Surviving Season Part 1: Periodization/Overtraining
Jan 07, 2022
Time for our physical health discussion for the week.
January is all about "Surviving The Season"
Today I want to talk about periodization and overtraining. When I first started this group and I would speak to coaches about this topic, almost no one had heard about it. Now, many of you have, but just in case:
Definition: Periodization is defined as the planned manipulation of training variables (load, sets, and repetitions) in order to maximize training adaptations and to prevent the onset of overtraining syndrome.
The last part of that definition is the key! Prevent overtraining.
Overtraining is a big deal, not something that can be ingnored. If left unchecked it can lead to serious injuries and physiological changes within the body of the athlete.
Overtraining occurs when the workload placed on the body day in and day out exceeds what the body is able to recover from. This can be seen most commonly for 3 reasons.
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Training ramps up too quickly.
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There are no recovery weeks preplanned into the season planning, and all recovery is reactionary to overtraining symptoms (fatigue, lack of motivation, poor focus, etc...)
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Recovery at home is lacking in some area. Usually sleep and nutrition.
What to do about it?
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Have a plan for the whole season (year would be perferrable), that includes a slow ramp and regularly scheduled recovery weeks. This is a periodized plan.
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Make sure your gymnast is getting enough sleep, and enough food/fuel. It's not always about eating healthy, at some point you just have to get enough food in you.
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Watch for signs of overtraining and take time OFF from the gym completely if those signs occur.
If you need any help in these areas, reach out to me. I'm happy to help.
Drop your questions or comments below!