LESSON 3

Principles of Training Exercise

Introductio
n
Exercise training can be defined as a systematic process of preparing for a
certain physical goal (Lambert et al., 2009). Aside from it strengthens the heart, regular
exercise also helps to burn fat and build lean muscle mass. According to Spraul (2020),
a person who is interested in losing weight and keeping it off should make a point of
including exercise in his or her daily routine.
It is a well-known fact that exercise has many advantages to one’s health and
general well-being. However, if not carried out properly due to lack or insufficient of
knowledge about its guiding principles injury can sometimes result. And these injuries
can be prevented if care is taken. Thus, in this lesson, you will be introduced on how to
select the right kinds of exercise to develop and maintain each of the basic components
that are found in the basic principles of exercise and later be applied in actual
performance.

Learning
Outcomes
Distinguish the principles of training exercise
Apply understanding of the principles of exercise based on the
different situations

Preliminary
Activities
Direction: Write TRUE if the statement is correct. If the statement is wrong, write
FALSE and underline the word(s) that make the statement incorrect.

_____________________________1. If you’re training for weightlifting competition, it’s

no use going swimming every day.

_____________________________2. In terms of type of training, specificity should be

based on the principle of moving from easy
activities to difficult ones.
_____________________________3. For aerobic activities, such as running,
overloading

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KARLA C. SALVALLON
 means increasing the speed, distance, or
intensity—although only one at a time.
_____________________________4. Studies have shown that even after one week of
inactivity, there is evident loss in performance.

_____________________________5. Difference in genetics, age, experience, body

size, and health status can all affect the
outcomes of a workout.

1. What is the difference between specificity and individuality? Cite example(s).

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2. When could overload principle be a disadvantage?

Answer: _______________________________________________________________
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3. Explain how the fitness principles of progressive, overload and specificity apply to
flexibility.

Answer: _______________________________________________________________

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KARLA C. SALVALLON
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Learning
Content Principles of Exercise
The Principle of Overload:

 A principle of exercise that states that the only way to improve fitness is to increase
over time. This can mean increasing the amount of resistance, increasing the
amount of time, or increasing the speed.
 When just beginning an exercise, it is generally difficult. Over time as it becomes
easier to do, it is important to apply the overload principle by increasing resistance,
time, or speed in order to continue progressing.
 When strength training, you would overload by increasing the amount of weight you
lift.
 To increase your speed, pick up your pace per mile slightly. To increase your
distance, add ½ mile or mile to your usual route. To increase intensity, try running
hills.

The Principle of Progression:

 A principle of exercise that states that a person should start slowly and increase
exercise gradually.
 Progression can refer to both progressing slowly over a large span of time, such as
weeks or months, and progression within a single workout.
 For example, in a single running session, you may start at a brisk walk, then jog at a
15 minute-mile pace for a few minutes, then increase to a 13-minute-mile pace, and
eventually to a 12-minute-mile pace.

The Principle of Specificity:

Teaching PE and Health in Elementary Grades

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  A principle of exercise that states that specific kinds of exercises must be done to
develop specific aspects of the body and specific aspects of fitness. Basically,
exercise in a manner that will get you to your goals.
 All exercise will help condition your body generally, but different exercises work your
muscles in different ways. So, if you are looking for specific results, use specific
exercises.
 For instance, if your goal is to run a 5k, you should train by running, not by cycling.
Cycling will not use your muscles in the same manner as running. If you want to
swim a mile, practice swimming.

The Principle of Reversibility:

 This principle states that if you don’t maintain a regular exercise program, your state
of physical fitness will regress. In other words, use it or lose it!
 Studies have shown that even after one week of inactivity, there is evident loss in
performance. Within two to three months of inactivity, one can see a total reversal of
all benefits from previous activity.
 Everyone has weeks of vacation, illness, or schedule conflicts that prevent them from
exercising. However, it is important to keep in mind that there will some be setbacks
and a necessary re-conditioning phase when you start exercising again. You can’t
expect to come back to your workouts at the same level you were before taking a
break. Take things slow and build back up using progression and overload.

The Principle of Individuality:

 This principle maintains that no two individuals will benefit from exercise exactly the
same way physically or psychologically. Difference in genetics, age, experience,
body size, and health status can all affect the outcomes of a workout.
 What works for one person may not work for the next. This is important to keep in
mind for two reasons:
1. Don’t compare yourself to others. Everyone will have a different genetic make-up
and life situation than you, thus even if you are doing the same workouts, you may
see different results.
2. Listen to your body. Find what works best for you and stick with it!

Learning Task
Direction: Analyze the following and identify what principle of exercise is referred by
each
situations. Write your answer on the space provided below.

1. Janice started her running program by running one mile, and each week she added
one-half mile until she reached running five miles.

Teaching PE and Health in Elementary Grades

KARLA C. SALVALLON
 2. Kim gets busy on her work that she doesn’t train as often as she used to. Her body
started to lose its fitness gained in those few weeks where she was exercising 3-4
times a week.
3. Shein is walking and cycling with a friend, and doing exactly the same amount of
training with hers, but Sheins’ friend gets fitter faster than her.
4. Mark is a football player and his goal is to improve upper body strength, he would
continue to increase training weight loads in upper body exercises until his goal was
achieved.

5. Rachel wanted to increase the strength of her biceps, so she uses weights or
resistance and do some bicep curls.

Answer:

1. _________________________
2. _________________________
3. _________________________
4. _________________________
5. _________________________

Learning
Assessment
Direction: Identify what principle of exercise the statements referred to. Write your
answer on the space provided.

____________________ 1. In order to improve, athletes must continually work

harder as they their bodies adjust to existing workouts. 
____________________ 2. This is all about the need to gradually increase the
workload that you put your body through. 
____________________ 3. The stresses that are applied to the body in training
must be the same as those experienced in
your chosen sport or adventure.
____________________ 4. This is a crucial principle, the fundamental fact that
everyone is different. Everyone responds to training in
a different way. 
____________________ 5. Is a concept that states when you stop working out,
you lose the effects of training.
____________________ 6. An exercise must become more challenging and
rigorous over the course of a training program in order
to continue to produce results.
____________________ 7. An athlete can lose the effects of training when they
stop, and can gain the effects when they begin to train
again.
____________________ 8. Is all about small increments. The safest approach is to

Teaching PE and Health in Elementary Grades

KARLA C. SALVALLON
 increase your weekly activity by no more than five per
cent.
____________________ 9. It derives from the observation that the adaptation of
the body or change in physical fitness is specific to the
type of training undertaken.
____________________ 10. Maintains that no two individuals will benefit from
exercise exactly the same way physically or
psychologically.

Teaching PE and Health in Elementary Grades

KARLA C. SALVALLON