Periodization

By David Barker

Dynamic correspondence
-Attacking player elite premiership player
-Lone striker lots of short bursts to make runs into areas to get on the
end of balls or to attack a cross
-Needs to be of a big size but not too big to have more unnecessary
mass to carry around pitch more necessary to be strong and powerful
-Lots of dynamic concentric and eccentric strength required due to the
amount of jumps performed competing against opposing centre backs
in the air
-Planes of motion worked in mainly sagittal as wont be massively agile
however also frontal plane
-Joint angle specificity 45 degree angle partial squat which is
position adopted when a striker will jump and also during acceleration
position

Annual periodization model

Macrocycle
Phases of training
Preparatory period
At the time of the year where to begin with there are no competitions and limited sportspecific skill practices. This is at the start of my pre-season and emphasises building a
base-level of conditioning to increase their tolerance for more demanding and intense
training. This will be high volume of activities (working around 3-6 sets) but will begin with
relatively low intensities (50-75% 1rm) as this is the hypertrophy phase.
This will last 2-3 weeks before increasing intensity to around 85% and lowering the volume
of exercises to moderate and now working at 3-5 sets. This is due to the preparation phase
starting to move from the hypertrophy phase into the basic strength phase. During this
phase which will again be 2-3 weeks there will be more sports specific activities
incorporated such as practice matches, friendlies and technical drills.
Following this will be the strength/power phase. This final phase of the prep period will
occur in the upcoming weeks to the competition phase and is marked as the SSP(Sports
specific phase) on my model. Now working at a higher intensity again of 75-95% of 1 rep
max which will vary due to choice of exercise, whilst maintaining volume at a low rate of 35 sets. There will also now be a lot of technical work, football specific drills as well as
matches and possible minor pre-season competitions to ensure athlete is near to
competitive level. This will also involve intensified speed training to also ensure they are
at competition pace and peaking for the first game of the season In late August.

Competition period
In this phase the amount of physical conditioning will decrease
due to the dramatic increase in practice of skill technique and
game strategy. Due to the extensive period of time this phase
lasts and including many important contests across the
calendar it has some manipulation with volume and intensity
but in general the volume of training throughout competition is
low-moderate to provide a maintenance programme to preserve
strength and other important motor abilities. However, despite
this I also have the periods where I have increased the intensity
and lowered the volume of training to ensure peak performance
for my key dates which are symbolised on my model.

Transition phase
This period lasts for 4 weeks and is active rest
focusing on un-structured, non-sport specific
activities which are low intensity and low
volume. This is an vital phase as discussed by
baechle and earle who state it is important to
the athletes long-term progress to allow time
to rehabilitate any injuries and to rest,
physically and mentally. This period consists
of recreational activity and may not involve
any resistance training.

Mesocycle
Pre-season SSP
Focusing mainly on the transition of strength into power and speed
prior to first game of the season. Working at 60-85% of rep max to
convert into power and power endurance and also muscular
endurance with repetitions of 15-20 plus. Undulating and non-linear
periodization was the model I chose as it enables fluctuations in
volume and load within each session. The goal within this mesocycle
is also to increase the intensity of sport-specific training. Increasing
intensity of all sessions from GPP with importance on flexibility
through sessions after friendlies and also inclusion of Fifa 11+ injury
prevention prior to all sessions. Furthermore, place greater emphasis
on energy system conditioning to ensure the athletes anaerobic
threshold is high in order to make repeated sprints which he is
required to do during matches and also demanding more of the
aerobic system to increase vo2 max for the season.

Mesocycle weeks 5, 6, 7 and 8 - SSP - pre-season

Week 1 Monday
technical
am
work/tactics
pm
hypertrophy
evening of

Tuesday

Wednesday

Thursday

Friday

Saturday

of
flexibility
speed

of
max strength
technical work/tactics

interval training/anaerobic threshold of

of
saq
practice game
max strength

of
game
flexibility

Sunday
aerobic energy
system
of
of

Week 2 Monday
technical
am
work/tactics
pm
of

Tuesday

Wednesday

Thursday

Friday

Saturday

Sunday

flexibility
of

of
technical work/tactics

aerobic energy system

of

aerobic vo2 max

muscular endurance

max strength
of
acceleration
power

of
game

evening max strength

technical work/tactics
saq
continuos training/anaerobic
threshold

flexibility

of

Week 3 Monday
technical
am
work/tactics

Tuesday

Wednesday

Thursday

Friday

Sunday

speed strength

muscular endurance

flexibility

pm
agility
evening of

anaerobic threshold of
of
game

power endurance
of

of
anaerobic
threshold
speed

Saturday
reactive
power
of
agility

of
of

Week 4 Monday
technical
am
work/tactics

Tuesday

Wednesday

Thursday

Saturday

Sunday

power

reactive power

explosive power

Friday
technical
work /tactics

pm
speed strength
evening of

flexibility
of

agility
deceleration power

of
max speed

of
of

practice game

of
of
first game of
the season
of
flexibility
of

Microcycles
-Included a lot of triple extension exercises for both power and strength
to represent the movements used in football as for a lone striker they
will be constantly jumping up for headers and need to produce as much
force as possible to get up higher than opponents and win the ball
-Upper body strength which is vital in football for a striker to hold
himself up when in physical positions and not being pushed of the ball
when in possession as in this position it is quite common to have to
hold the ball up in order to join players in and play the ball of to a
midfield runner who is supporting the attack.
-All working in the planes of motion stated in dynamic correspondence.
-Low-moderate volume which gets slightly lower each week and
represents peaking for first game of season which is at the end of my
mesocycle I chose.
-Volume close to the minimum amount of volume load per week to
produce gains without overtraining as it is close to the beginning of the
season
-Including exercises to represent the joint angle specificity with partial
squat being in the starting position for many exercises

-Mainly strength phase

-Incorporating hypertrophy to remain size as this is important but not vital
as it will cause more mass to carry on pitch so therefore can be negative i
trained too much
-Training hypertrophy at 6-12 reps with volume of 3-6 load of 67-85%

Microcycle 1
Micro 1 - Week 5 - Monday - Functional
hypertrophy

Exercise

Reps

Sets

Volume
load

Load (kg)

Leg extension

12

70

3360 60 seconds

Leg press

12

95

4560 60 seconds

Romanian deadlift

12

45

2160 60 seconds

Upright row

12

35

1260 60 seconds

Total session load

Micro 1 - Week 5 - Wednesday - Max strength

Rest time

Exercise

Reps

Sets

11340

Load (kg)

Session
time

45 minutes

Volume
load

Rest time

Back squat

125

1875 3 minutes

Bench press

85

1275 3 minutes

Deadlift

110

1760 3 minutes

Bent over row

55

880 3 minutes

Total session load

5790

-Max strength with less than 6 reps and 2-6 sets loadSession
of greater than 85%
time
hour sports
-Powerlifting as maintaining general prep phase starting to build1into
specific phase
-Total volume load close to minimum volume load of 18,750kg
Micro - Week 5 - Friday - Max strength

Exercise

Reps

Sets

Load (kg)

Volume
load

Rest time

-Increasing strength gains with higher intensity but varying

volume to co-inside with studies showing that the
undulating model is more efective in improving strength
than linear

Microcyle 2
Micro 2 - Week 6 - Monday - Max
strength

Exercise

Reps

Sets

Load (kg)

Volume load

Rest time

Back squats

130

1560 3 minutes

Bench press

95

1140 3 minutes

Lunges

50

1200 3 minutes

Leg extension

85

1360 3 minutes

Total session load

5260

Length of session 1 hour

Micro 2 - Week 6 - Wednesday - Muscular

endurance

Exercise

Reps

Sets

Load (kg)

Volume load

Rest time

Step ups

15

40

2400 20-30 seconds

Calf raise

15

25

1500 20-30 seconds

Leg press

15

75

4500 20-30 seconds

Front squat

15

60

3600 20-30 seconds

Hanging leg raises

15

10

600 20-30 seconds

Total session load

12600

-Inclusion of strength endurance which is

required in football working
at less
than 67% of
Length of session
45 minutes
rep max with goal repetitions being more than

-Lowering of total volume load as getting closer to peaking phase meaning less
volume in training
-Moving into more sport specific exercises from general with weightlifting,
Olympic lifting and plyometrics being used

Microcycle 3
Micro 3 - week 7 - Tuesday - Speed strength Exercise

Reps

Sets

Load

Volume load Rest time

Med ball throw

15

375 2 minutes

Power snatch from hang

60

960 2 minutes

Power clean

70

1050 2 minutes

Split jerk

70

1050 2 minutes

Total session load

3435
Session
length

Micro 3 - week 7 - Wednesday - Muscular

endurance

Exercise

Reps

Sets

Load

1 hour

Volume load Rest time

Squat jumps

15

20

900 30 seconds

Shoulder press

15

37.5

1687.5 30 seconds

Incline bench press

15

40

1800 30 seconds

Lying tricep extensions

15

20

900 30 seconds

Barbell biceps curl

15

20

900 30 seconds

Seated row

15

45

2025 30 seconds

Total session load

8212.5

-Power exercises being worked at 75-85% of rep max with goal repetitions
Session
of 3-5 as well as volume of 3-5
length
1 hour
-Adding cluster training to increase work capacity and work power and

-Further reduction of volume load as less volume with

more intensity at this late stage prior to peaking for
season opener

Microcycle 4
Micro 4 - week 8 - Tuesday - power

Exercise

Reps

Sets

Load

Volume load

Hang clean

75

1500 3 minutes

Push jerk

75

1500 3 minutes

Jump shrugs

85

1700 3 minutes

Power pulls

70

1400 3 minutes

Squat cleans

75

1500 3 minutes

Total session load

Micro 4 - week 8 - Tuesday - reactive

power

Rest time

Exercise

Reps

Sets

7600

Ground contacts

Session length

1hour 15 minutes

Volume load

Inter-repetition rest intervals

Rest time

Drop jumps

20

1500 10 seconds

2 minutes

Depth jumps

20

1500 10 seconds

2 minutes

Single leg depth jump

12

900 10 seconds

2 minutes

Double leg zig zag hop

20

1500 10 seconds

2 minutes

Increase in volume
of plyometric
exercises
in microcycle
4
4
16
1200 10 seconds
2 minutes
to further specificty of training
Total session
load in between
6600
Emphasis on the recovery
time
sets of 2
minutes and inter-repetition rest intervals of 10 seconds
Session length 1 hour

to prevent overtraining

Depth jump with lateral movement

Justification of volume load

As stated by Bompa and Carrera who found that in
a periodised year for a footballer the minimum
amount of volume load was 900000kg(900
tonnes).
900000 divided by the amount of months in a year
= 75,000kg giving me a monthly volume load.
Divided by 4 which Is 18,750kg = minimum
volume load for an individual session
Maximum amount of load lifted for a session to
avoid overtraining = 30,208kg

References
Bompa and Carrera (2005) periodization training
for sports human. Second edition
United States: Human kinetics
2)
Baechle, T and Earle, R (2008)essentials of
strength and conditioning. Third edition. United
States: Human Kinetics
3) Verheijen, R (1998)conditioning for soccer.
Michigan: Data reproductions
4) Pappas, L (2010) seasons and periodization
[Online] Available at: http://
laurapappasblog.blogspot.co.uk/2010/11/seasons-an
d-periodization.html
(Accessed: 12 May 2013)
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