Most coaches and athletes are interested in how to arrange their training over the weeks and months to some degree…. some more than others. Periodization is something people can certainly obsess about, but once some basic principles are accounted for, it really isn’t all that confusing.
The following are two examples of what training blocks should look like in the GPP and SPP phases of training. Along with being similar in nature, they are are also brought to you from different parts of the world, as one is from Germany, and one from Brazil. Here are the two examples.
There are two major ideas that are covered in these block training schemes, and have lead to some very successful athletes. Before we get into some details/philosophy, I’ll make some observations about the training plans themselves.
- The blocks are designed for speed/power athletes
- All blocks have designated periods of the training year with differing emphasis _
- All blocks have a deloading phase after either 2 or 3 weeks of work. _
- General or “Base Building” phases will feature more weeks worth of loading before a deload_
- Specific power blocks only feature 2 weeks of hard training before a deload _
- General phases are designed in a “step-up” pattern, while Specific phases are designed in a “step-down” pattern of training_
The main thing I feel that anyone can learn from these two examples is that the deload is essential. I have seen so many coaches who never deload their strength-power athletes, only to have them peak early or crash and burn at various points in the season. I have also seen, in my own track conference, and in past coaching experience, athletes who continue to jump at meets immediately after the conclusion of their winter peak (indoor conference or nationals) when they should have been deloading…. only to suffer a burnt out and sub par outdoor season. The deload is key, some athletes hate it because they don’t like the idea of putting the brakes on their training, but in reality, it allows athletes to really unleash on the loading weeks!
The wonderful thing about the 2 week on, 1 week deload weeks is that you can really hammer it hard for those two weeks you are “on”. I used to be really concerned with accidentally doing too much in a given week or training too hard on a day that I felt a bit sore or not quite my best. I trained this way for a long time based on my experiences with programs that stick to autoregulation (train only when you have recovered well and feel good). I have learned that you can train hard sometimes, even when you don’t feel good. Another good read in this particular area is Bret Contreras’s report on John Broz’s training system found here: http://www.t-nation.com/free_online_article/most_recent/max_out_on_squats_every_day). As long as you are deloading every 2 weeks, you can hit it hard! When I finally switched over and stopped worrying so much about how “good” I felt on a given day, I could finally start making progress. Sometimes we just need to learn to turn our brains off and train.
The reason that athletes can go longer in the early training months, stacking loading training weeks on top of each other, is due to the fact that early training is typically a little less intense and a bit easier on the CNS. Try and remember, though, that both of these training programs are designed for elite athletes in intense periods of training. This may not be a format you will want to use for younger athletes who are not quite ready for high training loads.
If you have stagnated in your training for a while, take a look at the methods of some top track and field coaches and break through your old plateaus.
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