ballast

This is an article I found about planned recovery.I thought it might be of interest to some of you.

THREE STEPS UP, ONE STEP DOWN
-Charles Staley
Looking for a training principle that is (virtually)universally accepted?Something that most top experts recommend, yet something that few trainees do in practice.You're looking for something like the "supercompensation microcycle."I have long said that there are two ways that full recovery cycles occur within the context of long-term training cycles: either you plan them, or you end up overtrained and/or injured-either way, you get your rest period.Most of us appreciate that if a training program is to yield positive results, training loads must be regularly increased in order to continually provoke new adaptions.Yet paradoxically, if loads increase continuously week after week, well, something's gotta give, and it'll probably be some combination of your health and motivation to train.However, the practice of building "down" weeks into your schedule can help you reap the benefits of progressive overload without suffering the negative consequences.Better yet, it doesn't require an advanced degree or membership in Mensa to be able to successfully implement the concept.
Here is how it works:
Plan your training in terms of four week mesocycles.Week one should be easy to moderate in terms of difficulty.Measure the training volume(weight multiplied by reps).Plan week two so that the volume is increased by about 10% over the previous week.Week three should be further increased by 10% from the previous week.In other words, "three steps up."
Now, whatever the volume was for week three, cut it in half and that's your volume for the supercompensation microcycle(a microcycle is a week in this case).
Here's an example:
Week One: 42,000 pounds
Week Two: 46,200 pounds
Week Three: 50,820 pounds
Week Four: 25,410 pounds
This doesn't mean you can't work hard by the way-you can lift as heavy as you like, just keep the volume in check as demonstrated above.
On your next mesocycle, all the loads should be SLIGHTLY (I recommend 2-3%)higher than the previous mesocycle, such as:
Week One: 42,126 pounds
Week Two: 46,339 pounds
Week Three: 50,972 pounds
Week Four: 25,486 pounds
Continue like this for a total of 12 weeks, and then take a week off before beginning the next macrocycle.

***This article touches on the basics of periodization.I don't follow it exactly as described.I push hard for three weeks, trying to increase my reps or poundages in most exercises then, on the fourth week I reduce my total number of sets per workout by about 25-50%.During this week, I rarely use 100% intensity.I have found this helps me avoid overtraining quite well.

------------------
"My dad was a drunk,a gambler and a womanizer.I worshipped him!"

TheSupremeBeing

Or, you could simply just take a week off.

------------------
Complex problems have simple, easy to understand, wrong answers.

Charger

On week four you say you cut your sets by 25 to 50%. Do you also cut your weight. I know a guy who does somethig similar but instead of cutting sets he cuts weight by 50% and does 15 reps, same number of reps. I am not sure if it's every 4 weeks but he does this instead of the week off.

------------------
Can't never did nothin,(Dedicated to my father)

ballast

Charger-Here is an example of what I do:
Week Three:
Military Presses 5 sets of 3 w/135 ibs

Week Four:
Military Presses 3 sets of 3 w/125-135 ibs(just kind of maintaining my poundage for this work out) or I will up the weight to 140 and go all out,trying to get 3-5 reps for all three sets.But, like I stated above, I rarely go 100% intensity during this session.
Supreme is right, you could just take a complete week off from the weights.I don't like this method though;after a week of no weights, my poundages tend to slip down a little and I am more sore after workouts my first week back.I prefer the lower intensity week and use it too keep my muscles active and to hone my form on the lifts.In some periodization models, when a lifter takes a week off from the weights, this off week is labeled "active recovery".Two - four times a week, they will engage is some type of physical activity such as swimming, volleyball, rollerblading, etc.In the rare event that I do an active recovery week, I like to go hiking in the mountains.It hits my legs and cardio, too of my week points.

------------------
"My dad was a drunk,a gambler and a womanizer.I worshipped him!"

ballast

Here is another take on periodization.This one deals less with recovery and more with variation.The source of this information is strength coach Charles Poliquin.

"As a rule of thumb, I would say that the musculature grows best when both high volume phases (known as accumulation phases)are alternated with high intensity phases (known as intensification phases).The repective length of each phase will be affected by a variety of factors such as nutrient intake,serotonin and dopamine ratios,hormonal make-up, and fiber-type make-up.
Accumulation phases are normally characterized by the following:
*High number of exercises (2-4 per bodypart)
*Higher reps (7 reps or more)
*Lower sets (2-4 sets per exercise)
*Higher volumes (number of total sets times total reps)
*Lower intensities (below 80% 1RM)
*Shorter rest intervals (30-90 seconds)
So, for instance, a typical accumulation phase may consist of 3 exercises of 3 sets of 12-15 reps, resting an average of 75 seconds between sets.
Intensification phases are characterized by:
*Low number of exercises (1-2 per bodypart)
*Lower reps (1-6)
*Higher sets (10-12 total sets per bodypart)
*Lower volumes (total number of sets times total number of reps, e.g. 6 sets of 3 reps=18 reps volume)
*Higher intensities (80% 1RM and above)
*Longer rest intervals (3-5 minutes)
So, for instance, a typical intensification phase may consist of 2 exercises of 5 sets of 4-6 reps, resting an average of 3-5 minutes between sets.
Keep in mind there are plenty of ways to undulate the training loads, but the way given above is the one I prefer to prescribe to my clients.To put this into practice, you might try alternating intensification and accumulation phases about every three weeks, or every six workouts.In other words, do an accumulation phase for six workouts, and then switch to a intensification program for six workouts."

***From personal experience, I can honestly say that the above two methods have given me the most productive training cycles I have ever used.

------------------
"My dad was a drunk,a gambler and a womanizer.I worshipped him!"