What do we mean when we say “training load”? This is the second article in a three-part series aimed at answering that question.
My core argument in this series is that there are three distinct types of training load you should consider—physiological training load, biomechanical training load, and psychological training load.
Today, we turn our attention to the second of these types of load. What exactly is biomechanical training load? In short:
Biomechanical training load describes the mechanical force—and ultimately, the mechanical damage—experienced by the load-bearing tissues of your body: bones, tendons, muscles, ligaments, and joint surfaces.
When talking about biomechanical training load, what we mean is “how much physical damage are you doing to your body.”
Proper biomechanical training load drives health and structural integrity: the ability to avoid injury and increase your body’s ability to sustain higher levels of training in the future.