Posted: November 28, 2005

Science of Sport: Macro Periodization - Part 1

By Neil Cook, BS, MS, MEd

The will to win means nothing without the will to prepare. - Juma Ikangas, winner 1989 NYC Marathon – 2:08:01

The first step in racing preparation involves setting goals and designing a training plan. Your top priority should be to get the most physiological benefits from your training sessions while avoiding injury. My plans are an amalgamation of Arthur Lydiard's approach to training, incorporating Tudor Bompa's ideas, with Jack Daniels and Vernique Billet's research. Training is not just running miles. In spite of what popular magazines, books and articles propose (mostly anecdotal and unsupported by research) there is a science to training. Coaching is the art – molding the science to the athlete. I plan all my athlete's training programs using two "cycles" - Training Phases (Macro Periodization: the overall phases of your training plan) and a Four Week Training Cycle (Micro Periodization: the variations in your training plan from day to day and week to week). Before I begin to dive into the specifics of Macro/Micro Periodization, there are 6 principles of Exercise Philosophy you must follow to prepare your body for optimal performance.

• Stress - In order to build endurance, strength and speed, you need to stress each of these physiological systems. The response to physical stress is growth in each of these areas.
• Adaptation – An athlete’s body will adapt to the physiological stresses presented it. That is how we get fitter, stronger and faster. Adaptation is the response to physical stress.
• Progression – In order to continue to improve, you must increase the stresses. Working with the same weights will not cause an increase in strength.
• Specificity – Training is specific. The best way to improve your running is to run! You need to consider the distance and terrain of your goal race. There is no substitute for specific training.
• Individualization – Each of us responds differently to training. Learn how you respond to each aspect of training and pay attention to what you learn. Adapt your training to your specific needs and responses.
• Reversibility – All the gains from training will begin to disappear when training stops. This should not dissuade you from time off. Rest is critical to successful training.

Micro Periodization
The Four Week Training Cycle emphasizes a different aspect of training each week, i.e. when increasing weekly mileage and distance of long runs:
1. Base Week - "normal" or "average" weekly total and long workout distance. Total distance is 30 miles, long workout is 10 miles.
2. Increased Weekly Mileage - increase weekly total, but not distance of the long workout. Total distance increases to 34 miles, long workout remains 10 miles.
3. Increased Long Workout - increase long workout distance, but not the weekly total. Total distance remains 34 miles, long workout increases to 12 miles.
4. Recovery Week - back to Base Week totals. Total distance drops back to 30 miles, long workout also drops back to 10 miles.

The Four Week Cycle (Micro Periodization) plan allows for two benefits - a recovery week every four weeks and increasing only one aspect of training per week (weekly mileage OR long workout distance). For most athletes this plan is ideal, providing optimal training and minimal risk of injury and burnout (direct burnout - athlete loses focus and indirect burnout - family or work loses tolerance!). The increases are gradual enough to allow adaptation and recovery. Some athletes can increase the intensity and distances by doing a Middle Distance run in the middle of weeks 2 and 3.

Macro Periodization
Periodization is training for specific physiological benefits. Macro Periodization is the overall phases of your training plan. The basis of Macro Periodization is that you cannot be fast if you are not strong, and you cannot be strong if you are not fit. So, if you build the cardiovascular engine first, the muscular engine next and then work on neuromuscular coordination, the result will be your ability to perform at an optimal level. This is the idea behind Macro Periodization and this is how you reach your racing goals. Physiologically, there are five phases to training – Base, Strength, Speed, Maintenance and Recovery. You can think of these phases as pyramid.

Base Building Period (Endurance Building Phase)
This phase is where you build your foundation. Without a sound base (i.e. Aerobic Base), your entire training program will suffer. This phase incorporates training for time and mileage, but not for speed. The goals of this phase are:
• To build your cardiovascular and muscular endurance.
• To improve your VO2max.
• To build up your base mileage and distance of long workouts.

Begin this phase by building your cardiovascular fitness. You can achieve this by gradually building up both weekly distance (or time) and the distance (or time) of your long workout. Include at least one long workout every two to three weeks. The effort during this phase should be at a comfortable level, mostly Zone I with some Zone II (see Table 1). The Base Building Period should last as long as possible, ideally the entire winter. However, 12 to 16 weeks is necessary. During the week, alternate medium distance workouts with Active Recovery Days (or days off). It is usually better to take an Active Recovery Day than to take a day totally off. This would be a workout of about 30 minutes – an easy effort (75% or less, Zone 0 – Below 65% of AT HR) with friends. The benefit of an Active Recovery Day is that you increase the blood flow to muscles, which allows the waste, excess fluids and soreness to diminish faster than with total rest. Experienced athletes should add “aerobic” intervals – short, fast repeats. These are not the gut searing efforts required during the Strength and Speed Building Phases, but are limited to 80% to 85% efforts. They should last about 20 seconds per repeat, cover 50 to 100 meters and are smooth and relaxed. They will combat the negative effects of endurance building workouts. Use them to maintain biomechanical efficiency. As you build endurance, you should also begin building strength. More advanced athletes can add one workout per week after the first four to six weeks of the Base/Endurance Building Phase. The best way to add a strength-building workout is to add hills. Doing hill drills and hill repeats builds strength and reduces the risk of injury. You can add one hard workout after the first four weeks of Base Building. This workout should include periods of 4 to 8 minutes of near maximal effort - Zone III. Begin with 4 repeats and work up to 10 to 12 repeats over a couple of months.

Table 1: Training Zones:
Zone 0 – No training effect, very comfortable effort, below 65% of Anaerobic Threshold Heart Rate, Active Recovery, fat burning.
Zone I – Comfortable effort, between 65% and 80% of Anaerobic Threshold Heart Rate, warm-up, cool-down, long workouts 2+ hours, mostly fat burning.
Zone II – Moderate effort, between 85% and 95% of Anaerobic Threshold Heart Rate, aerobic workouts, shorter workouts 30 minutes to 2 hours, fat and carbohydrate burning.
Zone III – Hard effort, between 100% and 105% of Anaerobic Threshold Heart Rate, anaerobic workouts, strength and speed workouts, time trials, 30 to 60 minutes, carbohydrate burning only.
Zone IV – Very hard effort, from 105% to Max of Anaerobic Threshold Heart Rate, max efforts, use only for peaking, 30 to 40 seconds.

Strength Building Period
Building endurance is certainly important, but building strength is the key to success and speed. The goals of this phase are:
• Build muscular strength.
• Increase capillary beds.
• Build mitochondria.
• Improve Lactate enzyme response.
• Raise Lactate Threshold.
• Improve economy.
• Maintain cardiovascular and muscular endurance.
• Maintain VO2max.
• Maintain base mileage and distance of long workouts.

The Strength Building phase is often neglected. After building a solid (Endurance) Base, athletes that skip the Strength Building Phase and move directly into the Speed Building Phase will often risk injury and diminish their success. This is the time when you focus on increasing your strength. The best way to do this is by working out on lots of hills! Running on hills is the fastest, and safest, way to build strength. The Strength Building Phase should last 6 to 8 weeks, and your effort should be moderate to hard, emphasizing Zones II and III. During the Strength Building Phase, your hard (hill) workouts should increase to two per week. The important feature of these workouts is raising your heart rate over 90% of max (or 100% to 105% of AT HR) for periods of four to eight minutes at a time. Start with 4 repeats up a 6% to 9% hill and increase up to 10 to 12 repeats. The hill should take you between 4 and 8 minutes to climb. The recovery interval should be at least equal to the hard effort repeat. Your heart rate should return to around 60% to 65% of maximum effort before beginning your next hard repeat. If you are racing on the weekend, eliminate one strength workout during that week. Continue with your long workouts once per week. All other days should be easy to moderate efforts (Zone I and II) or Active Recovery days. Your weekly mileage should be close to the maximum you reached for the Base Building Phase. During these workouts, emphasize muscular effort instead of speed. Don’t worry about getting up the hill fast. Use muscle power to get you up the hill. Emphasize elevating your feet off the ground. Skipping is an excellent hill drill.

Supplemental Strength Training
Supplemental Strength Training is also critical to success and avoidance of injury. Strength building with Plyometrics and weights are my preferred supplemental workouts.

Plyometrics
Plyometrics is Explosive Strength training, and an excellent strength building method. Add a single Plyometric session each week. Explosive strength has been shown to be a key element of running performance. By increasing your explosive strength during the Base Building and Strength Building Phases, you will prepare your body for the Speed Building Phase. This session should only take 30 minutes. Select a routine that emphasizes explosive leg strength. Be sure to warm-up and cool-down properly.

Strength Building Exercises
Weights are the traditional method of building strength. The use of free weights builds strength around the joints by engaging several muscle groups simultaneously, as you do while running, instead of isolating single muscles. Do not spend more than 20 or 30 minutes in the gym per session. Work with free weights and/or pulleys, not machines. Vary your weight workouts from week to week. Do two to three workouts each week. They should last between 30 and 45 minutes – no longer. I recommend one exercise in each of the following areas:
• Arms Pushing – extend (straighten) elbows against resistance, press (standing, seated with barbell or dumbbell), bench press (flat, incline, decline), dips, pull-ups
• Arms Pulling – flex (bend) elbows against resistance, row (seated, bent-over, one arm with barbells or dumbbells)
• Abdominal – static (Side Lying Bridge, Prone Plank, Supine Plank) or concentric/eccentric (crunch), increase resistance, rather than increasing reps
• Lower Back – back extension (45° or 90°), Good Mornings, stiff-leg dead lift
• Squats. – step-ups, lunge, leg press

Do one to three sets of 6 to 8 reps for each exercise. Do all exercises with FULL range of motion. Use a weight of 80% to 85% of 1 Repeat Maximum (1RM) for 6 to 8 reps. You can also use 130% of your 10 Repeat Maximum (10RM). Planks are also an excellent way to build core strength. Do one to two sets of these four Planks, holding each for up to 60 seconds. When you can hold a position for 60 seconds, remove one arm as support. When you reach 60 seconds with one arm, remove one leg as support also.

Prone Plank:

Supine Plank:

Side Plank (do right and left sides):

Prone Plank Arm Raised:

Prone Plank Leg Raised:

Supine Plank Arm raised:

Supine Plank Leg raised:

Side Plank Leg raised:

Remember, it is imperative to create a base endurance and build strength to reach your optimum performance in the next two phases of macro-periodization: speed and racing maintenance.

Neil L. Cook, BS, MS, MEd has been a successful coach since 1965. A former physical education teacher, he’s been a runner and triathlete since 1978. He has a BS in Physical Education, Kinesiology, Biomechanics, Exercise Physiology, and coaching; a MS in Physical Education and Motor Learning; a MEd in Motor learning and Neurophysiology; and has completed PhD coursework in Motor Learning and Neurophysiology. He successfully coaches athletes at all levels, who have not only reached their goals but have won numerous awards and set personal goals.

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