The Eight Principles of Fitness Training

These principles form a set of guidelines to help you maximize your potential when it comes to fitness  training. Stick to these 8 principles, and you'll find you reach your fitness goals quickly.

1. Specific Training

Your training should have a specific goal or targeted for a particular sport. This principle applies to movement patterns, joint mobility and muscle group strength. For example, a boxer would do sprints on a heavy bag and plyometric pushups in order to improve his punching speed and arm strength.

2. Overload

By upping the level of your usual training to past your normal fitness level will stress the muscles, which will increase performance after the rest and recovery phase. You will see gains in overall performance with a continuous but gradual increase in training level. It must be slow to avoid overtraining.

3. Recovery

You must rest between workouts to allow your muscles to recover. After stressing the muscle tissue during training, new growth and repair only begins during rest.

4. Reversibility

Once you're fit, you can't stop training. Any gains that you get from regular fitness training can be reversed if you stop, whether from an injury or simply not having enough time to keep working out. A week or so won't likely have any effect, but after 3 months you will start to see significant fitness losses begin.

5. Variation

You should vary your routine in order to work all your muscle groups. The body is an efficient machine, and can get too adapted to the same routine. New gains are more likely when you change up your workouts and vary the intensity levels.

6. Transfer

Some exercises that have similar movements can be transferred across. In one example, squats can help improve vertical jump because they both require a similar move.

7. Individuality

Everyone is different, and your training should be structured to fit your own individuality. Your fitness routine should be tailored to suit your needs and goals, as well as your physical body. You need to consider your gender, sport, overall health, any previous injuries or damage, motivation to train and experience levels.

8. Balance

All aspects of your lifestyle need to be in balance for you to see the most gains from your fitness training. Besides actual workouts, be focused on diet, nutrition, sleep and your recovery periods. Moderation is really the important point here. If all you ever do is train, you will put too much pressure on your muscle groups and do yourself damage. Too much focus on diet can end up in eating disorders or obesity.

These 8 principles can help you reach your fitness goals faster and more successfully. Keep them in mind as you train.