Verkhoshansky and Issurin: The Theory Behind Block Training
Quick Intro
Block training grew out of Soviet and later Eastern European sport science, in work by Yuri Verkhoshansky and Vladimir Issurin. The theory asks why training should be concentrated on a few abilities at a time. Its main ideas are concentrated loading, the residual training effect and the compatibility of training stimuli. This article covers the theory, and the block periodization article covers how a plan is built.
The Idea in Plain Terms
Verkhoshansky argued in the 1970s and 1980s that spreading many training demands across every week dilutes the effect for advanced athletes. The proposed answer was concentrated loading: give a large dose of one type of training, such as strength work, within a short period, and then change the emphasis.
Issurin developed the framework further with three ideas:
- Concentration. Loading is focused on a small number of abilities in each block.
- Residual training effect. After a quality stops being trained, it persists for a while before fading. Issurin reported typical durations for different abilities, as in the table below.
- Compatibility. Some training stimuli work well together in the same block, and others conflict, such as large doses of endurance work and maximal strength work.
The reported residual durations are approximate:
| Quality | Approximate days it holds |
|---|---|
| Aerobic endurance | About 30 |
| Maximal strength | About 30 |
| Anaerobic glycolytic endurance | About 18 |
| Strength endurance | About 15 |
| Maximal speed | About 5 |
These numbers come from Issurin’s reviews of the literature and coaching practice, and are estimates. The practical meaning is that a block of one quality can follow another because the first holds while the second is developed, and that speed and power need regular refreshing.
Verkhoshansky is also known for the shock method, which uses a concentrated dose of high-intensity plyometric work, such as depth jumps, after a strength base has been built.
A Worked Example
A coach designing blocks around residual effects:
| Block | Focus | What is retained |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Strength accumulation | Aerobic base from earlier work |
| 2 | Speed and power | Strength holds from block 1 |
| 3 | Competition rehearsal | Strength and power are carried, speed is refreshed |
Speed work is repeated in each block because it fades fastest.
What the Research Shows
The framework is described in Issurin’s 2008 review in the Journal of Sports Medicine and Physical Fitness, which compares block periodization with traditional theory, and in a 2010 paper in Sports Medicine. The residual figures come from reviews and coaching experience and not from controlled trials of each quality.
Direct tests of the approach are few. A 2019 meta-analysis of block periodization of endurance training found 20 eligible studies, most small and of low quality, with promising but uncertain results. A 2022 trial in trained cyclists found no difference between block and traditional training in performance. Studies in strength sports are limited.
The theory is a reasoned proposal with partial support, and its numbers should be treated as rough guides.
Who It Suits
This theory is useful for:
- Coaches of advanced athletes.
- Students comparing models of training.
- Athletes who want to understand why plans change focus in blocks.
How to Use It
- Choose a small number of priorities for each block.
- Use residual effects to decide what can be left alone.
- Refresh fast-fading qualities regularly.
- Keep conflicting stimuli apart.
- Follow the block with recovery.
- Judge the plan by results, not by the theory.
Common Misunderstandings
It is not proven to outperform other models.
It is not meant for beginners.
It is not a license to ignore qualities for months.
FAQ
What is the residual training effect? How long a trained quality persists after training stops.
Why does speed fade fastest? It relies on neural sharpness, which declines quickly.
Who was Verkhoshansky? A Soviet sport scientist known for work on strength and plyometrics.
Are the numbers exact? No. They are approximate.
Where This Comes From
Issurin VB, 2008, block periodization versus traditional training theory: a review (Journal of Sports Medicine and Physical Fitness, 48, 65 to 75). Issurin VB, 2010, new horizons for the methodology and physiology of training periodization (Sports Medicine, 40, 189 to 206). Verkhoshansky Y, writings on concentrated loading and the shock method. Mølmen KS and colleagues, 2019 (Open Access Journal of Sports Medicine, 10, 145 to 160).
Related to: block periodization, Matveyev’s periodization theory and conjugate periodization. Related reading includes plyometric training.