Training routines: Physiological categories of overtraining

The common belief of more training the better was bred in ancient Sparta and fostered by generations of military instructors. This unfortunate principle continues to be imposed on numerous sportsmen and soldiers, since its proponents maintain dogmatically that the optimum training load is the maximum training load a person can endure. Many of the more enlightened coaches and instructors have criticised this archaic system and believe a person commences training at low intensity and continually increases intensity and duration within his limits of endurance and the time available.