In this episode of the Tailwind Coaching Podcast, I'll delve into the differences between periodization and reverse periodization. \u00a0I'll also give you some tips about how to apply reverse periodization concepts to your own training and give some examples of the types of interval efforts you'll typically see in a reverse periodization training plan.<\/p>\n
Click through for the show notes and remember that the sponsor for this episode of the Tailwind Coaching Podcast is\u00a0Stages Cycling<\/a>. \u00a0Click that link, check out their excellent power meter offerings and help support the show with your purchase.<\/p>\n Don't forget to share this post with your friends, on Facebook, Twitter and via email.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Periodization is a training concept that has been in use in the athletic community since the mid-1950s, based on Hans Selye's General Adaptation Syndrome<\/a>\u00a0(GAS for short.) \u00a0In short, it describes how the body adapts to changes in stimulus based on different phases of alarm, resistance\/adaptation and exhaustion. \u00a0Those phases generally correlate to training stimulus, recovery\/adaptation and overtraining.<\/p>\n Periodization is a concept of systematically modulating hard work with rest,\u00a0dividing it into cycles (or blocks.)<\/p>\n Macrocycle – The “annual” cycle or the entire training season, working towards the main competition of the year. \u00a0The macrocycle is generally broken down into the following phases:<\/p>\n Mesocycle – A sub-unit of the macrocycle, each mesocycle is generally around 20% to 25% of the total macrocycle. \u00a0Typically, a mesocycle is made of up 2-6 weeks (or microcycles) each.<\/p>\n Microcycle – The smallest breakdown unit of periodization, each microcycle is generally a week in duration (mainly due to the difficulty of building microcycles outside a calendar week.)<\/p>\n With traditional periodization, the paradigm can easily be described as\u00a0“start with high volume, moving towards high intensity.” \u00a0This typically means that you're sacrificing some volume for intensity as the season progresses. \u00a0The theory here is if you don't modulate volume and intensity\u00a0<\/em>you'll exceed the ability of the body to adapt and dip into the overtraining realm.<\/p>\n So how does reverse periodization differ from the traditional model?<\/p>\n Remember that training stimulus is not all about intensity and volume. \u00a0There's a lot more to it, and reverse periodization is no different: it's not about ONLY intensity and volume, but how you apply it. \u00a0It's not about doing less work in the base phase compared to regular periodization. \u00a0It's about doing different kinds of work, and you can evaluate your progress by using TSS to evaluate your training loads. \u00a0It's also worth noting that reverse periodization works best for longer events, but you can tailor it to any specific event.<\/p>\n The reason why it works so well for longer events (or those with high base skill proficiency, such as neuromuscular capacity, muscular endurance capacity, etc) follows the same reasoning put forth in the periodization explanation above: as you get closer to your event, your training becomes more like the event. \u00a0Training volume generally increases during the season (as the weather gets nice, fitness increases, etc.) so this makes sense. \u00a0You'll be riding more miles in the summer than the winter, and in general those miles get harder overall as well.<\/p>\n In terms of practical vs laboratory application, the muscular and energy demands of slow speed, zone 2 training are entirely different than high speed, high-intensity zone 5\/6\/7 training. \u00a0The expectation in a traditional periodization plan is your body will have to\u00a0reprogram itself to adapt to higher intensity training. \u00a0In a reverse periodized plan, your body will have to adapt to increased volume at a similar intensity.<\/p>\n Train to your goals, right?<\/p>\n A reverse periodization training plan looks a little bit like an inverted pyramid or a diamond:<\/p>\n In other words, while the traditional periodization follows the “volume to intensity” model, reverse periodization follows the “intensity to volume AND intensity” model.<\/p>\n Periodization works well for those with lots of time in winter, those in warm climates or those lacking base aerobic fitness who need significant volume to build aerobic capacity. \u00a0It's also perfect for pros.<\/p>\n Reverse periodization works well for those without a lot of winter time, those in cold climates, or those doing long events (or those who are working with a coach and can have their fitness re-evaluated at regular intervals.)<\/p>\n![\"Selye's](\"https:\/\/tailwind-coaching.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/02\/General_Adaptation_Syndrome-300x219.jpg\")
<\/a>What is Periodization?<\/h2>\n\n
The Cycles of Periodization<\/h2>\n
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The Traditional Periodization Paradigm<\/h2>\n
The Misconception of Reverse Periodization<\/h2>\n
What Should Reverse Periodization Look Like?<\/h2>\n
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Periodization vs Reverse Periodization<\/h2>\n