Republic of the Philippines

Cagayan State University

www.csu.edu.ph

UNIT 1
Topic 1.C UNDERSTANDING PRINCIPLES OF TRAINING

Lesson Objectives

At the end of the lesson, the students should be able to:

A. Identify the principles of training and its importance;

B. Apply the principles of gtraining through body workouts;
C. Express importance of the principles through journal reflection.

Reading I

Training means exercising regularly to improve skills and fitness. The training that an
athlete does must be appropriate for that person and their sport in order to get the
most out of their training. These days it seems like every athlete has advice on how
to train most effectively. Their ideas and philosophies are often a result of the
athletes’ own experiences with training and racing; quite often these have some
merit, however when it comes to training principles, it’s definitely true that we “don’t
know what we don’t know.”

TRAINING PRINCIPLE 1: OVERLOAD

For any adaptation to take place, the human body is required to exert itself beyond
the normal stress levels of training. Put simply, you need to suffer in training in
order to progress. This doesn’t mean every single session you need to be putting
yourself in tha ‘pain cave’ but you will need to check in regularly to ensure you are
pushing yourself enough for the body to reset its current fitness levels. Overloading
can be achieved by following FITT.
 Republic of the Philippines
Cagayan State University
www.csu.edu.ph

 Frequency: Increasing the number of times you train per week. For
example, instead of doing the workout twice a week, try doing it for
3 times a week.

 Intensity: Increasing the difficulty of the exercise you do. For

example, running at 12 km/h instead of 10 km/h or increasing the
weight you are lifting with.

 Time: Increasing the length of time that you are training for each
session. For example, cycling for 45 minutes instead of 30 minutes.

 Type: Increase the difficulty of the training you are doing. For
example progress from walking to running.

TRAINING PRINCIPLE 2: SPECIFICITY

This put simply means that you’ll get better on what you do. If you want to improve
your running, then run more. If you want to improve your swimming, then swim
more. In short, specific type of exercises for a specific purpose.

TRAINING PRINCIPLE 3: PROGRESSION

Progression is a close relative to overload. It relates to short, medium and long term
development of an athlete. In a well-planned program, the athlete should be
challenged regularly to attain new levels of fitness to ensure better performance is
given. The higher the skill of an athlete the more difficult this becomes to raise.

TRAINING PRINCIPLE 4: RECOVERY

The adaptation to overload occurs during rest periods. When you are pushing your
limits you are in the process of breaking down your body, during the recovery
phase, the body experiences compensation which results in the body adjusting to
new levels of fitness. Remember you cannot expect to feel recovered for every
session.
 Republic of the Philippines
Cagayan State University
www.csu.edu.ph

TRAINING PRINCIPLE 5: REVERSIBILITY

Basically, if you stop training then the improvements you have made will be
reversed. If you do not train for a period of time (even as little as a week) you will
not be able to resume training at the point where you left off.

TRAINING PRINCIPLE 6: VARIETY

Vary your training to keep you interested and to give your body a different
challenge. Remember a change is as good as rest.

Reading II

TRAINING THRESHOLDS AND CALCULATING HEART RATE

Training is effective when it specifically targets the individual athlete. One way of
achieving this is by targeting the most relevant training threshold. For many athletes
this involves calculating a specific WORKING HEART RATE.

RESTING HEART RATE (RHR) – heart rate at rest is best determined right after
waking up in the morning; before sitting up.

THEORETICAL MAXIMUM HEART RATE (TMHR) – 220 beats per minute (BPM)
is the highest number of beats that the human heart can attain.

MAXIMUM HEART RATE (MHR) – it is computed by subtracting your age from

the theoretical maximum heart rate.

TRAINING HEART RATE (THR) – the training heart rate zone, determine the
intensity level at which you should exercise.

RECOVERY HEART RATE – it is taken 90 seconds after the training. When the
count falls below the minimum level of the training heart rate, you can apply the
overload principle.
 Republic of the Philippines
Cagayan State University
www.csu.edu.ph

A 20-year-old athlete might want to calculate their maximum heart rate in order to
accurately calculate their training threshold:

Maximum heart rate = 220 – 20

Maximum heart rate = 200 beats per minute (BPM)

Once we have calculated the maximum heart rate, we can calculate the training
thresholds.

Example: A 20-year-old distance runner wants to calculate working intensity within

the aerobic zone:

Maximum heart rate = 200

 Republic of the Philippines
Cagayan State University
www.csu.edu.ph

Lower training threshold of the aerobic zone = 60% of MHR

Lower training threshold = 0.6 × 200

Lower training threshold = 120 BPM

Upper training threshold of the aerobic zone = 80% MHR

Upper training threshold = 0.8 × 200

Upper training threshold = 160 BPM

Therefore the 20-year-old aerobic athlete needs to target their training between 120
- 160 BPM to make the training effective.

Exercise I: Multiple choice. Encircle the letter of the correct answer.

1. The principle that the effects of exercise training are specific to those
muscles involved in the activity is the:
A. overload principle.
B. specificity principle.
C. progression principle.
D. recuperation principle.
2. What does the 10 percent rule mean?
A. Training intensity with distance in aerobic workouts should not be
increased more than 10 minutes each week.
B. training intensity with strength training should not be increased more
than 10 percent of the previous weight each week.
C. Training intensity or duration should not be increased more than 10
percent each week.
D. training intensity or duration of exercise should not be increased more
than 10 minutes per week.
3. The table shows four stages of an aerobic endurance plan.
4. What does the change in level of intensity from Stage I to Stage II
represent?
 Republic of the Philippines
Cagayan State University
www.csu.edu.ph

A. Progressive overload
B. Reversibility
C. Specificity
D. Variety
5. Which statement best describes the principle of reversibility?
A. The loss of muscle glycogen due to increased training demands
B. Changing training duration prior to competition
C. Changing training intensity prior to competition
D. The loss of training benefits with reduced performance
6. Which of the following is an example of the principle of reversibility?
A. Decreased level of performance as a result of a break in training
B. Completing exercises for opposing muscle groups in one session
C. Achieving a lower time in an 800m time trial on a second attempt
D. Decreased training intensity leading up to a major competition
7. Which of the following best demonstrates the principle of progressive
overload?
A. Ensuring that an athlete's HR is below 70-80% if MHR during each
session
B. Gradually increasing the weight & number of reps for strength training
exercises
C. Participating in a variety of activities to develop a range of muscle
groups
D. Scheduling 1-2 training sessions each week to maximise training
benefits
 Republic of the Philippines
Cagayan State University
www.csu.edu.ph

8. Which of the following principles of training would best explain why an

elite lawn bowler may not necessarily be an elite basket baller?
A. Progressive overload
B. Reversibility
C. Specificity
D. Reliability
9. Which principle of training refers to aligning training activities with the
demands of a particular sport?
A. Variety
B. Specificity
C. Warm up & cool down
D. Reversibility
10.The principle of specificity is best illustrated by:
A. Lifting heavy weights to increase aerobic performance
B. Power walking to improve arm strength
C. Doing push-ups to reduce waistline size
D. Doing sit-ups to increase abdominal strength
11.the number of times you exercise per week
A. Frequency
B. Frequent
C. Training schedule
D. Time

12. How hard the exercise is?

A. Intensity
B. Overload
C. Difficulty
D. Type

13. How long each session lasts?

A. Time
B. Type
 Republic of the Philippines
Cagayan State University
www.csu.edu.ph

C. Progression
D. Frequency

14. The nature of exercise that the performer completes.

A. Type
B. Frequency
C. Variation
D. Specificity

15. Focusing training on activities and exercise relevant to an individual’s

sporting goals and needs

A. Specificity
B. Variation
C. Adaptation
D. Type

16. Training at an appropriate intensity and gradually increasing the amount

of stress placed on the body.

A. Progressive Overload
B. Adaptation
C. Intensity
D. Type

17. By ensuring that that you progressively overload your body you
encourage it to adapt to new stresses being placed upon it.

A. Adaptation
B. Variation
C. Intensity
D. Specificity

18. When you stop raining you lose any strength, tone or skill that have been
previously gained.
 Republic of the Philippines
Cagayan State University
www.csu.edu.ph

A. Reversibility
B. Variation
C. Regression
D. Backwards

19. Changing the training you do so that you don’t get bored and continue to
enjoy your training.

A. Variation
B. Type
C. Specificity
D. Adaptation

20. What should all training be followed by?

A. Rest and Recovery

B. Rehab and Food
C. Another training session
D. A Mars Bars to say well done

Exercise II: Answer the following:

Instructions: My physical activity plan. Perform a body workout that suits in the
given activities

THR Picture of
(lower & yourself
Activities Frequency Intensity Time Type upper during the
limits) physical
activity
Lifestyle
1 Physical
Activity
Aerobic
2
Activity
3 Exercise for
Flexibility
 Republic of the Philippines
Cagayan State University
www.csu.edu.ph

Exercise for
Strength and
4
Muscular
Endurance