"In historiography, periodization is the process or study of categorizing the past into discrete, quantified, and named blocks of time for the purpose of study or analysis."
The process of dividing a training program into distinct phases with different goals, intensities, and volumes.
Introduction to Periodization: Understanding what Periodization is and the benefits it brings to powerlifting training.
Basic Principles: Learning the basic principles of Periodization, including the concept of progressive overload, specificity, and individualization.
Types of Periodization: Understanding the different types of Periodization, such as linear, undulating, and conjugate, along with their advantages and disadvantages.
Mesocycles: Understanding how mesocycles fit into Periodization, including the phases of hypertrophy, strength, and peaking.
Microcycles: Understanding how microcycles fit into the overall training plan, including training frequency, intensity, and volume.
Volume and Intensity: Learning how to manipulate training volumes and intensities to ensure maximum strength gains.
Deloads: Understanding the importance of deloading and how to incorporate them into the training plan.
Recovery: Understanding how recovery plays a role in the effectiveness of the training plan, including rest days and nutrition.
Exercise Selection: Learning how to select exercises that reinforce the training plan and avoiding exercises that may hinder progress.
Monitoring Progress: Understanding the importance of monitoring progress and adjusting the training plan accordingly.
Peaking: Understanding how to organize the training plan leading up to competition for maximum peaking.
Mental Preparation: Understanding how to mentally prepare for competition, including visualization and positive self-talk.
Linear Periodization: This is the most traditional form of periodization used in powerlifting. It involves gradually increasing the intensity of training over several weeks with a drop in volume on each subsequent week.
Undulating Periodization: This form of periodization involves training with high and low intensities within the same week, as opposed to gradually increasing intensity as with linear periodization.
Block Periodization: This is a more advanced form of periodization where 4-6 week blocks are used to focus on specific techniques, skills, or lifts. Ranges in intensity/volume can vary week-to-week based on goals, among other things.
Daily Undulating Periodization (DUP): DUP involves alternating between high/medium/low intensity and volume throughout the week.
Conjugate Periodization: This form of periodization focuses on training weaknesses and building strength in specific aspects of a lift. Essentially this means continuously cycling through variations of the same lift (e.g. regular deadlifts, deficit deadlifts, pause deadlifts) within the same lifting cycle.
Poliquin Method: The Poliquin method involves using a 2-6 week block periodization program, after which point the individual will be able to identify their new 1-rep max and adjust the program appropriately.
Hybrid Periodization: This is a relatively new form of periodization that combines multiple methods, such as linear and undulating periodization, to increase training volume and overall intensity.
Wave Loading: This is a form of periodization where loading parameters are based around specific wave forms of increases and decreases in intensity (e.g. using a 5-4-3-2-1 wave pattern to increase the weight lifted without incurring an injury).
Conventional Periodization: This method follows a strict split of hypertrophy and strength phases that will progress into peak periods, timed to coincide with an athlete’s competition period.
"This is usually done in order to understand current and historical processes, and the causality that might have linked those events."
"Periodizations can provide a convenient segmentation of time, wherein events within the period might consist of relatively similar characteristics."
"Determining the precise beginning and ending of any 'period' is often arbitrary, since it has changed over time and over the course of history."
"Systems of periodization are more or less arbitrary, yet it provides a framework to help us understand them."
"Periodizing labels are continually challenged and redefined."
"Once established, period 'brands' are so convenient that many are hard to change."
"[Periodization] is usually done in order to understand current and historical processes, and the causality that might have linked those events."
"[Periodization] is the process or study of categorizing the past into discrete, quantified, and named blocks of time for the purpose of study or analysis."
"[Periodization] is the process or study of categorizing the past into discrete, quantified, and named blocks of time for the purpose of study or analysis."
"Periodizations can provide a convenient segmentation of time, wherein events within the period might consist of relatively similar characteristics."
"Determining the precise beginning and ending of any 'period' is often arbitrary, since it has changed over time and over the course of history."
"Determining the precise beginning and ending of any 'period' is often arbitrary."
"Systems of periodization are more or less arbitrary, yet it provides a framework to help us understand them."
"Periodizing labels are continually challenged and redefined."
"Once established, period 'brands' are so convenient that many are hard to change."
"This is usually done in order to understand current and historical processes, and the causality that might have linked those events."
"This is usually done in order to understand current and historical processes."
"Since it has changed over time and over the course of history."
"Once established, period 'brands' are so convenient that many are hard to change."