To Your Health September, 2012 (Vol. 06, Issue 09)

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Training Using Periodization Principles

Periodization may be implemented into many aspects of an athlete's program; however, in this article, let's focus specifically on the utilization of periodization in resistance training.

First of all, with every set, one should train to failure (to the point that another repetition is not possible). The weight should be adjusted accordingly so the reps will fall into the desired range of repetitions for each set.

If you need to peak during a certain season or time of the year for a given sport, then one macrocycle should constitute an entire year for your training purposes. The mesoscycles for the regimen would typically fall into three categories: strength, hypertrophy and muscular endurance. Here's a sample workout for each category / mesocycle:

Strength Training

For six to eight weeks, train in the lower repetition range of six to eight repetitions per set, six sets per exercise. With lower reps and increased intensity, you are training with a focus on strength. The rest time between sets when training at these lower repetitions is between 90 and 120 seconds. A typical workout regimen for strength training is as follows, resting for 90-120 seconds in between sets:

Day 1: chest, triceps, delts

• Incline bench press: six sets, 6-8 repetitions per set
• Cable crossover: six sets, eight repetitions per set
• Triceps pushdowns : six sets, eight repetitions per set
• Lateral delt raises: four sets, eight repetitions per set

Day 2: quads, glutes, hamstrings, calves

• Barbell squats: eight sets, 6-10 repetitions per set
• Single-leg hamstring curls: six sets, eight repetitions per set
• Calf raises: eight sets, 8-10 repetitions per set

Day 3: lats, biceps

• Bent-over barbell rows (supinated grip): six sets, eight repetitions per set
• Lat pulldowns (wide pronated grip): four sets, eight repetitions per set
• EZ-bar biceps curls: six sets, eight repetitions per set

Muscle Size Training

The next two months are geared toward 8-12 repetitions at five sets per exercise, taking rest intervals between sets of no more than 60 seconds. At this phase, you are training mainly for hypertrophy (increased size) of the musculature. You are essentially training with a balance between intensity and volume. A typical workout regimen for hypertrophy training is as follows:

Day 1: chest, triceps

• Incline bench press: five sets, 10-12 repetitions per set
• Cable crossovers: five sets, 8-12 repetitions per set
• Triceps pushdowns: six sets, 10-12 repetitions per set
• Close-grip barbell bench press: four sets, 10-12 repetitions per set

Day 2: delts, lats

• Single-arm dumbbell bent-over rows: five sets, 10-12 repetitions per set
• Lat pulldowns (wide pronated grip): three sets, 10 repetitions per set
• Lat pulldowns (shoulder-width supinated grip): three sets, 10 repetitions per set
• Lateral delt raises: five sets, 12 repetitions per set
• Front delt raises: five sets, 12 repetitions per set

Day 3: quads, glutes, hamstrings, calves

• Barbell squats: five sets, 8-12 repetitions per set
• Dumbbell split-legged squats: five sets, 10-12 repetitions per set
• Single-leg hamstring curls: five sets, 10 repetitions per set
• Calf raises: six sets, 12 repetitions per set

Day 4: traps, biceps

• Close-grip upright rows (supinated grip): five sets, 12 repetitions per set
• Dumbbell shoulder shrugs: four sets, 10 repetitions per set
• EZ-bar biceps curls: five sets, 12 repetitions per set
• Dumbbell curls: five sets, 10-12 repetitions per set