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Periodisation

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X Vault athletes typically prepare for a double periodisation. We feel this is a crucial training strategy for our pole vaulters, allowing them to peak twice in a season—once for the indoor season and again for the outdoor season.


Pole vaulting requires a blend of technical skill, speed, and strength, all of which can be honed more effectively with two distinct peaks rather than maintaining one prolonged cycle. This double periodisation allows them to fine-tune their technique indoors, where conditions are controlled, before transitioning to outdoor events, which present different variables like wind and temperature.


Peaking for indoor competitions helps our athletes work towards excellence in technical execution early in the year, while the second peak for outdoor championships enables them to adjust to environmental challenges and improve their performance.


Research supports the benefits of this approach. Studies on strength and power sports show that double periodisation improves neuromuscular adaptations and reduces the risk of burnout. For our athletes, this means not only achieving higher heights but also minimising injury risks associated with repetitive heavy training blocks.


By resetting between seasons, vaulters can analyze their indoor performances, address weaknesses, and arrive at outdoor competitions refreshed, both mentally and physically. This cyclical approach has proven successful for elite vaulters aiming for top performances at both indoor championships and major outdoor events.


We break our training down from macro to meso and micro cycles in order to optimise performance. The macrocycle spans the entire season, covering both indoor and outdoor peaks, guiding long-term goals. Each macrocycle is broken into mesocycles, which are several weeks long and focus on specific training phases—strength, speed, or technical refinement. Microcycles are the weekly or daily training sessions within each mesocycle, where athletes focus on day-to-day tasks like technique drills or recovery. This structured approach ensures gradual, targeted progress towards peak performance during key competitions.


I've compared and contrasted multiple training philosophies including, Charlie Francis, Randy Huntington, Dan Pfaff at Altis, Vitaly Petrov, Ralf Ohman and have combined their work with my own knowledge and expertise to formulate the X Vault training philosophy. I do need to acknowledge that I have used Ralf Ohman's 'accumulation/intensification' language as this does fit with my personal training philosophy.


So what does are training year look like?


The Macrocycle

We aim to peak in February and July, our focus is around building strength and speed with heavy work loads that taper close to the competition phase. This allows us to use longer runs and bigger poles during the competition phases. Our vaulting overview will look something like this

Month 

Thursday

Focus 

Sunday 

Focus 

Volume Per session

Sep-24

6

Pop ups / Bar clearance

6

Pop ups / bar clearance 

30-40

Oct-24

10

Soft Pole Invert 

14

High Grip / Pole press only 

15-20

Nov-24

10

Soft Pole Invert 

16

High Grip / Pole press only 

15-20

Dec-24

12

High Grip Invert 

18

Hard Bar / High Grip 

12 to 18

Jan-25

12

High Grip Hard Bar Invert 

16/18

Comp Replication 

12 to 18

Feb-25

16/18

Comp Replication 

comp

Technical Proficiency 

<15

Mar-25

16/18

Comp Replication 

comp

Technical Proficiency 

<15

Apr-25

12

Soft Pole Invert 

18

High Grip / Pole press only 

15-20

May-25

12/16/18

Soft Pole Invert 

18

Hard Bar / High Grip 

12 to 18

Jun-25

12/16/18

High Grip Hard Bar Invert 

comp 

Technical Proficiency 

12 to 18

Jul-25

12/16/18

Comp Replication 

comp 

Technical Proficiency 

<15

Aug-25

12/16/18

Comp Replication 

comp 

Technical Proficiency 

<15


The Mesocycle

Our mesocycles are split into 3 week blocks, and all training is based around a specific theme. For example we place great emphasis on eccentric strength development during early phase mesocycles, followed by Rate of Force Development (RFD) and then a transition phase into high velocity based movements that are specific to pole vaulting. During these mesocycles we can manipulate volume, intensity and frequency of sessions to create individualised programs for each athlete.


Each 3 week block is comprised of 2 weeks training followed by 1 week of 50% de-load, we maintain the intensity but drop the volume to allow recovery and adaptations. We complete 2 blocks in each phase of training totaling 6 weeks where we load tissues with volume, recover then reload tissues with similar volume but higher intensity. Our training blocks look something like this

Block

Phase 

Focus 

Block 2 - week 1

accumulate 

Eccentric overload 

Block 2 - week 2

accumulate 

Eccentric overload 

Block 2 - week 3

deload 50% vol

Eccentric overload 

Block 2 - week 4

intensify 

Eccentric overload 

Block 2 - week 5

intensify 

Eccentric overload 

Block 2 - week 6

deload 50% vol 

Eccentric overload 

Block 3 - week 1

accumulate 

RFD

Block 3 - week 2

accumulate 

RFD

Block 3 - week 3

deload 50% vol

RFD

Block 3 - week 4

intensify 

RFD

Block 3 - week 5

intensify 

RFD

Block 3 - week 6

deload 50% vol 

RFD


The Microcycle

Depending on the athletes age, experience, level, training age, event, life and work commitments we must consider what will work best in a typical training week. The athlete may have a daily plan or even a (am/pm) plan. Here is an example of a typical weeks training plan we use.

Mon

Tue

Wed

Thur

Fri

Sat

Sun

Tempo Run 

Hurdle Drills

Gymnastics 

Vault Drills 

Lift 

Recovery

Vault Drills

Lift

Run Drills

Inj Prevention

Medball 

 

 

Vault Long

 

Medball

 

Short Speed 

 

 

Plyos

 

Complex

 

Short Vault 

 

 

Gymnastics 

 

Speed 

 

 

 

 

Abdominals 


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