Now that I’ve got the first stage of my personal training qualification out of the way, I’ve got some time to put my feet up on the sofa and read books about training. I know, that is slightly perverse…
Anyway, after last week’s review of Serious Strength Training, here’s the second in a long line of training-related book reviews coming your way… Tudor Bompa’s book on periodisation for athletes (UK
Periodisation is where it’s at
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So what’s in this book?
Right, there is loads of material in this book, much more than in Serious Strength Training. So let’s just get down to business.
The book is divided into three parts:
- Foundations of Strength Training
- Programme Design
- Periodisation of Strength
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#1: Foundations of Strength Training
Foundations of Strength Training is the shortest section and is divided into a couple of chapters:
- Strength, Muscular Endurance and Power in Sports - this section discusses the different requirements of different sports for varying levels of strength, muscular endurance and power. It has some useful tables and diagrams to show how the three things interrelate. I was quite impressed that there was a swimming-specific section discussing the role of water as a resisting material.
- Muscle Response to Strength Training – this section covers the nature of slow and fast twitch muscle fibres, how they respond to training and what kinds of training produce what kinds of adaptations.
- Strength and Energy Systems Training – this chapter discusses how energy systems might be trained alongside strength as part of a programme and covers how different sports have different requirements for each modality.
- Principles of Strength Training – this part covers the basic rules of effective strength training for functional improvements and how to apply the progressive overload principle without overworking your athletes.
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#2: Programme Design
Programme Design is divided into a couple of chapters:
- Manipulation of Training Variables – this important chapter is both an interesting review of the basic principles of volume, intensity and rest periods as well as a reference guide. It gives suggested training volumes for athletes in various sports at different times of the year.
- The Micro Cycle Short Term Plan – this part discusses how to plan your training week or short period in order to maximise the benefits of the different components of fitness that are being trained.
- The Yearly Training Cycle – this section is one of the big focuses of the book and is in two main parts. The first part covers the basic elements of a yearly strength training plan, including the phases of anatomical adaptation, hypertrophy, maximal strength, conversion, competition and transition. The second is a resource showing suggested training cycles for various different sports.
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#3: Periodisation of Strength
Periodisation of Strength goes into more detail in the components of a periodised strength training programme. In short, they are about:
- Anatomical adaptation – based around circuit training and preparing the body for heavier loads
- Hypertrophy – adding functional mass for sport
- Maximum strength – getting really strong
- Conversion – turning that strength into power
- Competition and transition – keeping what you’ve got
- Recovery methods – don’t get hurt
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So what’s good about this book?
This book is really two books in one. Firstly, it’s a manual on the basic principles of strength training and athletic development. Secondly, it’s a resource about how to train athletes in different sports.
I can imagine breaking it out in a few years time when I am invited to work with someone who participates in a sport that I have no experience of. To that end, it gives you a head start where you otherwise might not have a starting point at all…
