I was just looking at my old research articles I put out in my fitness newsletter, and I found this one, which is a really in depth break down on training for new lifters. It's geared toward personal trainers, so probably not this audience but i thought what the hell... might as well rework it a bit and post it here.
Periodised training for new lifters
What is periodised training?
Since biological adaptations to exercise follow a predictable time course, appropriate future training can be accurately forecast. Thus, long-term training goals can be achieved by pre-planning progressive exercise variables that elicit the necessary biological adaptations for the goal. Adaptations to exercise occur gradually over a long time, so a long-term training-plan (called a macrocycle) spans a few months or more. Periodised training involves breaking a macrocycle into a series of shorter training phases called mesocycles, each of which lasts a number of weeks. Mesocycles are further broken down into weekly training plans called microcycles which consist of scheduled training days.
The training cycles are summarised below:
· Macrocycle: Long-term period of training (few-several months)
· Mesocycle: Medium-term phases of training (a number of weeks)
· Microcycle: Weekly training consisting of scheduled training days
Research on novice lifters
Research on
experienced lifters shows that periodised training outperforms an unplanned approach for trained individuals, but the data on hypertrophy and strength gains in novices is less clear. The research measures muscle and strength gains but does not directly address other important novice concerns such as exercise skill, mobility, stability and coordination. This article considers the
specific needs of new lifters and explains why novice programs
should be periodised.
Why should novice programs be periodised?
Novices benefit most in the long-term by initially undergoing a General Physical Preparation (GPP) macrocycle. GPP conditions them for the hard training they need to achieve
any future fitness goal, no matter what that goal might be
. New lifters will gain muscle and strength regardless simply by lifting regularly, so periodising for muscle and strength gains is not necessary when training novices. They will grow muscle and strength
no matter what they do.
Muscle and strength gains aside, A GPP macrocycle should accomplish the following things:
· Exercise skill: progression from easy-to-perform exercises to complex compound exercises
· Mobility: establish full range of motion under load
· Conscious coordination: Improve body awareness or mind/muscle connection and smooth coordination under load
· Neuromuscular efficiency: increase ability for deliberate, hard muscle contractions
· Symmetry corrections: strength and mobility asymmetry and posture correction
· Habituation: establish long-term training consistency
How should novice training be periodised?
The Macrocycle
The novice macrocycle (or GPP) is broken into 4 progressive mesocycles each of which lasts a minimum of 4 weeks. The full macrocycle would last anywhere between 16 weeks and a year or so, depending on athletic history, past injuries, age and other individual factors.
Progressions
The novice GPP macrocycle is characterised by 5 primary progressions:
- Easy isolation lifts to complex compound lifts
- Many different isolation exercises to fewer compound exercises
- Light intensity to heavy intensity
- Many reps per set to fewer reps per set
- Low set volume (number of sets per exercise) to high set volume
- Low workout frequency (number of workouts per week) to higher workout frequency
The final mesocycle is programmed first because it entails the fitness skills and strength and muscle goals of the progression. This includes barbell lifts and difficult compound accessory exercises such as pull ups and barbell rows. Planning backwards from the goal is what allows the steps leading to it to be progressively organised. By the end of GPP, Novices should have become skilled gym users accustomed to long-term training consistency and capable of proficiently performing barbell lifts and accessory exercises at high intensities. This strength, knowledge and skills base enables trainees to go on to achieve any fitness goal that they desire. It sets them up for success.
How to organise mesocycles for GPP
Mesocycle 1
A novice starts with the simplest exercises. Isolation exercises are easy to perform, and because they only move through one joint at a time, they are perfect for systematically establishing full range of motion through each joint individually. Isolation exercises are ideal for enhancing mind/muscle connection and generating deliberate hard contractions because it is easiest to focus on and consciously control single muscles. Using single muscle groups and joints in isolation also reveals strength asymmetries and mobility restrictions which can be corrected in the next mesocycle. Using isolation exercises at low intensity and high reps minimises injury risk and initiates the strengthening of muscle, tendons and ligaments in preparation for future higher intensities. High rep counts and no rests enhances workout endurance (fitness) and provides many repetitions for consciously controlled movement practice and repeated hard contractions.
Beginners benefit most from full-body exercise routines. Since isolation exercises only work one muscle group at a time, many different exercises are required to work the whole body. Due to such a large number of exercises (14), only 1 warm up set (10 reps) and 1 working set (20 reps) can be performed within a reasonable workout time. Novices do not need much volume to elicit adaptations, and more sets than this do not elicit more rapid gains.
Mesocycle 1 should have a training-frequency of 2 or 3 times a week to ensure adequate training dosage and skills practice while allowing recovery time between bouts. This mesocycle is characterised by full body workouts consisting of several isolation exercises performed at low intensity (light weight), high reps, and low set volumes. The desired adaptations should take about 4-6 weeks.
Mesocycle 2
The second mesocycle focuses on correcting posture and the mobility and strength asymmetries identified during mesocycle 1. Exercise dose and intensity are also increased to ensure continued adaptations.
It is important to undergo corrections prior to incorporating higher intensity compound exercises to minimise injury risk and ensure balanced load movement during the following mesocycles.
Mesocycle 2’s corrective focus prevents setbacks to future training. Progression can be significantly hindered (especially by injury) at later stages if posture and strength corrections are neglected at this stage.
Poor posture, strength asymmetry and mobility restriction are often interrelated and can be addressed collectively with the right exercise. For example, hunched shoulder posture restricts overhead mobility and is usually caused by strength asymmetries between muscles in the front and the muscles of the back. All three concerns can be resolved by rectifying these strength asymmetries with appropriate exercises. Left-to-right mobility and strength asymmetries can be corrected by using unilateral exercises (one side at a time).
By the time mesocycle 2 commences, the trainee will have adapted to the exercise dose in the first mesocycle. A higher dose of exercise will now be required for continued muscle and strength adaptations, and heavier loads should be used in preparation for the higher intensities that are pre-planned for mesocycles 3 and 4. Heavier loads imply fewer reps per set, so the number of sets-per-exercise needs to be increased to keep exercise dose high. Doing more sets per exercise takes longer, so fewer different exercises can be performed within a reasonable workout time. Hence, isolation exercises are replaced with simple compound exercises to ensure all muscle groups continue to be worked at doses that ensure continued adaptation. For example, leg extensions that isolate knee movement could be replaced by box-step-ups, which are unilateral, and move both knee and hip while activating balance through foot integrity and core stability. Training dose could be further increased by splitting the program into into lower-body and upper-body days, which allows for a frequency of 4 sessions a week while still allowing adequate recovery between bouts, but a 3x full-body routine is better for general exercise fitness, and 2x full body is enough for continued adaptation.
This will be about 12 exercises, 45 seconds rest ,1 warm up set and 2 working sets per exercise. Rep range 12-15.
The second mesocycle focuses on symmetry corrections and increased work load with workouts undertaken 2-4 times a week. The routine includes unilateral exercises performed at higher intensities and set volumes compared to mesocycle 1. The desired adaptations of this mesocycle generally take 6 to 12 weeks depending on individual needs and workout frequency.
Mesocycle 3
Having achieved significant strength increases and made the necessary physiological corrections during mesocycles 1 and 2, the trainee is primed to move heavy loads safely. Mesocycle 3 incorporates more complex compound movements using dumbells at increasing intensities to optimally accelerate strength gains. Higher intensity means fewer reps, more sets and longer rests, so fewer exercises are possible in the workout time. Frequency should be 3-4 days a week if possible, but 2 workouts per week will elicit continued adaptations.
This will be about 10 exercises, 1 minute rest, 1 warm up set and 3 working sets per exercise. Rep range 10-12.
Mesocycle 3 involves learning advanced compound lifting methods, establishing control over heavy loads and building strength to prepare for heavy barbell lifts planned for mesocycle 4. The desired adaptations should take between 4 and 12 weeks depending on training frequency, athletic history, age and several other factors.
The 4th and final mesocycle
By the beginning of mesocycle 4, the trainee should be able to move relatively heavy loads using compound movements through full range of motion with stable, coordinated control. This skillful ability enables mesocycle 4 to incorporate barbell back squats, deadlifts, bench press and barbell overhead press along with numerous advanced accessory exercises. These are technical lifts that
require the controlled exercise skill and strength gained in previous mesocycles. The lifts should be performed at increasing intensities that match the fast strength gains of new lifters. Accessory exercises help to keep exercise dosage high. Set volume is high (4 sets per exercise) and rests between sets is 2 minutes, so only a few exercises can be performed within the workout time.
This would be 3x week with about 8 exercises, 2 minute rests (for barbell sets), 1 warm up set and 4 working sets per exercise with intensities that allow at least 6 but no more than 8 reps.
Adaptations should only take 4 to 6 weeks since the underlying skill-set of combined muscle use, control over movement of weight, correct postures, exercise form and full ranges of motion were already established in the previous mesocycles.
Results of the GPP macrocycle
In keeping with the (fast) rate at which beginners’ adaptations to exercise occur, a GPP macrocycle could be expected to take anywhere between 12 weeks and a year or longer depending on individual circumstances such as age, mobility and training frequency.
By undergoing GPP, trainees are habitualised into consistently working out, and physically conditioned for hard training. Most will be pleasantly surprised (and probably amazed) by their progress, and will approach future fitness goals with know-how and confidence.
Enabled by their strong physical condition and advanced exercise skills, trainees can go on to achieve
any fitness goal including fat-loss, strength, hypertrophy or any number of fitness and/or athletic endeavours. Future training will depend on individuals’ respective goals, and new, individually tailored macrocycles should be designed to achieve them.
Anything’s possible.
Concluding points- Periodised training outperforms an unplanned approach
- Training for beginners can (and probably should) be periodised
- Beginners’ programs are periodised for different reasons than those of advanced trainees
- A beginner’s macrocycle should focus on general physical preparation and not be specifically specialised
- Once GPP is complete, specifically specialised macrocycles should be individualised according to the trainee’s goals
Sources
Baker D, Wilson G, Carlyon R. Periodization:
The effect on strength of manipulating volume and intensity. J Strength Cond Res. 1994 Jan 1;8(4).
Boutagy, T. General Physical Preparation. Boutagy Fitness Institute.
Buford, T.W. et al.
A comparison of periodization models during nine weeks with equated volume and intensity for strength. J Strength Cond Res, 2007 Mar. 21(4).
Fleck S.J.
Periodized Strength Training: A Critical Review. Journal of Strength and Conditioning Research. 1999 Feb 13(1).
Helms E. Intro to Periodized Resistance Training, Part 1. Mass Research Review. 1(3).
Rhea MR, Alderman BL. A meta-analysis of periodized versus nonperiodized strength and power training programs. Research quarterly for exercise and sport. 2004 Dec 1;75(4).
Zourdos M.C. Comprehensive Program design. Mass Research Review. 1(5).
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