The following periodization information is derived from the ITCA Triathlon Coach Certification
Proper program design for sports training follows the same principle as the business plan. Each year or season the coach develops a training plan for the team as well each athlete based on previous performances. These plans are part of a periodization program. Periodization is an organized approach to training that involves progressive cycling of various aspects of a training program during a specific period of time (usually a season or year). The concept of periodization was first proposed by Russian physiologist Leo Matveyev in the 1960’s and later modified by various American sport scientists.
Here is an in-depth article on periodization focused primarily on strength training.
The roots of periodization come from Hans Selye’s model, known as the General Adaptation Syndrome (GAS), which describes biological responses to stress. Selye’s work has been used by the athletic community since the late 1950’s.
The General Adaptation Syndrome describes three basic stages of response to stress: (a) the Alarm stage, (b) the Resistance stage, and (c) the Exhaustion stage. The goal of periodic training is staying in the resistance stage without ever going into the exhaustion stage. By cycling training the body is given adequate time to recover from significant stress be- fore additional training is undertaken.
Selye (1957) labeled beneficial stress as “eustress” and detrimental stress as “distress.” In athletics, when stress is at a healthy level (eustress), an athlete experiences muscular strength and growth, while excessive stress (distress) can lead to tissue damage, disease, overtraining, and sometimes even death. Periodization is most widely used in resistance training program design to avoid overtraining and to systematically alternate high loads of training with decreased loading phases to improve components of muscular fitness (such as strength, strength-speed, speed-strength, strength- endurance,. etc.). This type of program design can also be utilized with metabolic conditioning due to the multiple categories of strength utilized in some sports.
Periodization Models
In periodization models, the overall program is partitioned into specific time periods. The longest time period is called a macrocycle, which is typically a year in length but can vary in length (4 months to as long as four years for Olympic athletes). Embedded within the macrocycle are at least 2 or more mesocycles. Each mesocycle may last several weeks to as many as several months. A mesocycle’s length is dependent on the goals of the athlete, the number of competitions scheduled, injuries encountered, training setbacks, or anything that may change the goal of that particular cycle. Each mesocycle is further divided into microcycles which are typically one week in length but may last as long as 4 weeks. The goal of this brief cycle is to focus on daily and weekly training variations.
The coach must vary/manipulate the volume and intensity of the training and conditioning loads to optimize adaptations for maximizing efficiency and effectiveness while decreasing the risk of injury. Sport-specific training or skill-related fitness, performed in conjunction with any level of conditioning (metabolic and strength training), must be acquired to ensure proper adaptation rates and decreased injuries (proper strength adaptations). Periodization involves shifting training priorities from non-sport specific activities of high volume and low intensity to sport-specific activities of low volume and high intensity over a period of many weeks to prevent overtraining and optimize performance. This can be adapted to endurance activities once the foundational levels of aerobic endurance have been developed.
Matveyev also divided training into 3 major divisions of training. These divisions are the preparatory, com- petition, and transition periods. Stone, O’Bryant, and Garhammer added a “first transition” between the preparatory and competitive periods. These models were designed for resistance training but can be modified for all sports with preparatory and competitive periods. Bompa further divided the preparatory period into two distinct phases called general and specific physical preparation phases. The general physical preparation (GPP) is extremely important to build a strong, solid foundation to decrease injury and build a strong connective tissue network.
Summary
Understanding the basic concepts for weight training is important for any novice trainer. These techniques can be used to enhance and separate your athlete/client from others. By putting different forms of stress on your client you’re incorporating techniques that will keep your client improving and engaged!
Learn about the wide variety of programs to start or advance your fitness career.
