repair any
damage and adapt.
 Not enough recovery can lead to a reduced rate of
improvement and injury.

16. PASSIVE
RECOVERY
No physical activity at all

during rest period.
 Suitable for low volume
exercise and very low
intensity exercise.

17. ACTIVE RECOVERY
 Very low intensity exercise during recovery period eg.
Walking, light jog, spinning on bike..)
 Helps keep blood pumping so fresh blood can clear
the muscles of lactic acid and provide more oxygen
and glycogen for quicker recovery.
 Essential for high volume exercise of moderate to high
intensity.

18. RECOVERY
(CONT’D)
 Massage between light
sets is beneficial in the
removal of lactic acid.
 Mild stretching between
heavy sets will allow for
more complete
contractions in the
following sets.
 Extending the between set
recovery time is the most
effective method of getting
the same total reps in
each set.