Why You Need Periodization

Why You Need Periodization

You may have heard the term, but what does peiodization really mean? And more importantly, why do you need it? If these questions are on your mind then you have come to the right place! This article is all about periodization: the different types of periodization, the benefits of peiodization and how periodization works. Yep, it's periodization overload!

You may have heard the term "muscle confusion" before. If you are a crossfitter (not that there is anything wrong with that) or a P90X fanboy then the term "muscle confusion" gets thrown around around like candy at Halloween. The idea behind "muscle confusion" is that changing exercises regularly forces the body to adapt in different ways to different exercises and therefore keeps you progressing. Well, it's half right.

Over time your body will adapt to whatever routine you are doing week in and week out or day in and day out. The ability for our bodies to adapt is what allows us to build muscle or burn fat in the first place. But it has been shown that varying rep ranges and intensity/volume is effective in achieving ongoing results [2][3]. That's the idea behind periodization.

Linear Periodization

Linear periodization is structured around training the body in time bounded increments. Training is broken down into various periods of time or phases, which are then further broken down. These phases are commonly referred to as cycles. 

The largest cycle in linear periodization is called the macrocycle. Typically the macrocycle represents a period of one year (although it doesn't have to be one year). A macrocycle is then broken down into mesocycles, which are targeted at a specific goal (e.g. hypertrophy, strength, power). Mesocycles are then further broken down into microcycles, which typically span a week.

The idea is that for some period time (typically 6-10 weeks) the athlete trains consistently towards the goal of some mesocycle. When the mesocycle is over, the training adjusts to meet the needs of the next mesocycle, and so on. At some point there is generally some kind of recovery cycle. However, throughout the duration of the mesocycle, there is little variance in the exercises, volume or intensity used [1]. It is therefore a linear progression from one cycle to the next.

Undulating Periodization

Undulating periodization is training the body in short intervals where intensity, volume and rep ranges change frequently along with the potential goals of the exercise. You might notice bodybuilders talking about alternating power and hypertrophy weeks. That is a form of undulating periodization where power workouts would generally be more intense with more rest between exercises and fewer repetitions performed.

One form of periodization that has gained a lot of interest over the past few years is daily undulating periodization (DUP). Like weekly undulating periodiation, rep ranges, intensity, and rest intervals change regularly. But instead of changing things up every week, these variables are manipulated every day [2]. An example of a DUP routine is the Example Advanced Training Plan posted earlier on AllNaturalMuscle.com.

Which Type Of Periodization Should I Choose?

Research on different periodization models is relatively new and there are a lot of variables there are still unknown. Some research has demonstrated that in at least some cases, there is no clear winner among the various forms of periodization [3]. However, other research has shown that DUP might lead to better results than linear periodization [2]. The important thing is to make sure that you have some kind of periodization incorporated into your training plan.

References

[1] Stone, Michael H., et al. "A theoretical model of strength training." Strength & Conditioning Journal 4.4 (1982): 36-39.

[2] Rhea, Matthew R., et al. "A comparison of linear and daily undulating periodized programs with equated volume and intensity for strength." The Journal of Strength & Conditioning Research 16.2 (2002): 250-255.

[3] Buford, Thomas W., et al. "A comparison of periodization models during nine weeks with equated volume and intensity for strength." The Journal of Strength & Conditioning Research 21.4 (2007): 1245-1250.

Posted by Clayton Long