運動訓練的主要目的是為了提升或強化運動員的體力，以便在比賽時發揮最好的表現（performance），獲得較好的成績。廣義來說，訓練是一個人體力的強化過程，透過合理的運動刺激，使身體對所施加之運動刺激產生適應的過程。基本上它是一再的反覆刺激與適應的過程，這一合理的運動刺激我們稱之為運動處方（training prescription）或訓練計劃（training program），它必須經過設計，使運動刺激的強度、頻率、時間及期間皆能恰到好處，而不至造成過量或不足。這種最適量（optimal training load）的運動刺激，即是所謂的科學的訓練法，因為特別重視個別差異，故稱之為處方，也可以稱作訓練計劃。

　　　　　The main purpose of sport training is to promote or reinforce the physical strength of athletes, so as to bring the best performance into full play in a game. In general, training is a process which reinforces the physical strength of an athlete by going through reasonable sport stimulations. Moreover, training is a process which lets the human body adapt to the sport. Basically, it is a process of continuous stimulations and adjustments. This reasonable sport stimulation is called Training Prescription or Training Program. It must be well designed to control the intensity, frequency, time and period of exercise properly and not to have any negative effects. This kind of optimal training load is the way of scientific training. Since the individual differences is the primal consideration, we call it prescription; it can also be called training program.