Moments in Sports Science History: Long Term Delayed Training Effects & Planned Over-reaching

Welcome to the first ever issue of “moments in sport science history”.  I, Joel Smith, am your host today, and would like to share with you the story of how “The Long Term Delayed Training Effect”, also known as “Planned Over-Reaching”  came into existence.  It all started back in the lab, so to speak with Dr. Yuri Verkhoshansky.  See, before things such as delayed training effects or block periodization came into play, training was pretty much ruled by a theory of a sport scientist known at Dr. Matveev.  This theory which everyone subscribed to was known as “linear peridization”, which used exercises with a progressively greater training effect throughout the course of the year. This theory of linear periodization also stated that a correctly organized training program would lead to constant gains in the level of physical preparedness of the athlete. “The athlete must always be moving forwards, never backwards!” stated the theory.

One day in the lab, Dr. Verkhoshansky was experimenting with a high level group of track and field jumpers.  The good Dr. V was working on a concept he called “concentration” of one training objective.  The particular training objective of that current block was barbell strength training, looking to increase maximal strength.  For this concentrated block, Dr. Verkhoshansky decided to really load up on the volume of the exercises, taking a normal distribution of barbell training, and cramming it all down into one small training cycle, specifically devoted to increasing strength.

During this training cycle, athletes found that they were actually getting weaker at the barbell lifts, not stronger!  Due to this, and the current thoughts on training of the time, this study was going to be deemed a failure.  Instead of cancelling  the experiment after strength levels dive bombed, the doctor decided to keep the experiment moving for just a bit longer, hoping he could find something wrong with the way the test was administered. Shortly thereafter, luck turned on Dr.  Verkhoshansky.  A female participant got pregnant, and was unable to continue the training.  Dr. V let her stop, but told her that he wanted to keep monitoring her physical state and preparedness after she stopped training.

As time went on, this female athlete’s strength levels rose, from well below baseline, to higher than her starting amount of strength…. significantly higher.  Dr. Verkhoshansky was amazed, and performed the same test on his other athletes, looking at their strength gains following their cessation of the concentrated strength training.  Same result; in fact, up to 30% strength gain above the initial levels!  This wonderful finding formed the basis of the “conjugate-sequence model” and “block periodization”, the model that trumped linear periodization and found itself into wide use in the world today.

We hope you have enjoyed this edition of “Moments in Sport Science History”

This article was summarized from excerpts of Dr. Verkhoshansky’s last book, “Special Strength Training Manual for Coaches”.