What is Periodization?

A Road Map to Success

Identify Goals
Define Specific and Time
Related Objectives
Construct and Execute
Training
Training Program Fulfills
Objectives
Evaluate Progress toward
Objectives
SUCCESS
Why Periodization?
The objective is to get
all “systems”
--physical, technical,
psychological--
to come together for a
major competition or a
series of
competitions.
Proper Prior Planning
Prevents
Poor Performance
 Focus
• Evaluate athlete-
• Select competitions or
series of competitions for
peak performance
• Determine cycling
• General role of Periods
• What is in a Mesocycle?
• Microcycles- how to put
it together in a daily plan
 Factors in Training

Direct Factors Supportive Factors

Administration & Professional &

Training Assessment Economical Conditions Living Style

Teaching Physical Scientific Audio Admin Training School/Coach Diet

Training Assess. Visual Facilities Satisfaction

Increase Tests & Club’s Organized No Smoke

Training Daily or Drink
Technique Functional Standards Organization Equipment
Journal Program
Potential

Develop Medical Self– Activity

Tactics Biomotor Clothing Finances in
Control Assessment Budget
Abilities Fresh Air

Organization of Facilities for

Planning Complimentary
Sleep
Competitions
Sports

Bompa-Theory and Methodology of Training –1986– p12

Considerations before you start
• What does it take to achieve the goal that
you and your athlete have selected?
• Evaluate your athlete
– Make definitive measurable objectives
(Improve by 2% the scores on a particular test)
• What are the competitions that you will
want to peak at?
• Numbers of days that you have to work
with?
Evaluating your athlete
• General: Physical,
Physiological, Psychological
and Technical Capabilities

• Specific: Sports, Tactical,

Technical and Functional
Performance

• Athlete: Finance, Nutrition,

Occupation, Social, Training &
Support
Basic Concepts
Over-Compensation is what training is all
about-
• The athlete loads and recovers and you
can take training to a higher level due to
improved fitness.
 General Planning Considerations
• Training emphasis-
1. When to shift from volume to intensity
(quality)
2. When to shift from training to
maintenance?
3. How long can the athlete be in the
maintenance phase?
4. Peaking/Tapering cycle
5. General: Related: Specific
 Periodization Flow
TERMS EXAMPLES
Annual Plan
Macrocycle Single Cycle, Bi-Cycle or Tri-Cycle

Period Preparatory Competitive Transition

Mesocycle General Prep Specific Prep

Microcycle Week 1 Week 2 Week 3

Training Session Monday AM Monday PM

Training Unit Warm-up Drills Training Warm-down

Single Cycle, Bi- Cycle or Tri- Cycles?
Month Oct Nov Dec Jan Feb March April May June July Aug Sept

Period Preparation Competition Transition

General Prep Specific Pre- Comp Re- Major Active

Meso Prep- Comp cov Comp Rest

Oct Nov
Oct NovDec
Dec Jan
Jan Feb
Feb March
MarchApril
April May
MayJune
JuneJuly
July Aug
Aug Sept
Sept
T Preparation 2 Comp. 2 Transition
Preparation 1 Competition 1
1
General Specific PC Competition U M GP Specific PC Comp U Active
Prep Prep Prep Rest

Oct Nov Dec Jan Feb March April May June July Aug Sept
Prep 1 Competitive 1 T1 Prep 2 Competitive 2 T2 Prep 3 Competitive 3 Tran 3

GP Spec Prep GP Spec Prep GP Spec Prep

 PERIODS
Transition
Preparation Competition

1) PREPARATION
(Adaptation--- Training to train)
2) COMPETITION
(Application--- Training to win)
3) TRANSITION
(Regeneration/Recovery)
 GENERAL PREPARATION
• Dominates the schedule
• General- 50%: related-30%: specific-20%
• VOLUME HIGH INTENSITY LOW
• Fitness before skills
• Improving weaknesses
• Develop max strength and endurance
• Major changes in technique or using new
equipment
• Weight loss
• NO Competitions
 SPECIFIC PREPARATION
• General: Related: Specific
• VOLUME HIGH INTENSITY INCREASING
• Hardest working mesocycle
• Technique must be schooled and stabilized as
athlete has become stronger & quicker.
• 2 a days might begin here
• Testing occurs before, during and after
mesocycle.
 PRE-COMPETITION
• VOLUME DECREASES INTENSITY
INCREASES
• Develop and stabilize competition
performance
• Maintain strength & fitness levels
• Avoid imprecise patterns due to fatigue
• Mimic time schedule & nutrition plan for
major comp
 COMPETITION
• VOLUME LOW INTENSITY HIGH
• General-20%: Related-30%: Specific-50%
• All physical capabilities should be at their
highest levels
• Unloading occurs before competition
• Avoid panic and changing loads or
intensities- sudden shifts are harmful to
athlete.
 TRANSITION
• Gentle reduction of all loading
• Must be active– you do not want to lose all
previous work
• Lots of cross-training
• Gets the athlete prepared for General
Prep phase.
 TESTING
Should occur between each mesocycle
WHY?
1) Identify weakness
2) Monitor progress
3) Provide incentive
4) Predict Performance Potential
5) Measure level of fitness
6) Determine modifications that may be
needed.
 PEAKING/TAPERING
• Optimal taper time- 2 weeks
• Maintain intensity
• Reduce volume in training by 60-90%
• Maintain training frequency at > 80%
• Use progressive, non-linear tapering
• Performance improvements between .5
and 6.0%
Scientific Bases for Precompetition Tapering Strategies
Inigo Mujika and Sabino Padilla, Medicine and Science in Sports and Exercise,
2003 Vol. 35, No. 7, pp 1182-1187
Single Cycle, Bi- Cycle or Tri- Cycles?
Month Oct Nov Dec Jan Feb March April May June July Aug Sept

Period Preparation Competition Transition

General Prep Specific Pre- Comp Re- Major Active

Meso Prep- Comp cov Comp Rest

Oct Nov
Oct NovDec
Dec Jan
Jan Feb
Feb March
MarchApril
April May
MayJune
JuneJuly
July Aug
Aug Sept
Sept
T Preparation 2 Comp. 2 Transition
Preparation 1 Competition 1
1
General Specific PC Competition U M GP Specific PC Comp U Active
Prep Prep Prep Rest

Oct Nov Dec Jan Feb March April May June July Aug Sept
Prep 1 Competitive 1 T1 Prep 2 Competitive 2 T2 Prep 3 Competitive 3 Tran 3

GP Spec Prep GP Spec Prep GP Spec Prep

 TRADITIONAL MACROCYCLE:
GENERAL CONCEPT TAPER

Volume
MESO

Intensity
MESO

Technique MESO

General Specific Competition Peak Transition

 MICROCYLES
• OBJECTIVE:
Manipulating the load (volume, intensity,
technique or all of them) within a weekly
cycle, so that the loads are offset with
recovery.
• Matveyev and others state that a block of
4 microcycles works best with each
microcycle building upon the other called
summated microcycles
 MICROCYCLE VARIATION: SIMPLE

M T W TH F S SU

TECH H L REST H L M REST

APPROACH WORKS WHEN THERE ARE ONLY 1 OR 2 RELATED ACTIVITIES

 MICROCYCLE VARIATION: SIMPLE

M T W TH F S SU

TECH H L REST MH L M REST

SV L M M L M M REST
WTV L M L L M L REST

EMPHASIS ON GAINING TECHNICAL SKILLS

(MULTI- COMPONENTS)
 Summated MICROCYCLES

Traditional 16 WEEK MESOCYCLE

Performance
Fatigue

VOLUME
 Variation emphasizing Power Gains
Performance
Fatigue

VL
 Annual Plans
ANNUAL PLANS

• Determine major competition or

competitions
• Determine Cycling (Single, Bi or Tri)
• Count the number of days till the major
competition
• Develop your time frames for the periods
(Prep,Comp,Tran) along with objectives
within those periods
• Pencil in the objectives of your microcyles
REFERENCES
1. Training for Sports and Fitness- Brent S. Rushall and Frank S. Pyke, 1990
MacMillian Education Australia Pty Ltd.

2. Training Theory- Frank Dick,1984 , British Amateur Athletic Board

3. Science of Sport Training: How to Plan and Control Training for Peak
Performance, Thomas Kurz, 1991, Stadion Publishing Company

4. Fundamentals of Sports Training- L. Matveyev, 1981, Progress Publishers

5. Sports Training Principles- Frank Dick, 2002, A & C Black Publishers

6. Peak when it counts: Periodization for American Track & Field, William
Freeman, 1989, TAFNEWS Press

7. Theory and Methodology of Training: The Key to Athletic Performance,

Tudor Bompa, 1983, Kendall/Hunt