Do you want to achieve results faster towards your training goal? Make your workouts more effective by applying the SAID principle. The more targeted your training, the better your body will adapt to it, and the quicker you will achieve results. In this blog, I will show you why this principle is so important and how you can easily apply it yourself.

Why is the SAID principle so IMPORTANT?

Train much more effectively

If you are not achieving what you set out to do with your training, you are probably performing the wrong exercises or training under the wrong conditions.

According to the SAID Principle, your body will improve exactly in what you ask of it. Therefore, you need to pay close attention to which exercises you perform and under what conditions. If you want to become very strong in a specific movement, you must heavily load your body in that exact movement. Your body will then adapt to the heavy load, and the movement will become easier for you in the future.

So, make your training more effective by performing targeted exercises under the right conditions. This way, your body will better handle exactly what you are training in the future.

Achieve results faster

Let’s say you’re making progress but it’s not fast enough. Perhaps you can make your training more efficient by also focusing on the SAID principle.

This way, you can avoid wasting energy on exercises that don’t directly contribute to your training goal. You load your body exactly with what you want to improve.

And not unnecessarily in areas you don’t want to improve. This allows you to maximize your progress.

The energy you put into your training will directly contribute to what you’ve defined as your training goal, allowing you to maximize your progress.

Reduce the risk of injury

Have you ever had an injury? Then chances are it was caused by overloading your body in a certain movement.

When you apply the SAID principle correctly, you become more aware of which muscles and joints you are loading with your training. Since you are training more specifically, the chances of unknowingly placing too high demands on other muscles and joints that don’t align with your goal are reduced.

By focusing on your training, you can gradually increase the load, tailored to your goal. Your body will adapt step by step, which reduces the risk of injury.

How to easily apply the SAID Principle?

Step 1: Make your goal specific

A training goal is often too general to effectively tailor your workout to it. For example, if your goal is:

“I want to get better at running.”

If you then run as fast as you can three times a week until you collapse, you’ll definitely get better at running. However, you won’t necessarily improve your ability to run longer distances.

Therefore, make your goal as concrete as possible so you can select the right exercises and clearly determine under what conditions you want to perform them. You could make your goal more specific like this:

“I want to run for 30 minutes at a constant speed of 8 km/h.”

With this goal, you can then focus on the specific exercise and associated conditions, such as duration and speed.

So, make your goal as specific as possible. Only then can you effectively tailor your training. If your goal remains too general, you will likely meet the basic conditions, but you may not be satisfied with the end result.

Step 2: Structure your training around your specific goal

We’ve established that having a specific goal is crucial for effective training.

Based on the training goal from step 1, we can design specific exercises that target the individual conditions.

Exercise 1
To improve your running duration for the condition of running for 30 minutes, choose a pace that challenges you but is still sustainable for the full 30 minutes.

Exercise 2
To improve your running speed for the condition of running at 8 km/h, sprint short distances at maximum speed, then recover with a slower pace to catch your breath.

By incorporating both of these specific exercises into your training, you work directly towards achieving your goal and improving exactly what you want to get better at.

Step 3: Track progress and adjust your training

As your body adapts to the exercises over time, you’ll notice that your progress slows down.

This is when it’s time to increase the load so your body is stimulated to adapt again. For example, with the exercises from step 2, you can track your heart rate, time, and/or speed. Over time, you’ll notice that your heart rate stays under control, you can run longer, or you can run faster.

So, make sure to track your results during training. Only then can you precisely determine where to increase the load and how to challenge yourself again. This way, you continue to make progress towards your goal. You might even set your goal to a higher level.

What you need to know about the SAID Principle!

The SAID principle (Specific Adaptation to Imposed Demands) means that your body specifically adapts to the load you impose during training. If you do a lot of short sprints, you’ll improve your speed; if you run long distances, you’ll develop your endurance. Essentially, both the specific exercise and the conditions you apply determine how your body adapts. It doesn’t mean that your speed improves as much as your endurance when you only run long distances.

Also, check out my other blog: “The SAID Principle Explained”

Frequently Asked Questions

How do I determine which conditions are important for my training goal?

Look at the different aspects of the exercise and decide what is most important for you. For example, think about speed, a specific movement, duration, repetitions, or weight. Try to make your goal as clear as possible for yourself.

How often should I adjust my training to keep making progress?

Adjust your training as soon as you notice that your progress has plateaued. It’s important to gradually increase the load so your body can continue to adapt and you can achieve the desired results.

Can the SAID principle be applied to all types of training?

Yes, it can be applied to any form of training, from strength training to building endurance or developing technical skills. Wherever you trigger changes in your body through specific loading, the SAID principle applies.

Conclusion

Apply the SAID principle in your training to train more effectively and achieve faster results towards your goal. Additionally, you can gradually adjust the load on your body, reducing the risk of injury. You do this by making your training goal concrete and selecting the right exercises under the desired conditions. Don’t forget to track your progress and adjust your training to keep challenging yourself. In short, if you want to achieve faster results with your training, make sure you train as specifically as possible.