periodization...basics

[robert da strongman]

Periodization, Part I
By Simon Perreault


For www.EliteFTS.com




This series is an introduction to periodization. Too often, I’ve come across people who don’t understand the foundations of training so I decided to fix this situation. Obviously, I’ll need to keep many details out for the sake of simplicity.

Periodization has filled hundreds of thousands of pages and is the main subject of university kinesiology programs. I’ll try to keep it as simple as possible, which is why I use graphs throughout to better illustrate the concepts. I’ve worked for quite a long time to come up with the simplest way to explain and illustrate these concepts. This ended up being much longer than I expected, but I hope you’ll enjoy it.

1. The basic principles of training: Theories of training


The theory of training has defined many theoretical principles of training. Most of them don’t need to be covered here. I use the word “principle” as a vague term that may not have the same significance as what would normally be taught.

1.1 The principle of overcompensation

When you train, you become weaker and perform less in your sport. Then you recover and eventually become better. That’s overcompensation.





Image caption: Figure A: Overcompensation

In figure A, the middle line represents a state of homeostasis or a state where there is no improvement. After the maximum peak of overcompensation, you come to a state of involution, where performance gradually goes back to a state of homeostasis.

In figure B, I drew three different lines. These reflect the effects that three different loads of training would have on performance and recovery. Notice how all three lines have approximately the same training duration. The difference is in the speed of recovery and the training effect (depth of load versus height of overcompensation curve).





Image caption: Figure B: Different training loads

It becomes clear that the best time to train would be at the moment of the highest peak of overcompensation (this is the theory of linear periodization). This is not always possible, but we should be as close as possible to it. Over a longer time period, this would result in:





Image caption: Figure C: Gradual increase in performance

As you can see in figure C, even though we can’t always have totally recovered in time for the next training, the cumulative effect will still result in a gradual increase in performance. Notice how the curve is not a “perfect sequence” of overcompensation. We should still strive for overcompensation because overlooking this concept would result in the dreaded effect of overtraining.





Image caption: Figure D: Gradual decrease in performance

1.2 Different ways to stress your body

There are four components in a training load (three are often taught, and I added a fourth one).

Duration/volume: how long the training actually lasts (A concept that is also used in strength sports is volume. It’s expressed as “sets X reps X weight” rather than hours (5 sets of 5 reps at 500 lbs = 12500 lbs total volume.)
Frequency: how often you train during the week
Intensity: often expressed in the percentage of your max 1RM
Density: amount of time spent resting between sets (This one isn’t usually taught as a load component, but I like to include it. It’s only applicable to strength sports. If you lift for 60 seconds and then take a 180-second rest, your total density would be 25 percent.)
1.3 Different “spheres” of load in training

Your body isn’t stressed in the same way depending on the type of training you do. The different spheres are:

Endocrinal: A good example is the effect of training on testosterone and cortisol. Testosterone is high at the beginning of training and gradually decreases. The reverse is true for cortisol.
Metabolic/muscular: This includes energy production (ATP synthesis) and muscle recovery. Recovery from this type of stress is quick, except maybe in the case of delayed onset muscle soreness (DOMS), where tiny muscle tears appear everywhere in the affected muscle. ATP/CP is replenished in a few minutes, lactic acid is cleared within an hour, and glycogen can be replenished within 24–36 hours.
Central nervous system (neuro-psychological): This stress is particularly present in competition, where mind games can be played.
Central nervous system (neuro-muscular): This is the biggest stress when weight training. Neuro-muscular recovery is 7–11 times slower than metabolic/muscular recovery. Nervous cells tend to adopt a state of inhibition for quite a few hours after a heavy load.
Cardio-pulmonary: This is particularly present in cardiovascular sports such as cycling, and running.
1.4 Different ways to measure performance

Performance can be measured through four criteria—speed, strength, flexibility, and endurance.

In powerlifting, strength is the most important. Speed is just a bonus. In Olympic lifting, both speed and strength are important. In both cases, a minimum level of flexibility is important.
In cycling, long distance running, and skiing, endurance is the most important.
In sprinting sports, speed and strength provide power.
1.5 The principle of progressive increase of load in training

This one might seem like a no-brainer. Unfortunately, it’s probably the most misunderstood principle of all. In weight training sports, we will naturally have a tendency to increase the load by increasing the weights as we get stronger. Even though you are stronger, this still results in a higher stress on the neuro-muscular sphere. But, as discussed in section 1.2, you can also increase the load by increasing duration/volume, frequency, and density. Increase your training load too quickly and your body won’t have the time to adapt. You will reach a state of overtraining.

Stay tuned for part 2!

Elite Fitness Systems strives to be a recognized leader in the strength training industry by providing the highest quality strength training products and services while providing the highest level of customer service in the industry. For the best training equipment, information, and accessories, visit us at www.EliteFTS.com.

[robert da strongman]

conjugate periodization

http://danjohn.org/ii15.pdf

[realmccoy]

Good post on the conjugate periodization

[robert da strongman]

veroshansky(sp) and zatsiorsky's book is better though.

[robert da strongman]

Periodization, Part II
By Simon Perreault


For www.EliteFTS.com




This is part two of a three-part series.

2. Methodology of training

2.1 The principle of planning in training

As we saw earlier, recovery is essential for adequate performance. However, complete recovery after a hard day of training may last more than 48 hours, and training every other day isn’t really an option for elite performance (there are exceptions to this rule). That’s why we must alternate easy days with hard days as illustrated below.





Image caption: Figure E. Microcycle

Each rectangle represents one day. “H” represents hard days, “M” represents medium days, and “L” represents easy days. We plan a day off on the fourth day. There are many ways to alternate harder days with easier days. For example, a harder week would have more hard and medium days and fewer easy days. A week like this is usually called a microcycle.

In order to progressively increase the load in training (section 1.5), we have to plan harder and easier weeks. In other words, we plan a macrocycle:





Image caption: Figure F: Macrocycle

This is the typical macrocycle—three gradual increases in load followed by an easier week. As seen in section 1.2, the load of training can be varied with duration, frequency, intensity, and density.

Over a longer period, this is how macrocycles would add up (this is slightly over-simplified):





Figure caption: Figure G. Gradual increase in load and performance

If well planned, performance would gradually increase.

2.2 Annual periodization

You can’t use high volume and high intensity at the same time. However, both are important to maximize performance. This is where annual periodization comes in. We can split the year in different periods with different focuses.

Here’s an annual “plan” for a powerlifter with one major competition at the end of the year:




Figure caption: Figure H. Annual plan I

We have a deloading period at the end of the year, which is followed by adaptation training at the beginning of the next year. This period is used to rehabilitate the tendons and all connective tissues into heavy training. The highest volume of the year is then seen during the hypertrophy period, where the athlete will develop myofibrilar and sarcoplasmic hypertrophy and will also increase work capacity. The rest of the year will be used for maximum strength training because this is the main goal of the sport.

An annual “plan” for a powerlifter with two major competitions—one mid-season and one at the end of the year—will be similar to the first one. However, we would have two deloading periods, which would result in two peaks. The primary peak would be at the end of the season.





Figure caption: Figure I. Annual plan II

Here’s an annual “plan” for a bodybuilder with one major competition at the end of the year:





Figure caption: Figure J. Annual plan III

For a bodybuilder, a peak represents a peak in conditioning, which is unrelated to lifting performance. So we don’t program a peak, and we see a decrease in performance as dieting is used. Notice that hypertrophic training is much more prevalent, but maximum strength training is still used as a means to promote myofibrilar hypertrophy.

3. Advanced training techniques

3.1 Dual factor theory

Dual factor theory refers to the principle that in order to increase performance, an experienced athlete will have to exceed his capacities. Training under a state of fatigue will force the athlete’s body to overcome fatigue, and he will be more resistant to higher loads of training in the future. Here is a picture that represents this concept very well:






Figure caption: Figure K. Dual factor training

I gave a score to each microcycle’s load. A hard day is three points, a medium day is two points, an easy day is one point, and an off day is zero points. If one was to test his/her max on the very first day and the last, the “apparent” gains would be represented by the yellowish line. However, the real performance curve is represented in green.

It becomes obvious that fatigue would really set in on the third week, which would be a very hard week (three hard days, three medium days, no day off). This is why it is very important to realize the difference between fatigue and overtraining. This is one reason why experience is so important before attempting higher loads of training.

3.2 Conjugate/concurrent methods

The following EliteFTS.com articles have very good information on these subjects:



The Conjugate Method” by Louie Simmons
Conjugate Training” by Dave Tate
Concurrent Strategies in Strength Training” by Mladen Jovanovic
3.3 Training twice a day

Here are three examples of very high volume with very high frequency. The upper square represents morning (a.m.) training, and the lower square represents evening (p.m.) training. (I guarantee overtraining to anyone who tries that without a progressive increase in load.)

This is the 3 + 1 method:





Figure caption: Figure L. 3 + 1 method

This is the 5 + 1 method:




Figure caption: Figure M. 5 + 1 method

This is the 5 + 1 + 1 method:





Figure caption: Figure N. 5 + 1 + 1 method

Normally, intense training would be done in the morning (train with heavy weights) followed by GPP work in the evening such as sled dragging. Doing light training in the morning and heavy training in the evening would be detrimental to the intensity of the latter.

4. A second look at overtraining

4.1 Misconceptions


There is a gross misunderstanding of overtraining in sportsmen, and this is why I decided to write a whole section on this subject.

“There is no overtraining, just under-eating.”—Anonymous


Eating properly can improve recovery, but overeating has never been linked to improved recovery. Some athletes have such recovery capabilities that they have probably never even come close to overtraining. However, make them train ten hours a day at 80–90 percent intensity, and you’ll obviously see a dramatic decrease in performance. Overtraining still exists. It just takes a whole lot more training for athletes to get in that state.


“I'd rather be 10 percent undertrained then 1 perent overtrained.”—Michellie Jones, World class triathlete, world champion


Triathletes, cyclists, extreme skiers, and runners are athletes using very high volumes of training. Intensity is usually not used more than 2–3 times a week. These athletes have to constantly monitor their performance and feelings in training to avoid overtraining. If you had to remember only one thing from this text, let it be figure D—there’s a gradual decrease in performance from overtraining.

4.2 Overreaching

The definition of overtraining is, “a prolonged state where training stimuli exceed the athlete’s capacity to recover.” Overreaching is about the same thing, but this state is kept to a much shorter duration.

Only very experienced athletes should ever attempt overreaching. You have to know yourself very well and be in total control of your training. I would personally never recommend overreaching to a person with a family, job, and regular social life. All these factors can bring stress into one’s life, which would go against the idea of having the total control needed to succeed in overreaching.

When the period of controlled overreaching has ended, a period of similar duration with much lower volume and intensity should be used. Overreaching can be used about a month prior to a major competition in order to create a peak.

4.3 Signs of overtraining

sensitive to criticism
tendency to isolate oneself from coach and teammates
lack of fighting power
“fear” of competition
lack of coordination, technical faults
slower rate of recovery
decrease in performance (10% or more)
prone to injuries/infections
insomnia
lack of appetite
sweating very easily
5. A review of some training program templates

Smolov: This is a good example of overreaching. Obviously, no one would do Smolov for extended periods of time, and this is the way it is meant to be used. The warnings that I mentioned in section 3.2 apply here—an inexperienced lifter would do more damage than improvements.

Sheiko: This is a high volume, low intensity program. The lower intensity is essential to allow recovery on high volumes of training. Sheiko is a very good example of already periodized training templates. You can use a sequence of different Sheiko programs such as 29, 37, 30, and 32. Programs 29, 37, and 30 are “preparatory cycle” high volume programs, and program 32 is a lower volume competition cycle. This results in a 17-week “program.”

Bill Starr's 5 X 5 (Madcow) intermediate: This is a very nice linear periodization routine. I’ve personally recommended this routine to many intermediate lifters with great success. The first three weeks are easier weeks. As the lifter improves his lifts, the intensity and volume gradually increases. When the load has become too high, one can “reset” the program, which therefore results in three “easy” weeks.

Bill Starr's 5 X 5 (Madcow) advanced: This is a version of the 5 X 5 program that includes a deload/intensification period after the first initial four weeks. The last five weeks use a 3 X 3 rep/set scheme that allows the use of higher intensity (with lower volume).

5. References and suggested reading

Tudor O Bompa, Lorenzo J Cornacchia. Serious Strength Training. Human Kinetics Publishers.
Tudor O Bompa. Theory and Methodology of Training: The Key to Athletic Performance. Kendall Hunt Publishing Company.
Elite Fitness Systems strives to be a recognized leader in the strength training industry by providing the highest quality strength training products and services while providing the highest level of customer service in the industry. For the best training equipment, information, and accessories, visit us at www.EliteFTS.com.