The overload principle is a term used in physical fitness to describe a training regimen in which the muscles are trained in excess. In essence, the body can become accustomed to workout routines; by overloading the body, it forces the muscles to adapt, thus causing physiological changes. Many weightlifters use the overload principle to increase strength and muscle growth.
Strength training exercises actually rip and tear muscles. When these muscle fibers repair, they typically grow back larger and stronger. To achieve increased size and greater strength, an exercise must, in fact, tear those muscles. Because bodies adapt, muscles progressively require greater strain to tear and rebuild.
Used to promote muscle growth, the overload principle is primarily used to increase strength and muscle mass, rather than to tone and sculpt muscles. To maximize a workout, weightlifters use the greatest amount of weight that they can lift. Utilizing the overload principle, weightlifters gradually increase that amount of weight during the course of their regimen, thereby building bigger and stronger muscles.
Even though many factors contribute to muscle growth, most experts agree that increased muscle size cannot occur without the overload principle. For this reason, most bodybuilders use these methods in their workouts. The principle of overloading muscles is adopted by professional bodybuilders and even used in mixed martial-arts (MMA) training.
There are risks associated with the overload principle. For the method to work accurately, a weightlifter must lift the maximum amount of weight possible so that the body can adapt to the regimen. Injuries can occur if the lifter attempts to utilize more weight than the muscles can endure, or uses improper form that can cause uneven tearing. Risks associated with this approach include increased strain on joints and muscle sprains. Lifting heavy weights also poses the risk of weights being dropped, especially if the lifter cannot sustain the weight.
To decrease injuries associated with the overload principle, lifters should always exercise with a partner who can act as a spotter. Lifters are also encouraged to start out with a reasonable weight and then work themselves up to a heavier weight. The overload principle is a sound approach to weightlifting but is a grueling routine that usually is best supervised by an expert.
