AFÁN DE PERFECCIÓN
1. Pablo García Baena, fulgor en la poesía española de posguerra
1.1. Primeras lecturas de «aquel niño con el cuello sujeto de bufandas»
Periodization is one of the central concepts of training theory. This section out-lines the process of developing periodized training plans. Chapter 6 highlights the importance of the annual training plan as the template from which the actual training interventions derive. A key part of developing the annual training plan is establishing when the main competitions will take place so that peaking strategies can be considered. Chapter 7 explains the peaking process and how training can be manipulated in order to increase the likelihood of high levels of performance at the appropriate times. Once the annual training plan and the timeline for the main competitive events are established, the annual training plan can be subdivided into smaller training cycles, known as macro- and microcycles. These smaller cycles are covered in chapter 8. The next step is the development of the individual workout plan.
Chapter 9 presents detailed information about the development of the workout plan.
125
125
AnnuAl
TrAInIng PlAn
ChAPTer
6
T
he annual plan is the tool that guides training over a year. It is an essential component of periodization because it divides the training year into distinct phases with very specific objectives. An annual training plan is necessary to maximize physiological adaptations, which will improve performance. The annual plan directs the athlete through 12 months of training. During the last month of training the plan will vary from the rest of the training year to reduce physiological and psychological fatigue, induce regeneration, and prepare the athlete for the next year of training.The goal of training is to induce physiological adaptations and maximize per-formance at specific time points, usually during the main competitions of the year.
To accomplish this goal, the athlete’s preparedness must increase at the appropriate time, thus ensuring a greater potential for a high level of performance. The athlete’s level of preparedness is a complex interaction of developing skills, biomotor abilities, psychological traits, and the management of fatigue. The best approach for accom-plishing these goals is to use periodized training that is logically constructed and appropriately sequenced.
The annual plan is the foundation for stimulating physiological and psychological adaptations while managing fatigue. In the context of this plan, the greatest chal-lenge is peaking the athlete at the appropriate times throughout the training year.
When working with inexperienced athletes, the coach will direct the training plan with little input from the athletes. Conversely, with elite athletes the coach should encourage input from the athlete when establishing the annual training plan’s objec-tives and structure. By involving the elite athlete in the planning process, the coach can create a positive environment in which the athlete can use the planning process as a motivational tool.
PerIodIzATIon
Periodization is the foundation of an athlete’s training plan. The term periodization originates from the word period, which is a way of describing a portion or division of time.
Periodization is a method by which training is divided into smaller, easy-to-manage
segments that are typically referred to as phases of training. Periodization of training has evolved over the centuries, with many sport scientists and authors contributing to its development (6, 42, 43, 52, 53, 63, 64, 71, 72, 79, 82-85).
Periodization is not a new concept, but many people are not familiar with it or do not understand its history. The origins of periodization are unknown, but an unrefined form of the concept has existed for a long time. Evidence suggests that a simplified form of periodization was used in the ancient Olympic Games (776 BC to 393 AD). As mentioned previously in this book, Philostratus is considered one of the early proponents of periodization. Philostratus referred to the simple annual plans used by the Greek Olympians where a preparatory phase preceded the ancient Olympic Games with few informal competitions before and a rest period after the games. A similar approach has been used to prepare for the modern Olympic Games by both U.S. and European athletes.
Planning for the European competitions at the beginning of the 20th century fol-lowed a similar pattern. However, planned periodization became more sophisticated, culminating with the German program for the 1936 Olympic Games, when coaches used a 4-year plan composed of annual training plans. After World War II, the Soviets started a state-funded sports program, using athletics as a means to demonstrate the superiority of their political system.
In 1965, Lenoid P. Matveyev, a Russian sport scientist, published a model of an annual plan based on a questionnaire that asked Russian athletes how they trained before the 1952 Olympic Games in Helsinki, Finland. He borrowed the term periodiza-tion from history, where historians refer to the periods or phases of human develop-ment. Matveyev analyzed the data collected on the Russian athletes and produced a model of an annual training plan that was divided into phases, subphases, and train-ing cycles. Some call this the classic model of periodization. However, the true classic model could be considered the works of Philostratus. In the 1950’s and 1960’s, Russian, German, Romanian, and Hungarian sport scientists published books about the evo-lution of periodization from ancient times to the post–World War II period, whereas their Western counterparts were slow to adopt the concept of periodization.
Matveyev structured training to culminate with only one competitive phase (44).
However, this practice did not meet the needs of all sports. Thus, as the theory of periodization evolved, training plans were adapted to meet the competitive needs of athletes who participated in more than one major competition per year. Annual train-ing plans were developed where two main competitions per year (bi-cycle plans), three main competitions per year (tri-cycle plans), and multiple peak plans were developed.
Additionally, the concept of periodization of main motor abilities was developed as a tool for improving skills and maximizing athletic performance (2-5).
Periodization can be examined in the context of two important aspects of train-ing:
1. Periodization divides the annual training plan into smaller training phases, making it easier to plan and manage the training program and ensure that peak performance occurs at the main competition.
2. Periodization structures the training phases to target biomotor abilities, which allows the athlete to develop the highest levels of speed, strength, power, agility, and endurance possible.
Many are unaware of the difference between periodization as a division of the annual plan and periodization of biomotor abilities. In most sports, the annual
train-annual training Plan 127
ing plan is divided into three main phases: preparatory, competitive, and transition.
The preparatory and competitive phases are divided into two subphases, which are classified as general and specific because of their differing tasks. The focus of the general subphase is to develop a physiological base by using many nonspecific training methods. The specific subphase is used to develop characteristics needed for a sport by using sport-specific modalities. The competitive phase of training is subdivided into precompetitive and competitive phases. Each phase of the annual plan contains macrocycles and microcycles. Each of these subunits has objectives that contribute to objectives of the annual training plan. Figure 6.1 illustrates the division of the annual training plan into phases and cycles.
Athletic performance depends on the athlete’s physiological adaptations and psychological adjustments to training combined with the ability to develop and master skills and abilities required of the sport. The duration of each phase of the annual plan depends on the time necessary to increase the athlete’s training status and elevate preparedness. The main determinant of the duration of each phase of training is the competitive schedule. To optimize performance at the appropriate time (i.e., for major competitions), athletes undergo several months of training. The training plan must be well organized and must sequentially develop physiological adaptations as well as manage fatigue to elevate preparedness, which increases the athlete’s performance ability. The optimal periodization model for each sport and the time required for an optimal increase in training status and preparedness have yet to be elucidated. Confounding the coach’s ability to optimally dose training is the individual athlete’s ability to tolerate and adapt to a training plan, which is influ-enced by many factors including genetic endowment, psychological traits, training status, diet, social stressors, and recovery methods used. Because of this individuality of response to training, programs must be tailored to meet the individual needs as well as the demands of the sporting activity.
Figure 6.1 Divisions of an annual plan into phases and cycles of training.
annual training plan
Phases of
training preparatory Competitive transition
Subphases general
preparation Specific preparation
Macrocycles
Microcycles