Two Training Principles Every Workout Routine Needs To Have

This article is about going back to the basics to discuss some important training principles that every workout regimen should contain.

When following a workout routine, keep these principles in mind to get the most out of your workouts!

Principle #1: The Specificity Principle

This principle is about making your workouts specific to your goals.

I know it sounds self explanatory, but it is amazing how many people perform workouts that are not specific to what they actually want to achieve.

It is important that you train the specific energy systems, muscles, and movements relevant to your end goal.

If you want to be a better runner, than run. If you want to be a better jumper, then jump. If you want to be a bodybuilder, then lift weights. 

So if you want to improve your 100 meter sprint, it would not be specific to go for a 5 mile jog. 

If you are training to improve your athleticism on the basketball court, then it would not be specific to perform biceps curls. 

Make sure to make your workouts specific to your goal.

If you want to improve your sprinting, get out and sprint and combine that with some power sets of explosive lower and upper body exercises in the weight room.

Movements are also extremely important.

If your a baseball pitcher trying to improve the velocity on your fastball, design your exercises to stimulate a throwing motion.

Principle #2: The Overload Principle

In order for your body to grow, there has to be a reason for it to grow.

To see change, you have to overload and “overwork” your body.

As you overload your body, your body adapts and grows because of it.

If you are bench pressing and decide to add an extra 10 pounds, you are overloading your body, enabling a change.

If you are a long distance runner and you keep the same pace, but run for an extra 10 minutes, you are overloading the body.

You can also overload the body by increasing the speed in the same time frame. So if you run at 6 mph for 45 minutes normally, but instead increase to 7 mph for 45 minutes, you are overloading the body.

If you want to see change, you have to overload the body to cause a change… so in simpler terms, you have to workout hard!!