Weight training periodization is one of the most talked about methods in gyms when designing strength routines. Whenever you want to add some variety, this is a good option.
Now, although there are many who profess the benefits of periodization, the truth is that very few understand it in the same way. This is a problem for most newbies, as it is difficult to apply a training method when you don’t really know what it is about.
Is training periodization a matter of time or effort? Is it about periodizing the types of exercise or the amount of weight lifted? To understand it, it is necessary to review the different interpretations that exist on the subject.
3 ways to define training periodization
There are three methods of interpretation with which we can define almost any concept: teleological, normative or descriptive.
- The teleological method of definition focuses on the end of things: what is it for, what is its end or what is proposed for the future.
- Normative definitions, in turn, focus on what the word itself means (“periodization,” in this case: dividing something into periods).
- Unlike these first two, the descriptive definition focuses on how the term is actually put into practice, that is, how periodization is currently being applied.
What is the best definition of periodization?
When facing the three proposed methods of defining periodization, we note that they all have certain flaws:
1. Teleological definition
If we speak teleologically, we can say that periodization in training aims to help us gain more strength without training too much and adding variety to routines by programming training by dividing it into simple parts. However, that can be said for many types of strength training, so this approach doesn’t really work.
2. Normative definition
In the normative field, we would need to have a frame of reference, that is, to know what was the definition of periodization that its creators contributed. Although there are classical periodization methods , they did not provide an original definition, and the current definitions are so many that we end up as lost as at the beginning.
3. Descriptive definition
A descriptive definition of training periodization requires that we know how coaches are actually applying periodization when designing training, looking for common ground.
Although the three approaches generate some difficulty, the descriptive approach is the most practical to define periodization and the one that we can really know roughly, so we will focus on defining periodization mainly in that way.
What really is training periodization?
If we go to the practical level, we must emphasize again that there are many ways in which coaches design their periodization workouts. However, scholars of the subject such as coach John Kiely have pointed out that periodization well done must comply with at least four basic aspects:
1. Variety
As with most good strength training, periodization is nothing if you don’t aim for variety.
2. Order
Despite what many believe, the variety of periodization is not the same as improvising or randomly including exercises. There must be an order that is consistent with the objectives we intend to achieve with the weights.
3. Long-term planning
Periodization is not a matter of days or weeks, but of months. Weight training in periodization should revolve around planning for the future, about how to train each muscle in a varied way, which includes planning in advance for the changes that will be introduced each time.
4. Setting goals over time
Along with the type of training that will be done, periodization also requires setting deadlines within the training: how long an exercise will be done, for example.
That said, we can define training periodization as the introduction of variety within a training , in an orderly and well-planned way in the long term, which includes setting temporary goals of different kinds.
How to incorporate periodization into strength training?
As you can see, training periodization is a field where the athlete can freely choose what to do, as long as it complies with certain key parameters.
Putting this theory into practice properly requires self-knowledge, a lot of planning, and some experience. Something that can help a newbie a lot is knowing the more classic types of training periodization, designed by experts.
Once you understand the differences and advantages of linear periodization (Matveyev’s Russian training) and undulating periodization models, you can successfully begin to design your own variations.
Reference
- Beardsley, C. What is this thing we call periodization? For Medium. [Revised May 2018].
