Road Blocks and Plateau's

I wish I had a penny for every time someone complained to me that they have stopped making gains, or that no matter how hard they try they just can't increase their back squat load etc! They are frustrated and are looking for an easy or quick answer and are even more frustrated and annoyed when I tell them that there isn't a quick or easy answer that I would recommend. I might suggest they reduce the weight on the bar and refine their technique, or take a rest from that exercise altogether for a few weeks. 

"Avoid the road blocks and blast past the plateau's"

This is more common among young lifters who just turn up and lift with a programme or a plan, or with older lifters who don't periodise their programmes effectively to allow for the increased recovery needed by an ageing body. 

Don't misunderstand me here, I am in no way saying that older people shouldn't lift or expect to make gains! They, we (as I am an older lifter) absolutely should and will; in fact it is vital to have strength training as part of a regular exercise regime as we age because of the increased muscle loss associated with ageing. An appropriate strength training programme will reduce, halt and even reverse this age related muscle loss along with maintaining a higher metabolic rate and joint range of motion.

However, this is not what I wish to discuss here. The concept of periodisation has been around for a long time with a mountain of information available as to what it is and how best to utilise the various methods.

"Periodisation is the systematic planning of physical training to maximise gains"

Traditional periodisation can be defined as the planning of a training regime into distinct phases over a period of time to maximise the benefits and reduce the risk of injury and staleness. Each phase will have a defined aim or goal and will last for a set period of time which can range from days to weeks or even months.

• Quadrennial Cycle - Multi year plan usually and Olympic cycle (4 years)
• Macrocycle - Usually a year in length and represents a complete training period
• Mesocycle - A training phase or block usually 4 weeks in length
• Microcycle - Usually describes a unit of a Mesocycle, normally 1 week in length
• Workout - A unit or structure of a Microcycle and is usually measured in minutes or hours

There are also various different methods used as well such as Linear, Block, Conjugate or Undulating Periodisation. No one method is better than another but which should be used by whom is for another discussion.

The need for a periodised training programme is essential if training for the long term, looking for ongoing gains or have a body that has been round the block a few times and needs to be "managed" appropriately to reduce injury risk and maintain a high standard of output. Building in "down days/weeks" lighter training days or weeks will allow for recovery and regeneration during a training block. A whole training block could even be dedicated to regeneration with a complete remove from the exercises and methods of previous weeks thus allowing the connective tissues, muscles and the mind a chance to recover, regenerate and get ready to go again with renewed enthusiasm and energy. 

"Recover, regenerate, rebound, READY!"

Without this type of planning and persistently using the same routine the risk of injury, staleness and lack of motivation increases whilst the chance of making gains decreases! So don't let those road blocks knock you of course or get stuck on a plateau halfway to your goal. This is not where any committed athlete wants to be, and it is certain not where any coach would want their athlete to be either. Periodisation is not a complex science, although the principles do need to be understood in order to plan and programme effectively. 

The following link to the Breaking Muscle (an excellent resource) article "A Simple Guide to Periodisation" gives a basic insight into periodisation with further suggested reading.

http://breakingmuscle.com/strength-conditioning/a-simple-guide-to-periodization-for-strength-training 

Thanks again for reading this far, I hope this has proved useful? Please feel free to give appropriate feedback or suggest topics to be covered here on my Facebook page Get Coached.