Periodisation

Brief title... Long post.

Periodisation

Periodisation describes the long term planning and scheduling of programming methods, techniques and principles in order to create particular adaptations at different stages of the development of an athlete, taking into consideration their starting point, needs and goals - amongst other things - amidst constant monitoring and reflection.

It encompasses the structuring of a training plan through multiple lenses; the day to day, week to week, month to month, season to season and even year to year. As such, a training plan is built up of many segments: the session or sessions on a given day, the microcycle - that is the repeated pattern of training sessions (or training units) across the space of what is normally 1 or 2 weeks. Microcycles then stack up to create macrocycles, which are the building blocks of each phase of training. Over the following pages and posts, I hope to provide insight into types of periodisation, and the methods and principles which guide the structuring of a training programme.

Phases

Phases of training generally set out to achieve a particular aim, and can be (though different schools plan using differing structures and terms) described as so: General Physical Preparation (Accumulation), Specific Physical Preparation (Intensification/trasmutation), Pre-competition, Competition, Transition.

Each phase may contain macrocycles which themselves focus on the development of different qualities. Qualities such as hypertrophy, maximal strength, power, strength endurance, power endurance… or may be aerobic capacities, anaerobic energy systems, etc. A broader list of qualities you may be familiar with, that one may be looking to develop, is overleaf.

Qualities

Speed. Strength. Stability. Balance. Coordination. Agility.

Skill. Capacity. Threshold.

Intermuscular coordination. Intramuscular coordination. Motor recruitment.

Hypertrophy. Maximal Strength. Power. Muscle Endurance. Power Endurance.

Starting speed, acceleration, absolute speed, speed endurance.

Rate of force development. Tendon stiffness.

Aerobic Power. Anaerobic threshold. Lactic power. CP system.

VO2 Max. OBLA.

Capillarisation. Mitochondrial density.

Respiration, Delivery, Utilisation. Pain, gain, sustain.

You may notice a degree of crossover between some of these terms. I felt the need to include them as acknowledgements to the different schools of thought and respective terminologies. Still, this list is by no means extensive.

Main methods of manipulating macrocycles

Methods of periodisation used to manipulate variables and desired outcomes generally fall into two camps: concurrent training, or linear/block periodisation.

Linear/block periodisation gives each macrocycle a specific focus, developing one main property above all others. Generally (hence the term linear used) this is done in a sequential order such that the quality trained in one phase complements and accommodates better development of the quality being trained in the subsequent phase. Ie/ Hypertrophy -> Strength -> Max Strength -> Power.

In concurrent training, you’re training multiple qualities at once. Concurrent training can happen within training session, or across a microcycle. The qualities being trained are not necessarily complementary ones, in fact, generally, concurrent training is used to try bring up the desired qualities of an athlete in a gradual but well rounded manner. For obvious reasons, the vast majority of (if not all) training programs for CrossFit will be a concurrent plan (Unless perhaps you have a significant weakness amongst huge strengths and are following a highly individualised plan). The increased popularity of "Hybrid" programs (ie/ let's face it, doing what we all ought to be doing - being strong and being able to endure in balanced amounts) also sees use of a concurrent plan. The conjugate method, which you may have heard of thanks to its frequent application and heavy popularisation, is a concurrent training plan where the focus remains on complementary qualities such as max strength, hypertrophy and power in one cycle of training.

Macrocyles - other categories

Concentrated block - where by you may perform a short 2 week cycle of relatively high training stress with emphasis on one quality.

Taper - where by you reduce volume or intensity of training to allow maximal recovery in order to perform your best at competition.

Competition - Depending on the length of a competition season, cycles of training may operate around competition. If you are training hard for one event, this doesn’t necessarily apply. But if for example you take part in a team sport with matches every weekend for multiple weeks or even months, then you will have an extensive competition macrocycle.

Considerations… is there a best approach?

Traditionally, the "interference effect" supported a block periodisation model in the interest of maximising gains in one area. However, more and more research is now indicating that many training qualities can be developed as effectively in a concurrent training plan as training plans with a singular focus. What it likely comes down to is smarter programming, and athlete education around recovery - not just mashing two programs (and volumes of training) together and then being surprised when somone doesn't recover enough from both stimuli to express positive adaptations. This makes sense if we just remember a foundational principle - specific adaptation to imposed demands. With enough stimulus AND recovery, adaptation will take place which bolsters the bodies ability to perform a task. The trick is likely finding the balance for each individual.

All this being said, I would suggest that a concurrent plan is not without some block-like linear/sequential progression. There still has to be a sequence to the development of certain properties, hence the many scales and progressions for different biomotor qualities. Whats more, you can’t go hard on everything all the time, so the intensities of some qualities are higher in some phases than others.

With that, another key consideration in the training plan design, is training residuals. Training residuals describe how long after cessation of training for a particular quality that the quality is maintained. Crucially, this varies from quality to quality. This is important to consider when focusing on spinning some plates faster than others in a concurrent plan, and may determine how long you wish to keep your macrocycles for either a concurrent or a linear periodisation plan. See the table to come for a guide to training residuals. From the table you’ll see that even without training, you may keep your ability to endure and maintain strength for up to the best part of a month, meanwhile, if you’re approaching competition and speed and power are key elements of your sport, you really can’t afford to not be training those qualities (albeit in reduced volumes) in the days prior to your event.

In our programs for CrossFit, we typically explore a blended approach - there is a somewhat linear plan through the year, biasing some qualities in some phases (block-esque), but not totally neglecting others (concurrent-esque). Especially in the training for the unknown and unknowable, as competition approaches, we look to provide intense touch points on the key elements over a longer microcycle, whilst decreasing overall volume to increase athlete readiness.

TRAINING RESIDUALS

Training Quality	Residual Training Effect (time before measurable and observable losses following the cessation of specific training)
Aerobic Endurance	~ 25 to 30 days
Strength	~ 25 to 30 days
Anaerobic Lactic System	~ 13 to 17 days
Aerobic Power	~ 10 to 15 days
Creatine Phosphate system	~ 2 to 5 days
Max speed/velocity and power*	~ 2 to 5 days

*Thinking of neurological elements of speed and power beyond energy system requirements (ie/ CP)

Note: Longer training blocks can contribute longer residuals, more experienced athletes can retain trainedness for longer periods, however there is a point where age negatively affects residuals, and abilities associated with pronounced morphological and biochemical changes have longer residuals. Lifestyle - sleep, nutrition, recovery, other activities will all influence training residuals.

Is periodisation for you?

You could argue that a degree of periodisation is appropriate for everyone, depending on starting point, training/sporting experience and other factors such as age, sex, weight, etc. You may think that someone who just wants to be fit and healthy doesn’t need periodisation. But what if they haven’t been training for a while, they are “deconditioned” in multiple regards - you might not want to have them jump in on a program that has, for instance, lateral bounds and depth jumps twice per week (again, a pitfall of generic/blog-style programs, join at the wrong time, could spell out dramatic overload of tissues that aren’t ready for the task in hand). Instead you would seek to prepare them for such activities, teaching the tendons and muscles how to deal with similar forces, working with lower intensity variations, and gradually build up the capacity to decelerate swiftly, diminish amortisation period and produce forceful concentrics (as one example). This would require planning and progression - perioidisation. If we consider the progression of certain qualities such as this as following a hierarchy, or a natural progression, then we would certainly want to follow that progression for individuals based on starting points and needs, not just because they’re an “athlete”, professional or otherwise. However, once the qualities are trained to a satisfactory degree, and there are no specific goals to work for, those just seeking fitness for longevity could do well to keep things varied and exciting, less rigid, whilst doing the necessary work frequently enough to maintain those developed qualities.

Got questions?

If any of the above has provoked some thought or desire for discussion, I'd love to hear from you and explore your ideas and questions.

Thanks for reading.

Next

Principles [S.A.I.D., Overload, Specificity, Variance, Individualisation, G.A.S.] and how they influence periodisation.