Basic Concepts of Training Theory Part 2.1 : Generalized Theories Of Training - My notes of the book Science and Practice of Strength Training By Vladimir M. Zatsiorsky & William J. Kraemer.

Generalized Theories Of Training : Part 1

Welcome to part 2 of my blog's first series. If you've read part 1, I assume that you know this series is about the basic concepts of strength training. In part 1 I covered the 4 laws of adaptation which are required to be followed for optimal strength/muscle gain. In this blogpost i'll try to explain the models that coaches and experts use to solve practical problems. The following are the most general concepts that coaches and athletes use for conditioning and planning training programs/cycles. 

One-Factor Theory (Theory of Supercompensation) 

An athlete's talent or disposition toward a certain sport, competition or training is called preparedness. Now, how do you define talent? You can look at the genes, upbringing, etc. But preparedness is assumed to be very closely correlated to the amount of biochemical substances available for immediate use. What substances are we talking about? One very widely known example is muscle glycogen. 

If I asked you to perform a routine of heavy squats in the morning and then requested you to do exact same routine at nighttime, would you be able to perform at the same level as you did in the morning? I wouldn't. Muscle glycogen is used for anaerobic exercise, so right after we do a weightlifting training session, our glycogen storages are depleted. In other words, our amount of biochemical substances available for immediate use are limited. Thus, preparedness decreases. 

Second scenario, I let you go through the same routine of heavy squats in the morning. But this time I'll let you rest for a couple of days. What will happen? The next time you'll perform the routine (with the same exact weights) the movements will be smoother and you notice afterwards that you're not as exhausted as after the first session. 

By now you're probably thinking one of the following :

• What has this to do with all the biochemical stuff?
• Ofcourse you're stronger after having a rest, retard.

First off, what's the deal with the biochemical stuff. As I stated earlier, biochemical storages are being called upon during exercise. Naturally, these storages aren't limitless, so they run out of stock. Your storages get depleted. What happens next is called the restitution/restoration period, the storages are being filled up again, so that next time you decide to exercise you'll be ready. 

The One-Factor Theory

Second, you're not perse stronger after having a rest. Think about the "heavy squatting twice a day" example. In this example you give your body a short rest, but it isn't long enough to fill the storages back up again. Now here comes the main point of the one-factor theory. You're stronger after having a optimal rest period. What's optimal? One day, two weeks, a month? By definition it's the period after the restoration-phase where the level of biochemical substance increase above the initial level. This is supercompensation. If the next workout takes place during the supercompensation-phase, the athlete's preparedness increases (you get stronger). So it should be the goal of everybody following this theory, to ride the wave of supercompensation and get continuously stronger. 

Now, you still don't know your very own optimal rest period. This falls back onto something I wrote about in my first post, called individualization. It's different for everyone, so if you want to find yours, start experimenting until you find your sweet spot. 

Optimal progression w/ one-factor theory

In my next post I'll be looking at a different theory.

Thank you for reading

- Thomas

Sources : 

Zatsiorsky, Vladimir M. & Kraemer, William J. Science and Practice of Strength Training 2nd Edition (2006)