The Science of Diminishing Returns
There is a common expression: "too much of a good thing" (thanks Shakespeare ), implying that excess of something that is beneficial, may actually end up having a negative effect. I'm sure you've coached someone who doubled the dosage or weight or number of reps, and when asked why, replied that if 10 will make me stronger, then surely 20 will make me twice as strong! There are many many examples in sports. Strength Training is great - but too much can reduce your ability to compete in your sport. Jump training can help you jump higher, but too much can damage your joints. Full contact tackling in practice can help teach technique, but too much can increase the chances of injury. Preventative exercises before training can reduce injury risk, but if you only have 2 hours of training and spend 1 hour preventing injury, you don't have much time to get better. Measuring things is important and useful. I was recently at a presentation by a multiple gold me