Make a PLAN and What is Periodization???

January 28th, 2013 by Mark Olson

In my last blog I spoke about 5 things that you need to get done ASAP, that is, very early in the beginning of your new season (i.e. the off season). These 5 things are very important for determining how to best go about training for the coming race season. The answer to those 5 questions will help you decide how many hours to train per week and what to spend those hours focused on. In other words, those answers will help you build an annual training plan. Simple! Or maybe kinda easy? Or ummmmm, what do I do next?

Building a plan can be easy but it takes time and some understanding of periodization, which I will discuss in a minute. First here are a few things to keep in mind when thinking about planning:

1) Best to work backwards from your first “A”(Important) race. Then work back to the next big race, and so on.

2) The longer you have been training and the more advanced of an athlete you are, the more important the plan. If you are a beginner, any plan will work to some degree as long as you do not over train.

3) Recovery is EXTREMELY important! In general you should build in recovery days every week and recovery weeks every 3-5 weeks. If you are a beginner I recommend at least 1-2 recovery days per week and a recovery week every 3-4 weeks. If you are advanced there are better ways to plan your recovery. I will discuss this in depth in another blog.

4) Have a plan and follow it! BUT, all plans need to be flexible to account for LIFE. The plan will change throughout the season.

5) Build your plan with some structure. Any plan is better than no plan, but with some structure your plan can take you a lot further. This “structure” is Periodization!

What the hell is Periodization? The word is used a lot and I’m sure many of you have read something, somewhere about it. It ends up meaning slightly different things to different people. Here are some concepts that I feel Periodization encompasses:

1) A systematic approach to training

2) Training with varied volumes and intensities

3) Training in blocks of time, with each block having specific purpose

4) Training with a purpose to arrive at your “A” race in the best possible condition to reach your race goals

I think number 4 is the best summarization.

Check out Joe Friel’s training bible books for help building the details of your plan or better yet, sign up for the Athletic Mentors Build Your Own Training Plan CLINIC. This is a very cost effective way to get some coaching help while putting your plan together.

In my next blog I’ll talk about some different approaches to developing periodized training plans and give you some ideas on what to put into those training weeks to come.

 


Heat Acclimation Improves Exercise Performance

January 25th, 2013 by Ultra Endurance Coach Garrett Peltonen

Exposure to various environmental conditions (i.e. altitude, cold, and heat) has been shown to promote physiological adaptations. Specifically, since the 1990’s athletes have been utilizing the “live high, train low” philosophy to improve athletic performance by taking advantage of our body’s natural ability to adapt to altitude (primarily through the increase oxygen carrying capacity of the blood)1. If altitude is able to promote adaptations that improve endurance performance, cannot the same be said about other environmental stimuli such as cold and heat stress?

According to a recent study titled, Heat Acclimation Improves Exercise Performance2, it appears that physiologic heat adaptations can be used to improve performance. In this study, the effects of heat acclimatization on performance in both hot and cool environments were determined. There were two groups: twelve highly trained endurance cyclists receiving a heat acclimation protocol and eight highly trained cyclists not receiving a heat acclimation protocol. Measures of performance Рmaximal oxygen uptake (VO2max), time trial, and lactate threshold Рwere determined in both groups prior to and after heat acclimation protocol during both cool (13°C) and hot conditions (38°C). The heat acclimation protocol involved 90 minutes of daily cycling at low to medium intensity while exposed to a temperature of 40°C, for a total of ten days. Control participants partook in the exercise over the course of the ten days, but were not exposed to the heat stress. If you need the best exercises to get over stress, you can this page and get the best exercise advice.

What did they find? They demonstrated that 10 days of heat acclimatization increased VO2max (5% and 8%), time trial performance (6% and 8%), and power output at lactate threshold (5% and %5) in both cool and hot conditions. Whereas, the non-heat acclimatized group showed no changes in VO2max, time trial performance or lactate threshold in either cool or hot conditions. Mechanistically, the improvements in performance appear to be the result of a heat induced increase in plasma volume. An increase in plasma volume tends to increase cardiac output leading to an increase VO2max, ultimately improving time trial performance and lactate threshold values.

It appears that incorporating bouts of heat stress (sauna, hot tub, trainer by the furnace, etc) into your training routine may improve performance in hot as well as cool conditions. The bottom line, if you are looking for a quick and easy way to improve your performance, it might be wise to consider living in a sauna somewhere high in the mountains and taking a daily jaunt down to sea-level for training. However, it might be best to run this idea by your significant other first!

References

1 Levine, B. D. & Stray-Gundersen, J. “Living high-training low”: effect of moderate-altitude acclimatization with low-altitude training on performance. Journal of Applied Physiology 83, 102-112 (1997).

 

2 Lorenzo, S., Halliwill, J. R., Sawka, M. N. & Minson, C. T. Heat acclimation improves exercise performance. Journal of Applied Physiology 109, 1140-1147, doi:10.1152/japplphysiol.00495.2010 (2010).

 


Consistency Builds Confidence

January 16th, 2013 by Katie Whidden USAT certified coach

By now you have probably set some goals for 2013 and have heard the broadcasts about your high probability of failing to achieve them by the end of the month. Well I am here to provide you with one simple suggestion for the year that is hopefully easy to follow. Train with Consistency.

As I continue to read about the human body and how to improve performance I have been continually reminded that the best way to see fitness gains is to train consistently. Fitness is not stagnant. At any moment in time you are either gaining or losing fitness. Breaks at the end of the season or when you are sick are perfectly fine but frequently missing more than 2 workouts per week can have a negative impact on fitness level and overall self-efficacy. Not only does the body respond well to regular training but the mind also remembers these experiences and benefits from them. As was stated in the Essentials of Strength and Conditioning book “We believe that the most powerful determinant of confidence and a sense of preparation is quality physical practice in which a number of positive experiences are stored in long-term memory.” Personally, the guilt conscience takes over if I miss too many workouts and as a result my race performance suffers because I know I haven’t put the time in that I was planning to.

Of course, I am still encouraging you to utilize periodization fundamentals, to vary the workouts and weekly training hours. Please note that I am not trying to tell you to overdo it and put yourself into a state of overtraining. More is not better if it leads you to having to take time off due to overuse injuries or burnout. Instead, what I am referring to is the daily effort to keep moving. In fact, an athlete who truly understands this concept recognizes that the goal is to do the least amount of properly timed, specific training that brings continual improvement.

Therefore, while deciding whether to bear the cold and get out for that 5 mile run you had scheduled for today don’t listen to the excuses that might be running through your head. Instead choose consistency. The benefits will pay off in 5 months from now when you put that swim cap on for the first tri of the season and are confident that you have put the constant work in to be successful. Remember too that you can’t make up for lost time. In other words, if you skip a few workouts in a week, you can’t add them on next week and expect positive results. With that in mind, if you do choose to stay on the couch on a given day, think about the fact that your competition might not have.