Microcycles directed at different training modalities

The demands and specificity of various sports determine the variety and particulars of the microcycle content. Nevertheless, the basics of BP affect microcycle design in terms of the selection and sequencing of workloads for different training modalities. More specifically, microcycle design leads to several basic situations that regulate the compilation of compatible combinations and prevent negative

149 Table 4.10

Compatible combinations of different training modalities within specific microcycles

Dominant modality Compatible training modality Comments Aerobic abilities Maximum strength, anaerobic alactic abilities, aerobic strength endurance, basic technique

Linkage of aerobic and strength workouts enhances oxidation in the muscles, sprint bouts activate a wide spectrum of muscle fibers and break monotony, certain conditions improve movement stability and economy

Anaerobic glycolitic abilities Anaerobic alactic abilities, anaerobic strength endurance, techno-tactical fitness

Alactic mechanism contributes to power output of short-duration bouts, high-resistance intense exercises enhance both strength endurance and anaerobic metabolism, techno-tactical demands provide a stressful physical program

Explosive strength

Maximum strength, maximum speed, sport- specific coordination

Maximum strength exercises form the background for event-specific power, maximum speed highly correlates with explosive power

Pre- competitive microcycle Sport-specific simulation, maximal speed

The simulation tasks adapt athletes to the

expected competitive stressors, training residuals of maximum speed workloads are the shortest

Let’s clarify the workload combinations in the above mentioned microcycles.

Aerobic and so called strength-aerobic microcycles constitute a large part of overall preparation in many sports. They add aerobic endurance and muscular strength to the athletic performance (i.e., all endurance sports, combat sports, team sports, several aesthetic sports like synchronized swimming and figure skating etc.). Of course, the proportion of aerobic and strength exercises within a microcycle can vary depending on the sports demands and/or individual desires. At the same time well controlled studies indicate that an aerobic routine supported by high-resistance exercises elicits more beneficial training outcomes for endurance performances than pure endurance programs (Sale et al., 1990; Chtara et al,,2005)

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Study. One group of male and female athletes trained one leg for strength and the other one, using concurrent workloads, for strength and endurance. A second matched group trained one leg for endurance and the other one for strength and endurance concurrently. The study findings indicated that the combined strength- aerobic training elicits a similar strength increase as in separate strength training, and almost the same gains in endurance as the separate endurance training. The conclusion reached is that strength and endurance can be effectively developed concurrently (Sale et al., 1990).

Anaerobic alactic exercises are not of primary importance in the aerobic microcycle but their contribution is far from negligible. Sprint bouts used in alternating exercises (like fartleck) recruit the fast motor units, which are normally inactive in drills of moderate intensity (Komi, 1989). The short-term oxygen debt caused by this spurt is compensated for during subsequent aerobic work. Thus, additional stimuli for oxidation are received by both slow and fast muscle fibers. Breaking the monotony and elevating emotional involvement in the aerobic workouts are also valuable contributions of sprint exercises.

The large amount of moderately intense exercises is intended to enhance workability on the anaerobic threshold level. However, these exercises can be used effectively in executing many technical exercises directed at enhancing basic technical details and elements. Such features as automatization, biomechanical economy, full range of motion, accentuation of force application in power phases, enhancement of relaxation phases, rational variability following changed conditions, and fatigue tolerance can be positively affected during prolonged aerobic exercise.

Highly intense anaerobic workload microcycles form the content of the most specific and exhaustive transmutation mesocycle. The developmental workloads in this microcycle are performed at a load level higher than the anaerobic threshold. Nevertheless, the extent of anaerobic resources mobilization may vary and depends on many factors. Normally the level of stress over the microcycle gradually increases as the target competition approaches. Thus, the utilization of workloads inducing lactate accumulation in the 5-8 mM range makes it possible to improve maximum aerobic

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power and aerobic-anaerobic interactions. These workouts are prevalent in early and mid-season.

Workloads that elicit lactate accumulation over 8 mM are intended to enhance anaerobic glycolitic power and capacity; they contribute greatly to the program in the final stages prior to the target-competition. In addition, high-resistance intense exercises comprise the main part of the training program. Typical exercises such as uphill running, serial jumping, resistance swimming, rowing, paddling etc. activate the entire spectrum of muscle fibers. The recruitment of fast motor units leads to a rapid increase in lactate production. As a result, the extent of anaerobiosis in such workloads is relatively higher and the duration for sustaining the given load level is shorter. Thus, the intense strength endurance workout is an important contributor to the anaerobic microcycle of a training program.

Another contributor to this microcycle is anaerobic alactic exercises. They are restricted to compatibility with an anaerobic glycolitic program. They require proper metabolic, enzymatic and neural adjustments that can not be sufficiently provided for within an exhausting and strictly managed microcycle. However, specific demands of several sports (in particular in team and combat sports) dictate involvement of short- duration (alactic) bouts and more prolonged (glycolitic) efforts. In addition, the use of short-duration sprints makes it possible to diversify the training routine but without attempting to enhance maximum speed.

It is important to remember that the metabolic stress, typical of highly intense anaerobic exercises, makes it more difficult to execute proper technique and techno- tactical skills. However, similar (or even more pronounced) aggravation occurs during competitive performance. Hence, these skills can be properly enhanced with respect to extreme physical and emotional exertions, i.e., within the framework of highly intense workload microcycles.

The salient features of the anaerobic microcycle are fatigue accumulation and insufficient restoration. Fatigue accumulation over an entire microcycle is inevitable. To reduce the negative consequences of insufficient restoration the following

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- The sequencing of development workouts should be closely examined from the viewpoint of expected fatigue accumulation;

- Restorative workouts are compulsory elements of a training plan and should be distributed wisely;

- The inclusion of restorative methods like stretching, breathing and relaxation exercises, low intensity drills, massage, physiotherapy, and nutritional

supplements is strongly recommended;

- Monitoring the athlete’s training responses is of particular importance here.

Microcycles for developing explosive strength are typical for high coordination power events like the throws (discus, javelin, hammer, shot put) and jumps (high, long, triple and pole vault). Unlike so called metabolic sports, where energy production plays a decisive role in athletic performance, the highly

coordinative power sports have very specific demands for fatigue accumulation. Both the neuro-muscular specificity of these sports and the salient manifestations of explosive strength are predicated on a suitable background of development workouts and, consequently, on high workload microcycles.

This is a favorable background that embraces sufficient sensitivity and reactivity of the central nervous system (Zatsiorsky, 1995), rapid replenishment of energy resources (Wilmore, Costill, 1993), and an appropriate hormonal state, i.e., a beneficial testosterone/ cortisol ratio (Viru, 1995). Therefore, the microcycle of highly specific workloads that is typical of the transmutation mesocycle substantially differs from the equivalent microcycle in endurance sports. For structuring the training program in these microcycles the following characteristics are prevalent (Bondarchuk, 1986 and 2007):

1) Event-specific explosive strength exercises, which are of primary importance in the entire training program, are scheduled for the most favorable time, i.e., in morning sessions when the program contains two workouts a day, and in the initial part of the workout, when the athlete’s sensitivity and reactivity are highest. This approach reserves the most favorable phases of the athlete’s state for performing the most important key-exercises.

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2) Maximum strength exercises, which play an important supporting role in event-specific power sports and in an athlete’s general state, are added to the program in special separate workouts and/or in the second part of event-specific sessions.

3) Maximum speed exercises are combined with event-specific exercises and are included in separate additional workouts prior to a maximum strength series of exercises.

4) Restorative workouts and exercises (playing basketball, swimming, stretching, jogging etc.) round out the program and provide recovery to maintain optimal neuro-muscular conditions during the entire

microcycle.

The pre-competitive microcycle contains elements of the realization mesocycle (see 4.1.3) and should therefore satisfy the following conditions:

- It uses sport-specific exercises and tasks, which simulate forthcoming competitive activity and allow for the formation of a techno-tactical model of the competitive performance;

- It develops maximum speed (power) abilities and sport-specific quickness; - It provides full (or almost complete) restoration after highly fatiguing workloads in the preceding transmutation mesocycle;

- It assists in promoting mental readiness for the forthcoming competitions and mental toughness that is particularly important in the mid- to late- season.

Because the pre-competitive microcycle is part of the realization mesocycle, also called the taper, its methodological clarification and interpretation are quite different. Basically, it is intended to reduce the total workloads but the proposed ways of attaining this goal are varied. It is generally believed that total training volume should be decreased. However, many contradictions can be found regarding workout duration and frequency as well as the use of highly intense exercises (Kubukeli et al., 2002). The BP concept makes it possible to propose certain general approaches that can assist in designing the pre-competitive microcycle in several sports (Figure 4.4).

154 Total workload volume C o n tr ib u ti o n o f tr a in in g c o m p o n e n ts In c re a s e d D e c re a s e d Total volume of intensive exercises Workout frequency Volume of maximal speed exercises Volume of sport-specific simulative tasks

Figure 4.4 Contribution of different training components to the pre-competitive microcycle program

Reduction of workload volume is a principal condition for full restoration, in order to attain and then exploit the athlete’s state of supercompensation. In other words, to reduce the workload level is of primary importance but how it is done depends on circumstances. The main contributors to the desired workload decrease are a reduction in total training volume and a reduction in the partial volume of intense exercises. The proportions are sport-specific and individually dependent, but the outcome is always similar – restoration and improvement of the athlete's general state.

Workout frequency, as a component of microcycle design, is neither simple nor unequivocal. On the one hand, reduced frequency can be considered as a way to decrease total workloads and to find more time for restoration. On the other hand, the division of daily workloads into two sections makes it possible to increase the quality of highly intense exercises. Moreover, excessive free time, particularly in a pre- competitive training camp, can be a serious disadvantage in a daily program. Thus,

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the preferred solution is to maintain the usual daily schedule for these athletes. In qualified athletes, particularly during the pre-competitive training camp, this means performing eight-ten workouts per week.

The restorative workouts definitely contribute more to this training microcycle than in the others. This is explained, mainly by the importance of the restorative process in the entire taper program and in attaining the supercompensation state for the competitive period. In addition, because the time budget is more liberal in the pre- competitive microcycle, there is better exploitation of restorative workouts and exercises as tools to increase the quality of the very important sport-specific sessions.

Special attention should be given to the proper timing of workouts with regard to the expected schedule of competitions. In general, the daily biological rhythms should be adjusted to the schedule of the forthcoming competition, i.e., the most important workouts should be planned for the time of competitive peak-performances.