The answer lies in residual fatigue. As the accumulated fatigue from the frequency phase dissipates, the athlete’s true capacity for intensity emerges. The larger acute drops possible during this phase reflect not greater fatigue, but rather greater access to the athlete’s enhanced capacity developed during accumulation.
Think of it like removing sandbags from a hot air balloon. The accumulated fatigue from the frequency phase acts like sandbags, limiting how high (intense) we can go. As this residual fatigue dissipates during the intensification phase, we can access higher absolute intensities even though each session creates more acute fatigue.
Concurrent Linear Periodization
Beginners benefit uniquely from training with a full spectrum of implements, from very light to very heavy balls. While this might seem counterintuitive — wouldn’t it be simpler to master one implement first? — there are several key reasons why concurrent training accelerates development in novice throwers.
First, beginners have not yet developed stable attractor states or force application strategies. By exposing them to different implements early, we help them discover and explore various ways of generating force. Heavy implements teach them the importance of maintaining positions and relaxing into throws, while light implements help them understand sequencing and the role of speed in force production. This varied exposure prevents them from becoming overly reliant on a single strategy.
Think of it like learning a new language — young children often pick up multiple languages simultaneously more easily than adults learning sequentially. Their neural systems are more plastic and adaptable, allowing them to internalize different patterns in parallel. Similarly, novice athletes can more readily develop multiple throwing qualities simultaneously before movement patterns become deeply ingrained.
Additionally, beginners typically respond positively to any proper training stimulus — a phenomenon often called “beginner gains.” Their bodies are primed to adapt to new stresses, allowing them to improve across multiple physical qualities at once. A pitcher who has never trained systematically before might simultaneously:
- Develop better positional strength with heavy implements
- Improve mechanics and sequencing with standard balls
- Enhance rate of force development with lighter implements
Novice athletes have significant headroom for improvement across all physical qualities, making concurrent development both possible and beneficial. Research has shown that “the improvement of relatively lower athletic abilities doesn’t require highly concentrated training workloads” (Issurin & Yessis, 2008). This allows coaches to develop a broad base of physical capabilities and movement competencies that will support future specialization. It’s why throwing programs should be structured differently for college freshmen versus elite pitchers.
However, this concurrent approach becomes less effective as athletes advance. More trained athletes have already harvested their “beginner gains” and require more focused stimulus to continue progressing. Their neuromuscular systems have adapted to general training stress, necessitating more specific overload to drive further adaptation. This is when transitioning to vertical integration, with its emphasis on developing specific qualities while maintaining others, becomes crucial for continued development.
Understanding this progression — from concurrent development in beginners to more focused training in advanced athletes — helps coaches structure long-term athlete development more effectively. It explains why seemingly complex training with multiple implements can accelerate learning in novices, while also clarifying when and why training emphasis needs to become more specialized as athletes advance.
Vertical Integration
While concurrent linear periodization allows athletes to develop multiple physical qualities simultaneously, this approach has limitations — particularly for more advanced athletes who have moved beyond beginner gains.
This is where vertical integration, also known as conjugate periodization, provides a crucial framework for advanced development. This approach recognizes that significant adaptations in force production capabilities — both peak force and force duration — require focused, sequential training phases rather than concurrent development. As Issurin and Yessis (2008) note, “highly concentrated workloads for many qualities cannot be managed at the same time.” While throwing velocity depends on multiple physical qualities, trying to improve them all simultaneously becomes ineffective for advanced athletes. Instead, strategically emphasizing different qualities in sequence, while maintaining others through supporting work, allows for systematic development of both impulse peak and duration characteristics.