Periodization Training

by Mel C Siff, PhD

Periodization is a method of alternating training loads to produce peak performance for a specific competitive event.  It’s a well-established scheme adopted from Russia-it was one of the ‘secrets’ that helped them dominate Olympic sport for so long.  Recently, however, Dr. Yuri Verkhoshansky, a leading architect of the Russian sports training philosophy, wrote an article titled, “The End of Periodization in High Performance Sport,” and readers wondered why a leading advocate of periodization would be saying such things.

Western coaches have been fixated for years on only one periodization (PD) model, that of Dr. Leonid Matveyev.  In this model, the volume of general preparation decreases as intensity and emphasis on technical training for specific preparations increase, producing peak performance during a competition phase (see Fig. 1).  The model becomes too limited, however, when rigidly applied by coaches unfamiliar with Matveyev’s work.  Such a simplified version of the model leads to an over-reliance on apparently objective measures of loading, such as numerical calculations, and does not consider the athlete’s subjective perception of the intensity and overall effects of the loading.

The model does not give unfamiliar coaches any information about which exercises to include in
measuring volume and intensity.  It also does
not consider the influence of different exercises on each other in a training program.  The graphs unrealistically assume that any one component of a program can be measured independent of the others.

But if a middle distance runner is concurrently doing running training and weight training, the stresses of distance work or sprints can impair strength performance.  The graphs themselves
do not allow for this.

The model also does not consider the different training needs of the novice and the athlete.  It requires initial high volumes of training, which may not be the best way to introduce a novice
to a program, as it can prolong soreness, impair adaptation and reduce motivation.  And the gradual emphasis on technique implies that it’s less important early on.  But this isn’t what’s needed in practice.  Beginners usually need far more emphasis on skills training and elite athletes far less.

Finally, the graph’s smooth merging of training sessions and stages may be suitable for novices but not for more advanced athletes.  For example, an increase in intensity while maintaining the same volume has been shown to enhance performance once an athlete has reached a certain level.

It is this simplified version of Matveyev’s original PD model that Dr. V. takes to task in his article, not the overall philosophy of periodization.

Traditional PD can often prove to be as limited as non-periodized training, since all loading is traditionally based upon a fixed original input; hence the value of a modified form of periodization that I call Cybernetic Periodization.  The term cybernetic describes the science of control and communication in which feedback from the output of any system is used to modify the input to the system.

Any pre-planned PD scheme is affected by subjective and objective feedback obtained from the athlete’s current state.  Consequently, it can be helpful to add a column to your training journal (RPE or Rating of Perceived Effort) which rates how strenuous a particular repetition, set or session feels on a scale of 1 to 5.  Do not record an RPE after every repetition or exercise, but note it mentally and use it to guide you in your next set.  At the end of the workout, record only the RPE for the heaviest or most demanding sets.

It’s also useful to rate reliability of technique for the most important exercises, by having a coach award points for the most demanding efforts on
a Rating  of Technique (RT) scale.

Over-reliance on numerical computations in preparing a PD chart is a major reason why
some coaches tend to dismiss their relevance; hence the value of using a combined objective-subjective system.  There’s no need to discard periodization; just a need to apply it more intelligently!

By dr Mel C Siff, PhD

Exersices:Body-Weight Squat

Body-Weight Squat

 

Stand with your feet shoulder-width apart. Lower your body as far as you can by pushing your hips back and bending your knees until your thighs are parallel to the floor. Pause, and slowly stand back up.

 

You Don’t Need A Gym To Be Strong And Fit: Body Weight Exersices

Image via Wikipedia

Few men believe it, but you don’t need barbells, dumbbells, or machines to build muscle; in fact, weight-training equipment often inhibits the process. That’s because it requires you to be in a specific location, which might explain why more men consider themselves runners than lifters. After all, running is the most accessible form of exercise anywhere you go, there’s your gym. But learn a little bit about physics and the same can hold true for your muscle workout.

Consider the pull-up: It’s the standard by which all body-weight exercises are measured. And even the most hard-core lifters will agree that there’s no better muscle builder for the upper body with or without weights. The reason for its effectiveness: It takes full advantage of the scientific laws of motion and leverage, placing your body in a position that forces your back and arms to lift your entire body weight. Call it applied science at its finest.

Now imagine if all body-weight exercises were as challenging as the pull-up. You’d be able to build muscle anywhere, anytime at home, on the road, or even in a public park. Physical science makes it possible. So with that said… the Five Laws of Body-Weight Training:

Law #1: The longer your body, the weaker you become.

The Science: By increasing the distance between the point of force (your target muscles) and the end of the object you’re trying to lift (your body), you decrease your mechanical advantage. Think of it this way: An empty barbell is easy to lift off the floor if you grab it in the middle. But try moving a few inches in one direction and it instantly seems heavier even though its weight hasn’t changed. The same is true of your body: Lengthen it and every exercise you do becomes harder.

Apply it:Raise your hands above your head so your arms are straight and in line with your body during a lunge, squat, crunch, or situp. If that’s too hard, split the distance by placing your hands behind your head.

Law #2: The farther you move, the more muscle you work.

The Science: In physics, “mechanical work” is equal to force (or weight) times distance. And since your muscles and bones function together as simple machines they form class 1, 2, and 3 levers the same formula applies to your body. It’s the most basic of principles: Do more work, build more muscle. Of course, in a weight-free workout, you can’t increase force (unless you gain weight). But you can boost your work output by moving a greater distance during each repetition.

Apply it: Each of the following three methods increases the distance your body has to travel from start to finish, increasing not only the total amount of work you do, but also the amount of work you do in the most challenging portion of the exercise.

Hard: Move the floor farther away. For many body-weight exercises lunges, pushups, situps your range of motion ends at the floor. The solution: Try placing your front or back foot on a step when doing lunges; position your hands on books or your feet on a chair when doing pushups; and place a rolled-up towel under the arch in your lower back when doing situps.

Harder: Add on a quarter. From the starting position of a pushup, squat, or lunge, lower yourself into the down position. But instead of pushing your body all the way up, raise it only a quarter of the way. Then lower yourself again before pushing your body all the way up. That counts as one repetition.

Hardest: Try mini-repetitions. Instead of pushing your body all the way up from the down position, do five smaller reps in which you raise and lower your body about an inch each time. After the fifth mini-repetition, push yourself up till your arms are straight. That counts as one repetition.

Law #3: As elastic energy decreases, muscle involvement increases.

The Science: When you lower your body during any exercise, you build up “elastic energy” in your muscles. Just like in a coiled spring, that elasticity allows you to “bounce” back to the starting position, reducing the work your muscles have to do. Eliminate the bounce and you’ll force your body to recruit more muscle fibers to get you moving again. How? Pause for 4 seconds in the down position of an exercise. That’s the amount of time it takes to discharge all the elastic energy of a muscle.

Apply it: Use the 4-second pause in any exercise. And give yourself an extra challenge by adding an explosive component, forcefully pushing your body off the floor into the air as high as you can during a pushup, lunge, or squat. Because you’re generating maximum force without any help from elastic energy, you’ll activate the greatest number of muscle fibers possible.

Law #4: Moving in two directions is better than moving in one.

The Science: Human movement occurs on three different geometric planes:
the sagittal plane, for front-to-back and up-and-down movements,
the frontal plane, for side-to-side movements,
the transverse plane, for rotational movements.

Most weight-lifting movements the bench press, squat, curl, lunge, and chinup, to name a few are performed on the sagittal plane; the balance of exercises for instance, the lateral lunge and side bend occur almost entirely on the frontal plane. This means that most men rarely train their bodies on the transverse plane, despite using rotation constantly in everyday life, as well as in every sport. Case in point: walking. It’s subtle, but your hips rotate with every step; in fact, watch a sprinter from behind and you’ll see that his hips rotate almost 90 degrees. By adding a rotational component to any exercise, you’ll automatically work more muscle since you’ll fully engage your core, as well as the original target muscles and simultaneously build a better-performing body.

Apply it: Simply twist your torso to the right or left in exercises such as the lunge, situp, and pushup. You can also rotate your hips during movements such as the reverse crunch.

Law #5: The less contact your body has with the floor, the more your muscles must compensate.

The Science: The smaller the percentage of an object’s surface area that’s touching a solid base, the less stable that object is. That’s why SUVs are prone to rolling, and tall transmission towers need guy wires. Fortunately, humans have a built-in stabilization system: muscles. And by forcing that internal support system to kick in by making your body less stable you’ll make any exercise harder, while activating dozens more muscles.

Apply it:Hold one foot in the air during virtually any exercise, including pushups, squats, and deadlifts. You can also do pushups on your fingertips or your fists.

12 More Medical Studies About Exercise

The following medical studies will be of interest to those investigating the health benefits of productive exercise. Many of these studies also highlight the substantial benefits of strength training and of brief workouts.

 

Exercise Reverses Aging In Human Skeletal Muscle
Buck Institute for Age Research study gives credence to the value of exercise, not only as a means of improving health, but of reversing the aging process itself.
http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2007/05/070522210936.htm

Changes in Lipid and Lipoprotein Levels After Weight Training
Both men and women reduced their cholesterol and triglyceride levels by weightlifting for 16 weeks.
http://jama.ama-assn.org/cgi/content/abstract/252/4/504

Brief, Intense Exercise Can Benefit The Heart
McMaster University study found that six weeks of intense sprint interval exercise training improves the structure and function of arteries as much as traditional and longer endurance exercise with larger time commitment.
http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/06/080604101529.htm

 

‘No Time To Exercise’ Is No Excuse
The Journal of Physiology article shows that short bursts of very intense exercise — equivalent to only a few minutes per day — can produce the same results as traditional endurance training.
http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2006/09/060918142456.htm

 

For Insulin Sensitive Overweight Patients, One Session Of Exercise Improves Metabolic Health
This study shows that even a single bout of exercise helps obese individuals increase their body’s fat-burning rate and improve their metabolic health.
http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/09/080925072428.htm

Varying Weight Training Intensity Increases Growth Hormone In Women
Women need to have heavy loading cycle or workout in their resistance training routines, as it helps to build muscle and bone.
http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2006/12/061201105951.htm

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
Articles highlighting multitude of exercise benefits, particularly in older adults.
http://www.cdc.gov/nccdphp/dnpa/physical/growing_stronger/why.htm

Best Bet For Boosting Brawn In Women Is Traditional Strength Training
Ohio University study of women shows the greater benefits of shorter, heavier workouts over longer, lighter workouts.
http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/05/080520210700.htm

 

Weight Training Reduces Fat And Improve Metabolism In Mice
Boston University researchers demonstrated that an increase in type II muscle mass can reduce body fat which in turn reduces overall body mass and improves metabolic parameters such as insulin resistance.
http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/02/080205121740.htm

Journal of Applied Physiology – reference to studies of Morpurgo, Petow and Seibert
Muscle hypertrophy (enlargement) is caused by more work per unit of time, whereas total the total work done was without importance.
http://jap.physiology.org/cgi/pdf_extract/71/1/372

 

Both Aerobic And Resistance Exercise Improved Blood Sugar Control In People With Diabetes
The group that did both kinds of exercise had about twice as much improvement as either other group alone.
http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2007/09/070917173157.htm

Moderate Exercise Yields Big Benefits
Studies have shown that simply walking at a brisk pace for 30 minutes or more on most days can lead to significant health improvements.
http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/01/080104123421.htm