Making A Plan

This will only be a short post, but hopefully will provide a springboard for many more in-depth discussions in the future. I wanted to introduce the concept of periodization and explain why the concepts should be applied to any physical endeavor, whether you're a powerlifter, cyclist, soccer player, gymnast or a recreational athlete.

http://training-periodization.com/what-will-you-find/what-will-you-find/examples/sword-fencing-champion-periodization/

Periodization in it's most basic form is simply a plan. In search of a more encompassing description, after discussions with friends and a lot of reading, I believe periodization can most aptly be described as a systematic and deliberate structure of training over an extended period of time with the intention to progress athletic ability in one or more areas. Please keep in mind that through this definition, periodization can be just as easily applied to improving technique in a chosen sport as it can to developing the physiological profile of that athlete.

Some individuals, and indeed many champions of various sporting arenas have managed to reach the pinnacle of sporting success in their chosen discipline without the formal concept of periodization. Since 'periodization' only began coming into it's own during the early 1960's with Eastern European Olympians, one could be mistaken in thinking that athletes before this period were simply training chaotically. This may be true relative to athletes in the modern era, but even ancient Olympians recognized they required a resting period prior to their race. The planning of these periods is essential to reaching athletic goals, whether that is health, personal satisfaction or performing well in an organized event.

http://www.city-connect.org/sporting-in-the-olympic-theatre/

Hans Selye first introduced the concept of what he called the General Adaptation Syndrome and it's effect on physical and mental health. In his book "The Stress of Life" he explains how this concept can be used to become healthier.

http://bretcontreras.com/the-paradox-of-the-strength-and-conditioning-professional/

As you can see from the above graph, the initial stressor creates a negative trend, below homeostasis. The body then resists this stress and brings the body back into homeostasis. However, the body, being the incredible organism it is, overcompensates for the stress, strengthening the body beyond the original homeostatic point in order to protect the body from future stresses of similar magnitude. This is what Selye labelled the 'supercompensation phase.' You will also note that the final area of the graph sees another negative trend. This is what Selye described as the 'exhaustion phase' and is the result of a prolonged, unchanging stressor, or the removal of the stressor for too long.

So what does this have to periodization? Everything! This same model has been adapted by several scientists and coaches, including the 'Father of Periodization,' Tudor Bompa. This concept makes up the basis of all training plans. An initial stress (training) is applied to the body, to which the body responds to by resisting this kind of training in the future and reaching a super compensation point. The main purpose of periodization is to time the next stress to the body appropriately. If applied too early (say, in the alarm phase), the subsequent stress will keep the athlete on a negative trend and eventually lead to severe deterioration of performance (over-training). However, if applied too late, the body will not take full advantage of it's supercompensation point and training will not be maximized.

This basic understanding of the stress-response curve is essential when trying to plan training sessions in any activity. In future posts, I will dive further into how to use and apply this curve in many different aspects.

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