If you want to get the most out of your training, you should be applying these 4 simple but effective principles. Some of you will already be using some of these but it is rare to see anyone applying all 4 correctly. Those who do, get the full benefit of their training and ultimately reach their goals quicker and more effectively. All 4 are listed below.
Specificity
Is your training specific to your goals? If you want to build muscle then you should lift weights, if you want to run a marathon then practice running for long distances and increasing your endurance.
If you are not sure what the best way to reach your goal is, then do some research or go to a coach to find out. Get a plan and stick to it, cut out all the stuff that wont help you reach your goal and focus 100% on what will.
Your nutrition should also match your goals. Again, if your goal is to build muscle, are you eating enough support muscle growth? are you consuming enough protein?
The more specific you can be with your training and nutrition the quicker you will reach your goals.
prioritize technique
Master the basics before moving on to the advanced.
Far too often people will progress to advanced exercises without being proficient in the basics first. You will see a lot more progress from doing basic exercises with good form than doing advanced exercises poorly.
So if your squat looks like s**t, don’t try to do Olympic lifts, if you can’t do 15 perfect push ups, don’t do heavy bench presses, if you have not mastered the hip hinge, don’t deadlift and so on.
Take the time to perfect your technique and you will see more progress while staying injury free.
Utilise progressive overload
You need to keep challenging your body in order for it to adapt/progress.
This is what progressive overload is, progressively making your training harder over a period of time to force your body to adapt.
In a weight lifting scenario this would be done by tracking your workouts and then adding either more weight or reps each workout.
You only need to make small increases, so just focus on getting 1 more rep or adding 1 kg every workout.
If you are just doing the same workout for months with no progression then I’m afraid you wont get results.
Emphasise recovery
Recovery is a major part of the training process which is often ignored or forgotten about.
If you are training hard and not emphasising recovery then it is only a matter of time before your body will break down.
Proper recovery will ensure you make progress, help you remain injury free and able to give 100% every time you train.
It includes getting enough sleep, at least 7-8 hours a night, fuelling your body with good quality foods such as vegetables, fruit, protein, etc. using recovery techniques such as stretching or foam rolling in between sessions.
In my opinion recovery is one of the most important processes you can do to ensure a long, healthy training career whereby you can continually make progress.
Feel free to ask any questions below.
Shane