3.3 Principles of training and application to personal programmes GapFill

When planning a training programme, the key principles of training should be considered to maximise the positive effects of training. There are two acronyms that you should remember: SPORT and FITT.

'SPORT' refers to the key principles of training:

•  SportSpecificsSupplySpecificity suggests that the training should be relevant to the sporting event that is being trained for. For example, a 100 m sprinter wouldn’t find long-distance running beneficial to their sport.
•  Progress otherwiseProgress ordinarilyProgressive overloadProgressive overtime means that the training should gradually progress in difficulty by applying the FITT principles of overload (see below). This helps to prevent the performer plateauing in their progress. For example, a tennis player may increase the intensity of their training sessions to ensure they are applying enough stress to their body to gain the necessary long-term adaptations from training.
•  OveruseOverexertOvertrainingOveremphasise is a principle that every performer should be aware of and put appropriate measures in place to avoid. It occurs when the previous principle is disregarded or poorly applied. For example, someone who trains too hard, too frequently, too soon, will put themselves at risk of injury or burnout, both consequences of this principle.
•  ReversingReversibilityRunawayResourcefulness suggests that regular training is required to ensure positive long-term adaptations from training. If training stops, these gains may be lost. For example, a long-distance runner’s muscular endurance will decrease if they cease to train due to an injury.
• Training thresholds are represented as a % of maximum heart rate and are designed to gauge the intensity of training depending on the adaptations the performer is wanting to experience. Maximum heart rate is estimated using the Karvonen formula: 220 –   weightlung capacityageVO2 max. The target heart rate for aerobic adaptations is around  50–7070–9060–8080–90% HR max, whereas the anaerobic target zone is around   80–9060–8040–6050–70% HR max.
  

  
  

The FITT principle can be tied in with the above principles of training. These are as follows:

•  FrequentnessFrequencyFretfulFrenzy is the number of times an individual participates in training (i.e. how often). This can vary depending on the training type, but involves how often they train, e.g. three times a week.
•  InitiationIntensityIndignationInterval is the level at which a performer is working during the training regime (i.e. how hard). This can vary according to training type, but could include increasing the weight they are lifting or increasing the aerobic/anaerobic thresholds.
•  TimeTibiaTuneTedium refers to the duration of the training session (i.e. how long). For example, one hour for continuous low-intensity training may be fine, but 20 minutes is sufficient for high-intensity interval training.
•  TinyTrainingTypeTedium refers to the type of exercise being completed – for example, whether it’s aerobic or anaerobic – and the nature of the activity, e.g. continuous training for marathon runners and fartlek training for team-sport players. Activities should be specific to the sport that the performer participates in.

A training programme should also consider   body compositiontime of dayextrinsic motivatorsindividual needs, such as the participant's characteristics, likes and dislikes and overall training aims. This allows the trainer to select the correct intensity of training based on their target  breathing ratetidal volumeheart ratevital capacity and choose activities based on their preferences. This ensures that training progress does not  continueexceladvanceplateau and that adaptations are maximised.