Modern training periodization theory includes: training structure, training periodization, training cycles, and cyclical training.
Around the 1980s, some scholars questioned the scientific validity of the modern training periodization theory established by Soviet scholar Matveyev, sparking academic debates for many years. However, the vast majority of scholars and coaches still believe that the fundamental principles of cyclical training processes and the corresponding modern training periodization theory have not become outdated but have instead evolved to become more developed, enriched, and refined. A cycle refers to a process of development that is repetitive and cyclical; a training cycle refers to a training process that exhibits such repetitive and cyclical characteristics; and training periodization refers to dividing a certain cyclical training process into multiple lower-level training processes that also possess cyclical features. Cyclical training, meanwhile, means that the sports training process must follow the laws of biological rhythm changes in an athlete’s body and the resulting cyclical patterns in competitive state formation and development, as well as the periodicity of major competition schedules, climatic and seasonal natural conditions, the cyclical arrangement of athletes’ study, work, and life, the formation patterns of training adaptability, and the rhythmic arrangement of load and recovery interactions. Among these, the biological rhythm changes in the athlete's body and the resulting patterns in competitive state formation and development serve as the primary basis for dividing training cycles, with arrangements made in a certain dynamic rhythm, through repetitive, cyclical, and progressively improving methods. The main goal is to help athletes form their optimal competitive state timely and effectively in line with competition needs, thereby achieving the best possible competition results.
Based on this, the training cycles in various training processes are divided into preparatory cycles, basic or competitive cycles, and restorative or transitional cycles. Training structure refers to the relatively complete and stable way in which the various components of the training process are combined, reflecting the internal connections among those components throughout the entire training process. The integrity of the training process is built upon an optimally structured training framework, and the components of the training structure exhibit regular, coherent, long-term, and systematic connections. These connections are reflected both in the interrelated transfer relationships among training content elements (such as between general and specific training, physical training and technical/tactical training, etc.), and in the vertical, systematic coherence among the various components of the training process (such as from individual training units within a single session to multi-year training programs). Based on the research of predecessors, L.P. Matveyev established modern training periodization theory and proposed three fundamental structures for the training process: small structure (mainly referring to training unit cycles, session cycles, daily cycles, and weekly cycles), medium structure (mainly referring to training cycles within phases), and large structure (mainly referring to training cycles in annual and multi-year plans). Each of these structures also shows clear cyclical connections in the arrangement of training content and loads, thus forming a complete training cycle structure comprising unit training, session cycles, weekly cycles (microcycles), phase cycles (mesocycles), annual cycles, and multi-year cycles (macrocycles), along with a comprehensive set of cyclical training theories.
The Establishment of Rhythm Theory and the Overall Structural Model of Training Periods. Rhythm refers to the inherent laws of periodic change and the dynamic characteristics of variation in things. Non-sports-related rhythms related to modern training include cosmic rhythm, social rhythm, natural rhythm, and biological rhythm. From the perspective of competitive sports, there are training rhythms (such as load rhythm, movement rhythm, etc.) and competition rhythms (such as competition density, performance rhythm, etc.). The ultimate goal of these rhythms is to form a biological rhythm of athletic ability that aligns with the competitive state of each training process. Based on this, athletes can ultimately achieve their optimal competitive state during competitions. Nowadays, many factors that make up the training process have reached their own limits. Therefore, recognizing the crucial role of biological rhythms in athletes' functional activities and using their regularities to predict athletes’ states and to rationally arrange training plans will undoubtedly help synchronize training and competition rhythms as much as possible with the athletes’ own biological rhythms and external natural rhythms. This approach maximizes the rational and economical mobilization of the body’s internal potential, improves training and competition effectiveness, reduces the occurrence of injuries, allows athletes to perform at their trained levels during competitions, and enables them to achieve their best possible athletic results. As shown in Table 6, in various cyclical training processes, athletes’ athletic abilities demonstrate certain rhythmic patterns.
Early training period arrangement principles explained from a training science perspective. The arrangement of training in the early foundational training stage should pay attention to the following training science key points:
(1) Emphasize the systematic and coherent arrangement of training cycles. Maintain the intrinsic connections and natural, orderly transitions and continuities between cycles at different levels, preserving the unity of the training’s systematic nature, rhythmic quality, and periodicity.
(2) The arrangement of cyclical training should maintain relative stability and flexibility. The specific timing, structure, content, methods, means, and load arrangements of each cycle are not exactly the same in every cycle but should be adjusted and modified according to specific circumstances.
(3) When dividing cycles, fully consider factors with periodic variation patterns. In the early training stage, particular attention should be paid to the influence of school studies, exams, holidays, and other factors. A comprehensive consideration of all aspects is essential, with greater emphasis placed on factors exhibiting periodic variation patterns, the most important of which is the law of competitive state formation and development.
(4) Reasonably determine the structure of each training cycle. Correctly grasp the internal and external factors of the athlete’s body, and appropriately define the time and phase structure of each training cycle.