Fundamentals Series : Strength Training Principles

Principles are fundamental truths, rules, or beliefs that guide behavior, decisions, or systems. These serve as a foundation for understanding. Without principles in strength training, we’re just walking in to the weight room without a plan and no direction. This random approach leads to random results and potentially frustration or injury. Regardless of where your goals lie in strength training, your overall plan should fall back on basic principles. As time goes on, these principles will help bring you back to the purpose of your training. The goal of strength training isn’t to lift the most weight today, but rather to lift weight the most days. 

Principle 1 - Principle of Individuality 

Each person is unique and will respond differently to the same training stimulus. Some of the differences that can influence training are ; biological age, training age, gender, body size, injury history, goals, and more. 

This is why a middle school football player can’t mimic the workout of his favorite D1 football team. The training history, ability, and current needs are completely different. The middle school athlete doesn’t have enough training experience to make the plan effective. This would lead to frustration at best. 

Principle 2 - Principle of Specificity 

Specific Adaptations to Imposed Demands (SAID Principle)

This states that the body will adapt to exactly what is demanded of it, no more and no less. You must send a clear message to the body of what you want it to become by providing adequate stressors that mimic all or parts of goal physical capacities or skills. This means that specific movements should mimic the skill you’re trying to perfect with proper patterns, load, and velocity. 

Powerlifters and distance runners look differently because of the vastly different training goals. This leads them to different training that is specific to their goals. Powerlifters will focus on a higher rate of velocity in specific movements while distance runners will focus on longer duration efforts at a lower velocity. 

Principle 3- Principle of Overload 

To achieve a certain training adaptation, the body must be stressed by working against a stimulus or load that is greater than it is accustomed to. Overload creates improvement by challenging is resistance, velocity, complexity etc. There are a few different ways to overload the body to create a new stressor. 

1- Adding weight to the bar. This when you perform three sets of five repetitions with 105lbs instead of 100lbs. 

2- Increasing the number of reps. This is when you lift 100lbs for three sets of eight repetitions instead of three sets of five repetitions. 

3- Increase the number of sets. This is when you lift 100lbs for five sets of five repetitions instead of three sets of five repetitions. 

4- Vary the velocity of movement. If you slow down the eccentric position to a three to five second lowering phase, you increase the time under tension which is more stress to the system. If you try to lift the weight up as fast as you can (with proper technique) then you increase the rate of force development. Both of these are effective for creating a new stimulus when properly applied. 

5- Decrease rest period between sets. If it takes you ten minutes to complete your three sets of five repetitions with 100lbs, but you progress to where you perform it in seven minutes, then you’ve improved the amount of work the system can do. 

Principle 4 - Principle of Progression

To achieve desired training adaptations, the training stimulus must gradually increase. This tells us there is an optimal level within a time frame for overload to happen. If the overload is too slow then there isn’t enough stimulus change to force adaptation, but if overload happens too quickly then we raise injury risk and potential decrease in performance sooner. 

Principle 5- Principle of Diminishing Returns

As someone increases their training age, their rate of progress will become slower compared to someone first starting an exercise program. As someone becomes closer to their genetic potential, the key is focus on weak areas to bring up performance. 

Everyone loves the gains they had when they started lifting weights, but sadly that rate of progress is largely in part to improved neurological efficiency in an untrained person. 

Principle 6 - Principle of Reversibility 

When a training stimulus is removed for an extended period of time, you will not be able to keep the same level of performance. Over time, the progress that had been made will return to the state it was previously in. It’s important to note that this doesn’t mean muscle that was built will turn into fat because you stopped working out. This is a fallacy. Different training traits will decrease at different rates once training has stopped. 

Aerobic Endurance - Noticeable decline in V02 max can occur within 2-4 weeks

Muscular Endurance - Noticeable decline within 15 days

Strength - Gradual loss begins at 3-4 weeks

Anaerobic Capacity - Loss in capacity can be seen within 18 days

Muscle Mass - Loss in muscles mass size can begin 2-3 weeks of inactivity

The rate of decline is dependent on age. fitness level, and muscle fiber make up. 

These principles were taken directly from the National Strength & Conditioning Association text book, Basics of Strength and Conditioning Manual. These principles can be applied to various sports and training disciplines. All strength training plans should follow a set of principles to create a solid foundation for understanding. Without training principles, you can have some success, but it will become difficult to gauge what needs adjusted once progress begins to stall. 

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