Periodization (continued)

Periodization is actually a very complex and hotly argued topic in exercise physiology. In fact, periodization is probably the most mysterious and esoteric part of athlete development.

My mentor, the very well respected Dr. Howie Wenger used to frequently refer to the the art and science of program planning. Periodization is indeed equal parts art and science and has been developed largely by trial, error, and thousands of hours of good old fashioned observation.


Photo: Mike Nowak www.chargers.com

Through this process, a robust model of physical training has emerged that applies itself almost universally to atletes competing in various sports. Athletes must prepare in a logical and sequential manner in order to optimize the effects of training. Typically athletic perparation will fall into three basic categories, preparatory, competitive, and transition phases.


Preparatory Phase

This phase consists of general and specific preparation. Usually general preparation is the longer of the two phases.


Photo: www.sherdog.com

Competitive Phase

This phase can contain a few main competitions or encompass an entire competitive "season". The way an athlete prepares will largely depend on whether their competitive phase is several months (hockey, football, soccer), or whether they prepare for specific events (track and field, MMA, triathlon). With specific competitions there may be several sub-phases including "uploading phases" and specific "preparatory" phases.

Transition Phase

This phase is primarily used to facilitate psychological rest, relaxation and promote physical recovery. Transition phases also attempt to maintain an acceptable level of general physical preparation. Also known as a maintenance phase this phase can last 3 – 4 weeks.

More on how all of this applies to the general athlete in my next post.


Cheers,



M

Additional photo credit: www.corbis.com

Athlete profile- Chris Spring

The newest addition to the Velocity athlete team is Chris Spring, driver of the
Australian 2-man bobsled.

I actually first met Chris as he expertly put the finishing touches on our new
deck. You see, Chris actually works for the maintenance company that takes care
of our property..............when he is not sliding down icy tracks at over
120km/ hr.

The life of an Olympic athlete is not easy, especially when you happen to live
in one Country, but play for another. Chris kindly sat down and answered a few
tough questions about the life and times of an Olympic bobsledder.



Velocity: What is your position and role on the Australian bobsled team?

CS: I'm currently the pilot for the Australia 1, 2-man bobsleigh team. But competing for Australia has me facing extra challenges so not only am I the pilot, I am my own strength coach, push coach, team manager and season planner. The fun never ends...

Velocity: How long have you been competing in bobsleigh and what drew you to the
sport?

CS: I'm very new to the sport in comparison to some of the best in the sport right now. This season will be my 3rd season as a pilot, a long way off the best who have been sliding for nearly 20 years now. I fell in love with the sport after watching a Canadian championships at Canada Olympic Park in March 2007. After seeing the speed, the intensity and the excitement, I wanted to be a part of that.

Velocity: Do Australians actually like Foster's (beer)?

CS: Hahaha, umm.....no not really. I don't actually know anyone who drinks Fosters and I don't think I have ever had a Fosters. Beer is very territorial back home. If you're a Queenslander like myself, you drink XXXX (prononouned four x), If your from Victoria you drink VB, NSW drinks Tooheys and so on. But I'm sure Fosters is a good drop.

Velocity: How does sliding for the Australian team differ from sliding for a
"winter sport country" like Canada, Germany, Norway etc?

CS: It's definitely a challenge. We don't get funded like the powerhouse nations so things are very tough financially. We tend to slide on inferior equipment so competing against bigger nations is tough when you are at a disadvantage to begin with. But on the up side, as Aussies, we do get helped out a little more by the bigger nations. They tend to help me with coaching sometimes as well as equipment as they don't see us as a threat to them.....yet.

Velocity: Is "Cool Runnings" your favorite movie? If not, what is?

CS: I do love the movie, and watched it a lot growing up before I ever thought about bobsleigh but favourite movie...not the case. I have a childohood favourite that has stuck with me called "Young Einstein" Its an Aussie comedy that is pretty ridiculous but I still get a good laugh out of it.




Velocity: What is the goal for you at Whistler in 2010?

CS: Well first I have to qualify but I'm confident that I will. My bobsleigh goal will be to get Australias' best ever finish. That's currently 22nd so I am aiming for a top 20 finish. Although I want to be the fastest starting team at the Olympics. As for an overall Olympic goal, I just want to make sure I represent Australia to the best of my ability both on and off the track. I want to make sure that I have a good time and enjoy the moment. Its going to be epic!!



Velocity: Your girlfriend Amanda is also an Olympic bobsledder, who would win
between the two of you in an "Indian leg wrestle"?

CS: An Indian leg wrestle? I think I know what you mean. Um...well she's a tough competitor so I'm sure she'd give it her all, but I would have to say I'd take the title. We did do a local race here in Calgary together once. We are both pilots so we both wanted to drive but she of course got her way and I was relegated to the back seat. She said she'd never run so fast but she gave me a pretty sweet ride down.

Velocity: What are your greatest accomplishments in bobsleigh to date?

CS: Hmmmm, thats a tough one. I would have to say sliding to back to back bronze medals here at the Calgary Americas Cup races last season. It was my first time on the podium. I also qualified for World Championships last season so that was very exciting and I gained a lot of valuable experience.



Velocity: Having trained with Sport Sandbags, what kind of advantages does
training with sand offer to the competitive athlete?

CS: It's very specific to my sport, but I'm sure other athletes in different sports could apply it to their training and get the same benefit as I do. We do a lot of strength work in the weight room and a lot of speed training on the track but we ultimateley need to maximize power.

Velocity: How fast is the start?:

CS: The bob start is 5-seconds of 100% effort at maximum speed pushing a 400-pound sled. My 2-man team has one of the best push starts in the world which really amazes a lot of bigger nations, but it's not rocket science...it's sandbag training. Whether its doing sandbag pulls/sprints or using it for throws, my power output has increased over the past season which is why I believe my 2-man team can out-push the world at the Vancouver 2010 Olympics

If you would like to hear more about Chris, or would like to support his Olympic
efforts, please contact velocityfitness.ca or get in touch with Chris directly
at:

cwspring84@yahoo.com.au

or


www.teamspringbobsleigh.com
403-542-9535

Go Chris!

Secret weapon

What is the secret weapon the Grey Cup champion Calgary Stampeders have been using to outwork, outrun, and outperform the opposition? Why it's simple......sandbags of course.

When I first approached Mark Kilam, the Strength and conditioning coach for the Stamps, he was intrigued by the idea of using sandbags for strength and conditioning work. After putting his hands on a few he excitedly stated that they were the "perfect tool for doing strength and power complexes and would be awesome for football specific drills".

After some heavy use (how else do football players use things), Sport Sandbags have become an important component of the Stampeders' physical preparation. From strength and power work, to football specific training, the strength and versatility of Velocity Sport Sandbags have become an important training tool for the premiere team in the CFL.

To find out how Sport Sandbags can help your team, please head to www.velocityfitness.ca. Also stay tuned for our new website www.sportsandbags.ca

The power of periodization

Periodization is the principle of incorporating different elements of fitness and performance training in a logical continuum over the course of a specified amount of time. For example, in the off-season for certain athletes, the fitness goals will be to develop high levels of muscular strength and aerobic endurance. The duration of this phase may be 3-6 months and is called a mesocycle.

However, as the season or competition approaches, training will start to focus on more sport specific elements that are integral to the particular sport. For example, a soccer player may start developing more sport specific activities like sprinting, agility work, and plyometrics to develop explosive power.

Training will change once again when the season begins or after a competition is over. Periodization refers to the way an athlete is prepared from a physical standpoint to compete in a specfic sport. Periodization also refers to the intensity, load, and progression of specific training exercises. It is a fairly complicated process once you dive into the specific sport and try to develop a highly specialized training regimen that must account for multiple factors including competition schedules, injuries, and travel.

Although periodization most often refers to competitive athletes, I believe it is also important for the recreational athlete to vary their routine througout the year to promote optimal resuts in terms of training. The following couple of blogs will deal with concept of periodization and some practical ideas of how to implement different elements througout a training year.

Stay tuned..............



M