PRE-SEASON TRAINING PERIODISATION BY DR DUNCAN FRENCH, PhD I

n the early decades of the 1900s, the primary approach to athletic

training was to perform similar activities throughout the year. Indeed, programmes were largely developed to maintain the same constant stresses on athletes all year round. In the 1940s however, Russian scientist Leo Matveyev began to experiment with dividing the training year into different periods so that some periods of the year were easier than others, in order to promote rest and to let the body recover and regenerate. It was thought that by including periods where the body could recover following particularly heavy phases of training, the body would then be in a better state to move onto higher standards of training intensity. Matveyev developed a system called the periodisation method (also known as cycling method). The basic idea of the periodisation method is to put year long workouts into ‘phases’.

S.A.I.D

Romanian scientist Tudor Bompa refined the ideas of Eastern block sports scientists in the early 1960s, and promoted the principles of periodisation as we know them today. Bompa gave coaches and athletes the understanding that ‘periodisation’ is the process of varying a training programme at regular time intervals to bring about optimal gains in physical performance. The principle idea for periodisation

is S.A.I.D., or Specific Adaptation to Imposed Demand. The principle behind the S.A.I.D theory is that in order to increase levels of physical fitness, overload needs to be placed on the body. Over time however, the body will start to predict and adapt to this increased workload. Once it starts to adapt, it will stop changing even after you increase intensity. You will stop gaining performance increments in what is commonly known as a plateau. By using the principles behind periodisation, instead of getting into a long term plateau, every phase will be followed by a short period of rest/ recovery that will allow for regeneration and consequent push in training standards. Periodisation will also prevent overtraining. Basically, the periodisation of an annual plan has three major phases:

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‘PERIODISATION’ EXPLAINED

Pre-season training is one of three major phases of a year round programme. The concept of periodisation utilises S.A.I.D principles to optimise performance.

preparatory or pre-season, competitive or season, and transition or off- season. Normally, a peak performance is planned to be reached during the competitive phase and cannot be maintained forever. This is why during the preparatory phase the scope of training is to improve the athlete’s working capabilities, to accumulate the highest physical potential possible, to cope with the fatigue of training and competitions, but not necessarily to reach highest performances of the year. This is normally achieved during the competitive phase by progressively planning more specific training programmes, including specific speed, power, and endurance. However, an athlete’s highest adaptation to training, continuous improvements of physical potential, represent the foundation on which peak performance depends. Without a continuous increase in

physical potential from year to year, athletes cannot expect to improve performance on a yearly basis.

PEAK PERFORMANCE The concept of periodisation involves

manipulating many training variables, including frequency, duration, volume, and intensity. From these variables a recipe is created that will hopefully help the athlete reach their peak for the key race(s) being targeted.

FURTHER READING

n Tudor Bompa. Periodization - Theory and Methodology of Training, 4th Edition. Human Kinetics 1999. ISBN 0880118512

n Paul Gamble. Periodisation of Training for Team Sports Athletes. Strength and Conditioning Journal 2006;28(5):56-66

n MH Stone, HS O’Bryant, BK Schilling, RL. Johnson, KC Pierce, G Greg Haff, AJ Koch and M Stone. Periodisation: Effects of Manipulating Volume and Intensity. Part 2. Strength and Conditioning Journal 1999;21(3):54-60.

THE AUTHOR

Dr Duncan French PhD, CSCS*D, CSCC is the national lead for strength and conditioning to British Performance Basketball.

sportEX dynamics 2008:16(Apr):6