periodization review

Periodization of Training

Overview

• Background for periodization

• Where periodization has been

• How to apply periodization

• Science and periodization

• Where periodization seems to be going

Background for Periodization

• What is it?

• What’s it for?

• What isn’t it for?

• Pro’s and con’s

What is Periodization?

• Freeman (1994): “…an attempt to make training more objectively measurable and thus more accurately planned.”

• Broad strokes of modern training theory were developed in the 1930’s and 1940’s (Pedemonte, 1986).

Why Periodize Training?

• Objectives of periodization (Dick, F., 1975):– Achieve optimal performance– Prepare for a climax to the competitive season– Prepare for the main competition

Objectives of Training (Bompa, Popov)

• Attain and augment multilateral physical development

• Secure and improve specific physical development• Feature and perfect technique of the sport• Improve and perfect strategy• Cultivate volitional qualities• Ensure and secure optimal preparation

Objectives of Training, cont.

• Constant increase in training burden• Fortify each athlete’s state of health• Prevent injuries• Enrich each athlete’s theoretical knowledge

regarding the physiological and psychological basis of training, planning, nutrition, and regeneration

Supercompensation

• A.k.a. One-Factor Training Theory

• Workout Depletion Restoration

• Supercompensation

• Have seen this with glycogen stores following exercise

Supercompensation

Supercompensation; Putting it into practice

• First, intervals are too short

• Second, intervals are optimal

• Third, intervals are too long

Supercompensation, putting it into practice, cont.

Supercompensation

• This idea is why most workout programs are done in steps (usually 2-4 steps up followed by 1 rest step).

What’s Periodization For?

• It’s a way to organize training over months and years that is meant to optimize performance while preventing injures, overtraining, etc.

• It is a procedure that is leading to something.

• It is a procedure that allows one to check and see if the training plan was effective.

What Isn’t Periodization For?

• It doesn’t work well as a 4-8 week training plan.

• Poor tool for most personal training situations.

Pro’s and Con’s

• Pro’s:

– Allows one to plan for constant improvement

– Allows one to plan for an athlete to be at their best when it matters

– Prevents injuries

• Con’s:

– Very time-consuming

– The plans are great until they meet the athlete

– Easy to fall into the cookie-cutter mentality

– Plan is not a substitute for training

Periodization: Where it’s been

• Matveyev

• Bompa

• Harre, Kurz, Nadori, and others

• Stone

Matveyev

• Fundamentals of Sports Training. 1981.

• Observed training of Soviet Olympic athletes for 1952 & 1956 Olympics and formalized the training process.

Types of Exercise

• Competitive: Exercises containing integral actions; competitive actions proper and the training forms of the competition exercises

• Special Preparation: Exercises that include elements or qualities of the competition exercises

• General Preparation: Exercises that develop all physical qualities, develops the foundation for future training.

Basis of Matveyev’s Approach

• Training theories based upon the idea of supercompensation (discussed earlier)

Organization of Training

• Microcycles: training sessions that make up a complete, recurrent fragment

• Mesocycles: aggregate of several microcycles of one type

• Macrocycles: includes 3 periods:– Preparation– Competition– Transitional

Types of Microcycles

• Ordinary Training

• Shock Training

• Introductory Training (aka pre-comp)

• Competitive (competition and lead-up)

• Rehabilitative

Microcycle Volume and Load

• Volume and Load Guidelines:– Microcycles usually characterized by constant

intenstiy– Inverse relationship between volume and load

Sample Ordinary Microcycle, 80% intensity

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Intensity

Mesocycles

• Allow one to realize the sum effect of microcycles.

• Most common microcycle organization:– Ordinary - Ordinary - Shock - Rehab

Types of Mesocycles

• Involving: 1st phase of preparation period– 2 to 3 ordinary microcycles + a rehab

microcycle– low intensity and high volume– biggest share of general prep exercises

Involving Mesocycle

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Types of Mesocycles, Cont.

• Base: main type seen in prep period– Variants:

• Ordinary - Ordinary - Shock - Rehab

• Shock - Ordinary - Shock - Rehab

• Stabilizing: Ordinary - Ordinary (2 micro’s)

Base Mesocycle

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Mi1(O) Mi2(O) Mi3(S) Mi4(R)

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Types of Mesocycles, Cont.

• Control-Prep: transition between preparation and competition phases

• Higher intensity, more special prep exercises, low volume– Ordinary (Shock) - Ordinary - Competitive -

Competitive

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Types of Mesocycles, Cont.

• Other types:– Pre-Comp Mesocycle– Competitive– Rehab

Macrocycles

• Generally include three periods and are designed around a peak.

• Some years have a single peak, some two (double periodization), some more.

• Organized into periods:– Prepatory– Competitive– Transitional

Periods

• Prepatory: Developing all the qualities needed for success. The bulk of the training year.

• Competition: Preparing for competition and competing, the peak.

• Transition: Rest and recovery after comp.

Macrocycles

• Are generally put together so that intensity is increasing over time while volume decreases.

• Competition period sees the greatest intensity and lowest volume.

Macrocycles, Single Peak, Lengths of Periods

• Prep period: 5-7 months

• Comp period: 4-5 months

• Transition: 3-6 weeks

• Plan competitions around training!

Prepatory Period

• 5-7 months

• Variants (types of mesocycles):– Involving - Base - Base (with precomp)– Involving - Base (GPP) - Base (SPP) -

PreComp

6 Month Prepatory Period

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Prep Period, More Detailed

6 Month Prep Period

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Competitive Period

• 4-5 months

• Variants:– Comp - Comp - Rehab/Train - Comp

Sample Comp Period

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Intensity

Marcocycles, Multiple Peak, Lengths of Periods

• Prep Period: 3-4 months

• Comp Period: 1.5-2 months

• Trans: 3-4 weeks

Prepatory Period

• 3-4 months per macrocycle

• Variants:– Involving - Base - PreComp– Base(GPP) - Base (SPP) - PreComp

Competitive Period

• 1.5-2 months per macrocycle

• Comp - Train - Train - Comp

Matveyev’s model; volume and load

Annual Plan, Sample (from Nadori)

Matveyev, Conclusion

• Where everything came from• Book is a general physical education textbook• Little advice on how to apply the concepts• Arbitrary rules and principles• May or may not apply to us• Little scientific basis• More shortcomings later!

Applying Periodization

Steps for Applying Periodization

• Constructing an annual plan

• Constructing periods and phases

• Constructing mesocycles

• Constructing microcycles

• Examples of applying periodization

Constructing the Annual Plan

• When are the competitions?– Will there be more than one peak?

• Will there be more than one macrocycle?

– How long will the competitive season be?

• How long will post-competition be?

• Remainder of time is prep

Examples

• College Football

• College Track & Field

When are the Competitions?

• College Football:– Games on Saturdays (mostly)– September - November– 12 weeks of games– One peak per year (Sep-Nov)

Football: Dividing the Year

• One peak, monocycle• 12 weeks of games• Add 4 weeks to comp

period for August practice

• Comp period: 16 weeks

• Transition period: 5 weeks after last game (through 1st week of Jan)

• Prep period: 2nd week of Jan - August (~29 weeks)

Football: Monocycle

Period: Prepatory Period Competitive Period Trans

Phase: General Prep Special Prep PreComp

Comp Trans

Month Jan

Feb Mar Apr May June July Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec

Periods and Phases

• Once the timeline for the periods and phases have been laid out, make some general decisions about what training qualities will be emphasized in each.

Periods and Phases: Football

Prep Comp TransitionGeneral Prep Special Prep Pre Comp Comp Transition

Hypertrophy High High/Med Low Low LowStrength Medium High Medium/Low High/MediumLowPower Low Medium Medium High LowSpeed Low Medium High Medium LowAgility Low Medium Medium High Low

Periods & Phases

• Qualities with a “high” emphasis will see the most training sessions, or the most intense training, etc.

• Once you’ve determine the content, draw up very rough guides about the types of exercises, # of sessions/week, volume, and intensity for each period and phase - keep it general though!

Periods & Phases, cont.Prep Comp TransGenPrep SpecPrep PreComp Comp Trans

Hypertrophy 4-5x/weekMulti-joint &isolation freeweights3 sets x 8-15 reps60-80% 1-RM

3-4x/weekMulti-joint freeweights3-5 sets x 8-15reps60-80% 1-RM

1-2x/weekMulti-joint freeweights3 sets x 12-15 reps60-70% 1-RM

1-2x/weekMulti-joint freeweights3 sets x 12-15 reps60-70% 1-RM

1-2x/weekIsolation3sets12-20reps50-70%

Strength 2-3x/weekMulti-joint freeweights3-5 sets x 6-10reps70-85% 1-RM

3-4x/weekMulti-joint freeweights3-5 sets x 4-8 reps75-90% 1-RM

1-3x/weekMulti-joint freeweights3 sets x 2-8 reps75-95% 1-RM

2-4x/weekMulti-joint freeweights3-5 sets x 1-6 reps80-100% 1-RM

Power 1-2x/weekOlympic lifts3 sets x 3-4 reps60-75% 1-RM

2-3x/weekOlympic lifts3 sets x 2-4 reps60-80% 1-RM

2-3x/weekOlympic lifts3 sets x 2-4 reps60-80% 1-RM

3-4x/weekOlympic lifts3-5 sets x 2-4 reps70-90% 1-RM

Othersports 2-3x/week

Speed 1-2x/weekFalling startsTechnique3-5x10-60 yards

2-3x/weekStanding &Position StartsTechniqueAccelerationConditioning2x3-5x10-60 yards

3-5x/weekStartsTechniqueAccelerationMax. VelocityConditioning

2-3x/weekStartsTechniqueAccelerationMax. VelocityConditioning

Othersports 2-3x/week

Agility 1-2x/weekTechnique

2-3x/weekTechniqueCombination

2-3x/weekTechniqueCombinationReactive

3-4x/weekCombinationReactive

Othersports 2-3x/week

More Detailed Planning

• Once this has been done, determine how many 2-6 week mesocycles will be in each phase.

• Plan the first mesocycle in detail and the phase in principle.

• As you progress 1/2 way through the first mesocycle, plan the second in detail, etc.

• As you progress 1/2 way through the phase, plan the next phase in principle.

Example, Football

• General Prep: 16 weeks (4 mesocycles)

• Special Prep: 12 weeks (3 mesocycles)

• Pre-Comp: 4 weeks (1 mesocycle)

• Comp: 12 weeks (3 mesocycles)

• Transition: 4 weeks (1 mesocycle)

General Prep, Planning in Principle

• Mesocycle 1: Get back in shape, welcome back to training; lower volume (4x/week) and intensity(~65%), lots of exercise variety

• Mesocycle 2: Higher volume (8-15 reps/set), more weight training sessions (5x/week)

• Mesocycle 3: Maintain volume, increase intensity (~70%)

• Mesocycle 4: Maintain volume, increase intensity (~75-80%), cycle in special prep exercises

Mesocycle I: Peaks

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HypertrophyStrengthPower

Microcycle I: Peaks

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Microcycle I: WorkoutsMonday Tuesday Wednesday Thursday Friday

Focus Lower Body Upper Body Speed/Agility Lower Body Upper BodyWeights Power Clean, h,

AK; 3x4x60%Leg Press, 3x8Lunges, 3x8Leg Extensions,3x10Leg Curls, 3x10Calf Raises, 3x10Core

Push Jerk,3x4x65%Bench Press,3x8x75%Dips, 3xMaxBent Over Rows,3x8Pushdowns, 3x10Curls, 3x10

Back Squats,3x8x75%Step Ups, 3x8RDL’s, 3x8Leg Curls, 3x8Calf Raises, 3x8Core

Incline Press,3x8x65%SS: Dips & Push-UpsPull-Ups / Pull-Downs, 3x83-in-1 Shoulders,3x10Curls, 3x10

Speed N/a N/a Ankling, 2x10yardsButt Kicks, 3x10yardsHigh Knee, 3x10yardsFalling Starts,3x20 yards

N/a N/a

Agility N/a N/a Shuffling, 3x10yardsBackpedaling,3x20 yardsCutting, 3x10+10yardsZig Zags, 3x10yards

N/a N/a

And So Forth!