Has Periodisation Disappeared OR Maybe We Just Didn’t Get It!?

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<span style="font-weight: 400;">PT’s are rarely employed anymore and so you find yourself competing with each other. The problem with this is that others are using their clients training sessions to ‘show off’ the funky looking methods they have to offer, trying to look interesting so as to stand out from the crowd, swinging from TRX’s, hollering at them to swat the heavy ropes up and down or loading up the squat rack. Which is kind of understandable if these PT’s feel they have to ‘perform’ in the gym to gain more clients. When actually, it’s your current client's long term results that speak for themselves and actually draw more and more people in.</span>

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<span style="font-weight: 400;">However, it is our professional duty as PT’s to ensure that the very basic preparation for movement is in place prior to introducing any of the sexy stuff wouldn't you agree!? In fact, not even just professional duty, if you want your clients to stick around for a long time, then you had better start with the foundation's first.</span>

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<span style="font-weight: 400;">Sometimes I wonder if periodization has been lost as it appears almost non-existent in the gym these days.</span>

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<span style="font-weight: 400;">Clients want ‘beasting' because that’s what they have been conditioning to think makes it a good session. They are often ignorant of the fact that ‘more is NOT better’, ‘harder does NOT mean healthier’ and actually some low grade possibly even, dare I say it, boring unsexy stuff, will, in fact, mean they can train for longer, with less risk of injury and also increase their strength output possibly by 50% over just 10 days! </span><a href="https://www.biomechanicseducation.com/want-to-increase-muscle-output-by-50-in-10-days/" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><b>&gt;&gt;see that blog here</b></a>

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<span style="font-weight: 400;">We as trainers are </span><i><span style="font-weight: 400;">educators and teachers </span></i><span style="font-weight: 400;">and we all have a duty of care to our clients to make them aware of the importance of periodization. We don’t even have to call it that, we can call it preparation for movement or giving the body the ability or capacity for movement. While using some sensible conditioning principles we don't have to avoid strength work completely either. </span>

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<span style="font-weight: 400;">Spending almost 30yrs in various gyms across the world, I have listened to and seen many trainers at work with clients, some fantastic ones and some not so great. As they chat to their clients, maybe count their reps, show caring and empathy and offer motivation and support, it can appear to be a relatively easy job. (This might be why the industry is now saturated with PT’s). Yet recently, and over the last few years in particular, the training sessions have become almost ridiculously complex. It has now reached a point where the client is virtually incapable of performing the movements or shows a much bigger increase in risking an injury.</span>

<span style="font-weight: 400;">Push ups can no longer simply be push ups on the floor, on the knees or on the toes. They have to be in a TRX and/or with feet on a stability ball. Core work seems to be no good unless you are rotating on one arm and one leg with a dumbbell in one hand. </span>

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<span style="font-weight: 400;">Where have the basics gone?</span>

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<span style="font-weight: 400;">All of this and many of us are not even </span><i><span style="font-weight: 400;">prepared</span></i><span style="font-weight: 400;"> for the basics especially with the lifestyles we now lead!</span>

<span style="font-weight: 400;">Think for a moment how many times or how many places you sat down, hips at 90 degrees, knees flexed, knee and hip muscles held long or short for long periods. </span>

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<span style="font-weight: 400;">Our clients come from sitting behind their desk all day and while I am an advocate of ‘movement is good’ the movement also has to ultimately be safe but also effective and appropriate to the clients biomechanics. In other words, rather than a show for the other people in the gym watching, it should be practical movements because this could compromise the individual in front of you paying for your professional advice. </span>

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<span style="font-weight: 400;">So what do we need to consider to get back to fundamentals of movement and the ability to train our clients appropriately? We need an objective and systemised approach for each client. So we have our ParQ, ask verbal questions and make notes on their forms and then ‘induct’ the client to understand how they move and what they might enjoy doing in the gym. We might use weighing scales, body fat callipers, fitness tests, movement tests but just how objective is this in relation to their intrinsic movement ability?</span>

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<span style="font-weight: 400;">Having an evidence based objective biomechanics assessment that is easy to apply here would mean you </span><span style="font-weight: 400;">know</span><span style="font-weight: 400;"> which exercises might harm them or help them. This then allows you to create a very bespoke thorough plan based on all of the information gathered. It also gives you the ability to monitor progress accurately with the screening forms - Here is an example we use to identify where the client is at risk from our screening system: </span>

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<img class="aligncenter size-large wp-image-3015" src="https://www.biomechanicseducation.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/08/sample-case-study-2-741x1024.jpeg" alt="Biomechanics Screening system for personal trainers" width="741" height="1024" />

<span style="font-weight: 400;">Then depending on the client and the results we can start simply to a). Consider safety &amp; adaptions b). Allow the client to gradually build confidence in the way they move c). Build a rapport with the client feeling successful d). Allow the clients body enough time to adapt to their new training regime.</span>

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<span style="font-weight: 400;">Let’s look at a simple system of thought for any trainer, coach or exercise professional. The pyramid example:</span>

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<img class="aligncenter size-large wp-image-2963" src="https://www.biomechanicseducation.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/07/Screen-Shot-2017-06-30-at-08.23.34-1024x764.png" alt="Pyramid For Movement Progression For Personal Trainers" width="1024" height="764" />

<span style="font-weight: 400;">If we consider this as a simple way of explaining the periodisation process to a client right through to their GOAL at the top it sets up an appropriate level of expectation from the outset. So when they tell you their GOAL you might actually ask them to write it into the top circle thus making it more real to them and empowering them more in committing to the achievement THEY have set. This really passes the responsibility onto them for reaching it, which ultimately it is, as we are simply facilitators, assessors, analysts and advisors.</span>

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<span style="font-weight: 400;">We can then explain simply to our clients why intrinsically they need to prepare for that GOAL, by showing them the layers of periodisation from preparation for movement first so they are level and moving freely. Explaining that while in this phase they might be using machines to simplify with symmetry, thus making movement easier while in the preparation phase. It also limits the core work while the pelvis and spine are encouraged to move better with anti spasm techniques and mobilisations until they are more aligned and level. This also means we are less likely to be ‘gluing’ them into an asymmetry before we even begin.</span>

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<span style="font-weight: 400;">As you re-assess them you will know from your screens when they are ready for the next phase (Stability &amp; Control) which might include specific and periodised core training, less machine work, more free weights and maybe you can start to introduce some asymmetrical challenges too.</span>

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<span style="font-weight: 400;">Phase three is now the more functional part, now that they move better, have stronger muscles, tendons, ligaments, joints and proprioception has improved, all stacked on top of a strong foundation, we can start to challenge with functional specifics. This piece may even be over weeks too and as a trainer can you now see how you can create logical longevity to their requirement of your services with this approach? Starting simpler is not only safer but also gives your session long term progressive and interesting exercise content. Clients LOVE this!</span>

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<span style="font-weight: 400;">The time lines on this periodisation is always going to be case by case and client specific but unless we continue to assess, re-assess and monitor progress sensibly with a periodised training system we could, in fact, be setting our clients up for injury albeit without knowing it.</span>

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<span style="font-weight: 400;">So if you really care about your clients, educate them, rather than trying to be sexy, funky and exotic with your exercise choice.</span>

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<span style="font-weight: 400;">Make it smart! </span>

<span style="font-weight: 400;">And</span>

<span style="font-weight: 400;">Remember smarter does NOT mean harder!</span>

<a href="https://biomechanicseducation.clickfunnels.com/biomechanics-coach" target="_blank" rel="noopener">CLICK HERE <b>If you need some help with periodisation for your clients, or you worry about the order that you are doing things</b></a>