Framework of a training program v1

Everyones is looking for the perfect training program, but it all starts with what you want to achieve.

Using this framework you will be able to understand;

• Where you want to go
• What it takes to get there
• How you’re going to get there

This ultimately means you’re more likely to get there.

1.Goal.

Can be anything, unrealistic or not you don’t know that yet.. The point is you want it. You don’t have it. 

Hard goals are good but if you’re going to make a big plan and stick to it, as yourself why have I chosen this goal. Thinking about why helps reinforce motivation as the desire to change becomes more intrinsic than extrinsic. This is a technique used in behavioural therapy to overcome addiction, Motivational Interviewing.

A good goal is fluid and will change over the course of this process. The bigger and further away the goal, the more it’s likely to change.

2. Breakdown the goal working backwards.

The goal is the number one most important thing. The training program is a RESPONSE to the goal not the other way around.

It is only by evaluating the principles, moments, and micro moments of any game that we can better understand how to achieve the primary aim of all teams: winning.

Connolly, Fergus. Game Changer: The Art of Sports Science (p. 52).

I break an athletic goal into 3 components.

1. Performance Benchmarks. What are the required performance demands of the event in order to achieve the goal? What are the physiological characteristics needed to achieve these demands?
2. Environment in which you will perform and what effect will that have on performance. Kona is hot humid and windy. Taiwan KOM challenge goes over 2500m altitude, a stage race is multiple days on multiple terrains.
3. Race Specific. This is predicting and developing scenarios within the race itself. I split it into 3 phases, Opening Phase, Middle Phase, Closing Phase. Who is your opponent and what situations may occur during the race, how can you prepare for this.

So now where are you currently on this course?

3. Current Ability

Test yourself against the performance benchmarks highlighted for the event. When conducting a test or reviewing past data ask yourself:

Is the data point relevant to your goal?

Can you continue tracking this data to monitor adaptations?

Ideally you would replicate the environment of the race as best as possible but often this can be hard. Accurate historical data also play a big part in building the clearest picture possible. The more insightful the data, the more accurate the training can be.

Now you can ask yourself, is it realistic? How do I amend my goal if it I don’t think it is? This is Self Efficacy ; you understand the demands of the goal and your abilities to achieve it. A key component to self confidence and success.

4. Create a Training Program

It’s important when constructing a training program to define as many limitations to training as possible.

• Goal date
• Time to train
• Training history
• Social commitments
• Medical/injury history
• Location
• Budget
• Racing commitments

The list goes on. This gives you another opportunity to reassess the goal and expectations. The harder the goal, the more important it is to understand how hard it is.

The primary aim of the program is to progress from your current ability to the benchmark ability within the given timeframe and further limitations. A good place to start here is Steven Seilers hierarchy of training needs. Maximising volume and consistency is the most important consideration (for endurance sports like cycling or triathlon).

The program should develop your Physiology, Physchology, Tactics and Technique (the four coactives).

These four coactives must come together in a synchronized manner to allow the player to execute great actions. They are not independent and cannot exist independently. They are complementary, codependent, and co-reliant.

Connolly, Fergus. Game Changer: The Art of Sports Science (p. 125).

Different goals will require different ratios of focus depending on the demands.

5. Training Output

A training program is not a linear process, going from A to B. Plotting the route from current ability to benchmark ability is an ongoing process dictated by the training data alongside the more subjective feelings and responses produced everyday.  You have to find balance here though, you don’t want your training program to become like free form jazz. Is the change going to have a positive effect in the long and/or short term?

a theoretical model for the use of these technologies in an elite sport setting, allowing the coach to better answer six key questions: (1) To what training will my athlete best respond? (2) How well is my athlete adapting to training? (3) When should I change the training stimulus (i.e., has the athlete reached their adaptive ceiling for this training modality)? (4) How long will it take for a certain adaptation to occur? (5) How well is my athlete tolerating the current training load? (6) What load can my athlete handle today?

We need a structured training framework, yet one that is flexible and tolerant of change. We need goal-directed coherence, but simultaneously must facilitate seamlessly consistent course corrections in response to dynamically emerging information. Pickering and Kiely 2018

As you progress through the training program, training session demands should be getting closer to the demands of the goal. Completing these sessions are going to feedback into the picture of your current ability which updates your understanding and perception of the goal, but also starts to formulate your race plan for the day itself.

In summary

1. Whats your goal.
2. Breakdown the goals demands into; Physical Benchmarks, Environment, Race Scenarios
3. Compare your current ability to the benchmarks, (do you need to reassess your goal?)
4. Plan a progression from current ability to benchmark ability
5. Monitor your training output and feed that back into your training program to maximise your adaptations.