Fundamentals Series : Strength Training Periodization

Periodization in strength training that you may have heard, but might not understand. Simply put, periodization is the planned framework to adjust training variables such as volume, intensity, and frequency over time to optimize performance and recovery. Let’s first define a few training variables to ensure that all terms are correctly associated. 

Load : The amount of weight used during an exercise

Volume : Total weight lifted in a set, or exercise, or workout. Sets x Reps x Weight Lifted

Intensity : Relative to percentage of 1 rep max being lifted. Intensity isn’t a feeling. 

Frequency : How often a movement pattern, muscle group, or intensity is trained in a weekly, monthly, or quarterly training plan. 

Periodization isn’t just for elite athletes and lifters, anyone who is seeking long term strength, muscle growth, or improved body composition will benefit from a basic periodization plan. A simple way to think of periodization of training is like the seasons of each year and life. We can’t expect to constantly be peaking or building muscle or constantly losing fat, but we can plan periods throughout the year to focus on different goals. This will help us reduce stress over specific goals, yield better results, and reduce the risk of injury in our training. This always reminds me of the people I first met in the YMCA weight room at 13 years old. There were some groups that lifted the same weights for the same reps on the same days of the week year round. Their physique also reflected that. Then there were a few of them, who I saw at different times lifting very heavy, or using a lot of repetitions, or using different techniques than normal. They made serious progress and also lead me to ask them many questions about training. Luckily for me, they were always helpful in explaining their training ideas so I could understand them. Many people will plateau because they train the same way every week, but with periodization we can prevent that. 

Core of Periodization

• Progressive Overload - You must gradually increase the weight on the bar or lift a certain weight for more reps. 
• Adaptation Cycles - This is how the body responds to stress from training stimulus and then recovers stronger. The time required for adaptation depends on many factors like biological age, training age, training intensity etc. 
• Variation and Consistency. This is a fine line of developing consistency in how we perform movements and also including enough variation to prevent boredom, burn out, or adaptation that can lead to a decrease in performance. 
• Recovery and Fatigue Management. The recovery process from a training session begins with your sleep and nutrition before you enter the gym. We must also match factors like intensity and arousal levels during exercise with stress factors outside the gym. Deloads are a common way to manage recovery and fatigue, but you can simply adjust training exercise and intensity selection to be an active deload. Most people will also naturally deload with real life events, vacations etc. 

Common Mistakes in Periodization

If you can follow this section over everything else, you’ll have better long term success than many who sit and analyze their training for hours. These mistakes will cost you in performance, injury, or both. The first mistake people make is in performing the same workout for months at a time with no progression. As Dan John said “Every program works for a while. No program works forever”. Performing 10 sets of 10 repetitions on Squats will get you quick progress, but if used for five weeks in a row you will have lost the will to train. Next is one that social media has made difficult to avoid. Exercise variety should be a part of your periodization plan, but if everything varies all the time, then nothing is able to be measured to see if it works or not. The next mistake is when people are too rigid and won’t adjust from the plan no matter how they feel or what’s happening in their life. This leads to a lot of burn out and high risk of injury. The last mistake is something that I think most people struggle with and why they benefit the most from a coach. When creating your own plan, it’s very easy to over analyze and complicate the training. It’s easy to think we need to fit everything into every workout. That is until we realize we need to program recovery, conditioning, mobility etc. This over planning stage can prevent us from ever moving forward. 

Common Models of Strength Training Periodization

Linear Periodization - Maybe the most common form of periodization is linear periodization. Most people who have played high school sports have done some variation of Bigger, Faster, Stronger, Husker Power, or 531. In this model, you gradually increase the weight (higher intensity) on the bar while decreasing the volume (sets/reps) over a period of weeks or months. This model has great benefits for beginners as it’s very simple to follow and also allows for repetition of movements which helps build a foundation of strength. The drawbacks of this program are that it can get repetitive over a period of time and many people find it hard to progress once they have established a decent level of strength. At a high level, this method can have a detraining effect because the volume can drop too low to support the load demands of the main lifts. 

Undulating (Nonlinear) Periodization - In this program instead of the sets, reps, and weight lifted being similar each day of the training week, you simply rotate the focus on your main exercise. You can follow a weekly plan where the focus is ;

Day 1- Heavy Load 3 Sets of 3 repetitions

Day 2 - Moderate Load 3 Sets of 8 repetitions

Day 3 - Light Load 3 Sets of 15 repetitions 

Using this model, you train multiple qualities on a weekly basis (strength, power, hypertrophy, and endurance). This program allows for greater variety which reduced boredom. This method does require some training experience to accurately gauge weights based on goal of the day. When set up correctly, this can be very beneficial for busy adults who need frequent changes. 

Block Periodization - This method divides training to periods of time with a specific focus. A basic overview of this method would be 1) Accumulation 2) Intensification 3) Realization which is peaking for testing or competition. The accumulation phase is generally designed as movement introduction using higher amounts of training volume to build muscle and prepare for the higher intensity in later blocks of training. Intensification is exactly what it sounds like by simply moving the reps each set lower while getting closer to a 1 rep max in each lift. Each block of training can last 3-12 weeks depending on when the peaking needs to happen and also the experience of the person lifting. This is great for people who prefer to have all of their training planned in advance so they can see the big picture. The drawbacks is it requires a lot of planning and doesn’t accommodate for most schedules or real life events. 

Conjugate (Concurrent) Periodization - Conjugate training doesn’t mean random exercises, bands and chains, box squats and board presses. It is to train multiple qualities within the same week (strength, power, speed, hypertrophy, endurance etc.). The most prominent example of this is the Westside Barbell method created by Louie Simmons. This system can be very beneficial for people who have established a solid foundation of training and looking to improve performance. It can also be used very effectively for people with chaotic schedules that have many interruptions in their week. As a big fan of this method, there are some glaring downfalls. It allows for a lot of user input, which isn’t always the best as we can focus on what we like or are good at, not what we need. Some people will also struggle to make progress if the training volume is too low on this program. 

Which Model to Use?

As a coach, our job is to match the program to the people we work with and not force the people we work with into a specific program. There are a few factors to consider when choosing which model to work with. 

Goals - What are the biggest goals from training?

Training Experience - How much time have they spent with a barbell?

Time Frame - How long do they have to achieve their goals?

Psychological - Do they want more variety, more training stimulus, or can they stick to littler variety and create mastery. (Neither is right or wrong). With a qualified coach in any of these models, the program will work. We will generally use a blend of linear progression with aspects of a conjugate system to help our clients develop a solid foundation while adjusting to the realities that we don’t always have one to four years to train someone. 

Practical Application

1. Decide Goal - This is fun
2. Pick Time Frame - This should probably be longer to meet goals
3. Decide Method - Pick the one that interests you and you feel confident in ability to follow
4. Plan Deloads (lower intensity training or vacation etc.) - Higher training age, more down training time. Low training age, less deloads. 
5. Track Progress and Adjust - This requires honesty to evaluate yourself

This is the framework for how periodization can benefit your training and make your life simpler in the weight room. If this seems overwhelming, find a coach that understands your goals. If after reading this you feel like you want to blend all of the methods together, then you should definitely seek a coach. Understanding this basic framework can help you detect if someone has a process for your plan or if they just make it up each day. Remember, random training gives you random results, frustrations, and injuries. 

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