We all need people to be specific about the things they have to say to us. Then what do you expect from an exercise program? Does it need us to be specific about our goals or not? If someone fails to address a specific goal during an exercise program, what kind of fitness principle would they be failing? Let’s find out.
What are the Fitness Principles?
Fitness training is based on a solid foundation of three principles that are key to improving the fitness routine. Without them., it is impossible to achieve improvement in a workout. Let’s take a better look at each of these principles and how they help in making exercise better.
1. Overload Principle
As the name suggests, you need to overburden your body with a load of exercises so your body can know its limits. It’s about stressing your body enough with the ultimate goal of progression in fitness in mind. This is recommended for people who have been working out for a long time, especially in weightlifting and resistance training. Such people can endure extra stress on their muscles while newbies cannot take such overload. That’s why one shall only follow this principle if they are at an advanced level and want to keep up with their exercise routine. They need to follow the FITT principle to get the results of the overload principle.
2. Progression Principle
Our bodies need continuous change so they can develop better and explore their limits. Working out similar kinds of exercises for a long time makes our bodies adaptable to that exercise, and after a certain time, we stop seeing any results. The principle of progression requires a person to keep changing their exercise routine so their body keeps working out toward its betterment.
3. Specificity Principle
The most important principle that needs to be followed by everyone whether they are aiming for overload or progression or not, is the specificity principle. It states that the kind of exercise one chooses shall be according to his/her fitness goals. Working out randomly will never give you the desired results. Rather, one shall be clear about their fitness goals and shall take help to know what kind of exercises will complement their fitness goals.
An Exercise Program That Lacks a Specific Goal in Failing What Fitness Principle?
So, if an exercise program is not tailored for a specific goal, it means it is lacking the Specificity Principle.  As we’ve explained above, the specificity principle requires people to design their workout plan according to their needs and specific goals. They shall only add the kind of exercises to their routine that’ll help them get better at their specific sport or workout and will help them achieve their specific goals.
For example, if a bodybuilder wants to increase their muscle mass and muscle endurance, he should add more weightlifting exercises to his routine. Similarly, a runner shall perform the exercises that’ll help him improve his endurance during running a marathon. All of the fitness results cannot be achieved if one isn’t specific about their fitness goals.
How Can One Achieve Specificity In Their Fitness Goals?
Not everyone is familiar with the principle of specificity in the first place, and neither do they know how to implement it in their exercise routine. But once you learn about it, you can follow the following steps to make sure that your fitness goals do follow this principle.
- Define your fitness goals. Whether you are aiming for weight loss, training for any sport, or are just performing routine workouts to maintain a healthy lifestyle
- Once you are clear about your goals, take professional help to decide what kind of workout will suit best to your needs
- Once you are done with deciding the kind of workouts, perform them on the daily basis and for a specific time
- Keep monitoring your progress so you know that you are going on a right track
- If you feel that exercises are not helping you achieve your goal, you immediately need to switch to another kind of exercise program that suits your needs
Conclusion
An exercise program shall be a balanced blend of all three fitness principles including the overload principle, progression principle, and most importantly, specificity principle. Without a specific goal and exercise routine, no one can achieve the height of progress in their fitness routine.
I look up to fitness as a lifestyle and love to pen down about it. I have 2 years of experience in content writing and I am here to share my research and knowledge on health and fitness.
