PRINCIPLES OF EXERCISES

Physical activity is a multi-faceted behavior comprised of several components: frequency, intensity,

time and type (FITT).

Principle Technical Term Layman’s term

Individuality: Optimal benefits occur when programs People are different and their
meet the individual’s needs & capacities exercise needs vary – a
of participants prescription must take this into
account

Trainability: Each person responds differently to the Don’t expect that the same
same training stimulus prescription will get you the
same result with each person –
you have to monitor and adapt
training as you go to suit
different clients

Specificity: The training stimulus must be specific to Training must be specific to an

the clients desired outcomes individuals goals

Overload: For adaptation to occur the volume of You get improvements by doing
exercise must overload the body in a bit more
some way in line with the capacity of the
individual to cope with that overload

Progressive For continual adaptation overload must Get improvements by doing a

Overload: be progressive, that is the dose of bit more each time
exercise must increase

Variety: For optimal adaptation and to avoid Change is as good as a

stagnation, overuse, and injury the holiday. Variety allows
exercise stimulus must be varied (this recovery and can reduce injury
does not simply mean changing risk
exercises all the time).

Rest: Optimal adaptation requires rest periods Rest to get the best out of your
to be interspersed with training sessions exercise, not too long and not
sufficient that the adaptations caused by too little.
the exercise dose can take place.

Reversibility: All beneficial effects of exercise are Use it or lose it.

Principle Technical Term Layman’s term

reversible if exercise ceases

Maintenance: Current fitness levels can be maintained It’s easier to keep fitness than to
by exercising at the same intensity while create it. Train as hard, stay
reducing volume (frequency and/or regular but shorten workouts to
duration) by 1/3 to 2/3 maintain a fitness component

Ceiling: As fitness increases the relative & Genetics play a part. There is a
absolute improvements in fitness will law of diminishing returns with
decrease, even with continual overload exercise. Unfit people will
change a lot early on, then less
and less despite continuing to
train hard.

Interference: When training several components at You can’t have it all at once. As
once (e.g. strength & endurance) the all systems are related fatigue in
stimuli may interfere with each other, one will interfere with the results
thereby slowing adaptation in one or of training in another.
both components

FITT Each of the fitness components has an In order to achieve the desired
(FREQUENCY, ideal training frequency (how often), outcome the training must ‘FITT’
INTENSITY, TIME, intensity (how hard), time (duration, rest the component you wish to
TYPE) intervals) and type of exercise to be improve
used. The ‘FITT’ principle is largely a
practical ‘amalgamation’ of all the other
exercise principles

Principle Client Example Solution

Individuality: Sue and Sally are both doing a Sue and Sally are different so they are
group fitness class with weights responding differently to the same
for the first time. Sue is getting exercises.
a sore back, while Sally is
getting sore calves. They both
seem to be doing the exercises
in the same way and at pretty
similar weights.

Trainability: Tim is getting really big lifting Tim and Jim have different responses to
weights on a split programme the training. Jim needs to review the
Principle Client Example Solution

four days a week whereas his FITT being used for him
training partner Jim is losing
size!

Specificity: John has been using group John needs to train more specifically. In
fitness ‘step’ classes a lot to get order to improve his cycling he must cycle
ready for his cycling race enough to get the adaptations he desires.
coming up soon. However, his
cycling times are not improving.

Overload: Jenny is struggling to walk for Jenny over-reached. The volume of

two days after a heavy weight overload needs to match her capabilities –
training session and long spin ease up girlfriend!
class that she took back to back

Progressive Mary made some great gains Mary needs to work harder (more weights
Overload: initially when she started lifting on her bar) as she has adapted to the
weights. She’s complaining loads she has on her bar long ago, now
now that weight training doesn’t there simply isn’t enough weight to cause
work. She hasn’t increased her an adaptation.
weights for the last 3 months

Variety: Jane is doing Step classes five Jane would be better to have a more
days a week because she loves varied exercise schedule so her legs get a
it! But she is starting to get rest from the repetitive stepping
sore shins. movement.

Rest: Deborah goes to the gym Deborah needs some rest between
everyday and always goes hard sessions or even some easy sessions or
at it. Lately her weights are sessions that focus on different parts of
getting lower, she’s struggling to her body. That way her body has enough
keep up in class and her body is time to adapt before she trains again.
always sore.

Reversibility: Tim is gutted. He’s worked for Tim should have done some exercise on
six months to get into the police his legs (such as cycling/spin) to maintain
but since his ankle injury four as much of his fitness as possible while
weeks ago his running fitness he recovered from his ankle injury. This
has gone back to what it was would have prevented some of the
some time ago. ‘reversing’ of his fitness.
Principle Client Example Solution

Maintenance: Amanda is stoked. Her fitness Amanda got it right. She kept up the
is just as good as when she exercise, particularly the intensity, and
went on holiday and all she did was able to maintain her fitness even
was 2 x 30minute hard runs though she greatly reduced her total
each week. Before she left she training time.
was running 4 x a week for
between 40-60 minutes

Ceiling: Chris is a world class kayaker Chris is experiencing the ceiling affect in
but over the last two years his that his genetics, the type of training he
times have only dropped by 3% uses and the amount of fitness he already
despite his huge efforts in has are all meaning he can only get small
training. He has moved from gains from large volumes of training
30th to 18th in the world on the now. He may want to trial different
back of this small change. approaches to see what will help most.

Interference: Liz is doing three spin classes, Liz is getting interference. She is training
two pump classes (weight across so many things at once her body is
training group fitness classes) not sure whether to put muscle on or strip
and a five day split routine to it off. Liz needs to prioritise to build lean
get into shape for body muscle and keep her spin to a class or
sculpting. The challenge is her two only and probably drop pump all
muscles aren’t growing so she together. She could put in some yoga to
still looks a little out of balance. help with flexibility and recovery as an
alternative.

FITT Ben has been weight training Ben hasn’t got the right ‘FITT’ for
(FREQUENCY, regularly for 3 years. He wants hypertrophy training – the reps are too
INTENSITY, to gain size in his upper low, the load is probably to high and he’s
TIME, TYPE) body. He does bench press training the same muscle groups to
and bicep curls 5 times a week, frequently. He needs to restructure his
for 4 sets of 4-6 repetitions in program – increase repetitions, perform
each set his bench press and bicep curls a
maximum of two days per week, and
incorporate alternative exercise using
back and tricep muscles on alternate days
from his bench and bicep days.

The Principle of Overload. In order to improve our fitness, strength or endurance, we need to increase
the workload accordingly.

The three basic principles are specificity, overload, and progression.

1. Specificity– “You get what you train”. To change the shape of your body you have to do “specific”
work like strength training and intense cardiovascular exercise.

2. Overload– Pushing your body to do work it’s not accustomed to doing. These principles apply to
whatever you are doing. Exercise needs to be intense.

3. Progression– Creating stress on your muscles by working them in a new way up until the next level
and the next. Once your body adapts to something it becomes efficient at doing it. Progression makes
what you’re doing effective.