Tag Archives: periodization

3 Weeks To Mont Ventoux: Part 3

By Ron Berry P.T., PHASE IV Director of Rehab Services

Part 3: 3 Weeks to Mont Ventoux

Bicycling has long been a passion of mine. From being a teenager and riding from Santa Monica to Santa Barbara, then back the next day, to today, preparing to go to France for a challenging week of riding in the mountains supported by the high quality tour group, InGamba. It’s been a great three months of stoking my passion for being on two wheels and feeling healthy, strong, and in control of my freedom. Now, as I write this, I’m just three weeks away from my Provence France tour.

I’ve done my homework: initially riding slower and flat, incorporating strength and flexibility exercises into my routine, and progressively accomplishing the up and over of several of the canyon climbs in the Santa Monica Mountains. It’s been satisfying to become more fit and confident and wonderful to know that training intelligently with scientific principles does have its rewards.

The training program that we created at Phase IV three months ago included a five day period of recovery one month before my challenging event. This would be followed by two weeks of more vigorous training, then another week of recovery before my tour in the mountains of Southeast France.

The interesting thing about my recent recovery period is that I spent those five days in Telluride, Colorado, at around 8,800 feet. Altitude training is practiced by many athletes in various forms. The Phase IV interpretation of the science is that altitude training doesn’t necessarily mean hard training at altitude. I did relatively easy rides while at altitude but I still garnered the benefits of altitude training by simply being at 8,800 feet and improving the ability of my body to utilize oxygen. Theoretically, my blood changed. Through a process of erythrocythemia, more red blood cells develop over the time at altitude, up to a point. This means more red blood cells to optimize oxygen to feed my muscles so they can work harder.

Similar to people who sleep in oxygen deprivation tents at lower altitudes then work out hard in their normal environment, the improved oxygen efficiency is allowing for me to have higher intensity workouts in my final build period at lower elevation. Except, as opposed to sleeping in a plastic sealed chamber, I was up in one of the more beautiful places in the world doing my recovery rides with lots of stretching, massage stick use, foam rolling and healthy eating.

The Phase IV staff will be exploring how to utilize altitude training much more with our clients in the coming year and may even be sponsoring some Altitude Training/Recovery camps in the future in Southern California or Colorado.

“Just as important, as pushing through doubt and a little suffering during a workout, is allowing for recovery.”

Obviously, on the path to fitness and making ourselves healthier we have to put in a little effort but recovery is critical. Just as important, as pushing through doubt and a little suffering during a workout, is allowing for recovery. As a physical therapist, I’ve heard too many stories from patients who haven’t appreciated recovery and found themselves asking me for help to fix an injury. It’s not a defeat to put ice on something that’s sore and it’s not wimpy to take 5-7 days of working out 50% less intense. It’s smart.

Ever since Phase IV began, we have personally learned from legendary coaches like Tudor Bompa, one of the fathers of periodization, and Bobby Kersee, coach to dozens of Olympic track and field medals, that we must work hard and put in effort but also honor the time to allow our body to regenerate and become stronger.

Now, I’m three weeks out from my trip and after taking a week off for a little vacation (AKA – recovery period) “I am chomping at the bit” to get a few more good workouts in. This is another benefit of periodization and taking some easy time; I’m actually excited for the next phase.

So, what does the final push for me in this training cycle involve? Not excess volume, but rather staying consistent with getting on the road bike and also going for a few hill climb, time trial-like rides to push my physiology. It will be fun and helpful to build more speed and power, and will be especially interesting for me to see if 5 days at 8,800 feet was enough for the red blood cell adaptation to have an effect.

And, since I am going to France for 6 days to enjoy my peak, I’ll be putting the bicycle on the trainer and watching the Tour de France while doing some of my bike training. Fortunately, three weeks out from my peak, the Phase IV coaching program has me tapering a bit and doing a few intense workouts, like the time trial hill climbs, mixed in with some relatively easier and shorter workouts – perfect for a little indoor training. The Tour de France will actually be on some of the roads that I’ll be riding on, so watching that while pedaling should definitely help further stoke my excitement for my August trip.

This past week the InGamba team contacted me for my measurements so that the team kit that I will be getting will fit me just right: matching jersey, bib shorts, socks and gloves – very cool. The other reason for my measurements is so that the Pinerello Dogma bicycle that they will provide for me to ride during my trip (just like the bikes that Team Sky will be riding in the Tour de France) will fit me similar to my own bicycle. So far, this tour company has really impressed me.

“It’s good to be fit, good to have confidence, and good to know more about how my body works.”

Even if I hadn’t signed up for a multi-day bike tour, having a goal to improve my physiology, then making a plan to achieve that goal, has been very good for me. It’s good to be fit, good to have confidence, and good to know more about how my body works. If you ever find yourself wanting to achieve a physical challenge such as a multi day bike tour, a century ride, a marathon, a triathlon, a big hike, or something unique that you’ve always wanted to achieve and would like the benefit of Phase IV science and our collective experiences to help you achieve your goals, please contact us.

2 Months To Mont Ventoux: Part 2

By Ron Berry P.T., PHASE IV Director of Rehab Services

Create Confidence.

Self confidence can be very powerful when working towards a goal. Recently, I recall listening to students talk about their final exams. The students who seemed to be prioritizing their school work throughout the school term had more confidence going in to finals week, and no surprise they were the students who came back saying that they did well. This is a similar situation as when one prepares for a challenging athletic event. Do your homework it will make you feel good!

For the past 2 months I have been preparing for a week long bicycle tour in France put on by the bicycle tour company, InGamba. The tour culminates with an ascent of Mt. Ventoux on August 4^th. The week will have 5 days of climbing more than 3600 feet. The final day up Ventoux will have 5200 feet of climbing. This is much more climbing than I’ll have ever done in a week. It was daunting initially but recently I have been developing confidence that I’ll be able to really enjoy the week of riding. It’s a confidence that I feel I’ve earned and it feels good.

What led to this confidence? Good preparation and following a plan based on science has helped me see several signs along the way that I’m getting ready. Last week I entered the build phase of my training in which I’m putting in multiple days of significant climbing. On the second ride of the week with 3200 feet of climbing in 30 miles, one of the signs that buoyed my confidence revealed itself. I was able to climb one of the more challenging climbs in the Santa Monica Mountains, Latigo Canyon, in a time that I hadn’t done in several years. For the past few years I’ve tried to make it to the first summit, the driveway of the big copper dome roof, in the same time as my age. It’s been a very reasonable goal for my level of fitness the past few years. I made it in 42 minutes last week, 8 minutes faster than last year. And, even more important, I felt great the rest of the ride, and that evening, and the next morning. It was a nice bump of confidence going into another week of building climbing strength and endurance, per my Phase IV training plan.

My PHASE IV Training Plan

My Phase IV training plan started with a VO2 Analysis which gave me a heart rate zone to ride in during the earlier phase of my training. Even though I was working towards a goal with many miles and feet of climbing, my initial rides were 18-20 miles and mostly flat and in a relatively low heart rate zone, per my VO2 analysis . This allowed me to train my body to access my fat as my primary fuel source. Trusting that riding slow and flat was a good strategy to achieve my goal of becoming a climber was like doing homework, not especially fun and exciting and at times difficult to trust. I was also doing strength training exercises to improve my core and hamstrings consistently. Doing my homework in the base training phase has allowed me to feel confident now in my build phase. My physiology has been prepared, my legs and spine are stronger and I have grown accustomed to being in the saddle for over 2 hours, so my training plan will progress my rides to be longer and with more climbing. The training plan will also include pre determined short periods of rest and recovery.

It’s the confidence that I’ve developed in my riding and the trust and confidence that I have in my training plan that will allow me to appreciate the recovery days, not always easy to do when you feel the goal is fast approaching.

Confidence is a beautiful thing and definitely helps lead to success, especially when it’s a confidence born of putting in good work that is based on scientific analysis. Like Stephen Curry shooting thousands of jump shots in the offseason allows him to throw up ridiculously far 3 pointers knowing they’re going to go in, I intend to arrive in France feeling confident that I’ll have done what I need to do to have a great week long tour of challenging riding.

For more information on Phase IV training plans, strength training for cyclists, and effective recovery methods please contact Phase IV. For more more information on bike tours put on by InGamba go to ingamba.pro.

Improve Cycling Performance Through Base Training

By Robert Forster, P.T., PHASE IV Founder & CEO

With summer right around the corner, making sure you’ve put in the work to build an aerobic base is more important now than ever. A lot is happening beneath the skin and improvements are not readily apparent by outward appearance. In fact, the low-intensity “Base Training” is where your most significant fitness growth will come. Impatient athletes may want to rush the early season preparation and get to the “hard stuff” too soon. Developing fitness is a recipe where adding the intensity ingredient too early will ruin the final product. In fact, to the extent you develop Base Fitness will dictate the extent of your peak fitness later. Like a pyramid-shaped building where the foundation needs to be broader than the upper floors, the Base fitness you develop early on must be broader than the ensuing layers of fitness you apply. For these reasons it’s important for the cyclist to intellectually understand the science happening under the skin.

Most cyclists have by now been exposed to some elements of Periodization Training ideology and have incorporated these principles into their training. The Eastern European concept of breaking the training year into cycles or phases is not as foreign as it once was and cyclists now realize it’s the most effective way to train. Furthermore, most understand the importance of a preparatory phase to precede the harder work that follows. However, confusion still exists as to what needs to be accomplished in the Base Training phase of their yearly program.

Developed by Soviet Era Sports Scientists during the Cold War, Periodization Training was developed in an attempt to dominate the world of sport. Specifically designed to avoid the performance plateaus and mental burnout in communist athletes; Periodization Principles were the result of controlled research techniques. In research, controlling variables is paramount and behind the Iron Curtain the Soviets were able to do so with impunity. Each country began, of course, with ethnically homogenous groups (Russians, Bulgarians, Germans, etc.) they then “centralized” their promising young athletes to isolated training facilities.

Ability to control diet, sleep, and environment while ignoring research edicts regarding things like consent, they manipulated exercise stimulus in search of the most effective training program design. The results may have been ethically corrupt; but proved to be scientifically sound. What emerged is a model of human adaptation that provides predictable outcomes when exercise is orchestrated in a scientifically rational sequence.

“FIRST THINGS FIRST”

Research from around the world has confirmed that development of substantial physiological infrastructure must precede the hard work of the competitive phase.

Without the necessary infrastructure developed through Base Training, the hard work to prepare for competition will not be as effective; and in fact may not be tolerated at all, and instead lead to injury or illness. Signs of inadequate Base Training include inconsistent performances throughout training and the competitive season, failure to achieve optimal competition body weight (fat loss or muscle gain), frequent illness or injury, chronic fatigue, and poor attitude and focus. In 35 years of designing programs I have found that athletes who wish to perform well consistently, avoid injury, and reach their greatest potential, must be scientific in their approach to Base Training.

To achieve this there are two distinct areas of preparation to be considered: Metabolic Fitness and Structural Integrity. Metabolic fitness translates to optimal cellular physiology in all the applicable systems of internal bodily functions: cardiovascular system, pulmonary system (lungs), nervous system, endocrine system (hormonal system), and the energy production systems in the muscles themselves.

Structural integrity speaks to the resiliency of the mechanical structures of the body. This includes muscles, tendons, fascia, ligaments, and bone. This aspect of Base Training is the least understood and most underdeveloped in recreational and competitive age group athletes. Too often an athlete in pursuit of optimal cellular fitness is sabotaged by insufficient structural preparation. As you ramp up the intensity of training, you will need a strong foundation of physiological and physical infrastructure.

METABOLIC FITNESS

The main limiting factors of metabolic fitness prove to be the circulatory system and energy production within the muscle cells themselves. (Improved heart and lung function and neurological adaptation to exercise occur more readily). Low-intensity workouts promote better vascularization of the muscles. By working the muscle at low-intensity (aerobic range) the blood vessels open as demand for oxygen increases. This stimulates a profusion or growth of the smallest blood vessels (called capillaries) into the working muscles. This “capillarization” is the vascular infrastructure that will be necessary later, when the increased work demands of interval training stress the working muscles, requiring a more efficient energy system to deliver oxygen and nutrients, as well as remove carbon dioxide and waste products. This process of vascular growth takes 8-12 weeks and requires that exercise intensity remains low.

The second metabolic adaptation necessary in Base Training is an increase of the muscle cells aerobic energy production factories called mitochondria.

These small powerhouse structures use fats and oxygen to make energy while not producing fatigue causing lactic acid and waste. Again, the stimulus for growth is low-intensity exercise of increasing duration. The body will meet the demand for aerobic energy production by increasing the number of mitochondria in each muscle cell. However, any intense exercise will cause the body to meet these demands through anaerobic energy production, and thwart your pursuit of aerobic efficiency.

Here lies the secret to vast improvements in performance. The aerobic machine can and should be developed to a much higher degree than most athletes are aware. Conversely, the improvements in anaerobic energy production are more limited. The challenges for athletes and coaches are determining the proper intensity of training to develop the aerobic energy system and secondly to determine when it is adequately developed.

Intensity training measures where lactate levels increase in the blood and therefore when energy production is primarily aerobic, and at what level of exertion a more significant contribution from anaerobic energy machines occurs.

Determining this LACTATE THRESHOLD is paramount in determining the proper intensity of work in the Base Training phase.

PHASE IV proprietary technology gives accurate, reproducible data that is reliable in determining the heart rate zones which you need to train to enhance your aerobic energy production capabilities. Once developed to the proper extent you will train better, have an easier time recovering and perform consistently throughout the year.

Aerobic training will develop your ability to produce more power (speed) while burning fats, which are in abundant supply, and thus sparing the limited stores of carbohydrates in your body. Higher intensity exercise (anaerobic) begins to burn precious carbohydrate and after they are gone (BONK!!) your day is over! In addition, relying on more of your power from the anaerobic energy systems results in fatigue producing lactic acid production.

These aerobic system adaptations require extended periods of low intensity exercise and can be seriously sidetracked with even an occasional bout of higher intensity work.

STRUCTURAL INTEGRITY

What happens under the skin is crucial to athletic success. During Base Training the well-conditioned cyclist must develop physical and mechanical infrastructure to withstand the arduous task of hill work and interval training that comes later in the Periodization training phases. The forces developed in these harder workouts put great demands on joints, bones, tendons and fascia. Base training must address two primary areas of structural development: Biomechanical Efficiency and Musculoskeletal Resiliency.

Cycling requires a high degree of mechanical efficiency in terms of sound technique and form. Optimal technique affords the well-trained cyclist two advantages. First, proper technique provides the greatest economy in energy expenditure possible, i.e., movement that produces the greatest power for the lowest cost in energy. Secondly, proper technique avoids excessive stress on tendons, fascia, joints and bones.

Conversely, faulty technique wastes precious energy and overtax the mechanical parts of your body. Specifically, poor technique leads to early fatigue and further breakdown in the technique, which results in poor performance and puts stress on bodily structures resulting in injury. Developing proper technique in Base Training involves a sound flexibility program, weight training, and drills.

FLEXIBILITY TRAINING

Flexibility is defined as the range of motion of bones around a joint. Bones must have the freedom of movement to be positioned just right in the sequence of sport motion we call “proper technique”. Without adequate flexibility the muscles work overtime in an attempt to attain the best position of the bones. The muscles have to work harder as they fight the limiting effects of inflexibility. This exacts a cost on energy demands which accumulates during a race, and as a result fatigue sets in and performance suffers. Regular stretching will improve flexibility and promote efficiency while avoiding injury. (In addition, stretching promotes recovery).

A well-designed flexibility program addresses each of the major muscle groups in positions that promote relaxation of the muscles and associated structures and allows for ease of breathing. The target of your stretching program is the connective tissue elements of the muscular system not the fibers themselves. The red-blood rich muscle fibers are elastic and will stretch without much resistance. Surrounding each muscle fiber and wrapping the muscles into bundles is the white connective tissue, which inhibits range of motion. Additionally, connective tissue is the material of tendons, (which attach muscles to bones), and comprises ligaments, (which attach bones to bones at the joint).

Connective tissue is not immediately elastic and requires the application of slow sustained stretching to lengthen. Permanent lengthening of these structures equates to good flexibility and you are therefore one step closer to good technique. (See sidebar for stretching guidelines.) In bicycling, flexibility in the muscles of the pelvis and spine allow for the correct biomechanical position on the bike. Without this, the hips rock back and forth with each pedal stroke and you are unable to bend forward easily into the aerodynamic position.

STRENGTH TRAINING WEIGHTS AND PERFORMANCE

Done properly, strength training for the endurance athlete is in many ways the quickest way to achieve the structural goals of the Base Training Phase of cycling training: Joint Stability and Musculoskeletal Resiliency. Using light weights and FTS resistance band exercises will isolate the small muscles around each joint; and will not only help prevent injury, but will directly improve performance throughout the season. If you were to do nothing more than the low-intensity strength work of early season training, the payoff in developing musculoskeletal resiliency and biomechanical efficiency will benefit you all year.

JOINT STABILITY

Joint stability describes the blend of proper flexibility and adequate strength necessary to maintain optimal joint alignment throughout a movement. When aligned properly at the joint bones work as levers to multiply the force of muscle contraction, whereas misalignment of joints wastes tremendous amounts of energy and causes trauma and injury.

MUSCULOSKELETAL RESILIENCY

The tendons respond to the stress of the weight training by increasing in size and strength. This adaptation is not obvious on the outside, but is part of what’s happening below the surface that is so important. Likewise, the bones will become stronger through weight training as the muscle tug and stress the bones at the attachment of the tendon. Again this adaptation is critical to avoid injury later.

The Base Training weight program called the “Anatomical Adaptation Phase” must strengthen all of the often-neglected little muscles that surround joints. Typical cycling training creates imbalances in these small stabilizing muscles throughout the training year. Base Training is where these imbalances must be corrected to avoid injury and optimize mechanics. Since these are small muscles the weights must be kept light. For example ankle, shoulder and hip exercises requires no more than 2-3 pounds weights to start. Using heavier weights will only cause the larger stronger muscles to substitute and “protect” the imbalance. Furthermore, light weights and high repetitions will stimulate strengthening of the tendons, fascia and bones while avoiding over training these structures. The result is a musculoskeletal system that is resilient to injury.

Weight training further enhances performance by training the nervous system to stimulate more efficient muscle contractions. Muscle fibers are called into action in recruitment patterns dictated by the nervous system. Weight training fast tracks improvements in this important aspect of sports performance by burning in these nerve-muscle connection patterns quicker than sport training does. In addition, efficient movement requires one muscle to relax while the opposing muscle contracts.

Energy is wasted if this contraction-relaxation sequence is not seamless and smooth. Weight training facilitates this coordination by creating strong nerve impulses to the muscle which creates more coordinated muscle function and thus facilitates good form. The caveats to early season weight training includes using weights that are too heavy, working muscles to fatigue, and not stretching before, during, and after weight training sessions (see strength sidebar for guidelines).

By exaggerating certain aspects of cycling, specific drills are designed to strengthen muscles, improve nerve recruitment patterns and condition the mechanical components of your body. These drills should be done at low-intensity levels to start and only once per week until you are sure they are being tolerated. Drills require good flexibility and therefore stretching before and after is important to avoid injury. Basically, drills convert fitness you gain in the gym into functional gains on the bike.

SIDEBARS:

Base Training: Flexibility and Stretching

Benefits:

Stretching improves flexibility and therefore allows for correct mechanics or technique
Stretching is crucial as part of your warm up to perform better and avoid injury
Stretching after workouts improves recovery by “wringing” waste products out of the muscles and returning them to their normal resting length

When:

Before and after every workout and competition

How:

Long sustained stretches 10-30 seconds in positions that relax the target muscle and allow for easy breathing
How Hard (intensity)
Follow the subsiding tension principle by moving slow into the stretch position and tuning into the tension you feel in the muscle. If tic increases as you hold the same position you have over stretched and you need to back off. If it decreases you may advance the stretch slightly

How Many:

Stretch all muscle groups 3 repetitions

How Long:

Before and after workouts a 10-20 second hold is good, on the evening stretch problem areas lightly for 60 seconds each

Base Training: Strength Work

Benefits:

Increase Musculoskeletal resiliency (injury prevention)
Improve muscle fiber recruitment patterns to improve efficiency of muscle contractions
Improve relaxation of opposing muscle groups (antagonists) to improve coordination (better form)
Balance muscle strength around a joint to improve joint stability

When:

Two to three workouts per week per body part

How:

Moderate controlled movements of body part while exhaling on the lifting portion of the exercise and inhaling on the lowering portion of the exercise
Stop briefly at the end of each movement up and down

How Hard (intensity)

Use only light weights that you can perform twenty repetitions each set while avoiding lifting to exhaustion

The Missing Link From Your Training Program

By Shelby Stoner, PHASE IV Exercise Physiologist

It seems like you’re doing all of the right things, you’re training 4+ days per week, incorporating a variety of workouts, working in your Long Slow Distance, eating well (at least to the best of your ability), yet progress has stalled and workouts have become stale. So what’s missing?….

Recovery. It’s a simple concept, yet often overlooked and not properly implemented into your routine. Sure, you drink protein shakes after your activities or foam roll every so often, but in reality that’s not enough.

Training for success is a balance; a balance between achieving optimal performance or reaching your goal weight while avoiding the negative consequences of overtraining and the staleness conundrum. Unfortunately, sometimes it’s hard to recognize when recovery is needed as us highly motivated individuals usually respond to a plateau or drop in performance with increases in our training load without fully recognizing the signs of overtraining and overreaching. Consequently, it’s actually telling us that the training related factor leading to negative states is a failure to include adequate recovery in the training regimen.

It is apparent that in any training program there is a need for formally structured recovery processes. It is especially important to select appropriate recovery methods that are matched against the training stimulus. That is, the harder the workout, the greater need for recovery efforts. While recovery efforts cover a wide variety of modalities and tactics, some of the most common include active recovery (i.e. low intensity workout), massage, foam rolling, ice, and most importantly sleep! Among these different approaches towards recovery, 4 main categories have been identified: Nutrition and hydration, sleep and rest, relaxation and emotional support, and stretching and active rest.

1. Nutrition and Hydration

HOW MUCH you eat and WHAT you eat are major factors in the recovery process. Digestion is not only regulated by what you eat, it is regulated by what is taken in and assimilated. A poor diet with an insufficient caloric and fluid intake will decrease the capacity to tolerate physiological stress, a.k.a exercise! That being said, hitting your daily caloric requirements is important with the quality of those calories being even more important. Rather than reaching for a bagel in the morning, opt for organic steel cut oats with fresh fruit or nut butter. Organic oats offer a much healthier and less processed form of carbohydrates especially on days where your exercise intensity is higher. Fresh fruits also provide a quick source of natural, simple carbohydrates that are easily digestible along with the healthy fats offered in nut butters.

In addition, fluid intake is a necessity for maintaining performance capacity, weight loss, and overall health. Aside from keeping you hydrated, adequate water intake helps flush out toxins that build up in the body especially after exercise. It is imperative to replenish water stores that are lost from sweat and environmental factors as insufficient fluid intake will inhibit performance by allowing less glycogen to be stored in the muscle (we want to keep these stores high!). For starters, try and consume at least 64-80oz of warm/room temperature water daily and even more on exercise days!

2. Sleep and Rest

The most frequently mentioned factor for enhancing recovery is the most obvious one, sleep! When you think about it, sleep is your body’s natural mode of recovery! Not only do we need recovery from exercise, we need recovery from daily lifestyle and activities as well. This is why sleep is so important for improving day to day function, performance, and promoting weight loss. Sleep gives you more than just rest; it recharges your “battery,” a.k.a nervous system and replenishes your energy stores. Naturally the deeper and better you sleep, the better you reload. Not to forget, your hormones are working while you’re sleeping. Good sleep helps bring down harmful cortisol levels that accumulate as a result of stress and exercise. In a stressed-out state, cortisol levels are high which can hurt performance and goals over a long period of time. It’s important to help these levels return to “baseline” as excess cortisol promotes fat storage and is a contributing factor to the overtraining syndrome.

One of the best ways to ensure you’re getting GOOD sleep each night is to create a ritual. Lie down, meditate, utilize positive self-talk, read a book, or talk to another human being (Or if you’re like me, your dogs); all of these things can be relaxing and help slow your heart rate preparing you for a good night’s sleep.

3. Relaxation and Emotional Support

Regeneration strategies such as relaxation therapy, counselling, and massage have increasingly gained popularity with athletes especially in Eastern Europe as ways to recover from daily life and exercise. Eliminating or at least minimizing common daily stressors whether the source is occupational, financial, social, etc. is another strategy commonly used by sport psychologists to promote mental and physical well-being.

Relaxation techniques such as massage, foam rolling and myofascial release are also important to incorporate as proactive recovery interventions. These specific techniques help target problematic areas and promote blood flow and oxygen to the muscle to enhance the recovery process.

4. Stretching and Active Rest / Recovery

Stretching has effects similar to that of massage as it increases blood flow through the muscle. Stretching should be incorporated into your daily routine to help promote good posture and flexibility, as well as before and after exercise in order to help prepare the body for activity and prevent injury. Stretching in the morning after you wake and before bed is also beneficial especially in areas that are tight or underdeveloped.

While sometimes it may seem like a great idea to lounge on the couch after a long or hard workout, it actually may be in your favor to get up and moving. This is what we refer to as active rest, or active recovery. Active recovery is defined as low intensity exercise with the purpose of getting blood flow to your muscles and helping them recover. So while watching Netflix or taking a nap seems like a great idea, doing something more active like taking a walk, an easy swim, or hopping on an elliptical may actually speed up the recovery process. How do you know how hard to go? Essentially, an active recovery workout should keep you below a 4 on a 1-10 rating of perceived effort scale (see scale below). An active recovery day should feel light and rejuvenating, and serve as a psychological break. In this way, exercise is used as a therapeutic tool. Ultimately, not EVERY recovery day should be an active one, but don’t discount them altogether. Make sure you have at least one FULL recovery day where yes, Netflix and napping is allowed, and incorporate active recovery in the rest of the week.

Take Home Message

Just as you may track your calories or monitor heart rate during exercise, it’s helpful to keep tabs on your recovery. Even asking yourself simple questions like “How do I feel today?” or “Am I sore—is my soreness symmetrical?” and “How well did I sleep?” can expose simple measures of fatigue.

Most importantly, pay attention to your body. Are your feet starting to get a little bit heavy? Are your feet hitting the ground harder? Is that knee acting up more frequently? Nobody knows your body like you do. If you’re overly tired, call it quits; better you get the rest you need than hurt yourself.

In order to help keep track of recovery and prevent harmful overtraining, try using the Total Quality Recovery (TQR) process or the Wellbeing Quiz below!

…

Total Quality Recovery (TQR) Assessment Process

Evaluate your last 24hr training period.
Determine your score for each category:
- Nutrition
- Sleep and Rest
- Relaxation and Emotional Support
- Stretching and Cool-down

Nutrition (10 points)
- Breakfast – 1 point
- Lunch – 2 points
- Dinner – 2 points
- Snacks between meals – 1 point
- (This assumes quality, healthy balanced meals)
- Adequate hydration
  - throughout the day – 2 points
  - during/post workouts – 2 points
- (Environmental factors will effect greatly how much is an adequate intake of fluids)

Sleep and Rest (4 points)
- Good night of quality sleep (7-8 hours) – 4 points
- (Quality of sleep is measured using individual perception)

Relaxation and Emotional Support (3 points)
- Full mental and muscular relaxation after training – 2 point
- Maintaining a relaxed state throughout the day, finding ways to reduce stress – 1 point
- Here the goal is to use a variety of relaxation techniques (breathing, massage, etc.).

Stretching and Cool Down (3 points)
- Proper cool down after each training period – 2 points
- Stretching all the exercised muscle groups – 1 point

Tally your points. A total of 20 points are available and a score of less than 13 points indicates that recovery from training is incomplete.

…

Wellbeing Quiz

Assess your state of training and recovery by visiting these statements each morning. See where you are excelling in the recovery process or where you may need some work.

Assess yourself each morning against the following six questions/statements:
1. I slept well last night
2. I am looking forward to today’s workout
3. I am optimistic about my future performance
4. I feel vigorous and energetic
5. My appetite is great
6. I have little muscle soreness

Rate each statement on the following scale:
1. 1 – Strongly disagree
2. 2 – Disagree
3. 3 – Neutral
4. 4 – Agree
5. 5 – Strongly agree

If your score is 20 or above then you have probably recovered enough to continue with the training program. If your score is below 20, you may want to consider rest or an easy workout (active recovery) until your score rises again.

SHORT TRACK SPEED SKATING – NOT JUST FOR OLYMPIANS

By Ron Berry, P.T., Director of Rehab Services

With the Winter Olympics in full swing so many of us will be tuning in to the Short Track Speed Skating Events to catch some of the excitement of the racing, the tactics, and the intense bursts of energy the racers put out. Those athletes are amazing and powerful, and most of them are in their 20’s. But, there are also masters racers who have competitions around the country. One of those athletes is Peter Smokler, 68, who is rehabilitating a partial knee replacement utilizing the Phase IV periodization program.

As a youth he was an ice hockey player and always loved skating. After losing touch with being on the ice for a few decades and working hard as a cameraman and doing a variety of physical things, he wanted to get skates back on and use something he loved doing as a youth to help him get his middle aged body back to being fit. He thought the pounding of hockey would be too much on him so he gravitated to speed skating. He found groups in Southern California to skate with, at the Toyota Center in El Segundo, and with the Santa Clarita Skating Club. The more traditional long track speed skating is apparently harder to get into in Southern California because of a shortage of large frozen lakes, and large track skating rinks. So, short track speed skating with the sharp turns and more demands to be quick and powerful was where Peter found himself. He participated in several competitions and developed quite a passion for the sport.

Unfortunately, with all the adventures he had in his life and a predisposition for osteoarthritis he ended up having a partial knee replacement. This sounds pretty life changing, but in this day and age is fairly smooth to recover from. He rehabilitated at Forster Physical Therapy in Santa Monica following a conservative path of developing maximal range of motion, good contractability of all his critical muscles aimed for full body structural stability, what we refer to as Base 1 in our Periodization Structural Integrity program. He then moved from the arena of rehabilitation into sports performance enhancement. He was shown, by Rachel Suson, D.P.T., a comprehensive program to do at his gym that included strength challenges to critical areas of his body in a comprehensive manner, what we refer to as Base 2.

He has recently returned to the ice and is refining his technique with strength and stability beyond what he had before his knee replacement. Next up is to go to the next cycle of the Periodization Structural Integrity Program. It will be more specific to Skating and be aimed at improving his ability to create greater forces with his skating, a Strength Building phase. Actually, next up is to root on the athletes as they compete in the PyeongChang Winter Olympics.

If you have any questions about PHASE IV’s Periodization Structural Integrity Program or rehabilitation from injury or surgery, please contact us at (310) 582-8212 or info@phase-iv.net

PERIODIZATION: THE SOLUTION FOR OPTIMAL PERFORMANCE

PHASE IV Science Based Coaching

An Excerpt from Healthy Running Step by Step by Robert Forster PT & Roy Wallack

If you just want to stay active and don’t care about getting faster or losing large chunks of time to nagging injuries, keep doing your regular workouts But if you want to improve, get fitter, stop getting injured, and maybe score a personal record at a race, your run-of-the-mill haphazard training won’t cut it. To kick your running up several notches, you have to train in a way that is good for your body, building it up and speeding it up while limiting the potential for injuries.

To do that, you need a strategy that is almost bipolar, in that it combines increasingly hard efforts with rest days and rest weeks. Over the weeks and months, this hard-easy schedule is the paradigm that gives your body time to heal, recover, and build bigger, stronger, faster muscles and connective tissue.

Sequence is the key. The science shows that you have to properly sequence your training to develop one aspect of fitness at a time and then use that as a foundation to build the next. In fact, to be your fittest by the time the starting gun goes off, you must be incredibly patient. You will spend a long time building a broad base of aerobic infrastructure and musculoskeletal resiliency before adding on layers of higher-intensity work such as hill training and intervals as you approach race day. This strategy is virtually foolproof, used by the world’s best athletes in every sport, and it’ll work for you if you have the discipline to follow it.

It’s called Periodization.

Basically, the Periodization model builds the athlete up to optimal performance with a stair-step series of methodical, progressive challenges and recoveries that strengthen your body and keep brain and brawn fresh. It starts with a goal (such as a marathon or 10k) and plans a workout schedule leading up to it, breaking up your training time for your targeted event into five training cycles or phases, each with a specific fitness goal in mind.

To learn how you can incorporate Periodization science in your training, contact us for a complimentary consult with a member of our Exercise Physiology staff. 310-582-8212 or email info@phase-iv.net.

PERIODIZATION TRAINING FOR INJURY PREVENTION: PART ONE

PERIODIZATION TRAINING FOR PEAK PERFORMANCE AND INJURY PREVENTION

By CEO Robert Forster, PT

To kick your fitness up several notches and keep it there year round, you have to train in a way that is good for your body, building it up methodically while limiting the potential for disruptive injuries and permanent metabolic damage. One only needs to revisit the Biggest Loser debacle to understand why.

A safe training strategy is multilateral in that it combines workouts that progress your fitness with rest days and rest weeks in an effort to train, as well as protect your metabolism.

Over weeks and months, this hard/easy training schedule is the paradigm that gives your body time to recover and get stronger, more flexible and leaner.

The four training phases of Periodization ultimately help you avoid the pit fall of lifelong fitness: Overtraining, which leaves you burned out, sick, injured, and unable to control your weight.

Sequence is key.

Training science shows that you have to properly sequence your training to develop one aspect of fitness at a time and then use that as a foundation to build the next. In fact, to achieve your best fitness levels you must be incredibly patient. You will spend a long time building a broad base of aerobic infrastructure and musculoskeletal resiliency before adding more intense workouts. This strategy is virtually foolproof, used by the world’s best athletes in every sport, and it’ll work for you if you have the discipline to follow it.

It’s called Periodization.

The foundation of all modern sports training, Periodization was developed in the Eastern Bloc countries during the cold war in an attempt to dominate the world of sport. It proved so effective that now athletes all over the world, and across all sports, use it routinely to achieve the highest levels of fitness while avoiding burnout and injury.

The reason this approach to fitness is so effective and has replaced of all other approaches is because it is on based research showing how the body best responds to exercise. It’s all about human adaptation and it provides predictable outcomes when exercise is orchestrated in a scientifically rational sequence.

Basically, the Periodization model builds your fitness up with a stair step series of methodical, progressive challenges and recoveries that strengthen your body and keep brain and brawn fresh.

Periodization plays out like this:

• Phase 1: “Base Building.” An 8 week training cycle of gradually ramping up your workouts with the dual goal of building up your metabolic and structural foundation. The low intensity “aerobic” training teaches your body to rely on fueling itself using fat, which all bodies have a huge supply of, and hardens your body against injury for the tougher workouts to come. Similarly, your weight training is done with light weights to isolate and strengthen all the little “helper” muscles that act to stabilize each joint and perfect your running mechanics.

• Phase 2: “Strength Development” A 4-8 week training cycle of increasingly challenging aerobic workouts and weight training designed to increase the strength of the bigger muscles that will help you perform better in your life activities and sport.

• Phase 3: “Power Conversion” A 4 week training cycle where intensity is increased to build anaerobic fitness with interval training and harder gym workouts designed to convert strength into power. The training loads are decreased in the gym to teach your muscles to contract faster and harder!

• Phase 4: “Peak Fitness and Speed Development” An 8 week cycle of bringing your fitness to a peak with shorter, harder workouts designed to peak your metabolic fitness while working with super light loads in the gym for high rep sets that make your muscles more fatigue resistant.

• Phase 5: “Transition.” After achieving peak fitness you chill out a bit with easy workouts designed for recovery. Then get ready to start all over again.

In a nutshell, Periodization keeps you fresh physically and mentally because the exercise stimulus is constantly changing. It proves that development of substantial physiological infrastructure must precede the hard work of the later phases as you approach peak condition. Without developing the necessary infrastructure first through Base Training, and progressed in Strength Development, the hard work needed to prepare for the highest levels of fitness will not be as effective and also may not be tolerated, leading to injury or illness. The four training phases of Periodization ultimately help you avoid the pit fall of lifelong fitness: Overtraining, which leaves you burned out, sick, injured, and with sub-optimal health.

Stay tuned next week’s for Periodization Training: Part Two

PHASE IV IS UNDETECTABLE IN THE BLOOD

PHASE IV is Undetectable in the Blood

by Robert Forster, PT

These times of fallen sports heroes and recent exposure of widespread drug cheating in professional cycling, confirms my urgent message that it is more important than ever to use a scientific and ethical approach to achieve athletic excellence.

Whatever we might think of Lance Armstrong and his ruthless drive to keep his dark secret, the more striking truth that came to light is that he competed on an even playing field because the top riders in the Tour De France were doping. In fact, many believe that only a handful of the nearly 200 peloton riders in the Tour De France were not doped.

My fundamental disappointment in the Lance Armstrong mea culpa is that the true context of doping throughout all of professional sports has yet to frame this conversation. I believe Lance when he said the US Postal Team program was conservative in terms of dosage and duration of his drug regime. After all, he certainly would never be mistaken for a bodybuilder, an NFL lineman, he never failed a drug test and he did not win every race he entered. Informed opinions suggest that players in the NFL, NHL or NBA are not nearly as conservative in their performance drug use.

A three part New York Times expose last year regarding drug use among NHL “enforcers” was astonishing in terms of the common place use of drugs for performance and pain in that sport. There is no indication that these are isolated players rigging the system. Similar press coverage of drug use in the other professional sports leagues has not registered in the minds of sports fans that condemn Lance Armstrong as a cheat but hail their grid iron and ice heroes as gods of fair competition.

Some voices in the sports media have said that professionals know the risks of doping or competing against drug strengthened athletes and accept those risks as part of the game they get paid to play. But, what about our kids? What about young athletes who are led to believe they can achieve their dreams of Olympic or professional sports glory without cheating? Is it fair to hold up doped athletes as role models and present their accomplishments as achievable ethically? How about the young middle school and high school athletes who fall prey to the lure of performance enhancing drugs but have no chance of ever playing professionally? Is the threat to their long-term health from these drugs worth sacrificing with the disingenuous value proposition that all it takes is hard work to compete at the highest levels of sport?

For any athlete, doping exacts a great personal toll. All athletes begin building their career on an ethical platform. Athletes succeed at first by developing a healthy degree of self-reliance and personal drive. No one can do the work for them; no one else’s sacrifices are going to get them on the podium. The decision to take that first step out onto the slippery slope of drug use displaces that mode of control from what’s in their heart to what’s in the little bottle on their night stand. That is when they begin to lose their most precious strength; self reliance, and then they are truly lost.

PHASE IV METABOLIC TESTING

Scientific metabolic testing is the foundation of exercise and nutrition science. This testing lets us see what is happening inside your body during exercise, and at rest. From this data we create accurate heart-rate training zones and nutritional guidance to assure all your workouts are fueled properly and 100% productivie with no wasted efforts. As exercise intensity increases so does your heart rate. As your heart rate increases your body’s preferred energy source shifts from primarily burning fat to burning carbohydrate. By training in the proper zone you will teach your body to burn more fat and less carbohydrate, lowering lactic acid levels, cortisol, and fatigue. Proper heart rate training replaces random workouts and is essential to optimizing the effort/reward ratio of your training.

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