Im doing a 3-1-3 periodization scheme now. After I’m done with it what do i do next for periodization. Do I simply repeat it. I won’t be competing at the time I finish the 3-1-3 scheme, so I don’t want to maintian. So what do I do after it?
bump
Terminator
I think this has been done before.
I would go into a maintenance phase of 3 to 4 weeks.
I’ve read about the maintence phase before but I have no competitions after the 7 weeks so I don’t understand why I should go into a maintance phase.
I think you need to do a maintenance phase. From experience I can and have seen athletes undertake maximum strength cycles in weights longer than 6 weeks and blow up.
That is way I would do one for 3 weeks, a maintenance phase, using style of one of our forum members uses in the competition period.
ONce you do a maintenance phase start again.
DMA, what do you mean blow up?
Injury, sick or fatiqued.
I’m coming up the end of my 7 (3-1-3) week cycle and plan on tkaing 2 weeks maintaince (probably not 3 though) and then into another 7 week cycle.
Agree with DMA. The reason why we cycle our strength work in the first place is because if we don’t then we plateau or worse.
In addition, a maintenance cycle will allow you to intensify your speed work and develop the capacity to lift bigger weights in the next cycle.
could maximum strength fall into an unloading week if you follow 3-1-3 scheme and then take 3 week maintenence or is that micro shortened so that max strength does not fall into an unloading week?
Obrien
I don’t quite follow your question?
My unloading week, between the 2 3 week cycles is reduce by intensity. My unstanding of an unloading week is that volume or intensity is reduced.
Where as a maintenance phase generally both volume and intensity is reduced. See thread regarding Maintaining - good points by pioneer.
During the maintenance phase of two weeks should track volume and weight room volume remain constant? Also how should weight room percentages and reps change during those weeks? This would be for a GPP maintenance phase.
Ok.
Not sure if the same methodology would apply.
But for example you might do 3 sets x 2 reps at 85% of rep max in a maintenance phase for 2 weeks, where as in a strength phase you may do 4 sets x 5 reps @ 95% of Rep max
I do suggest you read thread - I think the names are right
Maintaining
Hypertophy for later Strength Gains.
They a good threads which you will consistently refer to.
Hope this helps
Originally posted by xlr8
[b]Agree with DMA. The reason why we cycle our strength work in the first place is because if we don’t then we plateau or worse.In addition, a maintenance cycle will allow you to intensify your speed work and develop the capacity to lift bigger weights in the next cycle. [/b]
xlr8, do you mean that speed work is automatically intensified by the reduced intensity & volume of the strength work, or do you also modify your track workouts during the maintenance weeks?
The maintenance phase for weights allow you to maintain the strength you developed over the 3-1-3 phase. Maintenance implies maintaining those elevated strength levels through lower lifting volumes (high intensity, but less reps).
Now - you have lower lifting volumes in the maintenance phase. Why? So that you can shift your emphasis (in terms of time and energy) toward more pertinent activities, such as sprinting and plyos. Remember, Charlie has maintained that the maximum strength phase does not coincide with maximal speed development (in a relative sense - as acceleration can be safely trained here) because of the muscle tightness that accommodates the max-strength phase. By unloading the weights - in terms of overall volume, not intensity - you allow your body to perform at a higher speed, over greater volumes, for your sprint work - with less risk for injury.
It does not really matter that you are not peaking for a competition. As others have mentioned, there is a finite capacity to increase strength indefinitely. The strength work must be cycled. But if running fast is your goal, a window of opportunity must be created in order for this to happen - and it cannot happen if you are in a maximum strength phase.
I think a lot of people get confused by the terminology and assume that maintenance means ‘no progress’. Think of it more in terms of a shifting of priorities, with speed being your highest priority.
And to answer your question:
“do you mean that speed work is automatically intensified by the reduced intensity & volume of the strength work, or do you also modify your track workouts during the maintenance weeks?”
the answer is yes for both (althought the intensity of strength work would not drop off - optimally).
So during the maximum strength phases we emphasize acceleration, and unloading we emphasize max speed? If this is a case then how would a typical setup look?
First three weeks: Max strenght, acceleration emphasized on track.
Unloading week: Shift changes briefly to max speed.
Next three loading weeks: See first three
Several Maintenance weeks to follow: Top speed is remphasized once again.
Would this be correct?
Alex, you’ve pretty much got it.
Another point to add to #2’s observation that maintenance does not mean no progress is that as sprint work is intensified, the increased power output on the track will also translate into greater strength potential in the weight room. The best example of this is Ben Johnson’s accidental 450 bench at Seoul. Yes, he was peaking, but he had also been in a maintenance strength phase for several weeks.
Alex,
That would be a bit oversimplified in terms of how you would sequence your speed work, but the concept is correct.
I would suggest that it would be a smoother transition from the beginning of the max strength phase towards the end of the phase. Also, I wouldn’t all of the sudden move into max. speed during the unloading week between the two max strength phases. You will find that during that recovery week, there will still be soreness and fatigue from the previous 3 weeks, with your body battling to rebound from the work. This week woould be reserved for other high intensity work that does not require the same range of motion and limb velocities that max speed would entail (i.e. plyos, explosive throws).
Similarly at the end of the second 3-week phase. You will not all of the sudden jump up the volume of speed work. An adjustment must take place following the completion of the max strength phase, with your body adapting to new demands. Reexamine Charlie’s vertical integration diagrams in CFTS and in the recent e-book (2002 review) and see how the curves change relatively gradually (not spiking up and down).
Having said all of this, much depends on you the athlete reacts to this work and the changes, and how (or if) the athlete is improving. Everyone is different. Some athletes I have worked with react positively to the completion of a max strength phase and can move fairly quickly into max.speed work. While others need more time to adjust (are much stiffer for longer periods of time). So, it would also depend on your support system as well (i.e. access to and frequency of massage, soft-tissue therapy).
Flash is right. Even when we drop our max strength work to accommodate the speed emphasis, it is common to have athletes achieve personal bests in lifts in the competitive phase. Still boggles my mind. But it really helps to bolster the confidence of the athletes.
Derek, so for example during a 313 max strength phase, a speed workout may look like 12x20m, 2x40m (total distance 320m) while during a maintenance phase I may start with 2x4x40m (still total distance 320m) but gradually increase the total volume with each week.
(btw, I assume that 2x4x40m during the maintenance phase is enough to maintain the accelerative strength gained by multiple reps of short sprints during the 313 phase).