Periodize for size: make growth-robbing training ruts a thing of the past by scientifically cycling your workouts for maximum gains

Flex, April, 2006 by Jim Stoppani

Although the best way to gain muscle is to work in the eight- to 10-repetition range, you can't train that way consistently and expect a continuous upward trend of growth. It doesn't work in the stock market, it doesn't work in your company's sales projections (no matter how many colorful pie charts and bar graphs are used in the Power Point presentation), and it doesn't work in the gym. In fact, such steadfastness in your training will quickly lead to stagnation--the exact opposite of what you're looking for.

That's why smart bodybuilders incorporate different training phases into their yearlong programs. One phase may involve heavy weights and low reps (three to six), best for building muscle strength. A second phase may involve moderate weight and moderate reps (eight to 10), best for building muscle mass. And a third may involve light weight and high reps (12-20), best for muscle endurance.

In the bodybuilding world, this is known as cycling, but strength coaches and scientists refer to it as periodization.

We'll leave the mind-numbing graphs out of this particular presentation--after all, we don't want you nodding off in the middle--and just give you the nitty-gritty on the kinds of training cycles you'll find useful in your quest for size.

BIG GAINS, PERIOD | First, a primer on periodization, which is simply the frequent and methodical change of sets, reps, exercises and training techniques, designed to accelerate advances in strength and muscle mass. The original concept was developed in the former Eastern bloc countries in the late 1950s to optimize athletes' adaptations to weight training. It is based on the scientific fact that training a muscle takes it through three major stages: (1) alarm reaction, (2) adaptation and (3) exhaustion. This is the same for any type of stress you place on your body.

1 | Weight training sets off the alarm reaction stage. During this brief period, your muscles actually become temporarily weaker. For example, your muscles are somewhat feeble immediately following a workout and for one or more days following that session. That's because by training, you deplete fuel stores in the muscles and cause minor fiber damage in them.

2 | The alarm reaction sets in motion the second phase: adaptation. With continued workouts, the muscle adapts or compensates for the stress of training by increasing its strength, size and fuel stores, to better deal with the stress. This can take several days or longer to initiate.

3 | Exposing yourself to the same training stresses for too long may lead to the exhaustion stage. During this period, your body's ability to adapt to training actually declines. The strength and muscle gains you made during the adaptation stage may cease, and stagnation may set in. If you don't change your lifting program to avoid this problematic stage, strength and size may actually decline.

TRIPLE PLAY | Research shows that to get the best results from weight training, you should change your program at least every four to six weeks to maximize the time spent in adaptation and prevent the onset of exhaustion. Some athletes even shorten their training phases to one or two weeks apiece to keep the muscle fibers "on their toes" and ensure that they don't stagnate. If you're getting results, you can stick with a cycle of a month or more.

The following three periodization variations have proven effective, and any of them can be used as part of a bodybuilding regimen.

* The Linear Cycle Most training cycles are linear. That means they advance in a steady and determined fashion. For example, the most widely used scheme, known scientifically as classic periodization, starts with a few weeks (usually anywhere from one to four weeks) using light weights, and then moves through stages of progressively heavier weights.

In this method, you may begin with 12-15 reps, followed by a second phase of moderate weights for moderate reps (eight to 10), a third phase of heavy weights for low reps (four to six), and sometimes a fourth phase of very heavy weight for one to three reps. The concept is to maximize muscle growth during the first half of the cycle; muscle strength and power during the second half.

* The Reverse-Linear Cycle The linear method of cycling can also be reversed. In reverse linear periodization, phase one involves lifting heavy for one to three reps per set; phase two, four to six reps per set; phase three, eight to 10 reps per set; and, finally, phase four, 12-15 reps per set.

Here, the goal of the first two time increments is to build strength and power initially, to optimize mass gains or endurance strength that come in the latter stages. Being able to lift heavier weights during the last two phases can result in significant gains in muscle mass.

* The Undulating Cycle In science circles, a new type of technique called undulating periodization has created quite a buzz. Unlike linear sequences, undulating cycles are random in nature. That is, instead of following a steady pattern that is adjusted every one to six weeks, undulating cycles change from workout to workout. If you train in the eight- to 10-rep range on Monday, you may use four to six reps on Tuesday and 12-15 on Wednesday.