Progression - Linear periodization, Cycle Lengths, Progression Techniques and Tracking

Question 1

What are micro plates good for?

Answer 1

Micro plates are great for increasing load at smaller levels, this can facilitate progression by inceasing load at a lesser pace while still providing more volume. At higher levels of training age increasing load by 5lbs can take much longer, this allows to continue to increase at a more gradual progression.

Question 2

What’s an example of novice progression?

Answer 2

“When you are just starting out, there will be a lot of things to learn so it is wise to start on a simple program, limiting the number of exercises and learning to train the whole body efficiently using compound exercises.”

“If you’re using barbell exercises, use a weight that leaves a little bit in your tank in order to make sure that your form is correct and then add 5 lbs to the bar each time you train. On heavy compound exercises like the squat and deadlift, you may be able to add 10 lbs each time.”

“There will be a point where your progress slows down and it is not possible to make increases session to session. If you have micro plates (1 lb) you can use those to keep increasing the weight each session.”

“The load is increased linearly using the same rep range. This is called “single progression” (of load). Note that by increasing the load, the volume is also increased.

When the target repetitions cannot be completed, load is maintained for the next session, and the repetition targets are attempted again.

Reduce the load by 10% if you fail to achieve your target reps in two consecutive workouts. The next workout, return to the weight you were unable to complete the target repetitions with and you will more than likely succeed.”

“If your progress starts to stall after implementing deloads as described above without a return to progress afterwards (assuming sleep, nutrition etc. are in check), it is time to consider changing your progression pattern to that of an intermediate trainee.”

Question 3

How often should you add weight/Volume with novice progression?

Answer 3

“The load is increased linearly using the same rep range. This is called “single progression” (of load). Note that by increasing the load, the volume is also increased.”

Question 4

What is single progression of load?

Answer 4

The load is increased linearly using the same rep range.

Question 5

What are some recommendations for an intermediate progressing?

Answer 5

“Here is a sample progression pattern for intermediate trainees with compound movements. Let’s say that we have 3 sets using the 6-8 rep range planned:

Choose a weight where you can complete 3 sets of 8, without needing a spot and rarely hitting failure on the last set (RPE no higher than 9.5 on last set and typically lower).

Increase the load and reduce the number of reps each time you perform a given exercise.

The 4th workout is a deload day where you intentionally reduce both the load and reps.

On the 5th workout, get back to 3x8 and increase the load to slightly more than what you used the prior time you used 8 repetitions.”

“This approach can also be used with the 3-5, 4-6, and 5-7 rep ranges. In each example, dropping the rep target by 1 rep is appropriate each week with only a 5-10 lb (2.5-5 kg) increase in load week to week. This wave loading intermediate progression can also be used with the “hypertrophy rep range” of 8-12, and in this case, you reduce the reps by 2 rather than 1 each week. So for example, you would do a week of 12’s, 10’s, and then 8’s while increasing the load 5 lbs to 10 lbs each week”

Question 6

What is linear periodization?

Answer 6

“The load, reps and volume will fluctuate workout to workout, but the load being used will increase every four weeks. This is called “linear periodization,” meaning that intensity goes up as volume goes down.”

Question 7

How can linear periodization be used for strength?

Answer 7

“This approach can also be used with the 3-5, 4-6, and 5-7 rep ranges. In each example, dropping the rep target by 1 rep is appropriate each week with only a 5-10 lb (2.5-5 kg) increase in load week to week.”

Question 8

How can linear periodization be used for hypertrophy?

Answer 8

“…wave loading intermediate progression can also be used with the “hypertrophy rep range” of 8-12, and in this case, you reduce the reps by 2 rather than 1 each week. So for example, you would do a week of 12’s, 10’s, and then 8’s while increasing the load 5 lbs to 10 lbs each week”

Question 9

What is a micro cycle?

Answer 9

Single weeks of training are often referred to as microcycles.

“A microcycle is the shortest training cycle, typically consisting of a single week or two with the goal of facilitating a focused block of training. An example of this is an endurance block where a cyclist strings three or four long rides together within one week to progressively overload training volume (with the objective of improving aerobic endurance). Generally speaking, two or three microcycles are tied together to create a mesocycle.”

Question 10

What is a mesocycle?

Answer 10

Longer blocks of training often lasting one to two months are called mesocycles.

“The mesocycle represents a specific block of training that is designed to accomplish a particular goal. For example, during the endurance phase, you might develop a mesocycle that is specifically designed to enhance your muscular endurance (the ability to pedal relatively big gears at a moderate cadence). This mesocycle might consist of 3 weeks of strength training and big gear spinning, and one week of recovery. Mesocycles are typically 3 to 4 weeks in length but can be a bit longer. Two very common mesocycles are 21 and 28-day training blocks. “

Question 11

What is a macro cycle?

Answer 11

The entire training plan for a given period (often a season or a year) is called a macrocycle

“The macrocycle consists of all 52 weeks of your annual plan and therefore includes all four stages of a periodized training program (endurance, intensity, competition and recovery). Because of its length, you will almost certainly make changes to it throughout the year. Think of the macrocycle as a “birds-eye” view of your annual training plan. “ - Biking

Question 12

What is wave loading?

Answer 12

“Lineraly increases volume. The small increases in load, even though the repetition range and number of sets stay the same. The graph below illustrates how even though volume decreases over the course of each 4 week period (a mesocycle), each successive cycle has slightly more volume relative to the last due to the load increases.”

Question 13

How does wave loading work for compound lifts?

Answer 13

Wave loading is just the action of linear periodization…Through small increases in load, even though the repetition range and number of sets stay the same, after every mesocycle.

Question 14

What is double progression?

Answer 14

Adding reps week by week, instead of increasing load. We are adding volume (reps) before increasing intensity, we don’t progress the second variable (intensity = load) until we progress the first.

Question 15

How does double progression work for isolation lifts?

Answer 15

You add volume before adding intensity, in this case it’s reps. Let’s say you are doing bicep curls, where you can do close to 3x15 but you can’t quite get it. For me that would probably be 35s, so the first week might be: 3x15x12x10, next week might be 3x15x14x11, third week 3x15x15x14, then the 4th week is a deload 2x12x12, then on the next mesocycle (week) I do 3x15x15x15, then on the 6th week (2nd week of the 2nd mesocycle) I can increase the weight (Intensity/load) and start the whole proccess again.

Question 16

What are some recommendations for double progression on isolated lifts?

Answer 16

“The first variable in this example is repetitions. in this example, we’ll use 3x12-15 as the target (though this can be done with the 8-12 or other rep ranges as well).

• choose a load where you feel you can get pretty close to 15 reps for 3 sets (but not quite).
• Add reps each week, trying to get to the goal of 3x15. Take as many sessions as you need to achieve this. avoid hitting failure until the last set, or you’ll sabotage your next sets.
• in the example we still have the 4th week as a light week. regardless of what happens in the week prior to the deload, in the deload week go to the bottom of the rep range and just do two sets (12, 12).
• after the deload you will hopefully come back, find yourself recovered and improve performance (in the example we get 15, 15, 14). Then in the next week we get 15, 15, 15.

Thus in the next session we increase the load, once again working back towards 3x15.

•as a side note, if adding reps is too diffcult in a narrow rep range such as 8-12 or 12-15, you can widen the rep range to allow slower progression, i.e. 8-15).”

Question 17

What are the benefits of widening the rep range for double progression?

Answer 17

“if adding reps is too diffcult in a narrow rep range such as 8-12 or 12-15, you can widen the rep range to allow slower progression, i.e. 8-15).”

Question 18

How can you determine if someone is an advanced lifter?

Answer 18

• people who have gained 80-90% of their genetic potential in terms strength and/or hypertrophy, and are seeking to get the remaining 10-20%.
• if you have been seriously training in an intelligent manner for more than two years continuously, and the rate of progress has substantially slowed down compared to what it was in your first year or two of training.

Question 19

How can advance lifter track his/her progress?

Answer 19

“There are two ways that I recommend people do this. The first is to perform and compare a 1 rep max (1RM), the second is to do as many reps as possible (AMRAP) with a given weight, also known as completing a repetition maximum (RM). An estimated 1RM can be derived from an AMRAP/RM and these tests don’t necessarily need to be performed to a 10 RPE.”

Question 20

What would an advanced lifter use to track strength progress?

Answer 20

If you are training primarily for strength, for the most part you want to test the variable for a change that is specific to your goals. That means, testing absolute strength, your 1RM.

You can then use your new 1RM with a program built on performing a certain number of repetitions each set at a specific percentage of your 1RM. Using the “RPE Scale Based On Repetitions In Reserve” table to set up a progression approach to gradually increase your load and volume over the next 8 week block to ensure progress.

Question 21

How often could an advanced lifter track his/her 1RM?

Answer 21

*As it’s mentally and physically tough to regularly challenge your 1RM, it is important not to do this too frequently. The key is to make sure that the intervals between 1RM tests are long enough that a measurable di erence in performance can be observed. Every 6-12 weeks is generally a good time frame for most advanced trainees.*

Question 22

How often can elite level lifters max out?

Answer 22

*As it’s mentally and physically tough to regularly challenge your 1RM, it is important not to do this too frequently. The key is to make sure that the intervals between 1RM tests are long enough that a measurable di erence in performance can be observed. Every 6-12 weeks is generally a good time frame for most advanced trainees.*

Question 23

What is an accumulation phase in block periodization?

Answer 23

A model where a few months are spent simply increasing volume without necessarily expecting a measurable increase in strength, often used by advanced lifters/athletes. In block periodization (which we will cover in detail later), this is called an accumulation phase.

Question 24

How does fatigue management play in elite lifters?

Answer 24

“likewise, if you are trying to control and manage fatigue, 1rm or amrap testing does not have to occur at a 10 rpe. advanced lifters, especially those familiarized with using rpe in training, are quite accurate at gauging repetitions in reserve at the completion of a set when they are near failure [5, 6]. Therefore, testing can be performed to a 9 rpe and the nal repetition can be assumed to have been successful for the purposes of estimating 1rm, but not actually performed in order to manage fatigue.”

Question 25

How long can some training periods last for elite level lifters?

Answer 25

6-12 weeks is generally a good time frame for most advanced trainees for max outs

Question 26

How do elite level lifters in hypertrophy track gains?

Answer 26

“best to use changes in strength as the measure of progress versus visual assessments, caliper or tape measurements.”

“it is not necessary to perform single rep maxes to test progress. indeed, as a bodybuilder you may not even include 1rms in your training at all. you may not even perform any of the big three lifts that powerlifters perform, preferring perhaps the rdl, front squat, and incline bench press instead, and likely using more than 3 lifts to gauge progress as well. in this case you can use periodic amraps to test strength on your primary compound lifts to see how you are progressing. you can then directly compare the number of reps you can perform compared to previous amraps with the same (or lighter) weights than last time. or, you can use a 1rm calculator to estimate your one rep max using equations based on your amrap, comparing it to your last amrap’s estimated 1rm. “

“when performing an amrap with the purpose of estimating a 1rm it’s best to use a 3-6 rep range. any higher than that and we start to get out of the range of being able to accurately estimate a 1rm, and thus training based on percentages is not going to be as accurate.”

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Question 27

What are some cons in using total body composition methods to track progress for elite lifters? Like the dexa

Answer 27

“all the available methods of measuring body composition have typical errors. in all cases, the typical error is larger than the progress that can be reasonably expected to be made in a sensible time period at this level. For example, even a deXa scanner might have a + or -5% typical error, meaning that unless you can increase your lean body mass by more than 5% you can’t reliably know if you had gained, maintained or lost lean body mass as it could have been covered up by this “noise”. however, a 5% increase in lean body mass for an advanced natural bodybuilder might be 9 lbs (~4 kg)! nine pounds is a lot of muscle mass, especially at this stage. if it is even possible for the advanced lifter in question to gain a further 9 lbs of muscle, it might take multiple years to do so. “

Question 28

What should an advanced level lifter do when not progressing?

Answer 28

“if you get to the point where every 8-12 weeks you are testing your strength but nd that you are not able to progress at all then you can go back to the progress flow chart which we discussed in level 2:”

Question 29

What are some reasons for plateaus in a lift?

Answer 29

Not enough Volume, too much accumulated fatigue.

Question 30

When should you decrease volume (outside of the intensification period)?

Question 31

How should you increase volume if the volume doesn’t feel appropriate enough? What are some reasons intermediate & advanced lifters plateau? (Think outside of the accumulation phase And let’s say you are recovering well)

Answer 31

• you can do so by adding more repetitions via increasing the number of sets, or adding more exercises to your workouts.
• if you’re plateaued on a lift that you specifically wish to improve then you should probably consider doing more sets of that lift. For example, a powerlifter that has stalled on his squat should probably make more squatting as his first go to solution.
• it is also possible that the stall is simply because you need to get more muscularity, so there are times when adding more accessory movements (or sets on accessory movements you are already doing) might be a good idea. if you are a lean powerlifter at the top of your weight class and you are plateaued for this reason, it may be worth considering moving up a weight class.
• it could also be that there is a technique/neurological issue that is preventing you from getting stronger, and adding more volume is not the answer. it’s a good idea to regularly evaluate your form, either with a coach, or video feedback compared to an example of good form or by some other more objective method.
• so you need to think about when it’s time to add more days of training to accommodate volume increases. so, if you’re starting to push the limit of how much quality training you can perform in your sessions (possibly around the 70 rep mark) then consider adding another training day to spread out the work more e ectively.