Essential Principles of Training - Reality
by Peter LaChance, M.S., C.S.C.S.
Regardless of the type, level, or objective of the training program you are considering, a number of basic training principles should be integrated to maximize gains, safety, and time efficiency.
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Reality
All programs should be goal oriented. Goals must be realistic relative to your genetic potential and somatotype, and quantifiable in terms of pretest values (e.g. pounds, inches, percentage of body fat).
Consider either:
Increasing specific components of fitness, if you are deficient or...
Maintaining a given level of fitness, if you are at an acceptable level relative to your genetic potential.
For most muscle groups, gains in strength can be expected at a rate of approximately one percent per week over four to six months for untrained individuals at much slower rates for the relatively trained.
When goal setting, a number of factors affecting gains must be considered and optimized:
Planned sacrifices (investment of time and effort)
Sleeping habits
Diet and Nutrition
Availability of facilities and equipment
Eight Essential Principles of Exercise
Balance
by Peter LeChanc
Regardless of the type, level, or objectives of the training program you are considering, a number of basic training principles should be integrated to maximize gains, safety, and time efficiency.
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Your training program should have at least 8 to 12 full range of motion exercises. One exercise should be selected for each of the major muscle groups, so that the entire body is equally developed:
legs (quadriceps, hamstrings, gastrocnemius/soleus)
midsection (abdominals, obliques, spinal erectors)
upper body "pushing" (chest, shoulders, triceps)
and "pulling" (latissimus dorsi, rhomboids, trapezius, biceps)
Further an equivalent number of exercises and sets should be performed for agonist/antagonists muscle groups. Although all of the muscles are important from a weak link standpoint, larger muscles should be trained before smaller ones through the use of multi-joint versus single joint exercises. From another perspective, training programs should be balanced in terms of maintaining or developing all of the components of fitness.
Essential Principles of Training - Specificity
by Peter LaChance, M.S., C.S.C.S.
Regardless of the type, level, or objective of the training program you are considering, a number of basic training principles should be integrated to maximize gains, safety, and time efficiency.
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Specificity
All training programs should be devised to either;
enhance specific components of fitness
incorporate a spectrum of exercise to enhance all of the components of fitness
These components of fitness include:
Cardiovascular endurance
Body composition
Flexibility
Coordination/Agility
Muscular Strength
Endurance
Power
From a resistance training perspective, specificity should be considered in terms of load (force), repetitions (duration), cadence (velocity), range of motion, and exercise modality (type). However, genetic initation strength-endurance programs involve "a single set of moderate load, 8-12 repetitions, slow cadence exercise per each muscle group."
Essential Principles of Training - Overload
by Peter LaChance, M.S., C.S.C.S.
Regardless of the type, level, or objective of the training program you are considering, a number of basic training principles should be integrated to maximize gains, safety, and time efficiency.
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Overload
Once the objectives and optimal conditions have been specifically established in terms of the force, velocity, and duration of exercise, overloads must be applied in terms of both volume (product of load x reps x time) and intensity (percent maximal effort) of exercise.
From a time efficiency standpoint, intensity overloads are effective; however, more significant long-term gains are realized when both volume and intensity overloads are intermittently and progressively applied.
For long-term gains, volume overloads should not exceed 10 percent per week and intensity overloads should not exceed 1 to 2 percent per week.
In support of the "Hard/Easy Day Concept" required overloads should occur a minimum of once every 5-8 days (1 x/wk) for a given muscle group. Alternate training sessions should be performed at either reduced volumes and/or intensities; these "working rest days" facilitate recovery and maintenance of training effects.
Submaximal, non-over-load sessions on a regular basis (every 24 hours), are not recommended because they are:
Not time efficient
They fail to provide an adequate overload for maintenance and improvement
They promote mental staleness
Application of "overload training techinques" (e.g. forced reps, forced negatives, negative accentuated, breakdowns) to induce momentary muscular failure (MMF) should be considered less frequently than 1 time per week per exercise. The use of overload training techniques increase the potential of experiencing overtraining, particularly in multiple set regimens.