Why is critical thinking not considered a fundamental training principle? Isn’t there a case for it?

Different textbooks list different training principles, a common list being the acronym, ‘SPORT’:

• Specificity

• Periodisation

• Overload

• Reversibility

• The Individual

Specificity is the principle that all training should be specific to a sport or activity.

Periodisation states that all training should be organised into weekly, monthly and yearly cycles, each focused on some element of fitness, such as strength, speed or stamina.

Overload is the principle that all training should use loads slightly above the fitness levels of the person training and increase in a progressive manner.

Reversibility is the principle that all training should be maintained to prevent losses in fitness. This is also known as the ‘Use It or Lose It’ principle.

Finally, the principle of individuality states that all training should fit the needs of the individual.

This summarises the basic principles of training.

Now, consider the following principle:

• All training should be based on evidence and valid reasoning.

In other words, all training methods are based on claims that should answer to the questions and objections of a critical thinker with sound arguments. These questions might include:

• How clearly is this training method defined?

• What evidence is there for this training method?

• What evidence is there against it?

• What is the quality of the evidence?

• How reliable are the sources?

• How clear, logical, accurate, significant, precise, deep, broad, relevant, fair, etc are the arguments made about this training method?

If more people asked such questions fitness fads might become a thing of the past and fitness instructors might up their game. Perhaps what is needed is an explicitly named principle: the ‘Principle of Critical Thinking’.

Are there any reasons against such a principle? The very act of arguing against it seems to support it.

So, perhaps the ‘SPORT’ acronym should be recast as follows:

• Specificity

• Periodisation

• Overload

• Reversibility

• Thinking

What about the principle of individuality? Specificity and individuality are essentially the same principle applied in opposite directions: one to the sport and the other to the athlete. Both emphasise the importance of context. For this reason, individuality may fall under specificity.

Would more people ask critical questions about fitness trends if they had heard of a ‘Principle of Critical Thinking’? Perhaps they would. At least it is something worth thinking about.

References

Haskell, J., 2015. S.P.O.R.T - The Principles of Exercise Training. [online] HuffPost UK. Available at: <https://www.huffingtonpost.co.uk/james-haskell/sport-the-principles-of-e_b_8580638.html> [Accessed 13 October 2021].

Paul, R. and Elder, L., n.d. Critical Thinking. [online] Criticalthinking.org. Available at: <https://www.criticalthinking.org/> [Accessed 13 October 2021].