In the last issue I outlined a basic strength-training program to get you started with weights. However, after following this program for a few months you will eventually find your rate of improvement will slow down because you have been repeating the same workout. Your improvement will stop or even regress if you do not vary your exercises, repetitions, overload, and recovery.

The typical beginning runner's response to this slowdown in improvement is to try harder by lifting more sets and/or heavier weights. And your body's reaction to this will be illness or injury from over training. Thus a vicious cycle is perpetuated. Your weight training ceases to improve, so you try harder, and get ill, injured, or experience a plateau in your strength gains.

The human body cannot continue to improve its strength (or endurance, for that matter) in a linear manner--it needs variation to enable the body to adapt and continue to improve strength. By programming variation, rest, and recovery into your training cycle you will be less likely to experience muscular soreness, metabolic fatigue, boredom, injury, or sickness.

Avoiding Plateaus in Your Strength Training

You can avoid getting into the over training rut while continuing to improve your weight training performance by using a widely used training technique called periodization. Runners following this system have more control over training effects, a reduced threat of over training, and fewer injuries.

What is Periodization and Why Should You Use It?

Tudor Bompa, Ph.D., author of Periodization: Theory and Methodology of Training, one of the definitive books on the subject, describes it thus: "Periodization can be characterized as the process of structuring training into work and recovery phases to optimize an athlete's training potential."

"To continually make gains the exercise program must be varied," says Steve Fleck, Ph.D., one of the foremost researchers on this topic. He describes the basic principle of periodization as, "The theory of varying a training program over time."

Of the hundreds of research papers done on the effects of periodization since 1980, almost all conclude that it is more effective than traditional continuous linear overload programs where there is no variation in workload, recovery, or other training variables. Using periodization increases strength and maximal power, improves recovery, reduces muscular fatigue, improves neuromuscular adaptations, and helps overcome plateaus.

Most, if not all, elite athletes using strength training as part of their preparation utilize periodization principles, while very few beginners use it because of its apparent complexity.

Periodization Terminology

Let's learn periodization terminology before I outline the principles you should use.

A microcycle is usually a training phase of one-week duration.

A mesocycle is a period of one or more months, containing several microcycles.

A macrocycle is usually one year and includes all stages of training including the preparatory conditioning phase (mesocycle), the competitive phase (also a mesocycle), and the post-season restoration cycle.

How Does Periodization Work?
The main principle of periodization is planning a recovery microcycle (week) every few weeks. Runners and weight trainers cannot continue to grind out the same lifting exercises to exhaustion every day, so using a "step-type" approach is far more effective than continuous linear overloading.

Typically with strength training the load is progressively increased during the first three microcycles (weeks), followed by a regeneration microcycle (week) where the load is decreased for recovery. Then after this recovery week, you continue to increase your weights for the next three weeks (mesocycle) to provide greater stimulus to the muscle groups.

Overload Phase
Initially training should be high volume (lots of repetitions) and low intensity (less weight). Progress to low volume (less repetitions) and high intensity (higher weights). So, over a period of three weeks you should continue to increase the resistance (weight) and decrease volume (repetitions) in each set--this ensures you are overloading your muscles.

Adaptation/Regeneration Phase
The fourth week will have a significantly reduced weight load to allow your muscles to recover from the preceding three weeks. This enables your muscle cells to rebuild fully and your muscle fuel (glycogen) stores to replenish. You've just completed your first mesocycle.

The following (fifth) week starts with a "rebound" phase which will be similar in intensity to the last high intensity week before your recovery week (i.e., week 3). You will experience a physiological "rebound" enabling you to lift heavier weights. In weeks 6 and 7 continue to increase your resistance and decrease the repetitions of each exercise as you did in the first three weeks. Then follow week 7 with the recovery week.

The number of repetitions in each set should be varied every week. The following chart shows how you can increase the resistance of each weight training exercise for each of the three workouts you are doing that week.

How to Design Your Personal Weight Training Program Using Periodization
Here is information on how to create your own strength-training program using periodization principles to boost your performance.

Step 1 Select the exercises. I have already done this for you in the last issue's programming article. After four to six weeks of following this program you will need to change some of the exercises when you feel your strength plateau. There are endless variations of each weight training exercise. I recommend you consult your local personal trainer to show you how to do different exercises for the same muscle groups.

Step 2 Find out your Maximal Strength for each exercise. A 1- Repetition Maximum (1-RM) test is easy to administer. Simply increase the weight of each exercise until you can only perform one maximal repetition. Then use the following table to estimate your workout weights. You should aim to lift about seventy-five percent of your 1-RM about ten times for each exercise.

Step 3 Create your weekly microcycle. Do this by gradually increasing your weight each workout. Use the percentage of weight corresponding with the number of repetitions you are aiming to do. This seems complicated but follow this example.

If you can do 100 lbs for a bench press 1-RM, and want to do a set of ten repetitions, the table says you should use .752% of your 1-RM for that exercise, i.e., about 75 lbs.

Step 4 Combine three microcycles of step type increases in weight with a fourth week of recovery to make a mesocycle of four weeks. Don't forget to program in the recovery week with reduced weights and less repetitions.

As for how many sets you should do for each exercise, and how long you should rest between sets, please refer back to the article on Weight Training Programming in the last issue. The frequency of your workouts should still be two and three sessions each week.

By following these guidelines you should be able to continue to improve your strength and thus your running, without the frustration of plateauing or injury. It may take some trial and experimentation to establish what amount of weights you should be lifting and how to perform the exercises, but once you have learned them, you will be surprised at how large your strength gains will be. Maybe you will be ready for London 2012!

REFERENCES Periodization Breakthrough!, Steven Fleck, Ph.D., and William Kraemer, Ph.D., Advanced Research Press, 1996. Periodization: Theory and Methodology of Training, Tudor Bompa, Ph.D., Human Kinetics, 1999. Periodization of Strength, Tudor Bompa, Veritas Publishing, 1996. Periodization Training for Sports, Tudor Bompa, Human Kinetics, 1999. Essentials of Strength Training and Conditioning, NSCA, Thomas Baechle, Human Kinetics, 1994

Roy Stevenson has a master's degree in coaching and exercise physiology from Ohio University. He teaches exercise science, nutrition, and health in the Physical Education Department at Highline Community College, Seattle, Washington, and has presented at the American College of Sports Medicine Health and Fitness Summit on periodization for strength training.

He is a former New Zealand runner where he competed in NZ Championships on track, road, and cross-country. He held the NZ under 20 marathon record in 1974 when he ran 2:42:28.