Learn the 5 Basic Principles of Fitness

There are five principles of physical fitness, and understanding them takes out much of the guesswork of improving fitness. The principles are varied yet specific, covering what happens when we train and when we stop.

Overload Principle

This principle states that the body adapts to the workload. In other words, the more you do, the more capable you are of doing more. It’s this principle that explains the fitness improvements we see through exercise. Stressing the body by asking it to perform specific exercises causes physiological changes that prepare the body for similar work in the future. And it’s not limited to your muscles. Cardiovascular training has the same effect on the heart and lungs.

The key to making the overload principle apply is to make sure your exercises are challenging the body properly, which brings us to principle two.

FITT Principle

Short for Frequency, Intensity, Time, and Type, FITT refers to all of the areas in which you can overload for improved health.

  • Frequency – How much is enough? You need a balance of training and recovery days that allows enough time for building and repairing.
  • Intensity – This is the amount of effort your exert in your workouts. Again, you need a balance between overloading and burning out.
  • Time – How long should your workouts last? Both frequency and intensity will factor into the idea timeframe.
  • Type – Are you doing cardio, resistance training, or a combination? Which exercises will you do?

Specificity Principle

This principle states that your fitness plan should be specific to your goals. For example, if you’re working toward running your first 10k, your training program should focus on improving your endurance. Whatever your goal, your training should match.

Rest and Recovery Principle

Recovery is so important to fitness, it gets its own principle! This principle underscores the role of rest and recovery in reaching fitness goals. Ideally, you should have at least one day of rest between strength training workouts.

Use or Lose Principle

Like speaking another language, if you don’t use your strength and endurance, you lose it! Abandoning your training efforts will mean a decrease in your strength and fitness.

The Takeaway

Understanding these five principles is one thing, but putting them into practice can be another. That’s where the certified professionals at Framework Personal Training here in Reno come into play. They’ll design a personalized fitness plan just for you that applies these five fitness principles. Get the benefit of expert guidance as you begin your fitness journey – contact us today.

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