[burkhalter]

burkhalter on November 3, 2004 at 12:37 am #9981

Guys,

How do you periodize your low intensity general strength?

I have seen figures from those who use general strength and medball circuits ranging from a total of 150-500 reps.

I have been periodizing like the CFTS periodizes tempo. Start low to moderate, increase to “appropriate level” and maintain that until the comp phase.

However, I have been thinking of periodizing as follows: Weeks 1-3 increase reps weekly and Week 4 unload.

Thoughts?

[Mike Young]

Mike Young on November 4, 2004 at 12:11 pm #34486

Very nice question. In general, I do follow a similar loading pattern that you describe but I don’t specifically periodize general strength. I do however take special care to match it up appropriately within the microcycle. I use quite a few general strength circuits and employ them in a variety of ways depending on such things as the volumes, modes, and intensities of the high intensity work within the microcycle, as well as the goals of the microcycle and specific needs of the athlete.

ELITETRACK Founder

[pete]

pete on November 7, 2004 at 5:05 am #34487

[i]Originally posted by mike[/i]
Very nice question. In general, I do follow a similar loading pattern that you describe but I don’t specifically periodize general strength. I do however take special care to match it up appropriately within the microcycle. I use quite a few general strength circuits and employ them in a variety of ways depending on such things as the volumes, modes, and intensities of the high intensity work within the microcycle, as well as the goals of the microcycle and specific needs of the athlete.

Mike, I think you wrote before that one possible way to do an unloading week would be to cut out some of the low intensity days and just use them as off days? I didn’t really understand this since it was my belief that a low intensity day like CF tempo or the strength/MB circuits you use at LSU actually helped recovery.

[Mike Young]

Mike Young on November 7, 2004 at 5:37 am #34488

[i]Originally posted by pete[/i]
Mike, I think you wrote before that one possible way to do an unloading week would be to cut out some of the low intensity days and just use them as off days? I didn’t really understand this since it was my belief that a low intensity day like CF tempo or the strength/MB circuits you use at LSU actually helped recovery.

I think we might have a misunderstanding. I remember the thread you are speaking of and I was offering several options for unloading….that is just one of at least 3 that I named….it doesn’t mean that it would be the best for all situations. In fact, that is most often used during unloading weeks that are also test weeks. The field tests that take place in those weeks over 2-3 days may actually increase the intensity of the week relative to previous weeks so to still allow for supercompensation, some of the lower intensity work is replaced by passive recovery (days off). The central question then focuses on what appears to be a contradiction when I say that low intensity days facilitate recovery and the fact that I don’t have a problem taking them out of recovery / unloading weeks.

The key here is that while I do think high volume / low-intensity work facilitates recovery, I don’t think it’s from an acute standpoint. That is, in my opinion (and several studies support this) one low-intensity session (by itself) won’t have a more significant effect on an athlete’s recovery than if one were to do nothing at all on that day. Having said that, I do think that a steady and continuous diet of high volume / low-intensity days over the course of 4 or more weeks will produce beneficial changes in an athlete’s hormonal profile which will facilitate recovery. So summing all that up, I don’t think missing one or two low intensity days will have any effect at all on recovery if they are replaced with passive (no activity) rest, rather, it is the training effect produced by prolonged exposure to intermittent higher volume / low-intensity work which will allow the body to recover faster.

ELITETRACK Founder

[pete]

pete on November 9, 2004 at 12:45 pm #34489

Thanks a lot for the very interesting reply Mike. This is an interesting view of tempo/gs as I think many view it in terms of sort of manually pumping blood into the msucle as in a massage as CF says as well as bettering hormonal profile. Many people say med ball/bodybuilding circuits basically are grass running tempo but could their slightly higher intensity mean that the “massage” effect won’t happen (even though it might be a tradeoff for some other increased qualities esp. in regards to gh release)? Or do you not think grass tempo wouldn’t have much of a “massage” effect either? I know we are also dealing with factors that could eventually lead to strength and power gains that tempo/gs might aid like cappilary density and building connective tissue but just focusing on recovery for now…

[pete]

pete on November 11, 2004 at 10:22 am #34490

I’m like that big old fat lady cause cats wanna bump me.

[Mike Young]

Mike Young on November 12, 2004 at 12:58 pm #34491

There’s no evidence that I’m aware of to suggest that light exercise provides a massage effect which will facilitate recovery. I know a lot of coaches believe strongly in it and the logic seems reasonable but I don’t really think it’s the case. The very notion implies that their is inadequate blood flow in the resting muscles of trained athletes. I can’t see how this could be true unless they had some type of circulatory disorder. Note however, that light exercise while a person has a high lactate level will help to reduce the lactate by using it as an energy source. Lactate however is not the same as soreness. Also note that light exercise during periods of soreness has been associated with a brief and temporary relief of that soreness but not with overall increased recovery.

ELITETRACK Founder

[pete]

pete on November 14, 2004 at 10:10 pm #34492

Thanks Mike. 🙂