5 - Development cycles

Question 1

What is the key thing you want to know to adhere to most block to block?

Answer 1

The per week stress index -

eg: you can tolerate and respond well to a squat SI of 20 per week? thats what you aim to stick with

Question 2

What is step 1 of the dev cycle?

Answer 2

Determine the cycle length and block breakdown

Question 3

What is step 2 of the dev cycle?

Answer 3

Determine the stress distribution

Question 4

What is step 3 of the dev cycle?

Answer 4

Determine the overall strategy

eg: Singles @ 8 to benchmark progress

maybe triples @8-9?

Maybe nothing?

Question 5

What is benchmarking?

Answer 5

A regular means of tracking/quantifying performance, especially over time to test if we are improving.

Also useful for learning time to peak and when its time to pivot etc

Question 6

In step 3 other than benchmarking sets what are 2 other key considerations?

Answer 6

1) do you need a volume focus, intensity focus, weak rom, technique, what?
2) Are there specific tactics you want/need to employ?

Question 7

What is step 4 of the dev cycle?

Answer 7

Adjustments

• Choosing a protocol
  > justify choices
  > determine intensity and RPE (stress should have been determined by this point)

Question 8

What is a block review?

Answer 8

Key to the ES process. A time to reflect on the previous block of training and determine effectiveness etc (still taking into account context and conflating variables)

Question 9

Volume is determined by? (key question)

Answer 9

The interaction of the intensity selection and the stress selection (SI) - gives rise to volume

Question 10

What is the 10% rule?

Answer 10

If you’re using a training load on a similar movement/pattern thats within 10% of another similar movement/pattern used within the same Dev block, then that may count as an additional exposure

Question 11

Time to peak is linked to?…

Answer 11

Number of exposures

Question 12

Number of exposures can be manipulated in a few ways via microcycle frequency.

Using Mikes alphabet method, how would a 1/2 frequency, 1x frequency and a 2x frequency work out if the athlete was training 4 days per week?

Answer 12

1/2 =
ABCDEFGH (1 micro cycle is 2 weeks)

1x =
ABCD
ABCD
(1 microcycle is 1 week which repeats week to week)

2x =
AB
AB
(1 microcycle is 2 days repeating twice in one week)

Question 13

What is usually the #1 goal of a development cycle?

Answer 13

To improve sport specific performance

Question 14

What are the 2 key sub types of development cycles?

Answer 14

1) Focused dev cycle

2) Exploring dev cycle

Question 15

What is an exploring development cycle?

Answer 15

Usually saved for having a few cycles before a meet and room to try new things. (usually more than 3-4+ cycles)

Not totally new things, but exploring ideas of what maybe has worked in the past - educated ‘guess’ work.

Question 16

What is a focused development cycle?

Answer 16

Usually when you only have 2-4 dev cycles before a meet/peak.

Using things we know work or have a history of being productive

Question 17

What is the ES theory?

Answer 17

Not about finding ‘optimal’ its about finding what has worked well in the past and trying to predict future improvements/likelihood of success

Question 18

The 4 stages of the dev cycle plan can be summed up with the acronym BSSA which stands for?

Answer 18

1) Breakdown (cycle length and block breakdown)
2) Stress (distribution)
3) Strategy (overall)
4) Adjustments (considerations and focus points)

Question 19

The 4 stages of the dev cycle plan can be summed up with the acronym BSSA which stands for?

Answer 19

1) Breakdown (cycle length and block breakdown)
2) Stress (distribution)
3) Strategy (overall)
4) Adjustments (considerations and focus points)

Question 20

The 4 stages of the dev cycle plan can be summed up with the acronym BSSA which stands for?

Answer 20

1) Breakdown (cycle length and block breakdown)
2) Stress (distribution)
3) Strategy (overall)
4) Adjustments (considerations and focus points)