SPORTS TRAINIG PLAN/ PLANNING

Planning is a document in which future training program is laid down. The planning normally
consists of goal, sub goals, tasks to be tackled and training methods to be used to achieve
goal in a certain time frame.
The purpose of training plan is to identify the work/ exercise to be carried out to achieve aim/
objectives of training.
Before start or to plan a training program, you need to analyse your athlete in relation with
the future performance. 1) Identify the ideal attributes, e.g.; physique, physical fitness,
education and other training factors like, age, training level, age of high performance etc.
2) Strength and Weaknesses in regard to the future performance.
When you consider these factors, you can find very well about the gap of present level and
high performance age of that particular athlete. This training gap can be fulfilled by training
plan or in terms of training years.
Principles of planning
When you plan the training the following principles of planning should follow. The principles
of planning are:-
1. Planning is a continuous process
2. Planning must be on the prognosis sports performance
3. Planning must await education and performance development
4. Planning must be based on the latest scientific knowledge
5. Harmony among various training plans
6. Planning must be pragmatic in nature.

Types of planning

According to duration we have short term and long term training plans.

Short term training plan / Annual training plan/ Periodization:- (School,

College, District, State, University, National)
Long term planning: - (Asian, Commonwealth, Olympic, World level)
Periodization/ short term plan
Training load put on the organism or done by an athlete primarily to do well in competition.
If the training is not systematic athlete may give best performance either before or after the
competition or decrements in performance.
Best performance / top form can be achieved in any season and any time of the year and it
depends on how you plan the program. Top form is a temporary phase of optimum
performance capacity. It cannot be maintain for long periods.
In order to achieve top form training has to be done to improve various performance factors
in a definite sequence and desired time is called periodization. Effective training is
accomplished by applying the principles of periodization, which is dividing the entire sport
training season into smaller periods of time and training units.
Periodization- competitors’ use a hard/easy daily workouts is arranged into blocks of time,
the magnitude of which may range from days to weeks to months to years. During each of
these blocks, a particular element of physical performance (e.g. physical fitness, technique
etc.) is highlighted. During this phase ‘top form’ is absent.
So the process of preparation of an athlete to achieve his/ her best performance in a particular
competition is called periodization.
Periodization can be defined as the purposeful variation of training program over time, so
that the competitor will approach his/her optimal adaptive potential just prior to an
important event.
There are three phases of sports form or in a short term training plan.
1. Phase of development of training state/ Preparatory period
2. Phase of achieving and maintaining top form/ Competition period
3. Temporary loss of form/ Transitional period

1. Preparatory period

The first phase of Preparatory period is the period when the base is created for achieving top
form in the next phase. This is the longest phase of annual cycle lasts from six weeks to seven
months and it is based on the training state of an athlete and competition calendar. During
this phase, selected endurance, technical and tactical components should be developed. It
usually contains THREE training phases, each lasting 4-8 weeks. In the first phase, the training
mode is general and the training load varies from medium to high aiming at a continuous
development of performance. In the second phase, special training methods have to be
applied. In the third phase, requires a clear shift from general to special training.
2. Competition phase
The second phase of sports form is called the phase of achieving and maintaining of top form.
It is also called competition phase. Duration of the competition period can be from six weeks
to five months. Usually this period is divided into two or three phases. In the first phase,
mainly integrate all basic form developed during the preparatory phase and minor
competitions. In the second phase, is a regeneration cycle converting in to event performance
and the third is attaining top form/optimum performance capacity for the main competitive
cycle.
3. Transitional phase
Transition phase is a regeneration phase following a year’s training and competition which
normally lasts from 3 to 6 weeks. The phase of achieving and maintains top form is possible
only for a short period due to psychological and biological reasons. So there is short third
phase known as phase of temporary loss of form. This phase is unavoidable and is required
so as to provide recovery and relaxation, So that next training cycle can be started without
any fatigue. Transition phase is characterized by:-

 Decrease in training load

 Lack of competition
 Maintenance of acquired fitness level
 Recharge of the energy batteries.

The three phase of sports form repeated them in a cyclic manner. One full cycle of sports form
is called a macro cycle or training cycle. When there is single macro cycle in a year is called
single periodization. If there is two macro cycle in a year is called double periodization and if
there is more than two periodization is called multiple periodization. The most common
types of periodization are double or triple periodization.
There is no visible transitional periods at the end of first or second macro cycle in the double
or multiple periodization. There is only one transitional period at the end of the last macro
cycle as the phase of recovery and relaxation is necessary only after a year.
A macro cycle consists a preparatory phase, competition phase and transition phase. The
duration of one macro cycle is a single periodization is a calendar year. In a multiple
periodization the duration of macro cycle is shorter. The minimum duration of macro cycle
should not be less than six months. Shorter periods will not allow effective preparatory and
competition phase. Duration of various phase is depends on the duration of macro cycle and
other factors.
 Single Periodization or one full Macro cycle

Macro Cycle I

Transitional
Period Preparatory Phase Competition Phase Phase

Month 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12

Double Periodization

Macro I II
Cycle

Preparatory Competition Preparatory Competitio Transition

n
Period/ phase phase phase phase
Phase phase

Month 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12

Triple or Multiple periodization

Macro I II III
cycle

Phase Preparatory Competition Preparatory Competition Preparatory Competition Transition

phase phase phase phase phase phase phase

Month 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12
Components of periodization – training cycles
 Training unit
 Training session
 Training schedule
 Micro cycle
 Meso cycle
 Macro cycle
Training unit: - A training unit is a single activity with an objective. E.g. 6x 600 meter running
and 90% effort with 2 minutes recovery (to develop specific endurance).
Repetition: - the basic unit of resistance training is the repetition. The performance of a
complete cycle from a start position, through the end of the movement and back to the start
is called repetition. E.g. 600 meter running with 90% effort.
Set: - a series of repetitions is termed as set. E.g. 6x 600 meter running and 90% effort with 2
minutes recovery
Training session: - A training session include one or more training units. E.g. warming up
unit, speed endurance unit, technique drill unit and cool down unit. It is the most detailed
level of planning. There should be a specific goal for the session, and should always be
linked with previous and to the following session.
Aspects to be taken into account while preparation and organization of the session: -

 The objectives of training

 The selection of learning methods
 Seeking the rest and recovery
 Adapting of the session to meet individual requirements
 The choice of material and equipment
 Organization and preparation of training pitch
 Assessment and monitoring of what has been achieved

Micro cycle
A micro cycle is a group of training units/ training sessions, constructed according to the
objectives of the training and can be repeated more than once in a period.
It is the smallest training cycle and consists of 3 to 10 days. When the duration of micro cycle
is seven days, it is called weekly cycle (Monday to Saturday). Regeneration to avoid fatigue is
the most important aspect of the training. Therefore, after a strenuous training session,
regeneration units have to be applied. So the last day of the micro cycle is aimed at recovery
and relaxation. The reason is that the athlete has to restore energy lost in the training session.
Training schedule: - A training schedule is a micro cycle comprises of number of training
sessions. The micro cycle is 3 to 10 days. In each day there may be one or two training
sessions.
Meso cycle
Mesocycle is a periods of similar objectives, content, training volumes and intensities.
Generally a meso cycle has one or two aims which can logically be achieved in 3 to 6 weeks.
It is composed of definite arrangement of 3 to 6 micro cycles or weekly cycles.
The last meso cycle before a key event normally incorporates two parts. In the first part, the
emphasis is on maximal intensity work specific to the event. The second part is reserved for
the peaking (specialized training- reduced volume, increased intensity, maximum rest =
enhanced performance). This is thought to be a means of optimizing performance by allowing
adequate recovery from intensive training prior to a significant competition.
Macro cycle
A macro cycle consists of 3 to 12 mesocycles which are required to meet specific objective(s)
and / or a desirable level of performance.
A macro cycle consists a preparatory phase, competition phase and transition phase. Macro
cycle that form the preparatory phase are usually the longest and their objectives are mainly
dependent on the technical, tactical or fitness elements that need to be developed or
perfected. Conversely, the competitive phase is shorter which end with competition itself.
The duration of one macro cycle is a single periodization is a calendar year. In a multiple
periodization the duration of macro cycle is shorter.
The minimum duration of macro cycle should not be less than six months.
Shorter periods will not allow effective preparatory and competition phase. Duration of
various phase is depends on the duration of macro cycle and other factors.
In general, in designing a macrocycle the following should be considered:-
 Objectives set for each microcycle and mesocycle.
 Percentage of general, special, and competition – special training.
 Number of training session according to athlete’s time.
 Number of repetitions, sets, intervals, intensity, and load progression.
 Degree of flexibility in changing the training methods when training.
 Long term planning
Performance optimization is the result of long-term plan, demanding well-structured exercise
training. It is basically a concept for planning and carrying out of training process for a longer
period.
It is a well-known fact that in athletics best performance can be achieved at the age between
20 to 27 years. For the creation of necessary base for achieving high performance need 8 to
10 years of regular and systematic training. So the duration of long term training plan is
minimum 4 to 10 years.
The first half of the training process takes place during childhood and adolescent which is
considered the best period of development of talent.
The second half of the training process takes place in adulthood.
The three stages of long term training plan are:-
1. Basic training stage
2. Advance training stage
3. High performance training stage
1. Basic training stage
There is intensive growth of the organism of children at the age of 10 to 12 years. Children
show great amount of interest towards sports. New movements are trained at this age. This
age is ideal period for talent identification. The main aim of this stage is to maintain/ improve
health, normal physical development, all round development of physical qualities;
predominantly coordination, speed abilities, flexibility and formation of stable interest in
sports. Training sessions are planned mostly with low and medium loads during the first year,
medium to sub maximal in the second year. Maximal load can be used towards the end of the
second year onwards, but not more than once in a week.

The aim of basic training stage is to;

1. Development of general qualities
2. Health
3. Education
4. Talent identification and development
Characteristics of basic training stage are;
1. Training must be uniform
2. Predominant use of general exercise
3. Less load
4. Less competition
5. No periodization
2. Advance training stage
After the four or five years of basic training the athlete develops enough physical and
physiological bases to select an individual event/ sport. Even at this stage training is not done
just in one sport/ event but one or more similar sport/ event.

Not every type of exercise is appropriate for all sports. The performed exercise has to be
sport-specific and focus on the muscles and organs should be stressed for the minor
competitions.

A training program has also to be planned according to the training principle of individuality
in order to meet the needs of each athlete at this stage.

The aim of this stage is to;

1. Development of special base for the chosen sport/ event
2. Further development of general base
3. Education
4. Development of qualities to do well in chosen sport/ event
Characteristics advanced training stage is;
1. More individualized training
2. More use of special exercise
3. High load
4. Pre-competition /trials
5. Limited use of periodization
6. Training for one or two events.
3. High performance training stage
This is the stage when the athlete reaches the best performance in the event. Specificity
exercise training has to be Optimum intensity and duration training will bring about changes
in structural, physiological, neural, psychological, and endocrine functions leading to top
performance.

If the training exercise does not stress the body sufficiently, no adaptation occurs. On the
other hand a very high stress can lead to injury or overtraining/ overload, leading
performance deterioration.

The aim of high performance training stage is to;

1. Development of specific performance factors
2. Achievement of high performance
3. Maintenance of high performance
4. Maintenance of general and special base.
Characteristics of this training stage are;
1. Very high training load
2. Highly specific and individualized training
3. High number of competition
4. Use of single and / multiple periodization.
Unit 1

PRINCIPLES OF SPORTS TRAINING

• Sports training may be defined as pedagogical process based on scientific principles
aiming at preparing a sports person for improving and/ maintaining of higher
performance in sports competition.
Sports training relies heavily on the understanding of:
1) How the body responds during acute bouts of exercise and
2) How it adapts repeated exercise sessions.
Acute response to exercise means the body’s immediate response to a single exercise
bout/ single training session/schedule.
Now how the body responds to repeated training schedule performed over a period of time.
When an athlete performs regular exercise over a period of days, weeks, and months, a
variety of physiological adaptations occur. For e.g. with resistance training muscles become
stronger, aerobic training heart and lungs become more efficient, anaerobic training
increasing muscular speed over short period of time.
Sports training, that, lead to improvement in both exercise capacity and sport performance
by implementation and control of training plan are known as “principles of sports training.”
Principles of sports training can be used to optimize the physiological adaptations to a
training program.
The following principles of training in athletic performance are considered valuable.
1. Principle of formulation of training on the basis of prognostic (predictive) performance

Sports training plan aims at achieving high performance in sports competition. Therefore, the
predictable or prognostic sports performance forms the basis of formulation of training plan.
So planning and regulation of training should be based on the future performance in the
competition.
2. Principles of cyclic of training
The athletic training consists of shorter and larger cycles. The reason for doing training in the
form of cycles is because:
a) Different tasks cannot be tackled simultaneously and hence it has to be done in a definite
sequence.
b) Sportsman has to achieve top form in competition.
In sports training we have three types of training cycles. They are:
1. Macro cycle
2. Meso cycle
3. Micro cycle
1. Macro cycle: - this is considered the longest cycle of training. Its duration can be from 3 –
12 months. The main aim of macro cycles are:
a) Increase of performance capacity to higher level.
b) Achievement of top form at a particular time.
A macro cycle is clearly divided in to three periods, i.e., preparatory phase, competition phase
and transition phase. In the case of a single periodization there is only one macro cycle. But
in case of double or triple periodization there is two or three macro cycle in a year.

2. Meso cycle: - Meso cycle is a training cycle of medium duration normally consisting of 3 to
6 micro cycles or weekly cycles. The last micro cycle of a meso cycle primarily aims at recovery
and relaxation.
A meso cycle aims at tackling a definite training task towards the aim of achieving top form
towards the end of the macro cycle. Depending up on the periods of the macro cycle the meso
cycle can have a variety of aims.
E.g.: learning perfecting technical skills
Improvement of motor abilities
Maintenance and stabilization of performance factors
Achievement of top form and
Recovery and relaxation so on.

Micro cycle: - it is the smallest training cycle and consists of 3 to 10 days. When the duration
is seven days it is called weekly cycle. The last day of the cycle is aimed at recovery and
relaxation. Advanced athlete uses 5 to 10 days as a micro cycle.
3. Principle of Progression of load

The principle of progression of load means, if the athlete wants to make muscles become
stronger, either increased resistance or increased repetitions or both are required to
stimulate further strength increases. E.g. consider an athlete who can perform only 10
repetitions of a bench press before reaching to fatigue, using 30 kg of weight. With a week or
two of resistance training, he/she should be able to increase 14 or 15 repetitions with the
same weight. He/ she then adds 5kg to the bar and his/her repetitions decrease to 8 or 10. As
he/ she continues to train, the repetitions continue to increase. Thus improvement depends
on a progressive increase in the amount of weight lifted.

Load should be increase after attainment of phase of super compensation. Same kind of load
for a long period does not affect much, hence, the progression of load is.

Frequency
1st improve volume
Duration

Density
2nd Intensity
Intensity
Progression of load to alter subsequent training sessions decided by:-

1) Increase the weight / resistance used

2) Attempting to perform further repetitions with the same weight/ resistance
3) Reducing the rest intervals
4) Increase the number of sets performed.

Example of training progression:

Week 1 able to perform barbell curls for 8 repetitions with 30 kg;

Week 2 able to perform barbell curls for 10 repetitions with 30 kg;

Week 3 able to perform barbell curls for 11 repetitions with 30 kg;

Week 4 able to perform barbell curls for 9 repetitions with 35 kg;

4. The Principle of Individual Differences

Individual differences impact a person's response to adapt an exercise program. Some of

these are age, gender, genetic makeup, size and shape, athletic history and chronic conditions
or injuries. This is the principle of individuality.

Do not expect all individuals to have exactly the same degree of improvement, when they
train exactly the same.

The principle of individual differences simple means that, we all are unique individuals, we
will all have a slightly different response to an exercise program. Well-designed exercise
programs should be based on individual differences and responses to exercise.

No effective training program can be simply a copy of another athlete’s program, no matter
how elite or successful that athlete may be.

5. Principle of Specificity/ Specialization

Specificity is the principle of training that states that sports training should be relevant and
appropriate to the sport for which the individual is training in order to produce a training
effect. The type of training that you do should be specific to you and your sport or event.
Normally specific means and methods leads to faster improvement in athletic performance.
Specificity should address the three key areas: - skill, muscle group and energy system.

Highly specialized or one-sided training is not suitable for children and youth in the growth
phase. The body cannot tolerate the demands of highly specialized for too long.

6. The Principle of Variation

According to the principle of variation/ periodization means, one or more objectives of the
training program should be altered over time to maximize effectiveness of training. The
systematic variation of volume and intensity is most effective for long term training.

Varying exercises, sets, reps, intensity, volume, and duration will prevents boredom and
promotes more consistent improvement over time. A well-planned training program set up
in phases offers built-in variety to workouts, and also prevents overtraining.
7. Principle of continuity in training
The principle of continuity of training state that training of sportsman should be continuous
and regular process. If training is stopped for long periods performance capacity starts
decreasing. To ensure this principle of training following points should be taken into account:-
a) The athlete should be educated of the need to continue training without any breaks.
b) Continuity in training is essential for improvement and maintenance of all factors. There
should be sufficient training load at least for the maintenance other factors.
c) In case of injury or illness, the coach should in consultation with the physician, and find
means to maintain the functional state of various organs and systems.

8. The Principle of Rest and Recovery

The body regenerates during rest, becoming better and stronger than before. The athlete
should maintain proper rest intervals between training activities and get plenty of sleep.

Rest is required in order for the body to recover from the training and to allow adaptation to
take place.