>1. Training Theory: Basic Concepts

The main focus behind any systematic exercise is progression. A properly structured routine will result in an athlete improving in their discipline over time. This is accomplished through the biological law of adaptation - the adjustment of an organism to the stresses in its environment.

In sport, the athlete adapts to the stresses they're placed under. 4 aspects of adaptation that are especially important for training are:

1. Overload
2. Accommodation
3. Specificity
4. Individualization

<Overload (Magnitude of Stimulus)
Bringing about positive adaptations in an athlete requires a stimulus that is above habitual levels. There are two ways to increase the magnitude of stimulus: increasing the training load (increasing volume or intensity), or changing the exercise (given less accommodation).

<Accommodation
As athletes are repeatedly exposed to the same stimulus, their adaptation response decreases with each successive exposure. This is considered a general law of biology, where the response of a biological object to a constant stimulus decreases over time. This makes the principle of diminishing returns a consideration in sports training for when athletes are adapted enough to a stimulus that increased levels bring little appreciable adaptation.