Pavlov got me thinking…
I’m a Greco-Roman wrestler, and most Greco-Roman tournaments take place on Sunday (freestyle is much more popular and takes place on Saturday so that only the hardcore Grecoheads are still around for the Sunday tournament).
If I do regular workouts throughout the week, and then really blast my body on Sunday (ie, extra windsprints, harder lifting and other exercises conducive to good performance on the mat), can I train my body to peak every Sunday?
Boxers, weightlifters powerlifter types generally cycle over a longer time period to peak out for a competition. 6-8 weeks for weightlifters is typical. I would only worry about developing a peaking routine for major competitions though like finals. You’re not likely to get much effect in only a week. One practice that might help is to train regularly at around the same time as when your competitions take place. That way your body learns to expect to gear up about the same time each day. I’ve never heard of any studies to demonstrate this effect though.
Hypnosis?
As a distance runner, I’ve found that it helps to practice at the same time of day when I race. Also, a consistent pre-race schedule helps, including sleep the night before (or even the 2 nights before). It’s not exactly Pavlov, but your body does somehow “remember” the schedule. Weekly training schedules aren’t as important. Your body does not remember the day of the week - there’s nothing magical about a 7-day cycle. It is important to plan your training so you’re peaking at the right time. I’m not sure exactly how that works for Greco-Roman wrestling, but I usually “taper” with less hard workouts for a week or 2 before a big race, and about 3 days of easy workouts right before the race.