Many times when dealing with a pre-teen or teenager, especially when you are talking about weight training, they just want to hit the weights immediately.  While there is no denying that enthusiasm is great, it must be tempered with the knowledge of certain training principles that will enable the athlete to develop safely and at an optimal level.  I will briefly review these principles here, and I hope that you find them helpful with your athletes, both young and young-at-heart.

The Overload Principle

This is the basis of Hans Selye's "General Adaptation Syndrome" that he developed in the late 1940's.  This principle means that stressing the body to a tolerable limit causes adaptation and (hopefully!) improved function.  The stressor in this case is best defined as the load, repetitions, and frequency of the training bout. 

The nature of overload is not an exact science.  Years of experience and careful evaluation are helfpul in planning optimal stress levels for each athlete.  Loads should be used cautiously in the beginning, and slowly progressed as the athlete progresses.

The Specificity Principle

The body adapts to the specific stresses it is exposed to.  The Bulgarian weightlifting team, arguably the best in the last 20 years of international competition, has a similar motto: the body becomes its function.  Here we are talking about how the body will "learn" to adapt to the training you inflict upon it in a very specific manner.  This is why powerlifters will not be taking first place at the local marathon, nor will a marathon runner finish a 100-meter sprint in under 15 seconds.  These athletes are conditioned to their respective sports and not generally conditioned for top performance in other sports.

Specificity is needed to become a top athlete in a particular sport.  This principle is closely tied in with your goals, as your goals will dictate your specific training.  Trying to be a "jack of all trades" in sports will leave you with mediocre results in everything.  You need to clearly define what you want from your training, and then set on a path to achieve it.

The Individual Differences Principle

Obviously, we are not all alike (unless you are an identical twin).  A training program that works well for athlete "A" will probably do nothing for athlete "B", and may even cause regression in the second athlete.  Just becuse you see decent results from training with sets of 10-12 repetitions for increased mass does not mean that your training partner will have the same success. 

Since we are all different genetically and endocrinologically, we will adapt at different levels and at a difference pace from those around us.  This is one of the reasons why you should never adapt the training routine written about in the latest issue of Flex magazine.  In fact, forget those magazines all together for training information!  You need to figure out what causes your body to adapt at the highest level, and many times this is accomplished through trial-and-error style of training for awhile.

The Principle of Progression

Obviously, as you become stronger over the course of your workouts, you need to increase the demand (load, speed, etc.) that you are placing on your body.  Once you reach one goal, you need to set your sights higher and push on toward the next.

The Principle of Reversibility

Not often talked about, this principle refers to the fact that what you gained will not be there if you stop your workouts.  The body is in a constant state of repair and adaptation.  If you remove the stress, the body will respond in kind and you will drop muscle mass and lose strength.  This principle is even more important the more advanced you get, as high-level athletes will lose strength much more quickly than a novice.  I think this is Mother Nature's sick joke on us all.

Remember to continue the stress on your system if you want progress to continue.

I hope these principles are helpful to you in planning your workouts.  While they may seem general in nature, they are particularly important for optimal results.  Keep them in mind when you are developing your workouts, and you will be pleasantly surprised with the results!