Periodization: Another Meaning for "that time of the month"

Periodization: Another Meaning for "that time of the month"

by Krista Scott-Dixon

A lot of beginners email me with questions like, "How many reps should I be doing on this exercise?" I also see lots of fitness publications which say, "Do x reps with y weight," or, "If you do x reps, then rest for y seconds". This is presented as if all one needed to know about training is one set of numbers. While the number of reps in a set tells part of the story of how hard you're working, it doesn't explain everything.

If I say to you that I'm driving my car at 80 km/h, that tells you a bit, but what's also important is whether I'm in second or fifth gear while doing that 80 km/h. In fifth gear, the car's not working terribly hard and the intensity is low, but in second gear, that engine is just about to explode out of the hood. Leaving aside my problems with learning to drive standard, what I'm getting at is that knowing the "speed", i.e. the number of reps, is not enough. More sophisticated lifters (hint: that will be you after reading this) learn to talk about intensity and volume.

Intensity can be defined in various ways, and usually it is defined relative to something else. In lifting, intensity is frequently used to express what percentage of one's maximal weight one is using. So, let us say that the most I can do for one all-out, blood-vessel-exploding rep on a particular exercise is 100 lbs. That 100 lbs. is referred to as my one-repetition maximum (1RM). You can have other "RM"s, such as 3RM or 5RM, but most often the 1RM is used as a standard. Intensity would then be expressed as a percentage of that 1RM. Thus, if in this exercise I choose to lift 50 lbs., then I would say I am working at 50% of my 1RM. If I chose to use 75 lbs. in this exercise, I would say I am working at 75% of my 1RM.

Volume is generally defined as the total amount of work (sets x reps x weight) done in a particular workout (or for a particular exercise). So, let us take two workouts. In one workout, for exercise A, I do 3 sets of 8 reps at 100 lbs. My total volume for exercise A in that workout (3 x 8 x 100) is 2400. In another workout, I do the same exercise, but for 3 sets of 2 reps at 150 lbs. My total volume for this exercise in this workout (3 x 2 x 150) is 900, obviously much lower.

Now that we've done all that clever math, what does it mean? It means that you need to look at the big picture when planning your workouts. Looking at either intensity or volume alone won't allow you to plan training optimally. When planning a workout, you must think about both volume and intensity.

Here we come to the foundation of what is called periodization, or planned variation. For workouts to be consistently successful, intensity and volume should be varied over time. Working with a high intensity and/or high volume consistently results in insufficient recovery, and will eventually lead to overtraining, while working with intensity and volume that is too low will not be challenging enough to stimulate growth. It should be noted, as I also stress below, that this is NOT the only form of periodization. However, for our purposes, this simplified system with only two variables will suffice.

Using periodization means that you need to develop both a short-term (micro or mesocycle) plan and a long-term plan (macrocycle) for your training. Begin by looking at the page on goal setting, and write down your goals, both short and long term. Periodization was originally aimed at athletes who would have a competition and offseason, and train accordingly over a period of time to meet varying expectations. There are a zillion ways of organizing training for the competitive athlete, most of which don't concern you as a lifting neophyte, except to note that "for everything, there is a season." Even though the most athletic thing you do might be getting under the occasional barbell, it doesn't mean you can't benefit from this kind of planning.

why periodize?

For the competitive athlete, the benefits of periodization are pretty obvious. Competitive athletes have different stages of readiness and skill development over time. Baseball players, for example, aren't going to be trying to perfect their technique in December, but are rather recuperating from the summer season, and perhaps working on some general fitness. Or sitting on the couch and chowing down a few Philly cheese steaks, from the looks of some of them. But let's say you're an average lifter who has no World Series plans in the immediate future. What are the benefits of periodization for you?

Allows for planned variation in training program, while maintaining a coherent structure (like, you're not just changing stuff just for the sake of changing it, but with a bigger picture in mind).

Increases recovery and recuperation potential.

Gives a clear and specific outline of what you should be doing every day, every week, and every month in the gym.

Shows you measurable progress in strength gains.

Combines goals of muscular endurance (first part of cycle of high reps, high volume, low intensity), hypertrophy (mid-cycle of moderate reps/volume/intensity), and strength gains (end of cycle of low reps/volume, high intensity). In my experience, periodized training allowed me to make gains in all rep ranges. My endurance for high-rep work improved, as did my ability to push the envelope of the high intensity range.

making a plan

Now that I've sold you (hopefully) on the benefits of periodized training, how do you make a short and long term plan for periodization? We begin by defining our microcycles, mesocycles, and macrocycles.

A microcycle is two or more training sessions which are different from one another. So, for example, let us say that during one week we have workout A, workout B, and workout C, all of which are in some way different from each other. That week is a microcycle.

A mesocycle is a series of microcycles which form a unit. So, let's again say we have workout A, B, and C comprising our week-long microcycle. We might then decide to repeat that microcycle for a period of 8 weeks. That 8 weeks is our mesocycle.

A macrocycle is a series of mesocycles which, again, form a unit (have you figured out the oh-so-complicated pattern yet?). Let's take our 8-week mesocycle and repeat it over a period of 6 months. Maybe that 6 months is part of our offseason for our competitive athlete. Or maybe 6 months is wintertime when you stay in the gym and don't do outside sports. In any case, 6 months is our mesocycle, comprised of 3 eight-week mesocycles, which in turn are comprised of 8 one-week microcycles.

Let us say that we have as our short-term goal to increase our 1RM squat weight by 10 lbs. Let us say that we have as our long-term goal to compete in a powerlifting competition in one year. Adding that 10 lbs. might be the work of one mesocycle, while competing might be the end result of one or two macrocycles.

There are many forms of periodization. Here I will deal only with the most basic and common one, and only two variables: volume and intensity, as they apply to a hypothetically simplified lifter. If you are interested in developing more complex periodized programs, check out the work of Tudor Bompa. Bompa is not the only source on periodization (Mel Siff in Supertraining has a good section on it as well), but his works are likely the most easily available to Western readers.

The basic contention of this simplified form of periodization is that volume exists in an inverse relationship to intensity. In other words, as volume goes down over a period of time, intensity goes up.

What does this mean in real terms? Let's return to our example of increasing 1RM squat weight by 10 lbs. Typically, I like to work in shorter cycles (6 weeks) and smaller incremental increases (5 lbs.), but mesocycles can range in length from 4 weeks to 16 weeks. I get bored chasing the same goal for too long, personally, so the shorter cycles allow for a good blend of change and constancy. The longer your mesocycle, the more gains you can plan for. So, for example, you're quite likely not going to increase your squat 1RM by 20 lbs. in a 6-week cycle, but you may be able to increase it by 20 lbs. in 16 weeks.

Here are a few ideas for periodizing a program which is aimed at gaining strength in particular lifts. Remember that there are lots of ways to do this. These range from super-simple to "Annie, get your calculator".

linear periodization wave periodization heavy-medium-light

You get the idea. Just remember the basic principle: volume decreases as intensity increases. When you do your new 1RM, rest a little extra afterwards. The higher the intensity, the greater the demand on the body and mind. Once you've rested a little, then start all over again with a new goal.

To recap, the basic principles of this form of periodization:

Volume decreases as intensity increases

Base your planning on a projected rep max (RM), most often a one-rep max (1RM), but you can pick another number such as 3RM or 5RM

Make your projected 1RM relative to the amount of time you plan to use for your mesocycle; in other words, don't try to add 20 lbs. to your squat in 4 weeks. Roughly a 1 lb. increase per week is a good formula, so 10 lbs. in 10 weeks, 5 lbs. in 5 weeks, etc.

To calculate the percentages of 1RM from week to week, try this simple formula (there are others, but this one is easy to start wtih). Work towards your projected 1RM in 5% increments and 1-2 reps. When you're figuring this out on paper, it helps to start with the projected 1RM and work backwards. So, you can easily figure out that on the last week of your cycle, you do 1 rep at 100% of your projected 1RM. Then work backwards from that: the second-last week you do 2 reps at 95% of your projected 1RM, the third-last week you do 3 reps at 90%, the fourth-last week you do 4 reps at 85%, and so forth.

However, don't drop your intensity below about 45-50% of current 1RM. Lower than that and you'll see no benefits.

Anything can be periodized, but it makes the most sense to periodize major compound lifts.

Consider your workout plan as a whole. If you're decreasing volume, make sure you don't add volume somewhere else (again this rule is not carved in stone, but for a periodization beginner it's a good guideline). Don't run a marathon on the same day you take a new 1RM, or your body will be very pissed at you. And if momma ain't happy, ain't nobody happy.

Make clear long-term and short-term goals. If you are just lifting for general strength improvements, and not planning to have a competitive season, the long-term goals need not be as specific as the short-term ones.

Lather, rinse, repeat.