Planning a Training Year (Periodisation)

Phases of Competition

The three distinct phases of a season competition are:

• Pre-season (preparation phase)

• In-season (competition phase)

• Off-season (transition phase)

Pre-season (preparation phase)

The length of the preparation phase is normally around 8-12 weeks. This may vary, however, depending on:

• The type of sport (e.g. soccer usually has a shorter preparation phase than swimmers)

• The length of the competition period (e.g. the basketball season is far longer than the cycling competition length)

• The age and experience of the athletes (e.g. professional athletes prepare for seasons for a longer period of time than amateur athletes)

During the preparation phase, the predominant energy systems relevant to the sport are developed to their maximum capabilities, and the technical and tactical skills are refined as the competition period approaches.

The preparation period can be divided further into two distinct phases:

• General preparation period. The objective of the general preparation phase is the development of fitness and general technical skill development.

• Specific preparation period. The objective of this phase is to maximise the specific fitness qualities relevant to the sport.

The specific preparation phase generally concludes with a pre-competition phase of training, providing an opportunity for athletes to play trial games in preparation for the in-season phase.

In-season (Competition phase)

The in-season, or competition, phase is structured around the specific competition calendar, and varies significantly between different sports. Regardless of the sport, the goal of the competition period is to maintain the fitness qualities developed during the preparation period and allow the minor competitions to bring the athlete to peak performance during the main competition.

The in-season period requires considerable collaboration between coaches, medical staff and the athletes in order to avoid injury and achieve peak performance. Coaches and support staff spend considerable time assessing the athlete’s performance level, tactics, equipment changes, nutritional plans, travel arrangements, training loads, weekly schedules, muscle soreness and fatigue levels. Data that has been collated allows the coaches to adjust weekly training loads.

During higher priority competitions such as the final series, grand final, national championships, world championships and Olympic Games for many Olympic sports, there is a definite taper stage or freshening-up period during peaking periods, while lower priority competitions might simply be integrated into a normal training week.

Off-season (transition phase)

The off-season, or transition, phase of the yearly training plan varies depending on the requirements of the sport, and the age and experience of the athlete. While the transition period generally lasts for three to five weeks for professional athletes, part-time athletes may take three months or more off at the completion of the season.

The off-season allows the athlete sufficient time to recover physically from the rigors of training and competition, in addition to providing an opportunity to relax psychologically as well as overcome any niggling injuries or muscle soreness accumulated during the season. This is the perfect time of the year for athletes to take a break, enjoy themselves and go away on holiday. It can be divided into two distinct periods:

• The first phase, commonly of one or two weeks’ duration, involves complete rest and rejuvenation.

• The second phase, defined as the active rest phase, provides an opportunity for athletes to commence general cross-training at a low intensity and volume. The active rest phase, while still providing athletes with a physical and psychological break from the usual training and competition demands of the sport, allows them to maintain an acceptable level of general fitness through cross-training.

When conducted successfully, the transition period should ensure that athletes return to training fully regenerated and ready to recommence the more structured sport-specific preparation phase of training.

Macro-Cycles (yearly planning)

As we now know, there are three phases of a sporting cycle (Pre, competition, transition) which form part of a yearly plan (macro cycle) and within these three phases are smaller sectionsthat can be further broken down and utilised (me

• Meso Cycle

  • Normally consists of "chunks" of training sessions or goals lasting 2 to 6 weeks

  • These are normally very specific and adjust the load where necessary

• Micro Cycle

  • These are the smallest blocks of training (normally 1 week)

  • Joined together to form meso cycles

Peaking

Training for peak performance is a complex process that requires considerable planning, preparation and evaluation. In order to achieve peak performance, the athlete must be able to adapt to the volume and intensity of the various training components and methods of training. Thorough athletic preparation that balances both the volume and intensity of training results in athletes who display an improved work capacity, physical fitness, technical and tactical proficiency (neuromuscular coordination), physical health and a psychological state of readiness, confidence, excitement, enjoyment and anticipation in preparation for competition.

Athletes often describe themselves as being in ‘great shape’ during the competition phase of training. Peaking is achieved when the athlete has reached a state of optimal physical, psychological, emotional and spiritual health and well-being. The athlete has adapted to the work and recovery demands, and super- compensation has been achieved.

Generally, prior to the main competition, an unloading phase of training is implemented, and this is critical to achieving peak performance. During this period, the volume and intensity of training are reduced and the athlete is unloaded (tapering). Proper unloading results in a heightened state of readiness. A short-term peaking period is achieved through super-compensation.

Tapering

Critical to peak performance is the taper period of training. It is during this period that the coach’s and athlete’s periodised training program is tested, as the athlete prepares for the major competition of the season. Tapering for sports performance refers to a period of reduced training load in the days and weeks leading up to the main competition, in an attempt to promote ‘peak’ performance at the most vital time.

Tapering allows for the replenishment of muscle glycogen, neuromuscular and metabolic system regeneration and an elevation of hormone levels – all of which are depleted during intense training periods. Adequate taper periods allow for a decrease in training stress and an optimal state of recovery and regeneration. During this period, the body is rested for an appropriate period of time while fitness is maintained. The drop in fatigue while maintaining fitness results in increased performance:

Performance = fitness – fatigue

Taper periods are common in many sports such as swimming, cycling, running, jumping, throwing, team sports and endurance sports, and can last for several days and up to a week or more for some sports.

Taper guidelines

General guidelines for a successful taper include:

• dropping the total training volume by 50 to 70 per cent

• keeping high-intensity training levels high but volume low during the taper

• reducing the difficulty of training

• increasing the recovery periods during training

• reducing the frequency of training sessions by up to 20 per cent keeping the taper between four and 21 days, depending on the individual and the sport’s requirements

• keeping the activities performed during the taper specific to the competitive demands of the sport.

Sport-specific sub-phases

Sub-phases can be geared specifically to the time of the season, and particularly the needs of the athlete in that phase of the season. Various sports will have different needs for skills and fitness at different times of the year. Therefore, the sub-phases will be specific to the demands of the sport and the needs of the athlete. Sports that do not require large muscle mass will not focus on this area, while sports that are dominant in the area of cardiovascular endurance will have more sport-specific sub-phases built around developing and maintaining this.