Periodization
Periodization means intentionally planning your training program to develop to maintain specific metabolic aspects, tissue size, strength and speed. This is accomplished by cycling through variations in types of exercise as well as in force/load, velocity, repetitions, number of sets and recovery periods.
This maximizes improvement while minimizing the risk of overtraining.
There are various models of periodization currently in use:
A split routine trains different body parts during each alternate training session during the week to allow sufficient recovery and enable increased force during the exercises. This is particularly important for intermediate to highly trained athletes. Monteiro uses the example of, "lower body on Monday and Wednesday; upper body on Tuesday and Thursday.”
Monteiro et al. performed a 12 week test of split routines comparing nonperiodized and linear periodized to nonlinear periodized programs for strength-trained men. The results strongly favored the nonlinear periodized split routine.
Their mesocycle consisted of 4 one week microcycles.
They used 3 one week periods to increase intensity and a fourth week for recovery.
During the first 3 ‘Loading’ microcycles/weeks:
The ‘Upper body’ workout consisted of: bench press, inclined bench press, lateral raises, military press, triceps pull-down and barbell French press.
The ‘Lower body’ workout consisted of: leg press, hamstring curl, squat, row, lat pull-down chin up in the Gravitron, biceps curl and preacher curl.
The recovery week workout consisted of a single exercise for each body part, “bench press, military press, triceps pull-down, leg press, and biceps curl.”
Obviously you will want to select and vary your choice of exercises and intensity to best match the demands of your sport and it’s schedule of competition.
NONLINEAR PERIODIZATION MAXIMIZES STRENGTH
GAINS IN SPLIT RESISTANCE TRAINING ROUTINES
ARTUR G. MONTEIRO,1 MARCELO S. AOKI,2 ALEXANDRE L. EVANGELISTA,3 DANIEL A. ALVENO,3 GIZELE A. MONTEIRO,1 IVAN DA CRUZ PICxARRO,1 AND CARLOS UGRINOWITSCH
J Strength Cond Res 23(4): 1321–1326, 2009--
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5571788/
Effects of linear and daily undulating periodized resistance training programs on measures of muscle hypertrophy: a systematic review and meta-analysisJozo Grgic,1 Pavle Mikulic,2 Hrvoje Podnar,2 and Zeljko Pedisic1
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/28344448
Not everyone is satisfied with the research however:
J Sports Sci Med. 2017 Mar 1;16(1):27-34. eCollection 2017 Mar.Is Empirical Research on Periodization Trustworthy? A Comprehensive Review of Conceptual and Methodological Issues.Afonso J1, Nikolaidis PT2, Sousa P1, Mesquita I1.
This maximizes improvement while minimizing the risk of overtraining.
There are various models of periodization currently in use:
- The linear model spends several weeks stimulating an increase in muscle size (hypertrophy) through high-volume and moderate intensity. An example of this would be four weeks at four times per week with four sets of 10 reps (at your 10 rep max) for hypertrophy. This would then be followed by four weeks at three times per week with three sets of 4 to 5 reps (at your 4 to 5 rep max) to increase strength. Then four weeks at three times per week with three sets of 3 to 5 reps (at your 10 rep max) performed explosively to increase power.
- The nonlinear or undulating model in which the variables are changed from week to week or even within the same week.
A split routine trains different body parts during each alternate training session during the week to allow sufficient recovery and enable increased force during the exercises. This is particularly important for intermediate to highly trained athletes. Monteiro uses the example of, "lower body on Monday and Wednesday; upper body on Tuesday and Thursday.”
Monteiro et al. performed a 12 week test of split routines comparing nonperiodized and linear periodized to nonlinear periodized programs for strength-trained men. The results strongly favored the nonlinear periodized split routine.
Their mesocycle consisted of 4 one week microcycles.
They used 3 one week periods to increase intensity and a fourth week for recovery.
During the first 3 ‘Loading’ microcycles/weeks:
The ‘Upper body’ workout consisted of: bench press, inclined bench press, lateral raises, military press, triceps pull-down and barbell French press.
The ‘Lower body’ workout consisted of: leg press, hamstring curl, squat, row, lat pull-down chin up in the Gravitron, biceps curl and preacher curl.
The recovery week workout consisted of a single exercise for each body part, “bench press, military press, triceps pull-down, leg press, and biceps curl.”
Obviously you will want to select and vary your choice of exercises and intensity to best match the demands of your sport and it’s schedule of competition.
NONLINEAR PERIODIZATION MAXIMIZES STRENGTH
GAINS IN SPLIT RESISTANCE TRAINING ROUTINES
ARTUR G. MONTEIRO,1 MARCELO S. AOKI,2 ALEXANDRE L. EVANGELISTA,3 DANIEL A. ALVENO,3 GIZELE A. MONTEIRO,1 IVAN DA CRUZ PICxARRO,1 AND CARLOS UGRINOWITSCH
J Strength Cond Res 23(4): 1321–1326, 2009--
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5571788/
Effects of linear and daily undulating periodized resistance training programs on measures of muscle hypertrophy: a systematic review and meta-analysisJozo Grgic,1 Pavle Mikulic,2 Hrvoje Podnar,2 and Zeljko Pedisic1
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/28344448
Not everyone is satisfied with the research however:
J Sports Sci Med. 2017 Mar 1;16(1):27-34. eCollection 2017 Mar.Is Empirical Research on Periodization Trustworthy? A Comprehensive Review of Conceptual and Methodological Issues.Afonso J1, Nikolaidis PT2, Sousa P1, Mesquita I1.