Everything works, but nothing works forever.
Winston Churchill once said, “Plans are of little importance. But planning is essential”. In order to achieve your goals, plans at the micro and macro-level are important. This applies to our training as well.
There are many acute variables in our training. These variables include the number of sets and repetitions, rest periods taken between sets, and the rep speed. Periodization refers to the systematic manipulation of the acute training variables over time, which may vary from hours to even years.
The basis behind periodization is a concept called the general adaptation syndrome. Whenever our body is subjected to some stress, we go through three stages: alarm, adaptation, and exhaustion. As additional stress is placed on the body — let's use heavy training as an example — the body first goes through an alarm reaction. During this stage, the body momentarily gets weaker. But, with continued exposure to this stress, our body super compensates for it and that's how we become stronger.
But, if our body is continually exposed to this stress for a long period of time, our strength adaptations slowly decline. You must expose the muscle to any one training style for just long enough to reap the benefits, but avoid a nosedive of those positive adaptations.
There are various cycles in periodization, such as
- Quadrennial cycle- Multi-year training plan.
2. Macrocycle- training plans for less than a year.
3. Mesocycle- a single training block which lasts for 3–4 weeks.
4. Microcycle- one mesocycle’s unit(1 week)
5. Workouts-one microcycle’s unit
The two periodization schemes most commonly used by strength coaches are:
- Classic/linear periodization training:
This form of training follows a progression of phases through ROM, strength, power, and speed. This model is characterized by longer training periods , and a focus on more general training. Most beginners need to build a strong foundation before they can try advanced training styles. Linear periodization is a great way to slowly build a base without losing focus on what’s important — building your foundation. It is great for progressing in one variable and working towards a peaking point.
2. Non-linear/Undulated periodization:
Non-linear periodization is an excellent way of individually training one variable and secondarily training others at the same time. This method relies on a constant change in stimuli throughout training cycles. As opposed to a linear periodization that focuses on the gradual increase of one variable, this style manipulates multiple variables frequently. It is often used by trainees who have a mature training age (>2 years).
Conclusion:
Planning is the most valuable resource we have at your disposal. By using a well-organized and proven process like periodization, you can construct a training timeline that allows you to optimize performance at the optimal times.
