Periodization: Theory and Methodology of Training

Learn how to train for maximum gains with Periodization: Theory and Methodology of Training. Guided by the expertise of Tudor O. Bompa, the pioneer of periodization training, and leading periodization researcher G. Gregory Haff, you'll learn how to vary the intensity and volume of training to optimize the body's ability to recover and rebuild—resulting in better performance and less risk of injury.

Translated into nine languages, Periodization: Theory and Methodology of Training has become one of the major resources on periodization for sport scientists, coaches, and athletes throughout the world. Since the introduction of this groundbreaking training theory by Tudor O. Bompa in 1963, periodization has become the basis of every serious athlete's training. Now in its fifth edition, Bompa's classic text combines the concepts central to periodization and training theory with contemporary advances in sport science, physiology, and coaching.

No other text discusses planning and periodization in such detail or with so many specific, practical examples from a variety of sports. With the fifth edition of Periodization, you can learn the principles, objectives, and components of a successful long-term training program and how to plan the right program to achieve your performance goals. Periodization also contains proven strategies for optimal peaking and specifics on training for better motor ability, working capacity, skill effectiveness, and psychological adaptability.

Better organized and easier to read, the fifth edition of this definitive text presents the latest refinements to periodization theory:

-New research on rest and restoration, specifically countermeasures used in facilitating recovery plus practical suggestions for implementation

-How the use of sequential training and delayed training effects can produce optimal performance at major competitions

-A comprehensive discussion, grounded in scientific data, on applying various methods of peaking to ensure optimal performance for competition

-New information on how concepts such as conjugated sequencing and summated microcycle structures can maximize strength gains and direct training

-Expanded information on the development of sport performance characteristics, including speed training and sport-specific endurance

Chapter summaries will help you review and reference major concepts throughout the text. Plan and document each training program with ease using the duplication-ready annual and four-year training plan charts included in the appendix.

When it comes to designing programs for optimal training, Tudor Bompa's expertise is unmatched. The fifth edition of Periodization: Theory and Methodology of Training presents the latest refinements to Bompa's periodization theory to help you create training programs that enhance sport skills and ensure peak performance.

Tudor O. Bompa, PhD, is recognized as the world's foremost expert on periodization training. He developed the concept of periodization of strength in Romania in 1963 as he helped the Eastern Bloc countries rise to dominance in the athletic world. Since then, Bompa has used his system in training 11 Olympic and world championship medalists and elite athletes.

Professor emeritus at York University in Toronto, Bompa has authored several books on physical conditioning, including the second edition of Serious Strength Training, Periodization Training for Sports, and Total Training for Young Champions as well as numerous articles on the subject. He has made presentations on periodization training in more than 30 countries. His publications, conferences, and ideas are highly regarded and sought out by many top professional athletes and training specialists. Bompa and his wife, Tamara, live in Sharon, Ontario.

G. Gregory Haff, PhD, is an assistant professor of exercise physiology in the School of Medicine at West Virginia University in Morgantown. Haff has published more than 50 articles, centering his research on performance effects in the areas of strength training, cycling, and nutritional supplementation.

A frequent presenter at national conferences on the topic of periodization, Haff was invited to present his research on the periodization of strength training in the United Kingdom in 2008. Haff also received a Distinguished Teaching Award from West Virginia University School of Medicine in 2008. In 2001, he was the recipient of the National Strength and Conditioning Association (NSCA) Young Investigator of the Year Award.

Haff applies his research as a regional weightlifting coach, level 3 cycling coach, and certified strength and conditioning specialist with distinction. He has also worked as a coach and consultant for national-level and international-level weightlifters and cyclists as well as numerous collegiate athletes.

A fellow of the NSCA, Haff has served on the association's board of directors since 2007. He is also a member of the European College of Sports Science. Haff served on the USA Weightlifting Sports Medicine Committee (1998-2004), USA Weightlifting Sport Science Committee (1997-2004), NSCA Research Committee (2000-2006), and United States Olympic Committee Performance Enhancement Team for Weightlifting (2003-2004).

A competitive weightlifter at the national level for 14 years, Haff continues to enjoy weightlifting in his free time as well as cycling and cooking. Haff resides in Morgantown, West Virginia, with his wife, Erin.