PRINCIPLES OF TRAINING

(SEPAK TAKRAW EVENT)

TRAINING
Training is a process governed by principles that emerged from the observation of perceptive
coaches and that have been verified in laboratory and field research. Here we’ll discuss the training
principles of adaptation, overload, progression, periodization, variation, warm-up and cool down and
specificity.

ADAPTATION
Day-to-day changes are too small to measure; weeks and even months of patient progress are
required to achieve measurable adaptation. Rush the process and you risk illness, injury, or both. Typical
adaptation includes the following:
 Protein synthesis leading to increased contractile protein, energy system enzymes, or both
 Increased muscular strength, power or endurance
 Improved blood volume, blood distribution, and related cardiovascular and respiratory
adaptations
 Tougher bones, ligaments, tendons, and connective tissue
 Improved neuromuscular coordination and skill

This principle tells us that training can’t be rushed. The best you can do is to follow a sensible
program, keep good records, make adjustments when necessary, and be satisfied with the result. Try to
do everything in one short season and you may do more harm than good.

OVERLOAD
Training must place a demand on the muscle if the desired adaptations are to take place. At the
start, training must exceed the typical demand. As you adapt to increased work, it is necessary to
increase the size of the load. The rate of improvement is related to three factors, which you can
remember with the acronym FIT;
Frequency
Intensity
Time (duration)
We use the overload principle in all types of training. We gradually add more weight (intensity)
to the barbell and increase the number of sets (duration) to achieve continued increases in strength.
Endurance athletes increase training time and intensity to improve the race performances. The overload
stimulates changes in the muscles used in the training, stimulating the production of new protein to
help meet future exercise demands.

PROGRESSION
To achieve the adaptation using the overload principle, training must follow the principle of
progression. If the training load is increased too quickly, the body cannot adapt and instead begins to
break down. Progression must be observed in terms of gradual increases in FIT.
Frequency- sessions per day, week, month or year
Intensity- training load per day, week, month, or year
Time- duration of training in hours per day, week, month, or year
But please don’t get the impression that progression implies inexorable increases, without time
for recovery. The body requires periods of rest in which adaptations take place. Training should progress
from the general to the specific, from the part to the whole, and from quantity to quality.
PERIODIZATION
This is the process of dividing training into smaller and larger sections or cycles, ensuring an
appropriate training stimulus as well as time for recovery. The process is used for muscular and energy
fitness training and it is applied from the beginning to the end of the training. This is even used to vary
the load during the day of each week.
Periodization provides a framework for gradual increases in training intensity, duration and
frequency with periods of relative rest and recovery.

VARIATION
Training must be varied to avoid boredom and maintain interest. This principle embraces two
concepts:
Work and rest
Variety
Adaptation come when the overload is followed by rest and when hard training periods are
followed by relatively easy periods to allow recovery. Failure to include variation leads to boredom,
staleness and poor performance. Successive sessions of hard work, if not followed by adequate time for
rest and recovery, are certain to hinder progress in training. Coaches achieve variety by changing the
training routine and drills. When possible conduct workouts in different places or under different
conditions.

WARM-UP and COOL-DOWN

Warm-up should precede strenuous activity to
 increase body temperature
 increase respiration and heart rate; and
 guard against muscle, tendon, and ligament strains.

The warm-up can involve calisthenics, skill rehearsal, and a gradual increase in exercise intensity.
Stretching may be more effective after the warm-up than before. Warm-up muscles are more
receptive to the benefits of stretching.
The cool-down is just as important as the warm-up because abrupt cessation of vigorous activity
leads to pooling of the blood, sluggish circulation, and slow removal of waste products. It may also
contribute to cramping, soreness or more serious problems, such as heart rhythm problems in older
athletes and coaches.

SPECIFICITY
Specific training brings about specific result, so the type of training you must do must be related
to the desired outcome. The best way to develop the muscular and energy fitness required in your
sport is to participate in the sport itself or in closely related activities. This principle applies to the
muscles involved and to the energy system within those muscles.
Being specific doesn’t mean you can’t use a mix of activities for a variety or in order to minimize
the risk of overuse injuries. In fact, you should train other muscles to avoid muscle imbalances that
predispose the body to injury.

LONGEVITY
In some sports, such as gymnastics, female athletes reach elite status at a relatively early age,
before maturation alters the ratio of strength to body weight. In other sports, in which aerobic fitness
and muscular fitness are paramount, athletes must train for years to achieve their potential. This section
considers principles related to long-term success in sports. We’ll discuss regression, long-term training,
and moderation.
REGRESSION
Most of the adaptation achieved from months or even years of hard training are reversible, and
may be lost with detraining when training is terminated. It takes approximately three times as long to
gain endurance as it does to lose it. With complete bed rest, aerobic fitness declines at the rate of 9
percent per week. Strength is lost at a slower rate, but lack of use (disuse) will weaken even the best-
trained muscles. In time, the muscle goes atrophy or decrease in size. When combined with time and
age, this loss of muscle mass can become sarcopenia, or vanishing flesh. Training is necessary to
maintain aerobic and muscular fitness for sport, and regular lifelong activity.
This principle helps explain why overtraining is such a risk; can lead to illness or injury, and both
put a halt to training, thereby contributes regression. It also explains why off-season training is
important. A prolonged period of inactivity allows hard-won training gains to regress, to go back to
lower level.

LONG-TERM TRAINING
The changes that result from progressive overload of body systems lead to impressive
improvements in performance. However, it takes years of dedication and effort to approach excellence.
Long-term training allows for
 gradual physiological development,
 growth and maturation,
 learning of strategies, and
 greater understanding of the sport.
Prolonged training implies specialization. Those who hope to reach their potential eventually
concentrate on one sport. Many elite athletes accumulate over 500 hours of training annually,
and some world-class athletes approach 1,000 hours per year. That volume of training can be
achieved only by physically mature athletes who have trained for years to achieve a solid
foundation, gradually increasing the quantity and quality of training. Excellence comes to those
who pursue it in a well-planned, long-term training program.

Moderation
This principle applies to all aspects of life; too much of anything can be bad for your physical and
psychological health. Dedication is fine, so long as is it tempered by judgement and moderation. Train
too hard, too fast, or too long and the body begin to deteriorate. Practice moderation in all things. Don’t
sacrifice the future to achieve fleeting immediate success.

FALLACIES OF TRAINING

“No Pain, No Gain”

“Lactate acid causes muscle soreness”

“Muscle turns to Fat” (or vice versa)

“ I ran out of Wind”

“You must break down muscle to improve” and “Go for the Burn”