The Principle of Overload and Weight Training
Principle of Overload asserts that you must gradually and systematically increase your training load in order to continue to improve. This is because your body gets used to any given workload.
For example, if you have trouble lifting 50 lbs. 10 times, it will gradually get easier after a while. If you don't lift more weight, 50 lbs. 10 times will be too easy, so you won't improve.
To apply the Principle of Overload to weight training programs, you can adjust the intensity (how heavy), frequency (how often), duration (how long), recovery (how much rest)
and volume (also called tonnage, or total weight lifted) to achieve your desired results.
Periodically increasing training loads is known as progressive overload or, for weight training programs, progressive resistance exercise (PRE). 1, 2
To increase
strength,
lift weights of at least 60% of your maximum lift (1 RM).
As you get stronger and your maximum lifts gets
heavier, you must progressively increase your training weight loads in order to maintain a minimum intensity of at least 60%-85% of your maximum. 3, 4
You can test your single maximum lift (1 RM) by lifting as much weight as you can using proper form and moving through a complete range of motion (provided you are well conditioned).
Base your percentage of maximum on that weight to determine your training weightload.
If you are new to lifting weights, testing for maximum repetitions is not advisable. A good rule of thumb is to begin
a conditioning program starting with weight loads that you perceive to be light.
Complete 10-15 repetitions using good form. Gradually
increase the weight for at least 6 weeks before you attempt to test your 1 RM. You could also perform 5 repetitions or 10 repetitions as your maximum load, or use a prediction formula to estimate your maximum effort. See
Strength Fitness
As with the
The Principle of Specificity,
the Principle of Overload has to do with changes that occur within your muscles as a result of your training. A similar concept from the field of
motor learning is commonly applied to weight training programs, particularly if training is intended to improve sport skills.
Overlearning is a strategy whereby practice continues
beyond what is needed to perform a skill. 5
Overlearning is essentially overloading skill learning by repeating correct movement patterns to (a) increase skill retention, (b) correct inefficient technique, or (c) rehabilitate an injury. Simply, it is overpracticing the right movements to remember them better.
Examples of How to Apply the Principle of Overload
1. How does the saying, No pain, no gain apply to the Overload Principle? You will learn to distinguish between the "pain" of working hard and the "pain" of injuries.
Overloading will result in normal
training effects: muscles burning, sore, stiff, etc., and you can continue to work through them. But you should work around muscle strains and pulls, joint
sprains, and injuries to allow them to heal. Be aggressive about working hard, but avoid aggravating your injuries.
2. Does Practice makes perfect mean that the more you train, or overload, the better? No, not exactly. Training obsessively, patterning poor technique, and
lifting more weight through a limited range of motion limits the training effect and the
transferability to sport and work activities. It is the quality of practice that makes perfect, not just the volume or intensity of practice.
The Principle of Overload means that you must continue to increase your workload, but it is
just as important to get adequate rest--but not for too long. See
The Principle of Recovery
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References
1. Hoeger, W.W.K & Hoeger, S.A. (2006). Principles and labs for fitness and wellness. (8th ed.). Belmont, CA: Thompson Wadsworth.
2. Powers, S.K., Dodd, S.L., & Noland, V.J. (2006). Total fitness and wellness (4th ed.). San Francisco: Pearson Education.
3. McArdle, W.D., Katch, F.I., & Katch, V.L. (2000). Essentials of exercise physiology (2nd ed.). Baltimore: Lippincott, Williams, & Wilkins.
4. Fleck, S.J. & Kraemer, W.J. (1996). Periodization breakthrough! Ronkonkoma, NY: Advanced Research Press.
5. Magill, R.A. (2001). Motor learning: Concepts and applications (6th ed.). New York: McGraw-Hill.
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