Planning Alternatives

19 February 2020

16:50

Linear Periodization Alternatives

 

Time Limited Periodization

How to manage high weekly volume with limited time ? E.g. In a 600h yearly plan, the weekly volume averages to 13h, with the longest week to 18h. But what if I can only train for 15h ? Then the best option is not to reduce the yearly volume, but rather cut the weeks longer than 15h to 15h. To do that there aren't many options:

• Shorten the longest workouts in those highest-volume weeks
• Slightly increase workouts intensity while reducing their duration. E.g. An easy, zone 1 recovery ride may be done at zone 2. The rule is that as duration goes down, intensity goes up.
• Be conservative when increasing the intensity of workouts. One additional zone is plenty, and for only a few workouts.
• Cut the extra time from the highest volume weeks and move it to the lowest volume weeks

 

 

Crash Periods

Consists of training very hard for several days, followed by a few days of rest and recovery.

• Studies have shown that it is an effective way to increase fitness in a short period of time
• Rather risky way to increase fitness, advised only for very advanced triathletes who have reached a high level or performance.
• Abandon it as soon as you see signs that it's not going as expected
• Increase of TSS by about 50% during the crash period. Keep the volume the same and increase the intensity of a few workouts for a few consecutive days.
• Most of these high intensity sessions should be performed at or just below AnT, with only a few as high as your AeC.
• Most of the high-volume and high-intensity workouts should be done on the bike or in the pool. Running workouts doe at a high training load require great caution as it is the sport in which you are most likely to become injured.
• Best time to include a crash period are:
• The third week of base 3
• The third week of build 2
• Each crash period should last about 5 to 7 days and be immediately followed by a few days of rest and recovery (3 to 5 days).

 

 

Inverse Weeks

Inverse the order of the weeks in each period (except rest and recovery). In other words, the first week of the period will be the hardest. Having a decreasing weekly volume can improve the capacity for hard training for some athletes.

 

 

Revers Linear Periodization

The idea is to revers the periods and do the short-duration high-intensity workouts early in the season and the workouts will become longer and less intense through the season. It is a popular periodization for triathletes living in countries where the winters are cold and the hours of daylight are shorts.

If you are training for a short-course triathlon, this may not be a good periodization for you as your training must become increasingly racelike as you move close to your A-race. But with this periodization, the workouts are becoming longer and less intense. It can however prove an effective training strategy if you are doing long-course triathlon.

Leave peak and race period unchanged.

 

 

Slow Recovery Athletes

There are 2 typical types of slow recovery athletes: novices and athletes over 50.

To know if you are a slow recovery athlete, be honest with yourself after 2 weeks in a period. If you are ready to go on for another week of hard training, then you are fast recovering, if you are constantly fatigued and your training quality decreases, then you are slow recovering.

If you are a slow recovery athlete, then it is advised to do period of 2 weeks plus one week of rest and recovery. An example of how the ATP is modified can be found on table 9.3 p152.

Nonlinear Periodization Alternatives

 

Undulating Periodization

The idea is to change things around by undulating 2 of the training variables. It is commonly used in weight lifting, but not so much in endurance sports yet. If doing the same workout on the same day of the week, weeks after weeks is demotivating for you, then this could be an alternative.

• Sport Undulation:
• The emphasis on the sport is undulating between 2 sports every week, while the remaining sport keeps a constant moderate training.
• E.g. Week 1: high bike training with low running and moderate swimming, week 2: high run training with low biking and moderate swimming, … The emphasis on run and bike is undulating. This is a good option as bike and run corresponds to 80% - 90% of your race time.
•  Intensity / Duration Undulation:
• In this periodization, one week will have high intensity workouts and the next week will have high duration workouts.
• In other words: alternate 1 week of base training with 1 week of build training.
• In a 4 weeks period with 1 week dedicated to rest and recovery, there will be either 2 weeks of high intensity or 2 weeks of high volume with only one week of the other. Short course athletes should prefer 2 weeks of high intensity and for long course athletes 2 weeks of high duration.

 

 

Block Periodization

Instead of training a few abilities in a period, the idea is to focus the whole period on one specific ability and then, once the ability is well established, move on to the next block and training another ability.

This periodization works well for athletes that have well established basic abilities and fitness. These athletes are competing at a high level where a 1% gain in fitness is difficult to achieve. However, for novice or intermediate triathletes this method is not recommended. Indeed as the base fitness is not well established over many years, focusing on one ability for a whole period will cause other abilities to fade quickly.

A Simple Solution

If you don't want to lose time setting up a complex periodization plan, then here is a simple solution with a few rules to follow.

• Start by laying down a typical week that suits your weekly schedule
• Repeat this week for 2 to 3 consecutive weeks before taking a few days of rest and recovery
• Follow these few rules:
• The closer in time you get to the race, the more like your race your workouts must become
• Have at least 2 workouts a week in each sport. More is better, but only if that isn't more than you can manage.
• Two or more workouts in the same sport should be spread out and not in back to back days. (e.g. If 2 workouts a week in each sport, then leave 2 days in between. If 3 workouts a week, then leave 1 day at least.)
• For advanced triathletes: begin increasing the workouts duration early in the season (base period) and when the basic abilities are well established, then start increasing the duration while reducing the duration to become more racelike.