Thread: Thinking about doing periodization

Originally Posted by IJ300

I'm going add periodization to my training, and my question is do I have to change the amout of sets that I do? For example, if I do 4 sets of 5 reps of flat bench one week, then the next week do the same number of sets but do 10 reps, and for the last week keep sets at 4 again but do 15 reps. Or do I have to increase and decrease the number of sets along with the reps?

you could do it like that. That would be non-linear. You could also train your bench press twice in a week (say mon. and then on thurs.) and rotate the rep ranges in the same fashion.

You can do linear periodization:

week1-3= 12-15 (endurance)
week4-6= 8-10 (hypertrophy)
week7-9= 4-6 (strength)


Or you can load volume over a few weeks and then unload....

week1- 3sets x 5 reps
week2- 4x5 (same weight as week 1)
week3- 4x6 (try for the same weight as week1)
week4 (unload)- 2x12



and there are a lot of other options as well.

you can train chest (or everything 2x's a week) and do an acclimation/intensification cycle were you really ramp up the volume over a few weeks and then drop it down (train the bench press movement less frequenty) but increase the intensity and utalize all the fitness you have accumulated over the previous few weeks as the fatigue that was also accumulated disipates because of the lower frequency allowing for greater recovery.


You can do a 5x5 (three times a week) like a Bill Starr type of program:

day1- (medium day)- bench 5x5 (same weight)

day2- (Light day)- perform a supplpement exercise at a lighter load (ie DB bench press) OR perform bench press again at 5x5 But use 75-80% of what you used on day 1.

day3- bench 5x5 and work up to a max 5x5 set.

you could run that for a few weeks (maybe 3-4) and then drop the day 2 bench press work and turn the day 1 and day 3 work into 3x3....again, this is acclimation intensification.

There are all kinds of options with periodization. Have you read the following writeup yet?

http://ironmagazineforums.com/showthread.php?t=58699

Yea, I read it.

Originally Posted by IJ300

Yea, I read it.

Okay, are your goals mass, strength, endurance, a combination of abilities?

My main goal is to add more mass, but I also want strength and endurance.

Originally Posted by IJ300

My main goal is to add more mass, but I also want strength and endurance.

so come up with a program and post it for revision.

This is what I have so far

Hypertrophy Weeks 1-2, Tempo 4/3/1, 60-90 secs rest

Horizontal pressing/pulling + Biceps (Monday)

Db Rows-3 X 7-10
Cable Rows-2 X 7-10
Flat Bench-3 X 7-10
CG Decline-2 X 7-10
Dips-2 X 7-10
CG Pull ups-2 X 7-10
Hammer curl-2 X 7-10
Preacher curl-2 X 7-10

Vertical pressing/pulling + Triceps (Thursday)
WG Pullups-3 X 7-10
WG Pulldowns-2 X 7-10
Shrugs-3 X 7-10
Upright Rows-2 X 7-10
Inclince Bench-3 X 7-10
Shoulder press-3 X 7-10
Skulls-2 X 7-10
Pulldowns- 2 X 7- 10

Hip/Knee (Wed)
Squats-5 X 7-10
SLDL-3 X 7-10
Stepups-2 X 7-10
Hamstring curl- 2 X 7-10
Standing Calf raise-3
Leg press Calf raise- 2

Hip/Knee (Sat)
DL- 5- X 7-10
Front Squat- 3 X 7-10
Lunge- 2 X 7-10
ext- 2 X 7-10
Standing machine calf raise- 3
Seated calf raise-2

Weeks 3-4 Power
Same exercises and sets
Reps 3-5
Rest- 2-3 minutes
Tempo- ?

Weeks 5-6 Endurance
Same exercises and sets
Reps 11-15
Rest- 30-60 secs
Tempo- ?

I think your exercise selection looks pretty good, and the loading parameters look solid for the hypertrophy week.

When it comes to the strength microcycle, I would probably cut down the number of exercises you perform. I would cut out most, or preferably all, of the isolation stuff. This is where you stick to the meat and potatoes really hardcore and bump up the number of sets you perform for each movement. Your tempo should be a controlled negative and an explosive positive.

The exercise selection used during the hypertrophy weeks would probably be just fine for the endurance microcycle. The tempo should be less important here; a natural tempo of something like 2-1-1 (Just an example) would work well.

You've definitely done some reading. Thank you for that!