More about Train to Train

During the Train to Train stage of LTAD, physical changes take place faster in the athlete than at younger ages.  Training programs need to be designed to account for these rapid changes and the various advantages and disadvantages that they present in athlete development.

Athletes must be constantly monitored in order to understand how their growth and maturation is affecting their training and vice versa.

Peak Height Velocity (PHV)

During the Train to Train stage, athletes are entering their growth spurt and passing through puberty. As they do so, their growth can be measured and plotted to calculate the time when they reach peak height velocity (PHV).  

PHV is an important marker for determining which physical capacities can be trained effectively and safely during this stage. For example, aerobic training should be a priority after reaching PHV.

Growth impeding performance

During the growth spurt, especially if the growth spurt happens exceptionally quickly, athlete skills and movement abilities may be significantly impeded. Coaches may need to explain to the athletes why their motor skills and movement abilities have been negatively affected, so the athletes can understand that this is a natural event that will pass with time. 

General considerations during Train to Train

• Emphasize suppleness (flexibility) training to accommodate the rapid growth of bones, tendons, ligaments, and muscles.
• Address the sensitive periods of accelerated adaptation to strength training. For boys, the sensitive period for strength begins 12 to 18 months after PHV. For girls, the sensitive period begins with whichever of the following occurs first in the individual: menarche or the onset of Peak Weight Velocity (PWV). Some girls will experience PWV prior to menarche, while others will experience menarche prior to PWV.  
• Both aerobic and strength trainability are dependent on the maturation of the athlete. For this reason, the timing of training emphasis may differ between athletes depending on whether they are early, average, or late maturers.
• Athletes need to learn to cope with the physical and mental challenges of competition.
• For all athletes, the use of body-size and skill-level appropriate equipment remains important.
• Optimize training and competition ratios and follow a 60:40 percent training to competition ratio.
• Too much competition wastes valuable training time; too little competition reduces the practical application and development of technique, tactics, and decision-making skills under realistic competition conditions.
• Use talent identification to help athletes focus on two sports.
• Utilize single and double periodization plans to prepare athletes.
• During training, include competitive situations in the form of practice matches or competitive games and drills.
• A key reason why many athletes hit a plateau during later stages of their development has to do with too much competition and not enough training during this stage.
• Competition is most valuable when it is used to develop strategic and tactical understanding. The focus must be on the learning process and not the outcome.