Training Frequency

This article can be useful for anyone looking to determine how many times a week to train but it’s really written specifically for PPT clients.  My goal is to help PPT clients and athletes pick the right training frequency for their goals, needs, and specific circumstances.  

The PPT Process

Biomechanical Assessment

When you train with PPT we start with a biomechanical assessment.  At the assessment we determine your personalized correctives that will be used for your warmups – a series or rolling, stretches/mobilizations, and activations that will be used before each workout to help you address issues and imbalances specific to the athlete! The biomechanical assessment is a special service we offer that should be booked as a separate session – not as part of a normal training session. Without a biomechanical assessment we can still train you but the assessment begins with the fundamental movement patterns and we do not gather as detailed information about your biomechanics and specific corrective needs.  

Fundamental Movement Patterns

Next we will assess the athlete in all the fundamental movement patterns – i.e. jump, throw, push, pull, squat, hinge, core, etc. to get a baseline for where the athlete is at but also to develop a starting point for their program. 

Training Frequency Decisions

Before we begin training though we need the athlete to commit to a specific training frequency.  

This is important for a few reasons:

1. At PPT we are about performance TRAINING.  We are not about workouts.  PPT is a progressive approach that with sustained and progressive training leads to long term performance improvements. This can’t happen overnight. It takes time.  It can’t happen with random workouts.  It requires well planned workouts that repeat and improve for a phase – a specific number of weeks typically 3-4.  To build a plan we need to know a frequency first. 
2. Training Frequency decisions do come with trade-offs that are important for the athlete to be aware of in their decision making process. We have developed the table below to help get a sense as to some of those trade-offs
3. Training Frequency needs to be based on the athlete’s schedule and must be realistic for the athlete.

Here’s a table we built to help summarize training frequencies, the type of athlete that they are best for, the style of workout based on the frequency, and finally the components that would be included with increased training frequency.  

	1x/week	2x/week	3x/week	4x/week
Workout style	Total body workout	Total body workout (w 1+ day rest between)	Depends on schedule.   If 1+ day rest between:   Total body workout If < 1 day rest between then a combination of Total Body and Split workouts depending on the schedule	Splits i.e. :  Upper – Horizontal Upper – Vertical Lower – Bilateral Squat Lower – Unilateral Squat
Who is it good for?	Good for beginners just learning the basics	Great for most young athletes	Good option for most high school athletes	For advanced, high-training age athletes -typically college level
General comments	Lots of trade-offs Only 1 of 3  types of jumps (unilateral or bilateral)  Only 1 of 2 types of speed ( linear or lateral)  Only 1 of 2 types of upper push/pulls Only  1 of 2 (unilateral or bilateral) squat/hinge. Only 1 of 3 types of core work Only 1 of 2 types of conditioning No accessory work	Less trade-offs – covers almost everything: Linear And lateral jumps Linear AND lateral speed Horizontal AND vertical push/pull Bilateral AND Unilateral squat/hinge 2 of 3 types of core work:  Core-anti-extension PLUS either anti-lateral flexion or anti-rotation Linear and lateral conditioning Still no accessory work	All movements from 2 Days PLUS: All 3 types of core work Frontal Plane / Multi-planar squat variations Lunge variations Advanced Push/Pull exercises Advanced core exercises More conditioning variations More than 1x/week to repeat/ focus on areas needing extra attention	All movements from Day 3 PLUS: Allows for more advanced programming: Split workouts – Upper/Lower Days More accessory/activation work More variety More advanced progressions/programming More time to rest/recover focus on each exercise during workouts Ability to vary intensity throughout the week
Warmup	Roll Stretch Activate Dynamic	Roll Stretch Activate Dynamic	Roll Stretch Activate Dynamic	Will vary based on athlete, sport, training age, timing (off-season/pre-season/season/post-season) See general comments above
Speed	Linear Speed	Linear Speed Lateral Speed	Linear Speed Lateral Speed
Power	Bilateral Jump Linear Throw	Bilateral Jump Unilateral Jump – Linear Linear Throw Rotational Throw	Bilateral Jump Unilateral Jump – Linear Unilateral Jump – Lateral Linear Throw Rotational Throw
Strength	Push – horizontal Pull – horizontal Squat – bilateral Hinge – bilateral Core – anti-extension	Push – horizontal Push – vertical Pull – horizontal Pull – vertical Squat – bilateral Squat – unilateral Hinge – bilateral Hinge – unilateral Core – anti-extension Care – anti-lateral flexion	Push – horizontal Push – vertical Pull – horizontal Pull – vertical Squat – bilateral Squat – unilateral Hinge – bilateral Hinge – unilateral Core – anti-extension Core – anti-lateral flexion Core – anti-rotation
Conditioning	Linear Conditioning	Linear Conditioning Lateral Conditioning	Linear Conditioning Lateral Conditioning

 

Commitment is key!

Once the athlete commits to a training frequency we will design their first phase (typically 3-4 weeks) based on the assessment results. While we have built PPT to be flexible to accommodate for last minute practices, games, and tournaments, it’s important for the athletes to take ownership of their training frequency commitment and make necessary changes rather than just missing a week. For example, if an athlete is on a 2x/ week schedule with for example Tuesday and Thursday training we will build a Day 1 and Day 2 workout for phase 1, usually 3 weeks.  If they complete both days in week 1 but then learn they have a practice on Tuesdays for week 2 and 3, if they just cancel the Tuesday then in week 2 they will complete week 2 day 1, but week 3 they will complete week 2 Day 2.  If they continue on this schedule of just Thursdays it will take them 5 weeks to finish the first phase program.  At that point we can definitely decide with the athlete if its realistic to continue on 2x/week for phase 2 or adjust to a 1x/week schedule for phase 2.  We can definitely adjust the training frequency of a program each phase but we can not do this week to week.  A better decision by the athlete which would also show true commitment to training and improved results would be to reschedule the Tuesday session for another time or day to ensure they continue on a 2x/week program as per their goals. 

Training Components

Please note that the above is a generalization.  Different decisions are made based on the athlete.  Also while our training program consists of all of the components above in a training program (warmup, jump, throw, speed, push, pull, squat, hinge, core, conditioning) there is a learning curve to the process so not all components are in every workout right away.  Finally, some components may be emphasized or omitted altogether based on the athlete’s specific situation. 

To train with us please reach out by booking a consult with us:  https://progressiveperformance.ca/consult/