INTRODUCTION

Now before I go into periodization, I will introduce what you must & should do if you are a novice just starting off on your health & fitness journey. If that is not you there is still great strength progression protocols & fundamentals coming. Always great to stay sharp!

NOOB GAINS COME FIRST

If you have frequented the world wide internet for answers on the best lifting routine then I know you have come across. this phrase, “Noob Gains”.

I know when I first delved into researching the topic, I came across this term many of times. Confused & dazed to say the least. I began to ask myself, “What are Noob Gains?”.

Noob Gains refers to the reality that when an individual first begins on their on health & fitness journey. Especially in the world of resistance training. They ( you ) can expect a large amount of progress early on. “Why is that?”, one may ask. 

Well, when the body is first getting introduced to new stimuli it will be acutely receptive. This high sensitivity will lead to the greatest amount of progress in the shortest amount of time in your first one, two, or three years of regular training.

Basically, prior to resistance training you were a resistance training virgin and therefore when your body initially experiences the slightest amount of physical exertion & stimulus, you will then respond quickly, intensely, & strongly.

There are many reasons for this but it all comes down to physical adaptation. The central nervous system ( CNS ), skeletal system, and muscular system all play roles in your newfound strength and progress in the gym. They all continue to adapt, strengthen, and grow as you continue to train . The CNS playing the largest role in the initial increase of your physical strength. Neural adaptations take place are you are training & stimulating the body. 

Your body will adapt to be able to recruit more muscle fibers, faster. Equating to greater strength, speed, and force production. Thank you CNS for my great strength!

 Linear Growth & Progress

The entire concept that we as humans are acutely receptive to new stimuli goes beyond resistance training but for us fitness junkies. It is a truth that we can utilize to our advantage! If you are stumbling onto this post as a “newbie” then all I can say to you is Linear Gains. 

Begin a linear strength & progress protocol.

Properly milking those initial few years of highly receptive training for every last drop of progress will best be achieved by ( up to this point 2022 ) by following a linear growth based protocol, Linear Progression & Protocols should be your focus when you start start out.

This means that each & every workout you go in with a plan to incrementally get better. Yes, that does mean you progress each & every time!

The key for this to be achieved is comes from the word, Incremental. You’re body being primed & ready for growth when you first start out, you will be able to progress incrementally each & every time you step into the gym.

Aye, one drop over a lifetime turns into a deep sea ocean am i right?

These incremental steps would come in the form of 10lb., 5lb., or even 2.5lb. increases on your lifts.

The general guideline would be 2.5lb. – 5lb. increases on Upper Body movements & 5lb. – 10lb. increases on your Lower Body movements. Simply for the mere fact your Lower Body has larger muscle groups, it will be able to handle more weight and in turn will equate to a bit of faster growth.

When it comes to intelligent protocols on a Linear Program that will assist you to milk those initial few years I’d highly recommend Wendler’s 5/3/1 or an intelligent 5×5 program. Strong Lifts 5×5 would be a smart & safe choice.

Now these programs serve the best for strength and in turn the muscle mass & definition will come. But the focus is not aesthetics & muscle mass here. Great strength will allow you to build great aesthetics & muscle mass in the future if that is your goal.

You must progress to to get better. Duh, right? Well ensuring that you progress by getting stronger will lead to greater muscle mass over time. Greater strength & ability requires greater muscle fibers. This will lead to greater muscular growth.

Think of it this way, will benching 150lbs equal greater muscular growth or would benching 250lbs equal that greater muscular growth?

Strength = mass. Do & train for both for the best results.

The term “fluff work” originates from ignoring this and other protocols. Fluff work being when you’re just getting a pump to get a pump, feeling the burn to feel the burn, or working out simply to workout you will not progress. Not in strength nor aesthetics in any meaningful way. You’re basically just building up a sweat and the ceiling for growth with this “just get in & feel something” approach is very low. I get it, sometimes working out is an escape, but you know what turns into more, progress.

Plan for & create progress.

Progressive Overload

A way to do so comes from the term Progressive Overload. Utilizing progressive overload means you will be gradually adding load as time goes on. ( Yes, this is the concept linear progression protocols utilize. ) Load being a measure of training intensity which equates to how much stress is being put on the body. 

Within resistance training how much stress is being put on the body comes from ( # of Reps x # of Sets x Mass Lifted per Set x # of Sessions ). This equation in within resistance training will let you get your Load Amount.

 Pointing to the amount of overall work you are doing. 

Knowing your Load Amount will allow you to see how you individually react to different  amounts of Load & Work. Being able to intelligently alter the work you are doing if and when necessary to optimize your own, specific goals.

Progressive Overload will have you adding Load to either your Weight, Sets, & Reps to your lifts. Whether you are going up 5lbs, adding a set, or adding a rep.

 Therefore you will be progressing! When initially stepping into resistance training you will be able to add weight to your lifts basically every time you step in the gym!

Of course this will be done slowly, methodically, & intentionally. 

5×5 & Progressive Overload

Let’s use a 5×5 program to further explain.

Let’s say your Max Bench 125lbs. That would mean 80% of your Bench Max is 100lbs. ( A general 5×5 protocol would be beginning with 80% of your max lifts. ) This means you will be working with 100lbs starting off your 5×5 program.

Well, before moving forward to 102.5lbs. or 105lbs. you must first complete the full 5 sets of 5 reps with 100lbs. You can not fail & then increase the weight. You must first execute & complete where you are at. Then increase.

That is as to how it is done intelligently. 5×5 programs are built on the basis that you will be able to incrementally progress & that you must prove you are doing so before making it harder. It is a barrier of entry. 

Wherever you are at : Execute. Complete. Done. Add. Next.

If you Execute & Complete, you move forward. If you Execute & fail, take a step back & recalibrate what you need to do to progress.

The above should not happen for quite a while as a novice.

Enjoy these fun times of continuous & consistent progression! Free gains! You will be able to complete the above formula a great number of times before you have to reconfigure, recalibrate, & re-strategize in order to plan & create more progress.

When simple linear progression doesn’t yield much growth to you. Make sure to attempt other linear based protocols before simply dropping them! First ensure that you fully milked those linear gains and absolutely must change things up.

 Attempt a modified 5×5, Wendler’s 5/3/1 if you began at a 5×5, or any other linear based regimen that goes off the basis & structure of incremental progression.

When you have ensured the time is come, ~3 years into your health & fitness journey you may need to utilize another training method.

When you are no longer a beginner & your body has become accustomed to regular lifting. You will need to become a bit more intentional & tactical with your time spent in. the gym. Only if you enjoy optimizing your progress.

If you are here, I know you would! You may need to utilize something such as Periodization.

Periodization

Now you may ask, clenching the edge of your keyboard. “What is Periodization?” Simply put, Periodization is the planned manipulation of training variables ( load, sets, & reps ).

 There are a variety of different periodization protocols, I will be going over a general periodization protocol which starts off at a high volume & low intensity which will gradually go to the inverse.

This : High Volume & Low Intensity → Low Volume & High Intensity.

In a gradual, incremental manner.

Periodization directly refers to the variation that happens within your program at different cycles. Cycle will be measured in weeks or months ( depending on the length of the entire program ).

Using a 16 week general periodization protocol. The variation will differ every 4 -6 weeks or so. This 4 – 6 week training period also being known as a Mesocycle. The variation will come in the form of your Load Amount. Remember the equation?  ( # of Reps x # of Sets x Mass Lifted per Set x # of Sessions )

Ultimately it’s playing around with how much overall work you are doing & how intense that work is.

Every 4 – 6 weeks your routine will change in Overall Volume and Working Weight. Working weight pointing to the % of your max that you will be working with that given week.

I’ll give an example utilizing a general 16 week periodization protocol.

Example:

Let’s say you are doing a 16-week program split up into 4, 4 week cycles. ( Mesocycles ). It would all look something like this.

Initial Max out.

Weeks 1 – 4 : (5×10 @ 70%)

Weeks 5 – 8 : (5×8 @ 74%)

Weeks 9 – 12 : (4×6 @ 80%)

Weeks 13 – 16 : (3×3 @ 92%)

As you can see the load amount & overall volume you will be working with changes. 

The intensity starts off low, gradually increasing to high ( being expressed through the % ). The volume starts off high, gradually decreasing to low ( being expressed in the sets x reps )

The variation in the form of gradual increase of intensity & gradual decrease of volume is what allows the body to progress & get stronger. Peaking!

 Peaking being when you are training to produce a performance above & beyond what you currently produce in regular training. That means when it comes time to perform ( this may simply be you attempting a new max lift at the end of your program ), you intend to hit a pr. 

You are peaking towards greater performance, a new pr.

Simply working towards better in a structured process. ( A 16 week process being used in the example above. )

Why This Matters

Whether you are a power-lifter, bodybuilder, fitness enthusiast, or simply someone wanting to feel strong, confident, and capable. You will be able to put Periodization in your bag of tools when it comes to training.

Knowing how to create the right environment for progress & growth is essential to… well progress & grow. Periodization is a way to do that when Linear protocols are simply no longer making the cut.

Enjoy each and every of the way, focalize your goal, and use an tool or method to achieve it!

Stay strong.