Joe Beer
Sports Scientist
& Coach

Perfect Timing...

Training ideas are often trickled down from the professionals. But with day jobs to balance there may be better ways for you to train...



From Chris Boardman's intervals to Thorpedos mega-swimming mileage athletes often try to emulate what the best of the best do. If it works for them doing intervals or riding in big gears or swimming twice a day, well it must work for me. Right?

Well, not really. This exact copying of the pro's is flawed on two accounts:

(1) you are not that particular individual and

(2) your job gets in the way of recuperation and training time.

So, the first concept of training you need to follow is:

Thou shalt train to your genetics and lifestyle.

With this in mind I believe a rarely read book called Consistent Winning provides a useful framework and additional ideas to that normally considered by athletes [1].

What's that?

The basis of the Consistent Winning is that the body follows a cycle of variation based on the Fibonacci tendency. Note, this it is not an exact law just a natural tendency throughout nature.

The sequence starts as 1,2,3,5,8,13, 21, 34, and so on. So you add two numbers to get the next number (e.g. after 34 would be 34+21 which equals, yes, 55).

This continuous adding of the previous two numbers to get the next and is based on work by the Mathematician Leonardo Fibonacci,.

This pattern has since been noted to occur throughout nature in which there are proportions of 1:1.618 or 0.618. For example, Mollusc shells, stock market cycles, artistic proportions, and the number of leaves on a flower. Hence why four leaf clovers are rare but 3 ordinary.

Now I know this is not as scientific as Joe Beer normally is. But this has an appeal, like why science cannot explain evrythign and sometime instinct (nature) is better than logic.

How does this relate to your training? Cycles! Or periodisation is the key concept to follow using this idea.

That is, your body must follow a cycle of training and rest to properly progress, much like the stock markets you must have ups and downs. one balances the other.

Most of all, you can plan the ups if you also plan the downs - that is, have planned resting periods and you'll bring a subsequent peak.

Here is the second concept of training:

A program consists of both training and recuperation.

The recuperation periods should be "planned for" not just as a result of impending fatigue or injury. Plan rest and you can plan to grow better.

Many times you may have found good races or training following time off training - The low cycle always precedes a high cycle. As the authors noted:

"Instead of continuing to train during these low points, you must rest or reduce training" [p.35, Ref 1].

Or like so many self-coached athletes are you still trying to push through below par days?

Where's the proof?

Well it's not a clear cut theory to prove, or dis-prove.

Many times athletes find that resting the day before the event just makes them out of practice and groggy on race day. But if you plan a low several days before, build back into it, you create your own high - see yhe plan below.

In the Fit For the Millennium CYCLING PLUS challenge we had time trials I used the 3+3 day taper and raced better than even Richard or Paul expected. To within 7 seconds of my all time best with no interval training! It was no fluke. The third concept helped a lot:

Plan a low to bring you up to a high on key days.

Other parts of the Consistent Winning concept ring true:

* You reach peak fitness in 12 weeks

* Warm up should last 13-21 minutes

*Stretches should be held for 13-21 seconds

* "Light" exercise days are useful as they provide neuromuscular benefits.


Sadly missed cycling Guru Ed Burke noted that training ends 5 to 7 days before an event after which "easy riding with some jumps to feel good" is best [2]. This is very similar to the build up concept of the 3+3 taper below. And it is repeated across many sports.

Most of all the proof comes from trying this type of training (see programme below) and giving these ideas a try. At least by being open minded you can hopefully learn some new ideas to incorporate in the future.

These concepts and thos eof JBST SMART training are being incorporated into TRAINING LOG software.

Watch to see it develop and to try the software (Mac and PC) for yourself here

Here endeth this sermon about planning your training.

A 3+3 Peak Performance Taper

Day	Training	Explanation
6	Active Rest - 20-40 min easy pace	neuromuscular training
5	Rest	start recuperation
4	Rest	complete recuperation
3	Easy 60 min easy/moderate pace	clear cobwebs
2	Moderate 30-60 min session with efforts*	prepare for event
1	KEY EVENT DAY	peak performance

An Endurance programme

Try this plan for your training week:

Mon Rest - self massage and stretching.

Tue Moderate level session 30-90 mins

Wed Aerobic Intervals 60-90 mins including 3-5 min intervals to
accumulate a total 20-35 minutes. Not above 180-age or
80% of maximum heart rate, with 2-3 min light exercise between.

Thu Moderate 30-90 min session (30-60 if you are a runner)
(every 3rd or 4th week this is a complete rest day)

Fri Active recuperation 20-30 min @ 65% max or below 170-your age
(every 4th week this is below 55% of max or below 140-your age)

Sat Moderate 45-90 min including hills power efforts of 1-2'.
(Reduce to 30-60 min and weight train if you want to build strength)

Sun Long session over 90-120 min at a moderate pace drinking and
feeding regularly. Stretch lightly afterwards.

A complete 3-month training program can be got here

References

[1] Sandler, R.D. & Lobstein, D.D. (1992) Consistent Winning. Rodale Press.
ISBN 0-87596-134-7.

[2] Burke, E.R. (1992) Cycling Health and Physiology. Vitesse press.
ISBN 0-941950251




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