If you haven’t read much about periodization and you’re an avid gym-goer, well, you are missing out!  There are tons of books out there that explain the concept in great detail from theory to application. There are also loads of articles and blogs as well.  Keeping to my posting theme, I’m not going to try and summarize what so many others have already done so well but instead will provide you with two of the best resources that I have found and then share with you my thoughts on applying these concepts to a recreational lifting regimen.  Have you ever wondered “If I am supposed to continually improve at the gym and slowly add more weights as I go, where does it all end?”  Well, I can tell you first hand that it can end badly if you don’t pay attention 🙁 I’ll post about my injuries in a later blog but for now suffice to say that I’ve got my fair share of titanium embedded in my body due in part to a lack of application of periodization concepts over the years.

Periodization is all about designing a strength and conditioning program such that it is structured in phases, or cycles, with each one focused on a different aspect of conditioning.  There are many benefits to designing a program this way ranging from minimizing injuries to maximizing performance around a specific sport season to avoiding general staleness. Typically you will see these concepts at work by strength and conditioning coaches for competitive athletes ranging from high school caliber all the way to Olympic level.  Here are two fantastic resources for reading about periodization, please give them a once over before continuing on with this post…

1. Great excerpt from the Certified Strength and Conditioning Specialist® text book.  It’s awesome that they provide these short excerpts like this!
2. Nick Winkelman is the Rocky Mountain Regional Coordinator for the National Strength and Conditioning Association and he presents at conferences all over the world.  If you haven’t seen one of them you are totally missing out.  I encourage you to google around and check all of them out.  Here’s one from 2012 on periodization where he really hits a home run: Athlete Profiling: Choosing a Periodization System to Maximize Individual Performance

So how does a non competitive athlete use these concepts?  I am still experimenting for sure so I’ll keep my blog updated with results as I go but here are the guidelines that I am moving forward with for now:

• Have a rough idea of a program for yourself and set your mesocycle at about 6-8 weeks.  Select a theme focused around a specific goal such as hypertrophy, strength gains, body composition changes, increasing endurance, etc.  Strongly consider getting a qualified personal trainer to help you design at least your first program.
• Once you pick a theme, read the science behind making gains in that area.  The text I link above is a great resource and I’ll post more excerpts in the future on each of these themes as well. Even if you are using a trainer, get involved with the design and understand what you are doing and why – its way cool stuff!
• Design your weekly routine after doing your research on workout variables and available exercises.  Exercise Technique Manual for Resistance Training-3rd Edition With Online Video is a great book describing some of the fundamental exercises you should be looking at.
• Now nail your workout!  Be consistent and follow your plan, its easy to fall into old habits (we all have a favorite exercise which is rarely the one that we need to work on the most)!
• Pay close attention to the concepts of progressive overload and undulation as described in the references above, they should be built in to your 6-8 week mesocycle.

Once you have successfully completed a mesocycle, take a week to relax, or unload as its called in S&C circles, and go on to your next cycle but this time focused on something else. Congratulations, you’ve now incorporated periodization without being centered around a sports season and should expect to see many of the same benefits that professional athletes enjoy from a well designed program.  Keep in mind that its not a magic bullet though, there’s no such thing.  it takes research, planning and dedication as does anything worth while.  But, if you follow these guidelines you will avoid injury, overtraining, staleness and you will most definitely see better gains!