A different way to plan your training

         In my last post we talked about how the body reacts towards a new stimulus with training in the phenomenon called General Adaptation Syndrome (GAS), and how fitness and fatigue and inversely related until the body adapts to the training. Today we will build on that theory and implement that into a more longer-term approach to training. On a side note, I dislike the phase "working out". To me working out implies a lackadaisical approach to the gym. Some folks like that approach has they view working out as fun or a social club. I am not one of those people. I take the gym seriously. When your job requires you to be in shape and it is a part of your resume then yes, I will take it seriously. Even at my level in the military all they are looking for is a Go or No Go in terms of fitness it can be a dealbreaker in terms of schools or job opportunities. For example, for Drill Sergeant you want someone who is in shape. This path requires more long-term approach. Our fitness tests are typically in April and October or generally six months apart. April and October are often depended on the weather. In Mississippi we you want April before the heat and humidity hit while in Massachusetts, we performed our tests in May to increase the likelihood of a warmer day. For those not in the military, for this exercise pick an athletic event and work backwards from there. 

    If we test in May then I know I should be "peaking" within 7-14 days of the test. Before the test it is best to implement blocks of training to work on various components of fitness. For the overall structure of the plan, we look at phases such as Preparatory-First Transition-Competitive and second Transition. This is the systematic approach from going from increased volume with a low load percentage to lower volume to increased load. Obviously, we would have fluctuations in volume and intensity, but that is an overarching approach.

    The preparatory stage or offseason is broken down into two sections: General and Specific. General is building an overall fitness level that includes more volume. An example for resistance training would be 3-6 sets with 8-20 repetitions at 50%-75% of 1RM or aerobic training would entail more long, slow, distance training. Specific training is more sports specific training that gears towards preparing the athlete for a more competitive period. Specific training in terms of resistance training would be 2-6 sets with 2-6 reps at 80%-95% of 1RM.

    During the Preparatory period hypertrophy phase exist. This aspect is all about building lean body mass for strength athletes and strength endurance for aerobic athletes. Basic strength phase is towards the end of the preparatory phase going into the Specific phase. Basic strength is moving away from hypertrophy towards building strength. In this phase we are at 80%-95% of 1RM with 2-6 sets with 2-6 reps. By building the baseline of resistance training it is easier to build strength. Variations within each period do exist, however the main goal is to build a base before building strength. 

    In our example of fitness testing in April; February would be used for general phase of hypertrophy and March would entail more of a shift into specific training for strength. April would be our competitive period preparing ourselves for testing. Think of these phases as building a pyramid base before building the top point.