What does the term "specificity" mean in fitness training?

The term "specificity" in fitness training refers to the principle that training should be directly relevant to an individual's specific goals and should closely mimic the demands of the activities or sports they wish to improve in. This means that if a person aims to enhance their performance in a particular sport, the exercises they engage in should reflect the physical demands and skills required in that sport. For example, a runner would benefit from training that includes running drills, while a weightlifter would focus on resistance training specific to their lifts. Thus, specificity ensures that the adaptations the body undergoes during training are directly applicable to the tasks it needs to perform, leading to improved efficiency and effectiveness in those activities.