Periodization & Planning

Periodization

Training Units

a) training session b) training day

c) microcycle d) mesocycle

e) macrocycle f) quadrennial (Olympic)

g) multi-year training cycle

Training Session: rest periods of less than 30 minutes

Periodization

Training Day: can be composed of a number of training sessions that work the same physical attribute (ie cardiovascular) or different attributes (ie power, technique, and cardiovascular)

Microcycles: grouping of several training days (typically a week) If the competition is 4 days long, a few microcycles of 4 days (specificity) may be more advantageous

Change training variables from micro to micro to facilitate physiological gains

Periodization

Mesocycles: 2-6 weeks of microcycles

Accumulative mesocycle (General preparatory):

enhance the athlete's potential in 1-2 basic qualities

test basic motor qualities or technique

Transmutative mesocycle (Specific and pre-competitive): transfer non-specific conditioning or skills to specific skills; test with basic skills and unimportant competitive contests

Periodization

Realizational or competitive mesocycle:

Tapering and peaking

Test with performance during an important competition

Macrocycle: competitive season or year including preparation, competitive and transition phases

Periodization of Metabolic and Strength Gains

General Preparatory or Accumulative phase:

Almost all sports need an aerobic base

Most sports need some basic general strength

Specific Preparatory or Transmutative phase:

Institute the metabolic training system specific to the sport using idealized work to rest ratios

Insert the resistance training most appropriate for the sport

Periodization of Metabolic and Strength Gains

Pre-competitive phase:

Introduce other metabolic systems that have a secondary role in the sport;

Alter work: rest ratios to more specifically resemble the temporal needs of the sport

Periodization of Metabolic and Strength Gains

Competitive or Realizational phase; Combine all necessary metabolic components with correct work: rest ratios To increase metabolic capacity, you may increase the duration or intensity or decrease the work: rest ratios marginally so that competitive events seem less stressful than training. However great deviations from sport specificity will result in non-specific metabolic systems being targeted (i.e. traditional swim training programs)

Periodization of Metabolic and Strength Gains

Rest - Exercise Alternation:

Maximum (relative) strength: 3-4 min insufficient for complete recovery after intense resistance training, need approximately

15 min for total recovery

(use supersets, giant sets etc.)

Periodization of Metabolic and Strength Gains

Stress microcycles use less than required rest for a number of days should only be used 3-4 times per year (use them to mimic a competition or jump start a microcycle like at Xmas)

Periodization of Metabolic and Strength Gains

Exercise Sequence: exercises requiring fine motor co-ordination and/or power (explosive speed-strength) are performed first if strength is mixed with other attributes, the second attribute trained will usually suffer less than optimal gains

Circuit training may be most applicable during transmutative (specific prep) mesocycle.

Periodization of Metabolic and Strength Gains

Intensity Variation: high intensity is the major goal for the optimal strength results

Submaximal intensity can be used on alternate training days or microcycles to facilitate gains (60% of max).

Concurrent Metabolic and Strength training: If training 2 factors on one day, the most important system is typically worked first.

Periodization of Metabolic and Strength Gains

• If one system is submaximal intensity like aerobic base training then it can be worked first in the day as long as sufficient rest time is allocated (i.e. morning and afternoon workout).

• High intensity work for the same muscle group should not be scheduled on consecutive days (i.e. plyometrics for leg power and anaerobic intervals)

Short Term Planning

• Training session should be designed so that technique exercises are performed fresh (non-fatigued)

• In endurance sports, speed exercises may be performed fatigued

• Established skills can be honed under pressure by adding fatigue as a variable.

• Fatigue effects from muscular work are specific

• Change sequence of work to attain greatest volume of work

Tapering or Peaking

• Athletes cannot achieve best performance with strenuous training since:

– a) it takes time to adapt to the training stimulus

– b) fatigue accumulates over time

• Adaptation occurs when a detraining load occurs after a stimulating load.

Tapering or Peaking

• Delayed transformation lengthens as training load and fatigue increases

• Can last 2 - 6 weeks (typically 4 weeks: ie. a typical mesocycle)

Tapering or Peaking

• Decrease training load, do not eliminate training load

• Time course of detraining dependent upon:

– a) duration of prior training

– b) training experience of athletes

– c) targeted motor abilities

– d) amount of specific training loads during detraining

• General rule of thumb for tapering and peaking: decrease load by about half

Detraining

• The greater the base the slower the losses.

• More experienced trained individuals experience faster gains with retraining (neuromuscular memory)

• Sequence of losses:

– 1 ) Anaerobic

– 2) Aerobic

– 3) Strength

Detraining

• Retention can be achieved in strength gains with 1-2 short duration high intensity training sessions per week

Concurrent Training Effects:

• Strength has a greater adverse effect on aerobic training than aerobic on strength

• Daily training: train the most important variable first in the training day