02/17/2010: The Ratio Technique

by: adarqui


Once athletes discover periodization, they very often over think the process. You often find programs layed out in full detail, from the exact exercises & sets & reps, to the exact days when training will occur. In most cases, there are a few problems with this approach:

• Strict schedules do not allow for autoregulation
• Strict protocols do not promote adjustment
• Strict schedules might interfere with skill work
• Strict schedules usually break up training into a 7-day period (training rhythm)

This small blog entry will cover the training rhythm.


Training Rhythm

One of the most important aspects of performance training, is finding a "rhythm" with your training. Finding a rhythm implies knowing how & when you will experience performance drop off's (dips), supercompensations (rises), or potentiation (stim) from training.

• DIPS: This is when performance decreases, temporarily, due to fatigue of the central nervous system (CNS) or the muscles themself.
• RISES: This is when performance increases, temporarily, due to a over compensation of the CNS or muscles to the previously experienced fatigue.
• STIM: This is when performance increases, temporarily, due to a carry over effect from special exercises (heavy squat singles or low volume depth jumps for example). What makes STIM different than supercompensation, is that STIM can occur in the absence of a dip (fatigue) in performance.

Most athletes stick to a routine which fits precisely within a 7 day period. To me, this is most often a mistake, though in some circumstances it might be completely necessary. The problem with a 7 day period, is that it is a "forced" rhythm. Sessions may be performed in the face of too much fatigue, not enough stim, too little frequency, or too much frequency.

One thing is for sure, the body has a natural 24 hour rhythm, set to the rise & fall of the sun. This has evolved from organism to organism for millions of years.



The Ratio Technique

A very effective way to split up training is by using ratios, using a general guideline instead of using specific days of the week.




Ratio "SYNTAX"

• session-type-1:session-type-2:session-type-n = X:Y:Z
• Perform session-type-1 X times in a row, followed by session-type-2 Y times in a row, followed by session-type-N Z times in a row

FULL Example ratio: Peaking power: strength-hypertrophy:strength-power:stim

• Phase 1: Strength-hypertrophy emphasis: 3:1:1

Session 1: strength-hypertrophy Session 2: stremgth-hypertrophy Session 3: strength-hypertrophy Session 4: strength-power Session 5: stim (MSEM)

• Phase 2: Strength-hypertrophy transition: 2:1:1

Session 1: strength-hypertrophy Session 2: strength-hypertrophy Session 3: strength-power Session 4: stim (MSEM)

• Phase 3: Neutral 1:1:1

Session 1: strength-hypertrophy Session 2: strength-power Session 3: stim (MSEM)

• Phase 4: Peak 0:1:1

Session 1: strength-power Session 2: stim (MSEM)

• Phase 5: In-season 0:0:1

Session 1: stim (MSEM)

So for the above example, we could have:

• Phase 1: Off-season, Rotations = 3
• Phase 2: Off-season, Rotations = 2
• Phase 3: Off-season, Rotations = 2
• Phase 4: Pre-season, Rotations = 3
• Phase 5: In-season, Rotations = whatever

Since we perform STIM as the last session, Phases 1-4 could have some kind of official testing when you rotate back to session 1. This way you continually monitor your performance, through each phase of the program.

Notice that I just list it as: Session 1, Session 2, Session n. This means, that you don't need to conform to a weekly schedule, instead, you can add or reduce rest days based on how you are adapting to the program. For example, there might be 3 rest days following a strength-hypertrophy session, two rest days following a strength-power session, and one rest day following a stim session. However, that does not mean we must conform exactly, instead, adding or removing rest days may change throughout the program, allowing you to train at optimal levels throughout.

So, if you prefer to plan out your rotations, the above example could be written as:

FULL Example ratio: Peaking power: strength-hypertrophy:strength-power:stim

• Phase 1: Strength-hypertrophy emphasis: [3:1:1] x 3
• Phase 2: Strength-hypertrophy transition: [2:1:1] x 2
• Phase 3: Neutral [1:1:1] x 2
• Phase 4: Peak [0:1:1] x 3
• Phase 5: In-season 0:0:1

More quick examples:


Example ratio: Peaking Strength: hypertrophy:strength:stim

• Phase 1: Hypertrophy emphasis: 3:1:1
• Phase 2: Hypertrophy transition 2:1:1
• Phase 3: Neutral 1:1:1
• Phase 4: Strength transition 1:2:1
• Phase 5: Strength emphasis 1:3:1

Example ratio: Peaking Power: strength:power

• Phase 1: Strength emphasis: 3:1
• Phase 2: Strength transition: 2:1
• phase 3: Neutral: 1:1
• Phase 4: Power transition: 1:2
• Phase 5: Power emphasis: 1:3

In the above two examples, you could then "stack" both blocks together:

• Block 1: Peaking Strength
• Block 2: Peaking Power

Example ratio: Conditioning emphasis: strength-power:conditioning

• Phase 1: Neutral 1:1
• Phase 2: Conditioning emphasis 1:2
• Phase 3: Conditioning intensification 1:3

In my own training, I really didn't spend much time on hypertrophy, instead I spent time on strength blocks, mixed strength/power blocks, and finally high frequency training. My ratio's might look like:

• Phase 1: Strength emphasis = strength:power+stim(plyos+MSEM) -> 3:1
• Phase 2: Strength transition = strength:power+stim(plyos+MSEM) -> 2:1
• Phase 3: Neutral = strength:power+stim(plyos+MSEM) -> 1:1
• Phase 4: High frequency stim =  lower-volume plyos+MSEM:higher-volume plyos+MSEM -> 1:3

So there you have it, my preferred way of structuring programs and the blocks within them.

A few key points

• Pick qualities based on their interaction with each other, such as:

Hypertrophy preceding strength Strength preceding power Power preceding intensification of skill work (skill work in this sense refers to in-season or sport competition) Maintaining strength/power while intensifying conditioning Maintaining strength/power while intensifying skill work

• Build up quality A, without neglecting quality B
• Transition from quality A to quality B
• Build up quality B, without neglecting quality A
• Possibly use stim throughout to properly assess current performance

pC

-- adarqui

sexy

glad you liked it!

well this is just the concept article, people like vag etc have been using this technique pretty effectively.. it's all custom stuff.. right now you're pretty busy with football though, so strength maintenance/stim is really your concern.

awesome man, thanks ALOT  for that comment.. i've loved how you have implemented it.

peace!

thanks!! it should help alot with what you were planning to do, now instead of just doing that one workout over and over, you understand you have to ratio it with some volume work to make sure you avoid stagnation, provide a better stimulus for hypertrophy/lean mass maintenance etc..

volume:power/msem:peakjumpsession = 1:2-3:1 <- works pretty well.

peace man

just jumps, a peak jump session includes possibly using high amounts of caffeine that day, being very fresh, and getting alot of max jumps in with good recovery between each.. i personally like to load up on bananas the night before, then take in big amounts of caffeine on peak vert days, check this out heh:

http://www.adarq.org/forum/performance-training-blog/what-to-eat-to-peak-performance/

well this was just the general concept, because alot of people were working on qualities while neglecting others, then transitioning into another quality, while yet again losing the last quality they worked on.. ie blocks of just strength, just power, peak, but by peak strength/hypertrophy had dropped.

peace man