Beginners Scientific Rules That Lead to Fitness By Elizabeth Quinn Elizabeth Quinn is an exercise physiologist, sports medicine writer, and fitness consultant for corporate wellness and rehabilitation clinics. Learn about our editorial process Elizabeth Quinn Reviewed by Reviewed by Tara Laferrara, CPT on August 29, 2020 Tara Laferrara is a certified NASM personal trainer, yoga teacher, and fitness coach. She also created her own online training program, the TL Method. Learn about our Review Board Tara Laferrara, CPT on August 29, 2020 Print In the study of exercise science, there are several universally accepted scientific exercise training principles that must be followed in order to get the most from exercise programs and improve both physical fitness and sports performance. These rules apply to all athletes from beginners to elite competitors. Of course, you don't need to follow every one of them all the time, but if you want to get in better shape, improve your sports performance, get better at a particular fitness discipline, or avoid stalling and back-slides, these fundamental rules are the hidden force behind your ability to change your fitness level. To design an optimal exercise program, workout, or training schedule, a coach or athlete should adhere to the following six fundamental principles of exercise science. Reasons You Stop Exercising 1 The Principle of Individual Differences Thomas Barwick/Stone / Getty Images The principle of individual differences simply means that, because we all are unique individuals, we will all have a slightly different response to an exercise program. This is another way of saying that "one size does not fit all" when it comes to exercise. Well-designed exercise programs should be based on our individual differences and responses to exercise. Some of these differences have to do with body size and shape, genetics, past experience, chronic conditions, injuries, and even gender. For example, women generally need more recovery time than men,?? and older athletes generally need more recovery time than younger athletes. With this in mind, you may or may not want to follow an "off the shelf" exercise program, DVD, or class and may find it helpful to work with a coach or?personal trainer?to develop a?customized exercise program. Some things to consider when creating your own exercise program include the next batch of exercise science principles. Benefits of Personal Training 2 The Principle of Overload Ross Helen/Moment / Getty Images The exercise science principle of overload states that a greater than normal stress or load on the body is required for training adaptation to take place. What this means is that in order to improve our fitness, strength, or endurance, we need to increase the workload accordingly. In order for a muscle (including the heart) to increase strength, it must be gradually stressed by working against a load greater than it is accustomed to. To increase endurance, muscles must work for a longer period of time than they are accustomed to or at a higher intensity level. This could mean lifting more weight or doing ?high-intensity interval training workouts. Build Your Strength With These 9 Yoga Poses 3 The Principle of Progression Ascent Xmedia / Getty Images The principle of progression implies that there is an optimal level of overload that should be achieved, and an optimal time frame for this overload to occur. A gradual and systematic increase in the workload over a period of time will result in improvements in fitness without risk of injury. If overload occurs too slowly, improvement is unlikely, but overload that is increased too rapidly may result in injury or muscle damage. For example, the weekend athlete who exercises vigorously only on weekends violates the principle of progression and most likely will not see obvious fitness gains. The Principle of Progression also stresses the need for proper?rest and recovery. Continual stress on the body and constant overload will result in exhaustion and injury. You should not train hard all the time, as you'll risk?overtraining?and a decrease in fitness. When Lifting Weights, Too Much Training Can Backfire 4 The Principle of Adaptation Paul Bradbury / Caiaimage / Getty Images Adaptation refers to the body's ability to adjust to increased or decreased physical demands. It is also one way we learn to coordinate muscle movement and develop sports-specific skills, such as batting, swimming freestyle, or shooting free throws. Repeatedly practicing a skill or activity makes it second-nature and easier to perform. Adaptation explains why beginning exercisers are often sore after starting a new routine, but after doing the same exercise for weeks and months they have little, if any,?muscle soreness. Additionally, it makes an athlete very efficient and allows him to expend less energy doing the same movements. This reinforces the need to vary a workout routine if you want to see continued improvement. An Overview of Cross-Training 5 The Principle of Use/Disuse Paul Viant / Getty Images The Principle of Use/Disuse implies that when it comes to fitness, you do actually ?"use it or lose it."? This simply means that your muscles?hypertrophy?with use and?atrophy?with disuse. This also explains why we?decondition?or lose fitness? when we stop exercise. 6 The Principle of Specificity Digital Vision / Photodisc / Getty Images We've all heard the phrase, "practice makes perfect." Well, this is the principle of specificity in action.?This principle simply states that exercising a certain body part or component of the body primarily develops that part. The principle of specificity implies that to become better at a particular exercise or skill, you must perform that exercise or skill. A runner should train by running, a swimmer by swimming and a cyclist by cycling. While it's helpful to have a good base of fitness and to do general conditioning routines, if you want to be better at your sport, you need to train specifically for that sport. Periodization Training for Peak Performance A Word From Verywell These six basics are the cornerstones of all other effective training methods and cover all major aspects of a solid foundation of?athletic training. Designing a program that adheres to all of these guidelines can be challenging, so it's not a surprise that many athletes turn to a coach or trainer for help. Was this page helpful? Thanks for your feedback! Get exercise tips to make your workouts less work and more fun. Sign Up You're in! Thank you, {{form.email}}, for signing up. There was an error. Please try again. What are your concerns? Other Inaccurate Hard to Understand Submit Article Sources Verywell Fit uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read our editorial process to learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy. Flores DF, Gentil P, Brown LE, Pinto RS, Carregaro RL, Bottaro M. Dissociated time course of recovery between genders after resistance exercise. J Strength Cond Res. 2011;25(11):3039-44. doi:10.1519/JSC.0b013e318212dea4 Additional Reading Wilmore, J.H. and Costill, D.L. Physiology of Sport and Exercise: 3rd Edition. 2005. Human Kinetics Publishing.