How to Develop as a Great Coach: Have a Plan, Part III
Have a Plan, PART III — Training Blocks Explained
*** Note: If you have not read Part 1 & 2, please do. Reading Part 1 and Part 2 will result in Part 3 making more sense. ***
Before discussing the Performance Period, it’s worth detailing training blocks and why they are a critical element of training programming.
Within training periods (which are a large period of time, usually 3 - 9 weeks), training is organized into smaller blocks, or timeframes, of focused loading. Each training block has it’s own unique theme, but is not separate from other training blocks (short timeframes) within a training period (longer timeframe), as they are all pieces of the bigger training picture.
The division and sub-divisions of training loads may seem very nitpicky, but it is important for a reason: in general, adaption to consistent training loads follows a predictable pattern — loosely known as the “6 Week Rule.”
The 6 Week Rule is a product of the biological law of accommodation, which all biological organisms, like athletes, are subject to. The Law of Accommodation in training states, if athletes employ the same exercises with the same training load over an extended period of time, performance improvement (gain) decreases. Because of this law, it is inefficient to use the same standard exercises or training loads over a training period or season.
But what is “an extended period of time?”
Anecdotal evidence from coaches and research findings from scientists have repeatedly found that after roughly 6 weeks training programs should be modified to avoid or decrease the negative influence of accommodation.
When an athlete is consistently exposed to a fresh stimulus (training exercise and/or load) the first 21 days is a time of rapid adaption, lots of improvement will occur. The next 21 days is a time of stabilization when training residuals at the cellular, hormonal, metabolic, neurological, and musculoskeletal tissue level solidify. Then after about 6 weeks, or 42 days, of repeated exposure to the same stimulus, the novelty wears off as we become fully accommodated to it and a sharp decrease in improvement results. At this point, any work done without modification to the stimulus is just hard labor with little-to-no benefit.
With this phenomenon in mind, coaches have developed and successfully employ training blocks within a training period to intelligently progress athletes through the adaption lifecycle of a stimulus in an optimal manner.
Here are the themes of each training block, along with the time period, I use to organize my training periods:
Introduction Block — 4 to 14 days
Intensification Block — 10 to 14 days
Extension Block — 10 to 14 days
Stabilization Block — 10 to 14 days
Realization Block — 4 to 14 days
No matter the training period, the thematic progression of my training blocks are always the same because the biological process of the stimuli-adaption cycle and law of accommodation is always the same.
The themes are important because they remind me, and the athletes, of the major and minor priorities of training during each block. Additionally, within each training block the relationship between training volume, intensity, density, and recovery changes to optimally adapt the athlete to the focal training stimuli in a progressive fashion.
Here’s a breakdown of each block:
Introduction Block ( 4 - 14 days ) — The focus is on introducing the chosen biomotor quality or qualities (Stamina, Speed, Strength, Suppleness, or Skill) which be the focus of the training period. The athlete will experience server disturbance/stress/fatigue during this block because of their lack of familiarity to the new stimuli. The intensity the athlete experiences is challenging, so volume is kept low, and recovery between exposures (both within a workout and from workout to workout) is long.
Example: Let’s go back to the Genera Period in Part 1, where I decided the main quality to advance in the hypothetical emerging elite 5K runner was their Stamina, and use that as our reference. There were 2 sessions in the training week of 4 - 6 miles of 15K pace work (Monday and Thursday) with “long” recovery intervals of 1-2 minutes between the 1 or 2 mile reps. The other days were easier aerobic support runs.
Intensification Block ( 10 - 14 days ) — Now that the athlete has familiarized themselves with the new stimuli, the next step is to gradually increase the frequency, density, and velocity of the stimuli. Doing one or a combination of these manipulations to the stimuli results in an increase in training intensity and why this block is called Intensification. Here the intensity level is difficult, training volume has increased to medium loads due to increased frequency and/or density, and as a result, recovery is reduced to moderate levels. This is (along with the following extension block) are the heart of a training period — and the toughest parts. In this block, the cumulative stress of training must be complemented with as deep recovery as possible to avoid excessive fatigue, overtraining or injury.
Example: Here I would increase the number of stamina-focused training sessions to 3 in a week (higher frequency + density, resulting in an elevated training intensity), on Tuesday, Thursday, and Saturday. The sessions would be, in order: 6 x 1 Mile @ 15K with 60” rest, 3 x 2 Mile @ 15K with 2’ rest, and 7-9 miles continuous at Marathon Pace. The volume and recovery between reps of the first two sessions did not change, but ideally, 15K pace gets a little faster. The overall training week volume increases with the addition of a 7-9 mile run at Marathon Pace, which is at a slower velocity than 15K pace, but due to the session occurring on the Saturday of the training week, a higher cumulative fatigue is felt resulting in a similar stamina-building stressor experienced by the 5K runner. Remember, this running is in the General Period training so we are focusing on upgrading their general, not 5K specific, stamina, thus the absence of any 5K intensity work and focus on (eventually) 10K - Marathon range running — in effect in this period the runner is getting in shape, to get in shape.
Extension Block (10 to 14 days) — The aim of this block is to extend the athlete’s ability to perform the target training quality at a high level with little interruption or stoppage. To accomplish this we increase the volume of training and reduce recovery. In some ways, this is the hardest training block, where the most care and attention must be paid, because you are purposefully trying to push the envelope without overtraining. The velocity of workouts does not need to quicken, as increasing volume and reducing recovery are stressful enough. Expect the athlete to be very tired and fatigued during the block. It is an expected short-term consequence signaling the desired adaptation is taking place to ready the athlete for continuous racing over their target distance. In this block recovery days a VERY light in intensity (a 1-2 on 0-5 Rate of Perceived Exertion scale) and VERY short in duration (no more than 60 minutes of activity). Be ready to make easy days into full rest days if needed. What matters most in this block are the workouts complemented by deep as able recovery from workout-to-workout given the inherent high volume demands in this block.
Example: Workout volume increases, velocity stays the same, while recovery within workouts decreases. The stamina sessions are still 3 days a week, on Tuesday, Thursday, and Saturday, and now look like: 8 x 1 Mile @ 15K with 30” rest, 4 x 2 Miles @ 15K with 60” rest, 8-10 miles continuous at Marathon Pace. Recovery days are very light and low volume (1-2 easy runs 30 - 50 minutes long).
Stabilization Block (10 to 14 days) — Stabilization is marked by a moderate reduction in training volume, a slight increase in training velocity, and a moderate increase in recovery. Training density is stabilized or slightly increased, frequency is stable. Here you start backing of training volume and density slightly (to reduce fatigue) but in general, the overall training load is stable, so the athlete can practice, refine and get better at the target qualities of the training period.
Example: Workout volume slightly decreases, velocity slightly increases, recovery within workouts slightly increases, but between workouts stays the same, workout rep density slightly increases. The stamina sessions are still 3 days a week, on Tuesday, Thursday, and Saturday, and now look like: 5 x 1.5 Mile @ 15K-10K with 60” rest, 2 x 3 Miles @ 15K-10K with 90” rest, 8-9 miles continuous at Marathon - 1/2 Marathon Pace. Recovery days are still very light and low volume (1-2 easy runs 30 - 50 minutes long).
Realization Block (4 to 14 days) — Realization is characterized by a reduction of anything considered a fatiguing training load so the athlete can realize the newly earned fitness gained through their labor during the proceeding training blocks. The focal point is to provide rest intervals long enough for proper restoration and, at the same time, short enough to maintain the acquired physical fitness levels. The idea here is to decrease the load during each session rather than the number of workouts. This would look like a warm-up session or very easy workouts at the newly stabilized fitness levels rather than difficult high volume or high-speed sessions. This is block is when you’d do a time trial, race, or test of some sort to measure improvements in the targeted qualities. Most coaches and athletes know this block by the name “taper” or “peak” phase.
Common mistakes during this period are:
Cut total training volume and frequency drastically — a little trimming of volume (10%-15%) is fine, but aim to keep the number of weekly training sessions the same.
Increase training intensity through sharp increases in velocity (running a lot faster than accustomed is a new stress and will cause fatigue). Resist the urge, save it for the race, time trial or test effort.
Worrying about “losing” fitness during this block and not back off training loads adequately. The cumulative effects of the training residuals earned from the accumulation of work through the prior blocks will result in the retention of fitness changes after the cessation of stressful training. Provided the athlete performs frequent light, not fatiguing maintenance workouts the retention of fitness can last between 2 - 6 weeks depending on the fitness quality and depth of prior training.
Example: Workout volume slightly decreases, velocity stays the same or is slightly reduced, recovery within and/or between workouts increases, and training frequency stays the same. The stamina sessions are still 3 days a week (frequency is maintained), on Tuesday, Thursday, and Saturday, but now a little different with less overall volume, but extended volume per effort as the athlete ideally has adapted to handle this workout construction with little to no stress: 2 x 2.5 Mile @ 15K-10K with 120” rest, 4.5 Miles continuous @ 15K-10K, 7 Miles continuous: first 5 Miles at Marathon, final 2 Miles at 1/2 Marathon Pace. Recovery days are still very light and of similar volume, frequency performed in the prior block.
In Part 4 (of 5) I’ll cover the Performance Period.
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