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BODYBUILDING CYCLES by Lee Apperson
I discuss in detail the use and structuring of a yearly cycle broken into 3 macro cycles, and further broken down to monthly cycles. The year is split into year in 3 parts, 4 montly cycles (conditioning, power, and bodybuilding) adding up to complete 12 months cycle.
I also will discuss longer cycles that may last months or years, based on the priniciples of Stuart McRobert and his BRAWN book training series.
CYCLES PART ONE:
How do you set up a yearly cycle? By outlining the weekly and monthly cycles inside the yearly cycle.
WEEKLY CYCLE
Weekly Cycle: POWER
Basic exercises are done with heavy weight and high intensity, resting 2 to 3 days or more between workouts. Generally, each body part is trained twice every 7 to 8 days. Once a week a session is given priority and you blast that body part. The next week switch to a different body part as your hard day. Cardio is performed one time a week.
Weekly Cycle:
Conditioning
This type of training requires lots of sets and reps using moderate weights. Each body part should be done with 2 to 5 exercises with lots of sets. Cardio is done daily. Once a week do cardio twice in a day and really push yourself. The rest of the week pace yourself.
Weekly Cycle:
Bodybuilding
In this area,train each body-part as needed. Generally 2 times per week with multiple sets. Once a week go high intensity.
So these are the general guidelines for the weekly cycles. The monthly cycle actually determines what you will be doing during those weeks. For that, we take a good look at the monthly cycles in all 3 phases.
MONTHLY CYCLE
Power Cycle
Each month you start off using weights that are moderate for you. Train hard for the first week with these weights, but not to the ragged edge. Week two increase the weight and use techniques to raise the intensity. The reps are in the 4 to 8 range. Still, hold back this week. Week three..blast away. Choose a workout this week and give it 100%! Train till you drop. Train with all out focus and PUSH HARD!! This should be the gut busting workout of the month. If you can't use heavier weights, simply use techniques to RAISE THE INTENSITY!! Week 4 back off and either rest totally (as is often best) or perform moderate training for 4 to 7 days.
Conditioning cycle
Lots of sets and reps and moderate weights. Each body part is done with 2 to 5 exercises with lots of sets. Cardio is done daily. Start with 3 to 5 cardio sessions during week one and one or two more during week two and perhaps 7 to 10 cardio sessions in week 3. Week 4, back off to 4 sessions.
Bodybuilding Cycle
Train each bodypart as needed. Once a week go high intensity. Cardio usually 3 to 7 times a week. This program is simple: during the first two weeks train with lots of sets and reps. In week 3 train just like it were a power cycle only not so heavy, but go HIGH INTENSITY and reduce the number of exercises and sets by at least 60% . During week four take 3 to 5 days totally off and then go high reps with light weights and burn the muscles for 2 workouts. Then resume the cycle with a new month.
So where you are in the yearly cycle will depend on how well you have trained and structured your monthly and weekly workouts. The system is based on dynamic planned change. The body is always adapting to this program.
Planned Progression (Training cycles also called periodization).
The proper way too look at this is calling it planned progression. You have to progress to impact your physique. Yet progress can't be continual and unrelenting. You can't keep running faster and faster. You reach a point that only by cycling your training intensity, can you continue to improve over a career.
It's easy to burn out or get hurt by trying to be 100% all the time. No one can be 100% all year round. After you build up to run the marathon or compete in the Mr. Universe, or a new max bench press, you have to take a break and build back up into top form, for next time. If you don't, you will soon go stale and or get hurt and cease all progress as your body struggles to remain at 100% performance.
The body needs to be coaxed along by hard work to increase in muscle mass. Slow but steady progression over a long period of time. It's simple. You back off from your peak, then build back up again, monthly cycle by monthly cycle, all the way to a new yearly peak. Each peak, should be higher than the last.
Some people like longer cycles. 12 weeks, 24 weeks and so on. I use the monthly cycle within a 4 month macro cycle. Any cycle is fine. The bottom line is progression. Planning to progress and willing it to happen, by working out very hard in the gym, is the key. You want to end your cycles big. If you are maxing out and doing your highest weights or highest intensity workouts during the middle of your cycle, you are messing up. You will burn out and overtrain. You want to peak at the end of the cycle. Don't burn out early. Hold back till it's time to let loose. Then after you have maxed out (on schedule) you allow yourself time to recover,and then begin training again, starting light and building back up. Planned Progression. If you know you are competing in August, you can plan to lift your heaviest or engage your most intense workouts at about 6 to 4 weeks out from the show. This will maximize your muscle mass for the contest day. Maxing too early or too late can be tricky. You don't want to go stale. You have to time everything correctly. Be careful not to get anxious and over do it. Stick to your plan.
As you progress year after year, you will be amazed by how advanced you become, especially as compared to where you began. For example, my light week workouts, would have killed me 10 years ago. But now I am so much stronger and more fit than I was then, my light week feels effortless, just as it should. I do 30 rep chins, leg press with 500 for 25 reps, and it's effortless. By the time I hit my heavy week I am leg pressing 1,400lbs and lat pulling 250lbs x 5, and recovery becomes an issue. Keep in mind I only use my max weights once a year, but do a 85% to 90% max each month during my strength and bodybuilding cycle, using high intensity training methods.
CYCLES PART TWO: LONG CYCLES
In the book "Brawn" and "Beyond Brawn" Stuart McRobert describes the essence of correct training. Short, hard, workouts, once or twice a week of an hour or less in duration, focusing on basic multi-joint exercises. You rest completely between hard workouts to allow maximum time to grow. And most importantly you add a half pound or a full pound or two pounds onto the bar, on all exercises, as often as possible (every workout or every other workout). The idea is to progress slowly and for as long as possible. A cycle like this can go on for years in come cases as the athlete continues to progress.
Few programs work as well as this one for adding pure muscle. It's an endless power cycle in essence. Short, intense and heavy.
Six exercises once a week. Do 2 or 3 warm up sets, with gradually increasing weights, and then perform your "max set" and move onto another exercise.
I have found that every 2 months it is good to take a break from the heavy stuff even if only for one or two workouts. Sometimes I find one light workout followed by a heavy one (with one more pound on the bar) works well when you start reaching your limits.
Overall this is an excellent way to make progress. Thousands of people have tried this system and it works. Daily workouts and split routines are great if you are already big and strong or if you are a professional athlete of some sort. Otherwise they (daily workouts and split routines) can often be a detriment to the dedicated athlete who is not naturally strong before entering the gym.
The simple truth is daily workouts and split routines often spell disaster and no gains for the average person. It's way too much weight training for the average person. This method of training is a way of training that will work for almost everyone. Steady progress, being careful not to get hurt (by making big jumps in weight) and using immaculate form in all exercises (to avoid injury). Each week add a tiny bit of weight to the bar and keep going. Don't train till you are exhausted. Don't train for a pump or a burn. Don't rush from set to set. Train hard of course, but not so hard you risk injury. Steady but continual progress.
I used this method exclusively for 6 months and the routine produced tremendous results. I did six exercises once a week. I got stronger almost every time I lifted. Usually I would add just one pound or two to the bar. In 28 weeks I added almost 120 lbs to my squat. Not bad for a guy in his forties. All my lifts went up and I began my precontest routine (30 weeks) with more mass than ever.
If you are not experiencing gains or have not for a while; if you have been stuck in the same place for a long time in size and strength, are naturally thin, or perhaps don't have time to train every day, or do not have the natural recovery ability to engage and benefit from daily training; I would strongly recommend you give this method of progression a serious try for at least one year.
This method can be deceiving. It looks easy. Done correctly is is nothing but hard work. Training once a week after several months brings you to new vistas of recovery and strength. Yes, you get stronger..but the workouts get harder as well. Add a lb a week to your max deadlift for 5 reps starting today and let me know how it feels in 6 months. You get stronger but the workouts, by design, keep you at your limit.
You only need to train once a week when you train this hard and heavy. Sometimes even less. It is all about recovery. If you return to the gym and are not stronger, go home, you are not ready yet.
This form of training like all weight training is dangerous. You must use good form and not try to lift more than you can TRAIN WITH. Better to lift less in perfect form and make real progress than to risk injury and possible months out of the gym trying to get over that injury. Don't worry, the weights will be heavy enough in no time.
If you are a rank beginner just choose a moderate weight to start in all exercises and build up gradually over time. Warm up well before training and for each max set. Once a week add a tiny bit of weight and perhaps some reps to each exercise. In a few weeks perhaps months, you will be (safely) at your limit.
You have to have mental resolve and apply yourself consistently to this type of training. You have to dig in and DECIDE to get stronger. You have to push yourself without working so hard you lose form or train so hard it becomes a NEGATIVE FACTOR to your health.
I discuss in detail the use and structuring of a yearly cycle broken into 3 macro cycles, and further broken down to monthly cycles. The year is split into year in 3 parts, 4 montly cycles (conditioning, power, and bodybuilding) adding up to complete 12 months cycle.
I also will discuss longer cycles that may last months or years, based on the priniciples of Stuart McRobert and his BRAWN book training series.
CYCLES PART ONE:
How do you set up a yearly cycle? By outlining the weekly and monthly cycles inside the yearly cycle.
WEEKLY CYCLE
Weekly Cycle: POWER
Basic exercises are done with heavy weight and high intensity, resting 2 to 3 days or more between workouts. Generally, each body part is trained twice every 7 to 8 days. Once a week a session is given priority and you blast that body part. The next week switch to a different body part as your hard day. Cardio is performed one time a week.
Weekly Cycle:
Conditioning
This type of training requires lots of sets and reps using moderate weights. Each body part should be done with 2 to 5 exercises with lots of sets. Cardio is done daily. Once a week do cardio twice in a day and really push yourself. The rest of the week pace yourself.
Weekly Cycle:
Bodybuilding
In this area,train each body-part as needed. Generally 2 times per week with multiple sets. Once a week go high intensity.
So these are the general guidelines for the weekly cycles. The monthly cycle actually determines what you will be doing during those weeks. For that, we take a good look at the monthly cycles in all 3 phases.
MONTHLY CYCLE
Power Cycle
Each month you start off using weights that are moderate for you. Train hard for the first week with these weights, but not to the ragged edge. Week two increase the weight and use techniques to raise the intensity. The reps are in the 4 to 8 range. Still, hold back this week. Week three..blast away. Choose a workout this week and give it 100%! Train till you drop. Train with all out focus and PUSH HARD!! This should be the gut busting workout of the month. If you can't use heavier weights, simply use techniques to RAISE THE INTENSITY!! Week 4 back off and either rest totally (as is often best) or perform moderate training for 4 to 7 days.
Conditioning cycle
Lots of sets and reps and moderate weights. Each body part is done with 2 to 5 exercises with lots of sets. Cardio is done daily. Start with 3 to 5 cardio sessions during week one and one or two more during week two and perhaps 7 to 10 cardio sessions in week 3. Week 4, back off to 4 sessions.
Bodybuilding Cycle
Train each bodypart as needed. Once a week go high intensity. Cardio usually 3 to 7 times a week. This program is simple: during the first two weeks train with lots of sets and reps. In week 3 train just like it were a power cycle only not so heavy, but go HIGH INTENSITY and reduce the number of exercises and sets by at least 60% . During week four take 3 to 5 days totally off and then go high reps with light weights and burn the muscles for 2 workouts. Then resume the cycle with a new month.
So where you are in the yearly cycle will depend on how well you have trained and structured your monthly and weekly workouts. The system is based on dynamic planned change. The body is always adapting to this program.
Planned Progression (Training cycles also called periodization).
The proper way too look at this is calling it planned progression. You have to progress to impact your physique. Yet progress can't be continual and unrelenting. You can't keep running faster and faster. You reach a point that only by cycling your training intensity, can you continue to improve over a career.
It's easy to burn out or get hurt by trying to be 100% all the time. No one can be 100% all year round. After you build up to run the marathon or compete in the Mr. Universe, or a new max bench press, you have to take a break and build back up into top form, for next time. If you don't, you will soon go stale and or get hurt and cease all progress as your body struggles to remain at 100% performance.
The body needs to be coaxed along by hard work to increase in muscle mass. Slow but steady progression over a long period of time. It's simple. You back off from your peak, then build back up again, monthly cycle by monthly cycle, all the way to a new yearly peak. Each peak, should be higher than the last.
Some people like longer cycles. 12 weeks, 24 weeks and so on. I use the monthly cycle within a 4 month macro cycle. Any cycle is fine. The bottom line is progression. Planning to progress and willing it to happen, by working out very hard in the gym, is the key. You want to end your cycles big. If you are maxing out and doing your highest weights or highest intensity workouts during the middle of your cycle, you are messing up. You will burn out and overtrain. You want to peak at the end of the cycle. Don't burn out early. Hold back till it's time to let loose. Then after you have maxed out (on schedule) you allow yourself time to recover,and then begin training again, starting light and building back up. Planned Progression. If you know you are competing in August, you can plan to lift your heaviest or engage your most intense workouts at about 6 to 4 weeks out from the show. This will maximize your muscle mass for the contest day. Maxing too early or too late can be tricky. You don't want to go stale. You have to time everything correctly. Be careful not to get anxious and over do it. Stick to your plan.
As you progress year after year, you will be amazed by how advanced you become, especially as compared to where you began. For example, my light week workouts, would have killed me 10 years ago. But now I am so much stronger and more fit than I was then, my light week feels effortless, just as it should. I do 30 rep chins, leg press with 500 for 25 reps, and it's effortless. By the time I hit my heavy week I am leg pressing 1,400lbs and lat pulling 250lbs x 5, and recovery becomes an issue. Keep in mind I only use my max weights once a year, but do a 85% to 90% max each month during my strength and bodybuilding cycle, using high intensity training methods.
CYCLES PART TWO: LONG CYCLES
In the book "Brawn" and "Beyond Brawn" Stuart McRobert describes the essence of correct training. Short, hard, workouts, once or twice a week of an hour or less in duration, focusing on basic multi-joint exercises. You rest completely between hard workouts to allow maximum time to grow. And most importantly you add a half pound or a full pound or two pounds onto the bar, on all exercises, as often as possible (every workout or every other workout). The idea is to progress slowly and for as long as possible. A cycle like this can go on for years in come cases as the athlete continues to progress.
Few programs work as well as this one for adding pure muscle. It's an endless power cycle in essence. Short, intense and heavy.
Six exercises once a week. Do 2 or 3 warm up sets, with gradually increasing weights, and then perform your "max set" and move onto another exercise.
I have found that every 2 months it is good to take a break from the heavy stuff even if only for one or two workouts. Sometimes I find one light workout followed by a heavy one (with one more pound on the bar) works well when you start reaching your limits.
Overall this is an excellent way to make progress. Thousands of people have tried this system and it works. Daily workouts and split routines are great if you are already big and strong or if you are a professional athlete of some sort. Otherwise they (daily workouts and split routines) can often be a detriment to the dedicated athlete who is not naturally strong before entering the gym.
The simple truth is daily workouts and split routines often spell disaster and no gains for the average person. It's way too much weight training for the average person. This method of training is a way of training that will work for almost everyone. Steady progress, being careful not to get hurt (by making big jumps in weight) and using immaculate form in all exercises (to avoid injury). Each week add a tiny bit of weight to the bar and keep going. Don't train till you are exhausted. Don't train for a pump or a burn. Don't rush from set to set. Train hard of course, but not so hard you risk injury. Steady but continual progress.
I used this method exclusively for 6 months and the routine produced tremendous results. I did six exercises once a week. I got stronger almost every time I lifted. Usually I would add just one pound or two to the bar. In 28 weeks I added almost 120 lbs to my squat. Not bad for a guy in his forties. All my lifts went up and I began my precontest routine (30 weeks) with more mass than ever.
If you are not experiencing gains or have not for a while; if you have been stuck in the same place for a long time in size and strength, are naturally thin, or perhaps don't have time to train every day, or do not have the natural recovery ability to engage and benefit from daily training; I would strongly recommend you give this method of progression a serious try for at least one year.
This method can be deceiving. It looks easy. Done correctly is is nothing but hard work. Training once a week after several months brings you to new vistas of recovery and strength. Yes, you get stronger..but the workouts get harder as well. Add a lb a week to your max deadlift for 5 reps starting today and let me know how it feels in 6 months. You get stronger but the workouts, by design, keep you at your limit.
You only need to train once a week when you train this hard and heavy. Sometimes even less. It is all about recovery. If you return to the gym and are not stronger, go home, you are not ready yet.
This form of training like all weight training is dangerous. You must use good form and not try to lift more than you can TRAIN WITH. Better to lift less in perfect form and make real progress than to risk injury and possible months out of the gym trying to get over that injury. Don't worry, the weights will be heavy enough in no time.
If you are a rank beginner just choose a moderate weight to start in all exercises and build up gradually over time. Warm up well before training and for each max set. Once a week add a tiny bit of weight and perhaps some reps to each exercise. In a few weeks perhaps months, you will be (safely) at your limit.
You have to have mental resolve and apply yourself consistently to this type of training. You have to dig in and DECIDE to get stronger. You have to push yourself without working so hard you lose form or train so hard it becomes a NEGATIVE FACTOR to your health.
