PERIODIZATION

Periodization is simply the planning of a seasonal or annual training program for an athlete or group of athletes.
A training program can be broken down into one week, two week, monthly or longer segments. These are called
cycles. The one week program is often referred to as a microcycle and the monthly program as a mesocycle.
A macrocycle refers to two or more mesocycles grouped together.
Normally, you would program two different phases of training, a preparation phase and a competitive phase.
For developmental athletes aged from 8 to 14 years, the preparation phase may be only four weeks long and the
competitive phase, two or three months long. For athletes 15 years of age and older, the preparation phase may
be up to seven months long and the competitive phase up to four months long.
Preparation phase
The Preparation Phase may last up to seven months. Normally, during this phase, a one month mesocycle would
include a three week period of intensive training followed by one week of recovery. During the recovery week,
both volume and intensity are decreased in workouts. For example, a workout of six 400s in 70 seconds would
become four 400s in 75 seconds. At the beginning of the preparation phase, there is an adaptation period of up
to one month where volume is increased as the athlete adapts from a transition period of very little training to
the preparation training load. In a seasonal training plan, the adaptation may be as short as 10 days before the
beginning of a short preparation phase.
Competitive phase
During the competitive phase the volume of training is decreased and the intensity (speed) of training is
increased. Tapering of training is used to prepare for competition. In the taper, volume is decreased, intensity is,
at first, increased and then both are decreased just prior to competition. A recovery workout of low intensity
should be done the day after competition before resuming intensity.
Throughout the length of the annual or seasonal training program, including both preparation and competitive
phases, the volume of runs, jumps or lifts is first increased then decreased while the intensity (speed) is
continuously increased.
Training components
The weekly microcycle of training should contain the following components.
1. Stamina (cardio-vascular endurance)
2. Skill
3. Strength
4. Power (strength exercises done at speed)
5. Speed
6. Flexibility and mobility
7. Mental training
For the young athlete (aged 14 to 18), in an annual training plan of four macrocycles, the weekly training plan
would include the following number of sessions of each component. The example is for a power/speed
competitor and it shows the approximate ratio of the components. Most often, each workout will have more
than one training component.

Component
First
Second
Stamina
3
2
Strength
3
3
Power
0
0
Speed
0
1
Skill is done at every session
Flexibility and mobility is done at every session
Speed is done in the warm up at every session

Third
1
2
1
2

Fourth
1
1
1
3

For the younger, seasonal athlete (aged 8 to 14), you would start with stamina and would do some power, then
lots of speed. No strength workouts would be done. Workouts for younger athletes should have a mix of all
the components rather than single workouts on one component but skill and speed development should be
foremost.
ENERGY SYSTEMS
Simply put, the body fuels the muscles with ATP (adenosine tri phosphate). This is made available to the muscles
in different ways depending upon the duration of vigorous exercise. For races up to 7 seconds, Creatine
Phosphate provides most of the ATP and the energy system is labeled Phosphagenic. From 7 seconds to 20
seconds the ATP is provided by Creatine Phosphate and Glycogen in the muscles with little lactic acid buildup.
Beyond 20 seconds and up to 2 minutes, glycogen from muscles and liver provide most of the fuel and the energy
system is labeled Glycolitic. (Without oxygen but with lactic acid and hydrogen ion buildup in the muscles). The
glycolitic system is not developed in the young athlete and races that are longer than 20 seconds and shorter
than 2 minutes should avoided until age 14. After 2 minutes of vigorous exercise, the energy system becomes
more Aerobic (with oxygen) as oxygen is taken in and used as the athlete continues running. In long races, the
energy system is almost entirely aerobic. Even though all three energy systems are used simultaneously, the
predominant systems are those indicated for specific race durations.
Both the Glycolitic and the Aerobic systems can be trained so that athletes doing long sprints can become more
lactic tolerant and middle distance runners can increase their oxygen uptake.
MUSCLE FIBER TYPES
Not only can energy systems be enhanced through training, but so can the actual muscle fibers. There are two
basic types of muscle fibers:
I
Slow twitch fibers
IIa Fast twitch fibers
The names indicate what they are used for. Slow twitch muscles are used for endurance and fast twitch muscles
for speed.
In most track and field events the fast twitch a fibers are the ones we want to increase in number, size and
strength.
Strength training these fast twitch fibers can be as simple as sprinting. A lot of sprinting will increase fast twitch
muscle strength and size as the resistance to the body moving is from air friction and gravity. This, however,
takes a lot of time but is more appropriate for developmental athletes.
To increase muscle size and strength faster, the resistance must be increased. Sprinting up hills or by pulling
something, greater concentric (muscle shortening) contraction of the muscles will cause faster muscular
development. You increase the number and strength of fast twitch muscles not by the speed of the exercises but

by the increased effort. The greater the effort, the greater number of fast twitch muscle fibers are recruited.
The actual speed of the contraction is not as important as the athlete trying to make a fast contraction. The next
step is to do jumping or bounding exercises. This increases the intensity of the muscle contractions and adds the
component of 'eccentric' muscle contraction (muscle lengthening).
Just as legs can be trained for greater strength and power, so can arms and the upper body by:
Throwing the shot, discus, hammer or javelin.
Throwing heavier implements like medicine balls or power balls.
All of these resistance exercises come under the heading of plyometric training in its most basic form. For older
athletes, plyometrics can be programmed with very difficult exercises called 'shock' exercises. These are drop
jumps, depth jumps, clapping pushups, medicine ball pushups and assisted eccentric (muscle lengthening)
contractions using weights.
Weight training with free weights or machines, however, can give the greatest increase in the number of fast
twitch fibers in the shortest amount of time. Plyometric programs and weight training are more appropriate for
athletes aged 16 and older after their peak height velocity (growth spurt).
Recovery
The body, when rested will recover not only to the pre-stressed state but beyond that state. Fast twitch (IIx)
muscle fibers that are repressed by resistance training will increase in number for weeks after the resistance
training is stopped beyond their original numbers (over compensation). The other fast twitch (IIa) fibers will
maintain their strength for longer than two weeks, so the contribution of both of the fast twitch muscle fibers
after rest will make the athlete energetic and fast. If the skill training coincides, the athlete will able to compete
at a higher level than ever before. This is called a 'taper' program.
Athletes on a year round training program will need recovery sessions every mesocycle (month) and will need to
taper their training prior to major competitions.
Weight training, plyometrics and taper planning are too specialized to cover in this manual and are more
appropriate for athletes aged 16 and older.