| Using Periodization as a Method of Strength Training
For the best possible results a Strength and Conditioning program must be implemented year-round into your training. Periodization describes a change in the volume and intensity of each workout to meet your training needs.
Hypertrophy: Early Off-Season, 3-4 weeks
- 3-4 days per week
- 60 - 75% of your 1 rep max (1RM)
- 12-10 repetitions
- 3-4 sets
- 1-2 minutes recovery time between sets
General Strength: 4 - 5 weeks following Hypertrophy
- 3 days per week
- 70 - 80% of your 1RM
- 8 - 10 repetitions per set
- 3 - 4 sets
- 2 - 3 minutes of recovery time between sets
- Introduction of basic Olympic/explosive strength movements
Advanced Strength: 4 - 6 weeks following General Strength
- 3 days per week
- 75 - 90% of 1 RM
- 4 - 8 repetitions per set
- 3 - 5 sets
- 2 - 3 minutes recovery times between sets
- Continued progession of Olympic/explosive movements
Power/Speed Development: 4 - 6 weeks following Advanced Strength
- 3 days per week
- 80 - 100% of 1RM
- 1 - 5 repetitions per set
- 4 - 6 sets
- 3 - 5 minutes of recovery time between sets
Maintenance: performed throughout the competitive season
- 1 - 2 days per week
- 70 - 90% of 1 RM
- 1 - 6 repetitions per set
- 2 - 4 sets
- 2 - 3 minutes of recovery time between sets
Alter Your Intensity Slightly from Day to Day, and Week to Week
- I.E. During week 1 of the Advanced Strength phase you may do 3 sets of 6 repetitions at 80% of 1RM. The next week you may do 3 x 6 at 85%, then the following week do 3 x 4 at 85%, then 3 x 4 at 90% of 1 RM.
- It is NOT ideal to lift to exhaustion every exercise of every workout. Plan your hardest weight workouts with your lighter practices and vice versa.
Repetition Continum
3 reps....................6 reps....................10 reps..................15 reps....................20 reps
.........STRENGTH.................Strength............................Strength.................
....POWER..........Power.................................Power.........
............Muscle Mass..........................MUSCLE MASS.............Muscle Mass... ...Muscle Mass..
........Muscle Endurance....................Muscle Endurance............MUSCLE ENDURANCE...
Basice Program Design
Upper Body Pushing
- Bench Press
- Incline Press
Leg and Hip Extension
Upper Body Pulling
- Seated Row
- Lat Pulldowns
- Dumbbell Rows
Hamstring Work
- Leg Curl
- Romanian Deadlift
- Glute Ham Raise
Shoulder Work
- Rear Raise
- Lateral Raise
- Front Raise
Torso/Core
- Ab Crunches
- Back Extensions
- Twist Crunches
- Leg Raises
Guidelines Throughout the Workout
Always use proper technique on every exercise!
- Almost every athletes weight trains - it is the little things that will make the big difference in the end.
Control the weight during the eccentric or lower phase of a lift, avoid dropping or bouncing the weight.
Keeping proper technique, perform the concentric or lifting portion of the lift as quickly as possible.
- The weight may not move fast, but always try to accelerate through the range of motion.
Perform any explosive or speed exercises first; you want to be fresh as possible when performing these exercises.
The remainder of the workout should start with full body exercises, or exercises requiring the use of many different muscles, i.e. Back Squats, etc.
Save any single joint exercises for the end of the workout, i.e. Bicep curls, Tricep curls, etc.
Make sure the workout is well balanced. For every pushing exercise make sure there is a pulling exercise. If you do two chest exercises - Bench Press and Push-Ups, then make sure that you do two back exercises such as Seated Rows and Pull-Ups.
- Think of the pushing and pulling in two directions, vertical and horizontal. By the end of the week make sure both directions have been evenly exercised.
|
