Training Principles and Causal Relationships: The Backbone of Smarter Coaching
At Efficient Effort, we don’t build programs based on fads—we build them on training principles and real-world causal relationships. Why? Because great coaching isn’t about throwing random exercises together. It’s about understanding how every decision in training creates a chain reaction in the body.
If you want to move better, get stronger, or recover from injury—understanding the why behind your training is just as important as the what.
What Are Training Principles?
Training principles are the fundamental rules that guide how we structure a program. They give us a framework for:
Designing effective exercise plans
Managing recovery and adaptation
Progressing safely over time
Achieving specific physical goals
At Efficient Effort, every program we write is anchored in the following core principles:
1. Specificity
Train for the outcome you want. Your program must reflect the movement, energy systems, and strength qualities required by your goals.
2. Progressive Overload
The body adapts to stress—but only if that stress increases gradually. We apply strategic increases in load, volume, or complexity.
3. Individualisation
No two clients are the same. Your anatomy, injury history, lifestyle, and training age matter. We coach the person, not just the pattern.
4. Variation and Recovery
The nervous system, muscles, and joints need planned variation. We cycle volume, intensity, rest, and exercise selection to promote recovery and prevent burnout or plateaus.
5. Reversibility
What you don’t use, you lose. We train consistently—not excessively—so you can sustain your results long-term.
What Are Causal Relationships in Training?
While training principles tell us how to structure, causal relationships help us understand why things happen. A causal relationship is when one variable (like poor hip mobility) causes or contributes to another (like low back pain in squats).
In real-world coaching, understanding causal relationships allows us to:
Trace pain or dysfunction back to its root
Identify what movement pattern or training error led to injury
Make better decisions about exercise regressions or progressions
Avoid misinterpreting correlation as causation (e.g., “tight hamstrings” may not be the real problem)
This is where real coaching happens—not just repeating protocols, but understanding what needs to change and why.
Training Principles + Causal Relationships = Intelligent Programming
Let’s break it down with a few examples.
Example 1: A Client With Anterior Knee Pain
Training Principle: Avoid overload to the painful joint
Causal Relationship: Lack of ankle dorsiflexion leads to excessive knee loading during squats
Our Response: Improve ankle mobility, reinforce hip control, modify squat pattern
Example 2: A Client Plateauing in Strength
Training Principle: Apply progressive overload
Causal Relationship: Insufficient intensity and recovery are limiting adaptation
Our Response: Adjust volume, increase load, and add rest days or deload week
Example 3: A Client With Excessive Lumbar Extension
Training Principle: Train movement quality, not just output
Causal Relationship: Weak abdominals and hip flexors causing compensation during lifts
Our Response: Introduce anti-extension core training, reposition pelvis, reinforce neutral bracing
Why Most Programs Miss the Mark
Many programs apply the principles—but miss the context. They don’t ask the right questions. They assume that more load or more sweat equals more progress.
At Efficient Effort, we slow it down, assess clearly, and prescribe with purpose. We ask:
What’s the actual limiter here?
What caused the issue—not just where it hurts?
What principles apply, and how do we apply them for this person?
How We Apply This at Efficient Effort
✅ Full Movement and Postural Assessment
Before we write a program, we assess structure, function, and how the client moves. This helps us identify key causal factors that influence programming decisions.
✅ Periodised, Individualised Programming
We follow evidence-based training principles—adjusting frequency, volume, intensity, rest, and exercise selection in cycles (macro, meso, micro).
✅ Education-Based Coaching
We teach clients and coaches to understand why a certain movement, cue, or change is happening—so they build knowledge and confidence, not dependence.
✅ Outcome-Driven Adjustments
We constantly review results. If something isn’t working, we go upstream—looking at the root cause, not just changing sets and reps.
Coaching Built on Reason, Not Randomness
Training shouldn’t feel like trial and error. When you base your decisions on clear principles and causal logic, progress becomes predictable—and sustainable.
At Efficient Effort, we help you:
✔ Train with structure
✔ Recover with intention
✔ Adapt with purpose
✔ Think critically about your own training
Whether you're a client, coach, or therapist—we want to help you move beyond “just doing exercises” and toward real, lasting improvement.
Book a Movement Assessment or Coaching Consult
📍 Unit 22/13 Baker St, Banksmeadow NSW
📩 info@efficienteffort.com