The Principle of Specificity
What Is It
The principle of specificity is as simple as it sounds. It states that the body makes gains from exercise according to how the body exercises. Meaning, if you lift weights, you will gain muscles, as opposed to improving your cardiovascular (heart) health or flexibility.
Think of it this way - if you were training to run a 5K, you’d spend the majority of your training time running to get better, not practicing yoga. Or, if you were training for a swimming event, you’d spend the majority of your time swimming, not walking.
Why It Matter
This principle, as simple as it sounds, matters because it allows us to workout in an efficient & effective manner, when applied correctly. Failing to apply this principle results in wasted time & energy, which, no one wants to waste.
How to Apply It
When starting a new workout routine, first you need to think of what your goals are. Do you want to become stronger? Maybe you want to lose weight or gain muscle mass? Or maybe, you want to increase your flexibility or improve your heart health? Whatever your goal(s) is/are, you need to find a program that caters to your goals!
Once you have your goal(s) in mind, you then need to figure out what movements need to be trained, to help you reach your goals. Do you want to run a faster 5K? Your movements to be trained would be running. Do you want to become more flexible? The movements to be trained would be stretches for the body parts you where you want to become more flexible (ex: the hamstrings if you want to be able to bend down and touch the ground without bending your knees).
Once you have the movements down, see what muscles & joints need to be trained. Running requires a strong core & legs, swimming & yoga requires strong muscles over the entire body.
Next comes the energy systems. Ask yourself, what energy systems need to be trained? Running & swimming (and any 5+min event) requires a strong aerobic energy system. Building muscle requires a strong anaerobic energy system. This requires you to make sure you don’t spend too much cross training time in the aerobic zone, because that could adversely affect your anaerobic system, and therefore, your goal of increasing muscle mass.
Lastly, what is the speed of the movement, or the tempo that I need to train at? The tempo at which you train dictates the tempo at which you are strongest. If you train your bicep curl to be strong at a fast tempo (say 2 seconds up, 2 seconds down) that’s where you’ll be strongest. If you train your bicep curl to be strong at a slow tempo (say 4 seconds up, 4 seconds down), that’s where you’ll be strongest. Every day athletes should mix up their tempos, so they are strong at all speeds. However, Olympic-lifters need to train at a fast speed, as that is the nature of their lifts. Or, if you want to improve your 5K time, you know you need to run & train faster than your previous 5K time.
What It Is Not
The Principle of Specificity should NOT be confused with spot reducing (spot reducing meaning trying to lose weight in one specific region of your body). Spot reducing is simply not a thing. Any “fad” product out there that claims to help you “tone your midsection” (looking at you sweat belts, body wraps, sauna suits) is just a marketing scheme to get you to buy it.
So while you can target specific muscles around your body (I want bigger biceps, I will do bicep curls everyday), you cannot choose where you lose excess fat. For example, if you carry excess fat in your midsection, you can specifically target your abs with core exercises that will strengthen your abs, but that does not mean you will lose excess fat from your midsection.
That being said, you body determines where it will “lose” excess fat from your body (just like it determines where excess fat is placed on your body).
Overall, the Principle of Specificity is pretty simple & straight forward. Using it correctly will help save you time & energy when going after your health goals. Whether you are a seasoned athlete, an avid exerciser, or new to working out, this principle is important to apply!
Until next time,
Veronica
Photo by Tomasz Woźniak on Unsplash