Athletic peaking, when you are in top shape for your given sport and specific event(s), results in your best performances of the season. This is the time (well, should be the time…) when your fitness is at the highest level, while your fatigue is at a very low level. This is the one time of the season that fatigue should in no way mask fitness. Your peak occurs when you are ready to perform at your best physically (fitness, skills, reactions…) and psychologically (strategy, focus, intent…). Peaking for sport is no accident, but rather the culmination of training, competitions, tactics and regeneration that has been planned for.
A peaking period can be as long as several weeks or as short as several days, so defining your peaking period and planning accordingly is critical. No new stimuli of any significant intensity should be introduced at this time, and training methods (psychological, physical, and technical) must be specific to the demands of competition. So don’t add a bunch of new weight lifting to your training, and at the same time – if you weight lifting is part of your normal training – do NOT drop it from your routine! The idea is to “peak” all physical qualities.
Work in the pool should be directed at improving specifics for competition (starts, full speed work, timed turns, etc) and/or recovery-type efforts. Long, intense, and difficult swim sets should for the most part be over once you are starting your taper. Again, complete regeneration of all required physical capacities; such as speed, strength, and power; is paramount. This regeneration is not accomplished by dropping any training from your plan, but by adjusting your training to realize the “peak” of all of your physical capacities. Generally – maintain intensity, drop some volume, and adjust density according to your sport’s needs. No need to do 8 x 50m at 90% effort on a 1:00 send-off if you are only swimming a 50… 5 x 50m from blocks within .5 or less of best ever practice time, with full rest (ie. 3 to 5 min.) would be more appropriate for a peaking phase. To maintain an extended peak, appropriate intensity must remain in your training at some level, and training density should vary according to competition results.
Timing peak athletic condition to coincide with your most important competitions can be difficult, but do not over-complicate it. Race speed – and all-out practice speed necessary for improvements in your event(s) – should determine your training efforts. Include event-specific intensity and conitions in your training with full rest. Include intensity in your dryland and weight lifting efforts if they are already part of your training. Drop some volume from your over-all traing (both in and out of the pool) generally. Adjust training density in the pool as neccesary to achieve your goals, and keep dryland and lifting density low throughout your peaking phase.
