What is Integrated Training?
Integrated training is full program design built to target all aspects of athletic training and prevent injury (Clark et al. 2010). Traditional programs focus on basic elements that usually included movement in a single plane.
However, movement during sports rarely happens in isolation or in a single plane. Programs are built to increase functional strength (concentric, eccentric, and isometric movement in all three planes) and neuromuscular efficiency (building force, reducing force, and stabilizing movement through the synergy of the muscles, bones, and CNS).
However, movement during sports rarely happens in isolation or in a single plane. Programs are built to increase functional strength (concentric, eccentric, and isometric movement in all three planes) and neuromuscular efficiency (building force, reducing force, and stabilizing movement through the synergy of the muscles, bones, and CNS).
What are the phases of integrated training?
There are 6 phases in the integrated training system that progress from most basic to most advanced. Each phase builds off the previous phase: |
| PHOTO CREDIT: NASM.ORG |
- Phase 1: Stabilization endurance. Goal is to fix muscular imbalance, joint integrity, and posture.
- Phase 2: Strength endurance. Goal is to build strength, muscular endurance, by introducing supersets.
- Phase 3: Hypertrophy.
- Phase 4: Maximal strength.
- Phase 5: Power.
- Phase 6: Maximal power. Goal is to build power and speed. Accomplished by mixing traditional lifts with quick bodyweight exercise super-sets (Clark et al. 2010).
What type of periodization does the integrated training method follow?
There are at least two types of periodization: linear and nonlinear (Buford, Rossi, & Smith, 2007). During linear periodization, one completes a stage of lifting before moving on to the next phase. The phases are not combined and they are completed in order. Typical order includes endurance, hypertrophy, strength, then power.Nonlinear periodization (aka daily undulating periodization) changes from endurance, hypertrophy, strength, and power during any single week. Stages are combined on a weekly basis and any stage can be used on any single training day.
The integrated training method follows a nonlinear periodization model as athletes complete one full stage before moving to the next. Stages are not combined, and at the end of each phase athletes advance to the next stage and the difficulty is increased. However, trainers mix up variables during each of the stages to provide constant stress to the body in order for the body to adapt.
This study shows by altering sets, repetitions, and intensity and including different types of lifts athletes can use integrated programs and experience greater gains. While this study seems to argue against traditional linear periodization, results should be taken with a grain of salt. The sample size was rather small with only 18 students. Additionally, the students selected were already advanced powerlifters so it is impossible to say how this type of program would affect novice lifters. Finally, there was no control group to compare results to. Novice lifters attempting to reach a 1RM may experience injury at the worst and learn improper lifting techniques at best. One advantage to linear periodization in my opinion would be the ability to learn the moves first before advancing to more complex variations that manipulate training variables (rest, reps, sets, intensity).
SOURCES
The integrated training method follows a nonlinear periodization model as athletes complete one full stage before moving to the next. Stages are not combined, and at the end of each phase athletes advance to the next stage and the difficulty is increased. However, trainers mix up variables during each of the stages to provide constant stress to the body in order for the body to adapt.
Integrated training example
Zourdos (2016) hypothesizes that modified DUP will produce more gains in powerlifters than traditional powerlifting programs. They observed 18 college powerlifters over six weeks. 9 powerlifters participated in a traditional DUP program of hypertrophy, strength, power (HSP) and 9 participated in a modified DUP program of hypertrophy, power, strength (HPS). Results showed that the modified DUP individuals had greater increases in 1RM of the bench press and squat compared to the traditional group from baseline to posttest.This study shows by altering sets, repetitions, and intensity and including different types of lifts athletes can use integrated programs and experience greater gains. While this study seems to argue against traditional linear periodization, results should be taken with a grain of salt. The sample size was rather small with only 18 students. Additionally, the students selected were already advanced powerlifters so it is impossible to say how this type of program would affect novice lifters. Finally, there was no control group to compare results to. Novice lifters attempting to reach a 1RM may experience injury at the worst and learn improper lifting techniques at best. One advantage to linear periodization in my opinion would be the ability to learn the moves first before advancing to more complex variations that manipulate training variables (rest, reps, sets, intensity).
SOURCES
- Buford, T. W., Rossi, S. J., Smith, D. B., & Warren, A. J. (2007). A comparison of periodization models during nine weeks with equated volume and intensity for strength. Journal of strength and conditioning research, 21(4), 1245–1250. https://doi.org/10.1519/R-20446.1
- Clark, M., Lucett, S., & Kirkendall, D. T. (2010). NASM's essentials of sports performance training. Lippincott Williams & Wilkins.
- Zourdos, Michael C.; Jo, Edward; Khamoui, Andy V.; Lee, Sang-Rok; Park, Bong-Sup; Ormsbee, Michael J.; Panton, Lynn B.; Contreras, Robert J.; Kim, Jeong-Su Modified Daily Undulating Periodization Model Produces Greater Performance Than a Traditional Configuration in Powerlifters, Journal of Strength and Conditioning Research: March 2016 - Volume 30 - Issue 3 - p 784-791 doi: 10.1519/JSC.000000000000116
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