Progressive Overload

Greater demand (intensity or duration) continually placed on the body in incremental stages. Corresponds to first stage of SAID (Stress or Stimulus). If overload is not present, adaptation is not necessary, and will not occur. If overload is too great, acute overtraining may occur.

Specificity

Adaptation to exercise are specific to training stimuli. See Training Specificity.

Recovery

Second stage of SAID (Adaptation or Response) occurs during this stage. Chronic overtraining can occur if recovery is insufficient overtime. If recovery is too long, regularity is compromised.

Regularity

Detraining will occur if specific overload is not practiced at regular intervals.

Variation

Subtle training variations inhibits exhaustion stage of SAID. Beginner's and intermediate trainees appear to receive sufficient training variations due to their relatively rapid progress. See Initial Level of Fitness and Variation Examples below.

Variation Examples

Beginners

• Resistance training
  • Performs additional repetition(s) most workouts
    • progressing from 8 to 12 reps
    • increases in muscular endurance
  • Resistance is increased
    • after 12 reps are achieved
    • increase in strength
  • Alternating cycle continues
• Cardio training
  • Progressively increase walking time throughout a few weeks
    • Increases in endurance
  • Increase walking speed at conclusion of few weeks
    • Increase in speed
  • Alternating cycle continues

Intermediate Trainees

• Resistance training
  • Beginner strategies above
  • Prioritization
  • Changing exercise
  • Light heavy workouts
• Cardio Training
  • Beginner strategies above
  • Jog-walk workouts
  • Jogging workout
  • Other cardio exercises

Advanced Trainees

• Resistance training and Cardio Training
  • Beginner and Intermediate trainee strategies above
  • Periodization techniques
    • Resistance Training
    • Sports Training
      • Cycling Example
      • Marathon Overview
      • Triathlon Example
  • Other sports specific conditioning techniques

Variation Deviations

• Variations should be subtle
  • No more than a half space either direction on Fitness Continuum
    • Too great of deviation alters Training Specificity
  • Example A: exclusive strength goal
    • Recommended training range:
      • power/strength to strength/endurance
    • Goal may be inhibited by training purely speed or cardiovascular endurance
      • except when sport also calls upon these traits
  • Example B: exclusive cardiovascular endurance/speed goal
    • Recommended training range:
      • Cardiovascular endurance to speed
    • Goal may be inhibited by training pure strength training
      • except when specific supplemental work is performed for injury prevention
  • See Sports Training Program for example
• Training goals are specific to activities and may vary throughout body
  • Example
    • Athlete may require running endurance and throwing power
  • See Training Specificity