Periodization Training

[trap_builder]

Anyone here use this method?

There articles about it on the article page of bodybuilding.com, that say it is the best way to induce strength and growth.

Anyone here use it, or do you all just do more or less the same amount of reps and dont worry about the different stages of training, such as power, endurance, etc.?

[hyp3r3xt3nsion]

here's a good topic about it for a bodybuilding type of routine

http://www.fortifiediron.net/invisio...showtopic=9313

if you're interested in more, read t-mag and google for stuff like 'conjugated periodization'

[trap_builder]

Thanks,

do you use or have used this method?

[Bigpecs]

I keep my reps the same. I switch them around from time to time but i think that its just making things complicated.

[hyp3r3xt3nsion]

Originally posted by trap_builder
Thanks,

do you use or have used this method?

i havn't used it, but (talking about periodization), it does seem to work for most.

[lgp9999]

Originally posted by hyp3r3xt3nsion
i havn't used it, but (talking about periodization), it does seem to work for most.

That's suprising. It seems like BS.

[hyp3r3xt3nsion]

Originally posted by lgp9999
That's suprising. It seems like BS.

?? why do you say that.

it makes sense imho. (conjugated anyways)

[trap_builder]

It makes sense but the question is if its worth it organizing such a big deal.

I couldnt imagine myself doing more than 10 reps anyway, i wouldnt accept it.

[AJbuilder]

Originally posted by lgp9999
That's suprising. It seems like BS.

you just disrespected so many people by saying this, numbers in the ten thousands. When you think you know a lot, you really don't know crap to save your kitty cat.

[AJbuilder]

Originally posted by trap_builder
Anyone here use this method?

There articles about it on the article page of bodybuilding.com, that say it is the best way to induce strength and growth.

Anyone here use it, or do you all just do more or less the same amount of reps and dont worry about the different stages of training, such as power, endurance, etc.?

Periodization is used in powerlifting, but can definitly be put to GREAT use in bodybuilding. Periodized cycles are also considered principles to structure your training to avoid stagnation. Some of the more popular training programs use periodization, and that includes HST, it's basically load progression periodized in a linear way with the strategic deconditioning to lower fitness level to repeat again. The problem with most bodybuilding routines out there is that it's also very linear, with no direction or focus to the future. When you start a routine, sure you may gain pretty decently in the beginning, but what most people don't get is that there are different levels at which the body is receptive to growth. The routine will level off your gains and you will plateau in a while, maybe 8 weeks.


So let's say you go on this typical bodybuilding routine working each bodypart once a week on a 4 day split, taking some of your sets to failure. You load up the bar on your first workout and do squats. The next week comes and you add some weight and you complete the number of reps you intended to reach with the new weight. You level off the next week and proceed to add weight on your fourth week. At this time, you are always constantly in negative, positive protein balance and the net effect would have to be a positive protein balance, riding the supercompensation wave. You experience some gains and even feel fatigue, and you then plateau on your 10th week. The reason why you plateau is because you have either overtrained chronically, meaning you haved been shoved out of the zone in which your body is most receptive to growth. In that zone, stress was applied to your body and it had no choice but to adapt. But your body also has an adaptive mechanism called accomodation. The accomodation of the routine used becomes stagnant and your body will have no more reason to grow, so as you apply the same stress, you will either plateau or overtrain. This is due to the minimal adaptive energy state that the body focuses on. the body is always constantly shifting it's gear onto this state so it will give itself a reason to retain as less lean mass as possible . that's just how the body works because the more mass you have, the more energy is needed to maintain that mass. So in a sense, you can say a plateau represents as similar matter to the flight or fight response.

Now the next thing you decide to do is to , of course, switch up the volume, rest periods, intensity, change routine overall. You think to yourself that by changing things up, your body will start to adapt anew again. You're pretty right in this case but that doesn't mean it's optimal. You then start to gain muscle again, but will pleateau, you repeat again switching up exercises, experimenting with trial and error. What you're actually doing is that you are constantly training to the state most receptive to muscle growth, then the minimal adaptive mechanism will kick in and you will have to repeat the whole process of changing routines again. If you get the big picture, this is really a half ass way to bodybuild, stumbling on moments with little progress during certain periods and then plateauing for weeks, months, or even years . The shift to the levels where you gain mass, overtrain, or acommodate is like a sine wave. You will gain at one period, not gain the next, then gain again.

This is where periodization comes in. Periodization takes into account cycles to maximize your training for the most growth and it is organized in many different ways to have direction to the future so plateauing can be nonexistant. The loading / deloading model seems to be the best way to go about this. When you load up for a few weeks time you are forcing your body to adapt to a higher adaptive energy state, pushing you as high as you can into the "zone" where muscle growth can have the most potential....then when you deload by backing off on volume and increasing rest periods and decreasing frequency slightly, the work done now will be channeled into muscle growth and strength, sorta like the lag time effect in carb loading and supercompensation of protein synthesis after a long endurance circuit training type session. So now you will always enter the comfort zone of hypertrophy then backing off towards the minimal adaptive state, but just before you plateau you will load up again to enter back into this "zone" and it repeats and repeats.

That's just one example on how periodization can work. I think as lifters, bodybuilders, we should always learn and never ever stop reading and educate ourself more on these matters. It'll open us up to even new and better ideas on how to train and eat. Non stop learning is the key and don't just accept what has always been preached. there are so many variables and game folks involved in the sport.

[hyp3r3xt3nsion]

Originally posted by AJbuilder
you just disrespected so many people by saying this, numbers in the ten thousands. When you think you know a lot, you really don't know crap to save your kitty cat.

lol

[Younglifter14]

Originally posted by Bigpecs
I keep my reps the same. I switch them around from time to time but i think that its just making things complicated.

when results stop or you want to maximise them, you have to make things "complicated"

It makes sense but the question is if its worth it organizing such a big deal.

I couldnt imagine myself doing more than 10 reps anyway, i wouldnt accept it.

hey buddy, there are different forms of periodization other then linear style. Read up

Young

[trap_builder]

Thanks, great post!

Where can I find instructions on how to organize my workouts into a periodization style routine?

[Younglifter14]

Originally posted by trap_builder
Thanks, great post!

Where can I find instructions on how to organize my workouts into a periodization style routine?

run a search on mell Siff, also check out the fortifiediron.com forums

Here are some links to help get you started:
http://www.wannabebig.com/article.php?articleid=49
http://www.t-mag.com/html/1maxim.html
http://www.bodybuilding.com/fun/keats2.htm
http://www.testosterone.net/html/body_129per.html
http://www.testosterone.net/html/133per.html

and the dual factor theory:
http://www.fortifiediron.net/invisio...showtopic=8546
http://www.steroidology.com/forum/sh...ad/t-6398.html

Young

[AJbuilder]

Originally posted by trap_builder
Thanks, great post!

Where can I find instructions on how to organize my workouts into a periodization style routine?

tons of resources, you can even buy some books , i've also just started reading up on stuff like this

science and practice of strength training by vladimir zatsiorky
Periodization by Tudor O. Bompa


here are some links, examples

http://forum.bodybuilding.com/showth...highlight=DFHT


http://216.239.39.104/search?q=cache...hl=en&ie=UTF-8



http://forum.bodybuilding.com/showth...hreadid=219479


http://www.avantlabs.com/page.php?pageID=198&issueID=17


http://www.avantlabs.com/magmain.php...=18&pageID=216

[trap_builder]

Thanks a lot, AJbuilder.

[AJbuilder]

you welcome

[hyp3r3xt3nsion]

Originally posted by Younglifter14




hey buddy, there are different forms of periodization other then linear style. Read up

Young

yep, i like conjugated over linear, makes more sense