Periodization/tapering

[Spenco]

Hi folks,

I have an NFL Combine style workout at the end of this month which will test my power output and speed. Weightlifting has obviously been a large part of my preparation for this, as well as sprint training, jumps/plyometrics, throws etc.

I have never really executed a complete taper for an event before, and while I understand periodization I don't have practical experience of performing a taper.

Does anyone have any useful hints or tips I might be able to use?

[Arden Cogar Jr.]

I know a lot about tapering as it applies to athletic events. If it's an Combine style session - bench, leap, broad jump, 40, shuttle run - it should not be overly complicated.

If it's a month out I would go like this.
Week 1 - high volume and high intensity- not sure how this would be defined, but I think the running events would be sets of 3 to 5 as the shuttle run is as much technique as it is pure speed. The Bench would be done every other day - I would go for extende rest sets and do this max rep thing 3 to 5 times in one session. The Leap and Jump and sprints would be done every other day.

Week 2 - medium volume and high intensity. Cut the volume down to 5; same every other day. Take a rest day on the next to last day, then do all 5 events on the Sunday - 1 time - sort of a practice round.

Week 3 - low volume and high intensity. Volume is down to 2 sets/runs per session. Again, do a practice round on the Sunday after a rest day.

Week 4 - hardly no volume/ low intensity - Do a lot of stretching, relax, do some shorter sports, store up on CNS reserves. If the test is on Saturday, do nothing after Wednesday.

Hope that helps?

All the best,
Arden

Week

[glennpendlay]

We do it very similarly. Keep the intensity high till right before the competition, but cut volume during the last month.

[Spenco]

Thanks for your input chaps, appreciated.

Seems like we're on the same wavelength, what Arden said is very similar to what I've planned out. If I get it right I should be able to peak everything with a low volume/high intensity about a week before hand and benefit from the short, high intensity bursts with a supercompensation in recovery with the lowered volume.

[Gareth Rees]

Tapering is a very interesting subject in my opinion. There's much too little scientific information on it for my liking, especially in power/strength sports.. There's a lot to be learned about it I'm sure, but a lot of trends of successful tapering can be found in dropping volume over the last few weeks, and maintaining intensity (as others have said).
One thing I will add though is that it is definately individualised!!!

[Spenco]

I'm with you Gareth.

I think quite a lot of the theory behind performance tends to come from team based sports where they play every week minimum and the professional arena where obviously a premium is put on injury prevention. What I have learned from pursuing Olympic weightlifting for a while now is that so many people in other sports are very reluctant to increase volume and/or intensity due to what seems to be a fear of overtraining or injury.

The Donny Shankle interview where he tells the story of Ivan Abadjiev saying something along the lines of 'you are a weightlifter, you are sore' kind of woke me up to the idea that it can actually be quite beneficial to perform a lot of work in a state of accumulated fatigue, because the performance increase is experienced when you deload or taper. I don't think this is practiced enough, especially in team sports.

[Gareth Rees]

Practical programming opened up my eyes to your second statement.. How the performance is seen in the taper, and the decrease in performance during training doesn't necessarily mean a decrease in the ultimate ability of the body to perform (fatigue free).

It does seem that the vast vast majority of tapering studies done are on aerobic sports, and then secondly on team sports. A year ago I bought a book by Inigo Mujika, on the subject. It was fairly interesting, but not hugely useful or conclusive. Just seemed to be a meta-analysis, just listing results of studies, and not really coming to any conclusions or more studies to back it up. May be worth looking in to, if you're that interested.

[Spenco]

Thanks for that Gareth, I'll maybe check that out.

Arden & Glenn, re volume tapering. On the week prior to my workout day, the highest volume week, how much should I be looking to increase my total volume by, and should this be a daily increase in total volume, or a weekly increase compared to the week prior? Or is this simply a feel thing?

On a positive note, I've managed to increase strength, power and speed whilst dropping 5lbs the last week so we must be onto something.

Thanks again.

[Arden Cogar Jr.]

Spenco,
For my sport, I normally by the daily total volume - which should correspond with a increase in weekly total volume. The last high volume week is the only week I "really push it." If that makes any sense?

All the best,
Arden