Tuesday, January 12, 2010

Undulating Periodization

Based on various articles I've read on http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/sites/entrez, I'm thinking about switching to a program that varies more frequently.  Instead of keeping at a specified intensity for one week, I will change intensity for each workout.  More variation seems to work better.

Sample Protocol for Daily Undulating Periodizatoin (DUP)
M: 3-5 RM loads (90% 1RM); W: 8-10 RM loads (75% 1RM); F: 12-15 RM loads (65% 1RM)

In studies using similar males subjects and training programs, Rhea et al . (2002) reported 
improvements about 28. 78% in undulating group and 14.37% in linear group, while Baker et 
al. (1994) obtained 16.4% in undulating group and 11. 6% in linear group. 


It also seems like I need to switch to a multiple set program (3 sets per exercise) for hypertrophy, but this would take too much time for a full body workout.  What should I do?
One solution it to focus on aerobic power for my legs (2 sets) and hypertrophy for my upper body (3 sets, 30-second rest).  I want my legs to perform well for cycling and xc-skiing while I want my upper body to get bigger.  Therefore I will use a much higher rep range for my legs for two sets per workout and multiple sets in a DUP fashion for my upper body.

Legs:
A high repetition group (High Rep, n = 7) performing 20-28 RM for two sets with 1 min rest
The High Rep group appeared better adapted for submaximal, prolonged contractions, with significant increases after training in aerobic power and time to exhaustion.

Upper:
For loading, it is recommended that loads corresponding to 1-12 RM be used in periodized fashion with emphasis on the 6-12 RM zone using 1- to 2-min rest periods between sets at a moderate velocity. Higher volume, multiple-set programs are recommended for maximizing hypertrophy.

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