A Throwing Macrocycle

By Bob TakanoMember, USA Weightlifting Hall of Fame INTRODUCTION The impetus for this article came in the form of an inquiry from a thrower named Nathan in San Diego. He was interested in a program designed for him to improve his marks in the discus. I wrote back and explained to him that I am not terribly thrilled about a train-youby-mail situation, but that I could offer some general provisions about program planning that would help him to peak at his culminating competition on June 26, 2011. Nathan provided me with the following information about himself. He is 64 , 255 lbs. This is his 8th year throwing the discus with a PR of 178 feet. He has been Olympic lifting for 6 years, mostly doing the power snatch and power clean. His best clean is 137.5 kg. At the end of July, 2009 or thereabouts he suffered a slight shoulder dislocation while receiving a snatch. Currently he is recovered and in the process of incorporating snatching movements back into his training. Given this information, which is far short of what I would need to find tune the training, I proceeded to develop a general map of his training in the final 12 weeks leading up to his peaking event. I am assuming from the data available that he is in his 20s with a reasonable background for training. I am also assuming that he is very familiar with, if not immersed in an athletic lifestyle. The article itself is divided into two major categories. The first is concerned with an overview of general concepts involved, while the second is dedicated to the variation of component dosages. COMPONENTS OF TRAINING This section will provide information on the design of the training as seen through the major components. The three major components are General Physical Preparation, Strength Training (Weightlifting) and Discus Technical Training. General Physical Preparation (GPP) This domain of training should be familiar to the experienced athlete. It is composed of sprinting, jumping and general training activity that will add to the training load on the body. It should be performed with the most explosive movements initially and then proceed through to activities of lesser speed. It should provide some fatigue of the organism in general and enough specific work that local circulation is increased in order to facilitate the circulation of endogenous secretions later in the cycle. This training may include, in addition to sprinting, two handed throwing and jumping drills, athletic games played on appropriate surfaces. The timing of these activities must be considered so that they do not fatigue the organism prior to explosive strength training, or the proper execution of discus throwing practice. Some of them may be performed early in the day so as to provide a means of arousing the body, followed by a break before heavy neural activity is required again.
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Strength Training/Olympic Lifting It will be assumed that the athlete in question has a functional technique for the performance of the snatch and clean & jerk. The training must be divided up into two categories. The first category is composed of mandatory exercises that will be pursued throughout the entire cycle. These exercises are the snatch, clean & jerk, power snatch, power clean, power jerk back squat, front squat and bench press and dumbbell flyes. The second category is made up of the following auxiliary exercises: bent over rows, Russian twists, standing twists while holding the barbell. They will be employed primarily during the two preparation mesocycles. Personal records should be reached or closely approached during the competition mesocycle in the first category exercises.

Discus Training A certain amount of each weeks training should be devoted to eliminating technical errors. This should be done under the eye of a supervising coach. If this error elimination training can be done early in the cycle, it will be of utmost value. Some training should be practiced with heavier than standard disci to build strength in the muscular throwing chains, while a certain percentage of throws should be performed with lighter than standard disci in order to develop speed components in the muscular throwing chains. During the Competition mesocycle, the number of non-standard weight throws should be diminished and replaced with more throws with the standard discus.

PERIODIZATION The training needs to be properly periodized in order to insure that the body is functioning at peak proficiency in the culminating event. This require a 12 week training program or macrocycle. Each week constitutes a microcycle. The microcycles are grouped into three mesocycles of four microcycles each. The first two mesocycles are preparation mesocycles, while the third one is a competition mesocycle. Each mesocycle is described in greater detail in the following sections. Metrics Each mesocycle is determined by the amount of work performed, its character and its effect on the organism. The GPP, if performed at a consistent pace, can be measured in the amount of time required. The strength training can be measured by the number of repetitions performed at intensities that will elicit a speed/strength response. The technical discus training can be measured by the number of throws, and the proportion of throws in each of the weight domains. Preparation Mesocycle 1 This training month will be composed of Weeks 1, 2, 3 and 4. All three components should be involved. It is assumed that the athlete is injury free at the beginning of Week 1. The training load for Week 1 should be large.
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The training load for Week 2 should be very large. The training load for Week 3 should be low. The training load for Week 4 should be maximal (at the end of this fourth week the athlete should be sluggish, have diarrhea, and experience waking up several times a night.) Restoration, nutrition and adequate rest are extremely important at this juncture. Preparation Mesocycle 2 The training load for Week 5 should be medium. The training load for Week 6 should be maximal. The training load for Week 7 should be low. The training load for Week 8 should be maximal. The overreaching state should be in place for much of this four week period with the worst coming at the end of Week 8. Competition Mesocycle The training load for Week 9 should be large. The training load for Week 10 should be medium The training load for Week 11 should be low The training load for Week 12 should be minimal The GPP should be greatly diminished. The discus technical training should be restricted only to throws with the standard implement. The strength training should eliminate the category 2 exercises.

PHYSIOLOGICAL CONSIDERATIONS The following concepts need to be kept in consideration as the routine is followed and modified. General Adaptational Syndrome (GAS) The goal of the two preparation mesocycles is to apply such stress to the normal homeostasis of the body that the endocrines will respond by secreting a cascade of hormones structured to return the physiological functioning to normal levels. If training is properly designed, the oversecretion will continue into the competition mesocycle and enable the organism to function at a much higher level. The other factor that must be included in the approach is the emphasis on proper restoration throughout the two preparation mesocycles. If proper restoration is not included, the maximal weeks will not be attainable. Physical Size Discus throwers are always much larger than the average person and Nathan is no exception to this rule. When an organism increases in size, the number of capillaries per unit volume of tissue does not keep pace with the increasing size. Hence all biochemical reactions take place at a slower rate because the influx and efflux of materials is diminished.
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At certain points the training may have to be modified to deal with this relationship. The lowering of training volume will have to take place, but it must be done at the correct point in the course of the macrocycle. Age The older the athlete, the sooner the overtrained state is reached given the same training protocol. This is a consideration for future applications of these training prescriptions. A program that works very well this year may have to be altered by diminishing the volume several years down the road because the older athlete simply does not restore at the same rate. Restoration Restoration refers to the daily hygienic and extraordinary practices undertaken to return the body to its normal resting state. These include adequate sleep, daily non-training activities, nutrition, the timing of eating, bathing, contrast showers, Jacuzzi, steam, sauna, athletic massage, nutritional supplementation, cryotherapy and any other relevant modalities. Failure to engage in some form of restoration each day of the first two mesocycles will inhibit the ability of the athlete to achieve the maximal volumes in Week 4, 6 and 8. The post training therapies should be rotated to achieve the best results. They should also be used, but with less frequency during the competition mesocycle to prepare the organism for the ultimate result.

DOSAGE AND CHARACTER General Physical Preparation Dosage At this point in his career Nathan should be expected to be familiar with the exercises and activities that will provide him with stimulation in his training. Each session can include a series of short sprints, some jumping exercises, some kettlebell training, or games that involve running, jumping and general athleticism. Longer sessions can be made of two or more of these modalities. Each session should last from 15 to 30 minutes. During the mesocycles 1 and 2, two to three sessions of GPP should be scheduled per week. They may be performed early in the day and then followed by a rest before beginning the weight training session. Two sessions can be scheduled for Week 9, and then they can be discarded for Weeks 1012. Strength Training Dosage The first category and second category exercises should be performed from Weeks 1 through 10. During Weeks 1 through 8, the repetitions per set for Category 1 exercises should be as high as 4 with weights in the 60% to 85% range. Category 2 exercises can be performed with 5 to 6 reps per set.
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During Weeks 9 through 12, the only Category 1 exercises to be performed should be Snatches, Power Snatches, Cleans & jerks, Power Cleans, Bench Presses and Back Squats. The reps should be 1 to 2 per set with intensities from 80% to 100%. The number of training sessions should be 3 to 4 during the very heavy and maximal microcycles of mesocycles 1 and 2. During weeks 10, 11, 12, the number of sessions per week should be 2 to 3 with a lower total number of repetitions, but higher intensities. Discus Training Multi-weight discus training should be performed through Mesocycles 1 and 2. The number of underweight and overweight throws should diminish during weeks 8 and 9. Training sessions should be measured in number of throws. After week 9, all throws should be done with the standard weight implement. The number of practice sessions should be in the 3 to 5 range during Weeks 1 9, and then diminished to 3 to 4 during weeks 10 and 11, and only 2 during week 12. CONCLUSION This article is meant to supply guidelines for the planning of training for an experienced discus thrower with competent technique in throwing the discuss and performing the snatch and clean & jerk. Optimally the entire twelve weeks should be laid out first in a spread sheet, and then at the end of each week evaluated with modifications made for the next week. If possible the athlete should evaluate the training with the assistance of an experienced coach who understands the concepts of overtraining and periodization. Most athletes have a good understanding of proper training. The weak area is usually the implementation of restoration. Restoration is not always readily available to many athletes and they may have to go to a separate facility to achieve it. Just remember that the function of restoration is to increase the frequency with which molecules collide in the muscles of the athlete.