Chapter 8 – Periodization
- Strength and conditioning programs will bring about significant improvements in
strength, fitness and sport-specific skills,
• Eventually the physical adaptations and psychological adjustments will occur
less frequently and athlete will experience performance plateaus or
decrements.
- It is possible to have an increased risk for injuries and symptoms associated with
overtraining.
- To promote long-term training and performance improvements the strength and
conditioning professional should include:
• Pre-planned, systematic variations in training specificity, intensity and volume
organized in periods or cycles with an overall training program.
- THIS IS CALLED PERIODIZATION.
- When planning an annual periodization cycle:
• Know
• Understand
• And apply the various biomotor abilities in order to maximize performance.
Schematic representation of interdependence among various biomotor abilities
Response to training stress:
Three stages occur in response to stress:
1. Shock or alarm phase
- Days to weeks
- Experience soreness, stiffness, temporarily performance decrease
2. Resistance or adaptation phase
- Body adapts to training stimulus and starts to function normally
- Neurological adaptations through various biochemical, structural and mechanical
adaptations – this leads to an increase in performance
3. Exhaustion phase
- Stress continues, loses the ability to adjust to stressor.
- Overtraining can occur
- Non-training-related stress can contribute to overall stress
Periodization cycles:
- Divides the whole program in specific time periods/blocks
- Can be a period of few months to 4 years
- In macrocycle are 2 or more mesocycles
- Each mesocycle lasts several weeks to months
- Number depends on goals of athlete
- Each mesocycle divided into two or more micro cycles (typically one week can last up
to 4 weeks)
- Short cycle focuses on daily and weekly training variations.
Periodization periods:
- Meso + Micro is the basis for program variables and depends on the intensity and
volume
- Major divisions of training:
• Preparatory
• Competition and
• Transition period
Preparatory period
- Longest time of year where there are no competitions
- Athlete must develop a framework for physiological, tactical technical and
psychological preparation for competition phase.
- Major emphasis is on the establishment of the basis level to increase tolerance for
training
- Technique is not a high priority
- Significant amount of training based on increased volume would, in long-run,
decrease fatigue and enhance recovery.
- Usually lasts 3-6 months (depending on climate, sport, type of plan)
- The intensity would be low and the volume high.
• Long run: low intensity plyometrics
• High reps, low intensity gym
- Primary objectives of this phase:
To aquire and improve To cultivate specific
general physical psychological traits
training
To improve biomotor
To develop, improve or
abilities required by the
perfect technique
sport
To familiarize athletes with the basic strategical
manoevres for following phase
Can be divided into two sub phases:
- General preparatory phase
• Develops working capacity
• General physical preparation
• Improves technical elements and basic tactical
• Develop high level of fitness and
• High volume of training
- Specific preparatory phase
• Transition towards competitive phase
• Objectives is very similar to general but training is more specific
• High volume, specific exercises related to skill or technical aspects
• At the end of this phase the volume will be low and intensity will be high
First transition phase
- Break between high volume and high intensity training
- Typically, a 1-week period of low intensity at a lower volume or combination of both
- Want to start incorporating recovery for athlete to prevent overtraining
Competition period
- Characterized by peak strength and power through increasing training intensity and
additional decrease in training volume
- All training variables should be perfected to improve their abilities and compete
successfully in the main competition
- Practice in skill technique and strategy increases and less time is spent on physical
conditioning
- Period can last 1-3 weeks (can go to months or seasons)
- Thus, this period requires manipulation of intensity on a weekly or micro cycle basis
- Characterized by low volume and high intensity
• Sprints: High intensity plyometrics
• Low reps, high intensity gym
Continual improvement of sport-specific biomotor abilities and psychological traits
Perfecting and consolidating technique
Improve performance to the highest possible level
Perfect tactical manoeuvres and gaining competitive experienc
Maintaining general physical preparation
Tapering phase:
- Important because it involves systematic reduction of training duration and intensity,
combined with increased emphasis on technique, work and nutrition
- The objective of this phase:
• To attain peak performance at the time of competition
Second transition phase:
- Characterized as an active rest or restoration phase
- Lasts 1-4 weeks
- Unstructured, non-sport-specific activities
- Low intensity and low volume
- Want to prepare the body for next increased demand of the next phase.
Periodization of strength training
The periodization of strength can be divided in to 5 phases:
Anatomical adaptation
- Involve most muscle groups, prepare the muscles, ligaments, tendons etc for next
phases
- Low intensity and high volume
• High reps
• Low intensity in the gym
- Increase in fat free mass and endurance (muscular and metabolic) base for more
intense later phases
- Activities is not sport-specific and
- Athletes will do a general resistance training program
• 9-12 exercises
• Load of 40-60% of 1RM
• 8-12 reps
• 2-3 sets
• Rest of 60-90 seconds
- Phase can be followed by intermediate recovery week
Maximum strength
- Most sports require power, muscular endurance or both
- Both P and M are affected by the level of max strength of an athlete
- Develop max strength and then convert it to power
- The goal is to develop max strength to the athlete’s capacity
- Duration depend on athletes need
Conversion phase
- Max strength is converted to power, muscular endurance or both
- Gradually converted to max strength by applying adequate training method for type
of strength, using methods applicable to the sport
- Maintain certain levels of max strength or power by declining at the end of
competition phase
- Conversion starts at the end of preparatory phase, continues into competition phase
Maintenance phase
- Main objective: Maintain standards achieved during previous phases
- Ratio between max strength, power and muscle endurance will reflect on sport
requirements
Cessation phase
- Strength program ends 5-7 days prior to the main competition
- Athlete wants to reserve all energy for good performance
Compensation phase
- Completed annual plan, coincides with transition phase
- Remove fatigue and replenish energy stores
- Follow program to strengthen stabilizers before the end of this phase
Periodization of endurance
Can be divided in to:
Aerobic endurance
- Transition phase and early preparatory phase
- Lasts 1-3 months
- Could be achieved with moderate to medium intensity training done
- Goal is to increase the cardiorespiratory system
- Characterized by low intensity, high volume
• Long run: Low intensity plyometrics
• High reps, low intensity gym
Aerobic endurance and specific endurance
- Very important in achieving goals for endurance training
- Elements of anaerobic activities are introduced within transition from aerobic to
anaerobic
- Rhythm and pace are more sport-specific
- Methods are uniform alternative, long and medium intervals
- Volume is highest during aerobic phase
Specific endurance
- Coincides with pre-competition and in-competition phases
- Training method depends on ergogenesis of sport and needs
- Intensity is high (exceeding race intensity
- Alternate intensities to facilitate recovery and will lead to a peak in performance for
final competition
Periodization of speed
Can be divided in to:
Aerobic and anaerobic endurance
- Basis for the next phases
- 1st subphase will build aerobic foundation which speed training relies on
- Training will progressively move to be more sport specific
- Beginning of phase fartlek is typically used
Alactic and anaerobic endurance
- Competition phase approaches, therefore, training will be more intense, event
specific, refined and specialized
- Specific training in methods and exercise
- And emphasis on maximum velocity
Specific speed
- Some or all components (Alactic, lactic and speed endurance) must be incorporated
- Drills can be incorporated which can include agility and reaction time
Specific speed, agility and reaction time
- Competition phase
- Intensity increases from specific to participate in competitions
- Specific exercises dominate – general training, relaxation and active rest should still
be present
Applying sport seasons to the periodization period
- Involves the manipulation of training intensities and volume while considering sport
seasons.
- Necessitates regular variations in training to provide sufficient intensity and volume
while minimizing training staleness
Can be divided in to:
Off-season
- Season between post-season and 6 weeks prior to first contest of next year’s season
- Includes most of preparatory period and can be divided into multiple short
mesocycles if it is long (16-24 weeks
- Rotate hypertrophy and endurance phases and basis strength phase
Pre-season
- Follows, leading up to first competition
- Commonly contains the late stages of preparatory period and first transition period
In-season
- All competitions scheduled for the year
- Most sports have a long in season phase (12-16 weeks)
- Long period – 3 or 4 mesocycles that peak the athlete’s performance for most critical
competitions
- Alternate intensity and volume
- When the athlete is peaking there must be high intensity and low volume
Post-season
- After the final competition
- Post-season or second transition period
- Active or relative rest for athlete before start of nest years off-season of preparatory
period
Structure for lessons
- Divided into smaller parts allowing the coach and athlete to follow the principle of
progressive increase and a decrease in work
- Depends on training task, content, training phase and training level
- Beginners = 4 parts (Intro, preparation, body and conclusion)
- Elite athletes = 3 parts (Warm-up, body and conclusion)
- Can be divided in to:
Introduction
- Explain the objectives
- Increase motivation for challenging parts, higher degree of excitement may assist in
fulfilling the objectives
- Organize in smaller groups according to each group’s goals
- Short phase lasting 3-5 min
Preparation
- Warm-up is preparation for the physiological and psychological preparation for tasks
to come
- A warm-up:
Increase body temperature to facilitate performance
Stimulates central nervous system
Coordinates systems
Decrease time of motor reaction
Increase coordination
- Must be 20-30 min or longer
- Final 5-10 minutes dedicated to specific warm-up
- General warm up
• Increase working capacity
• Commence with joint rotation
• Rolling on foam roller
• Moderate aerobic activity (8-12 min)
• Increase HR to 150-160 bmp
• Increase temperature (sweating)
• Stretching
• Static, active, passive, PNF
• Muscles involved in main set
- Specific warm-up
• Dynamic warm-up
• Functional exercises directed at improving muscle flexibility, and ROM at 3
movement levels
• Objective is to tune to predominant type of work to perform in main part
• Exercises will depend on main section
• Dynamic stretches (6-8 reps)
• Ballistic stretches are NB because is prepares the connective tissue for
maximum eccentric and concentric contractions
Main body of the lesson
- Objectives of the lesson
- Content depends on degree of training, sport type, gender, age and training phase
- Coach may stress technique and develop specific biomotor abilities and psychological
traits at the same time
- Lesson content for less advanced athletes should follow this succession:
Learn and perfect
Develop speed or
technical or tactical Develop strength Develop endurance
coordination
elements
- Plan this session, with not more than 2-3 objectives
- Objectives should be chosen according to needs of sport and athletes ability
Conclusion
- Decrease workload to approach the athletes initial biological and psychological rest
rate
- Activities should decrease because a sudden interruption can have a negative
physiological and psychological effects
- Cool down activities will be incorporated to increase recovery and decrease
accumulated lactic acid in blood
- Follow these steps with cool-down:
Moderate aerobic activity (8-15 min) Stabilize HR
Static stretches (muscles involved) 30-40 sec, longer than
warm-up phase
Conclude by providing feedback - whether they achieved the
objectives of the season
Integrated periodization
- Focus on all elements needed for optimal performance
- Combines all training components into a whole and matches them according to
periodization of biomotor abilities
- Periodization of biomotor abilities will determine the diet and psychological skills best
suited for training phase
- Example of typical integrated periodization phse of a swimmer that has 2 major
competitions in an annual plan