Chapter 12: The key workouts - Your building blocks to high performance.

In the previous chapter, we took a deep dive into the structure of the annual training plan. We examined how the focus of training shifts throughout the year, aligning with the athlete's progression from General Preparation, which aims to enhance their overall work capacity, to Specific Preparation, which targets the athlete's physiological qualities relevant to a particular event, and finally to Race Preparation – the phase that consolidates everything to optimize the athlete's physiology for maximum speed on race day.

Now, in this chapter, we will take our understanding a step further and explore the specific training sessions suitable for each phase of development at every level of athlete.

Training sessions can be likened to individual bricks forming the foundation of a high-performance wall. When the right sessions are aligned side by side, they create a robust and secure structure. Conversely, combining inappropriate sessions leads to an unstable wall that is susceptible to collapse.

Moreover, our wall consists of rocks varying in size and composition. If we place a larger rock as the base, we must counterbalance it with several smaller rocks strategically positioned around it to maintain stability and equilibrium.

Figure 12.1: An effective training plan isn’t just about what rocks you pick for your wall, it’s about how they’re placed together.

520681390 Shutterstock.com | Jacob L Stark

The principle of balancing loading sessions with recovery sessions is a fundamental aspect of effective planning. Let’s take a deeper look at this key principle of training...

When aiming for improvement, it is crucial to apply a stressor that slightly exceeds the athlete's current "Normal" level of performance. Equally important, once the stressor is introduced, adequate time must be allowed for the body to undergo supercompensation. This means the body develops a resistance to the stressor, ultimately leading to a higher level of fitness. This principle is known as Selye's General Adaptation Syndrome. The term "General" indicates that the body responds similarly to various stressors, whether it's a demanding day at the office or an intense interval session. Hormonally, the body goes through phases that promote energy provision and catabolism, followed by a period of restoration and repair.

Importantly, the actual improvement occurs during the rest and repair phase. Insufficient rest and repair after experiencing a stressor will result in no improvement at all!

Figure 12.2: The Adaptation Process - Stress results in a temporary reduction in performance + Recovery results in the body building resistance and an ability to deal better with future stress.

Later in this chapter, we will take a look at the impact of non-training stress on this process. But for now, let's keep our focus on the training aspect. The training plan incorporates the cycle of applying a stressor and allowing for recovery through loading and recovery workouts. As mentioned earlier, a loading day involves subjecting the athlete to a stress level slightly above their usual capacity, while a recovery day reduces the stress level below their normal capacity. This ensures that the athlete has enough energy reserves to respond and improve. These two objectives differentiate between loading and recovery days in the athlete's training plan.

Now, it's a good time to define loading and recovery days more specifically.