Tudor Bompa is the father of
periodization, a training system developed by the
Soviets that aimed for optimal performance by varying the training stress throughout the year rather than maintaining a constant training focus. Bompa's training theory was laid out in his seminal work
Theory and Methodology of Training. Bompa's understanding of assisted the
Eastern Bloc domination of athletic competitions for three decades. He was on the faculty of the Romanian Institute of Sport.
As a coach, Dr. Bompa trained 11 medalists in various Olympics (2 gold medals) and World championships in 2 sport disciplines: track and field and rowing. He was himself an Olympic rower, and he later revolutionized the training concepts in cross country skiing.
Currently Bompa is a Professor Emeritus at York University in Toronto. He is married to Tamara Bompa who is an Associate Lecturer at York University.
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