The four basic training principles are specificity, overload, progression, and variation. You may find other resources that add more, but with only these four, you will be able to dissect given plans and build plans with more optimal methods.

General Adaptation Syndrome (GAS)

3 phases; alarm, resistance, exhaustion

- Concept of body adapting to stress placed on it by growing stronger

Alarm: body is shocked by a new stress it’s not accustomed to.  Performance will degrade in this phase due to soreness, tightness, DOMS (Delayed Onset Muscle Soreness). 

  -This lasts 24 hours to a week depending on intensity of overload and training status of   athlete (i.e. untrained vs. trained for 5 years)

Resistance: body adapts by recruiting muscles, growing bigger muscles (hypertrophy), growing more dense bone structure (osteoblasts).  Body does not want to feel sore again so it changes to handle the stress that was placed on it.  Performance will increase in this phase. 

  -Status of athlete, nutrition and recovery will be biggest factors in this timeframe.  24-72   hours common for trained athlete, then overload must be applied again.

Exhaustion: Body is not given enough time to recover and adapt accordingly to stress so it goes into an overtraining mode.  Performance will be degraded and continued training in this phase greatly increases risk to overuse injuries.

  - this phase starts if overload is applied again and again without time for body to adapt.  This   is NOT a phase that the athlete should go to unless it’s planned into the program such as for   highly trained athletes.   

Specific Adaptations to Imposed Demands (SAID)

-This concept is based off the General Adaptation Syndrome (GAS) in that the body will adapt to a specific stress that is placed upon it to overcome that stress. -

-Whether by recruiting muscles, growing the size of muscles and increasing density of bones, or becoming more efficient in an energy system, the body will become stronger, faster and better in the certain task or load that caused stress. 

-For example, doing push-ups will help the body be better at push-ups for an APFT but will not help the body much at all if the goal is to increase a squat 1RM.

Overload

Overload is applying a greater stress to the body than what the body is used to.

  - i.e. If a Soldier/Participant only carries a 35lbs backpack for 12-mile foot march, then the body is used to that.  A greater weight on their back will be an overload to the body.  The body will adapt to handle that weight with greater ease through bigger muscles and stronger bones in as little as a few weeks.

Ask a student to read first question and answer it.  Do the same for the second question.

QUESTION:  What are the most common ways?

ANSWER:     Increase weight lifted (% of 1RM); increase repetitions or sets of a given exercise; shorten the rest intervals between sets; increase the number of training sessions per week.

QUESTION:  Is it optimal to change numerous variables within a typical week for a beginning lifter?

ANSWER:     Not for a beginning lifter, only for Intermediate-Elite lifter.  Bonus points: what type of program is that called? Linear or non-linear program?

Progression

Overloading should be progressed systematically (proper planning) and gradually (i.e. small amounts that continue for a length of time)

Examples of types of overloads that increase the training stimulus: intensity, volume, type of exercise, number of weekly training sessions…

  - Overload should not be thought of as just intensity.  Increasing frequency of sessions per week is a type of overload. 

  - do not progress all types together.  (i.e. volume and intensity shouldn’t increase together, also new exercises shouldn’t be done with too many times or with too much weight.

Explain the difference between linear and non-linear:

Linear: Progression follows a path of increasing intensity from low to high

Non-Linear: intensity and volume are changed throughout a microcyle or training session. 

    -  If 3 training days in a week, then day 1 is 75% intensity, day 2 is 60% intensity, day 3 is >85%.  OR

    -  Squat exercise, 2 x 5 @ 80%, then 2 x 2 90%, then 2 x 8 @ 70%

Variation

Volume: Total amount of weight lifted, or repetitions completed in a given training session or microcycle. 

Intensity: Percentage of weight lifted in relation to 1 repetition maximum (1RM) as 100%.  Intensity is dictated by 1RM.  Novice athletes can use 3RM or 10RM.  3RM = 95%, 10RM = 75%, respectively.  3 and 10 RM is an estimation as body types (muscle fibers) are different for everybody.  An athlete with great anaerobic endurance but little strength may find a 10 RM is more than 75% of their 1RM and vice versa.

Frequency: number of training sessions in a training week or microcycle.  1 or 2 squat days a week is typical, but athlete could do more squats as assistance lifts on days they work deadlifts which increases frequency.

Duration: How long does the training session or exercise last?

Exercise Selection: Covered more in depth later in class.  Basically, does the exercise meet the intent of the goal.

Rest Intervals: Covered more in depth later in class.  Depends on what is targeted, endurance vs. strength.

Speed of movement: using bar speed to calculate power or fatigue (RPE). Need timer or specifically designed equipment.

Training Concept/Exercise Selection

Assess training status!

  1. Novice: 1-3x week

         Intermediate: 3-4x week

         Advanced: 4-6x week

   

  1. Split routine vs. full body

          -Split upper and lower body workouts to allow recovery and allow for more sessions per week

          -Workout full body 2-3 times/week or more for experienced athletes

Frequency and intensity will change depending on where athlete is in regards to a periodization model. 

  1. Preparatory or off season will be more volume
  2. Competition phase or in-season will have more intensity and less frequency of training sessions
  3. Load and exercise type must be considered.

  - If lots of volume, then less load or intensity.

  - Exercises will be more specific to goal as the competition phase or culmination exercise gets closer.

 

Exercises should be arranged in an order such that fatigue caused by one exercise has the least possible impact on the quality of effort or the technique of the next exercise.

Exercise order- sequence of exercises in a training session

  1. Power: snatch, hang clean
  2. Non-power core (multi-jointed): squat, deadlift
  3. Assistance (single-jointed): triceps extension/biceps curls, leg extension

  

Always complete large muscle mass (core) exercises before smaller muscle mass (single-joint) exercises to elicit more gains from testosterone and other biochemical adaptations.

   

Pre-exhaustion: experienced athletes conduct single-joint before multi-joint exercises.

Circuit training: upper/lower body, short rests (good for time constraints)

Superset = opposing muscle groups back-to-back

Compound set = same muscle group back-to-back

Training Session Outline

1. Increase body temperature and muscle pliability

* As a rule of thumb, don’t work on increasing ROM before exercise as this possibly leads to decreased performance

2. Work on technique while mind and body are fresh

3. Work power centric exercises first just as in ‘Exercise order’ slides.  Before body is fatigued which can lead to increased chance of injury. 

a. These are the “working sets” of the training session.  Ensure adherence to RPE to prevent excess over-reaching and/or DOMS

4. Work strength exercises after power exercises

a. Also working sets of training session depending on goal.

5. Complete assistance lifts that complement main work

6. Always practice immediate and active recovery

-stretching and mobility to gain increased Range of Movement (ROM)