Competitive microcycle – maintenance

Definition of a competitive microcycle

It is the training period that elapses between a competition match and the next. That is why we say that competitive micro cycles are linked together.

This period is characterized by its main objective, the COMPETITION. We must train to arrive in the best possible way and with the largest number of players in optimal condition for the competitive match.

That is why we will have to take into account several factors:

The training

During the training days we must adjust the workload well and execute them in the proper order. In this sense, the order of the tasks both in the training session and on the corresponding day of the week is important.

Because our goal is to create positive adaptations in training both individually (in the player) and collectively (in the team).

The recovery

As our goal is to get to the competition well, recovery is just as important as training.
We will make sure that our players arrive in the best possible way to the game, for this they must assimilate the workloads well. This produces the SUPERCOMPENSATION. Which is nothing more than the correct adaptation to the training by the player.

Two important recovery situations by the player:

1.- Recovery during the session, in which the player is able to assimilate the workload produced by the training tasks.

Each task has its determinate recovery (R in task)

Each session has recovery period during the task and between tasks (macro-pause)

2.- During the recovery between sessions, the player is able to assimilate the training load during the days that it is executed. A player must always be able to perform the following training session in optimal conditions.

The competition

The player and the team must arrive in the best possible conditions for the competition (match). For this, our objectives within the objective will be to optimize the work so that our performance is optimal in the competition.

We will try to combine these variables during the competitive period and thus that produce what we call a COMPETITIVE CYCLE:

The cycle is repeated during the COMPETITIVE PERIOD. One game influences the next, one training session influences the next, and another training session influences the next. This is how the competitive micro cycles connect with each other.

That is why within the COMPETITIVE OR MAINTENANCE MICROCYCLE different phases take place:

1.- The training phase

The training phase are all the training sessions that take place within it. We will take into account the objectives to build the tasks that determine the training sessions. These sessions can be: We will take into account the objectives to build the tasks that determine the training sessions. These sessions can be:
1.- Compensation, players who did not play and need training to equalize workloads between teams.
2.- Recovery, players who played the game and need to recover to support subsequent workloads.
3.- Loading, main sessions with a high volume and intensity, which we use to assimilate the weekly objectives.
4.- Tapering, sessions where the competition is close and we have to control the training for the player to arrive in a good condition to the competition.

2.- Recovery and compensation phase

In this phase, the players of the team that participated in the previous match must have sufficient recovery time to be able to work on the training loads of the micro cycle.
Those players who did not participate must receive a training to try to compensate the workload of the match that they did not play. This phase is executed in the days (1 or 2) following the match.

3.- Phase of tapering or approach to the competition

We must plan the training sessions close to the competition to reach it in the best possible way. Therefore, the tasks of these sessions will be of an intensity that is easy to assimilate so that it causes the least possible fatigue.

In the graphics we can see different days of competitive microcycles with their respective phases.

In later articles we will put sessions of different days.

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