Strength Training: Principles

Principles of Strength Training:

• OVERLOAD
• SAID (specific adaption to imposed demands)
• REVERSIBILITY

1) Overload: For muscle performance to be increased, a load which exceeds the metabolic capability of the muscle must be applied.

NB: When an overload is applied is should be gradual and sufficient enough to elicit an adaption, but should NOT be excessive. Excessive stimulus can lead to pre-mature plateaus and decreases in performance.

2) SAID: Our body will adapt to the stresses placed upon it. Or to put it another way, any change in the body's muscles, organs and systems will be very specific to the type of training (stress) undertaken.

3) Reversibility: Any adaption that occurs in the body is 'non-permanent'. Any adaption can return to a genetically determined, pre-training state (somatotype) if the stress is not maintained or developed properly.

NB: Sufficient rest & recovery between stresses must be allowed for adaption to occur. Adaption or anabolism will only occur during the inter-training recovery periods. How much recovery time is needed depends on the: type, duration and intensity of training and level of individual.

One more thing...


Tissue Tolerance: Before commencing strength training you need to make sure your tissues are able to tolerate the load and intensities required to obtain the benefits from this phase (don't want to get injured!)