Exercise Physiology: Theory and Application to Fitness and Performance 9th Edition by Scott Powers, Edward Howley

Exercise 1

Explain the basic principles of training: overload, specificity, and reversibility.

Step 1 of 3

The three basic principles of training are overload, specificity, and reversibility. These three principles are adapted during training to enhance the performance of an individual.

Overload: According to this principle, to improve the fitness or performance, the body must be put under additional stress. The tissues or organs must be exercised beyond their accustomed level to cause long-term adaptations. This enables the body to work more efficiently since the body adapts to overload.

Training on overload constitutes three factors; intensity, duration, and frequency. Intensity refers to gradual increase in the difficulty of the exercise; duration refers to increasing the length of time that the training for each session is done; and frequency refers to the number of times a particular workout is done. Gradual increase in the frequency makes the person adapt to the overload.