OK all you training gurus and/or would-be coaches. Which of these is the better way to periodize. Rank the difficulty of the weeks S, M, L (you could make 4 categories but just keep 3 to make the point most simply. Think of a 6 week cycle.
Option 1: Periodize each sport individually so each week you are S in 1 sport, M in 1 sport and L in 1 sport–total time will tend to be similar across weeks.
Swim: S, M, L, S, M, L
Bike: M, L, S, M, L, S
Run: L, S, M, L, S, M
Option 2: Periodize together so you have small weeks and big weeks.
I’m not a training guru or a would-be coach, but I’ll try to answer.
You can do both, depending on the philosophy you believe in or follow. So you can stick to have E-M-H weeks for the three sports throughout the preparation for a race, or you can alternate emphasis between S-B-R.
One concept I like is to use E-M-H weeks for the general preparation period, and emphasis weeks on the specific preparation period, but that always depends on the event you’re preparing, the athlete your coaching, his/her weaknesses/strengths, etc, the list goes on and on.
Gordo sez (sort of I think): A 4 week cycle works like this: Bike emphasis - Run emphasis - Bike emphasis - Swim emphasis (most rest, least hours total) … Repeat. Big bike emphasis, but that should be 50-60 percent of training anyway … Total training hours per week might be 10-11-12-6 repeat … That’s what I’ve been reading anyway. Just a newbie’s understanding.
This could be a great thread. The short answer is: the best way to periodize is the one that best suites the athlete. What is their athletic background? What is their current health status/fitness level…which can/will be different in each discipline? What are their goals? The list of pertinent questions goes on and on.
There are too many magazines and coaches simply recycling the 4 week cycle of 3 week build up, 1 week recovery. This doesn’t fit well for that many athletes, but it fits great with every 365 day calendar out their.
Think of this “typical” model:
Week #1 = 7hrs (S)
Week #2 = 8hrs (M)
Week #3 = 9hrs (L)
Week #4 = 5hrs (rest)
Week #5 = 8hrs (S or E depend on whether you use S/M/L or E/M/H)
Why would you follow a rest week with an E or S week?
Why not something like:
M
H
M
Rest
or
E
H
M
Rest
All of this depends on the athletes ability to recover, what stage in the training year they are in and what their goals are.
It also depends on whether you are looking at the week from a purely duration (time and/or distance) standpoint or whether you are looking at the volume of intensity. Some athletes would have an easy time with 15 aerobic hours a week, but give them an 8 hour week with higher intensity and they are completely cooked.
Periodization is challenging and can yield huge gains for athletes when done properly. The trick is to think outside of the “Box” as very few athletes actually fit into that little box. I love this stuff and I hope this thread keeps going. Maybe we can get into quad planning (long term) for Olympic athletes, that gets really tricky.
I’ve allways thought that periodization is what you do during different phases of training and not the total time of training per week or period. As you get further into a program the training hours get higher but then taper off somewhat in build and peak periods
Base period: endurance work and efficiency
Build period: muscluar endurance is added and force work is added.
Peak period: speedwork, anerobic endurance as well as endurance work.
This changing of workouts trains different parts of your abilities at different times. I thought that was periodization.
I’ve allways thought that periodization is what you do during different phases of training and not the total time of training per week or period. As you get further into a program the training hours get higher but then taper off somewhat in build and peak periods
Base period: endurance work and efficiency
Build period: muscluar endurance is added and force work is added.
Peak period: speedwork, anerobic endurance as well as endurance work.
This changing of workouts trains different parts of your abilities at different times. I thought that was periodization.
jaretj
Isn’t base period a great time to work on drills and skill progressions so you actually do all the miles correctly? Practice makes permanent.
Peak period for ITU athletes can be 3 races in a 4-6 week window in oposite corners of thw world. Tough to do when trying to race at that level and constantly training in unfamilar territory. Their peak period might look more like race, recovery/travel and aerobic and anaerobic maintainence.
