Periodisation Models

There has been a lot of harping on about daily undulating periodisation (DUP) recently. It has been toted as the ultimate training solution for making gains in strength and muscle hypertrophy. It is also spoken about as if it is mutually exclusive from other kinds of periodisation. Simply put, that just isn't true. DUP is a periodisation model and it can be implemented with effect but it isn't the holy grail and it isn't necessarily exclusive from other models.

Periodisation - what it is

Periodisation is how training is put together. It is organised in three ways:

Microcycle - this is typically one week of training or thereabouts.

Mesocycle - this is usually around 2 - 8 weeks in duration, though it is not a strict rule. It consists of multiple microcycles.

Macrocycle - this is the big picture plan usually in preparation for a competitive event of some kind. It consists of multiple mesocycles. It could be 6 months, 1 year, 4 years etc.

What kinds of periodisation are there?

Linear - Starts with low intensity, high volume and works up to high intensity, low volume. Generally volume and intensity are the variables which are periodised but other variables can be periodised as well.

Non Linear - This includes undulating periodisation and conjugate periodisation. Typically volume and/or intensity are changed daily or weekly.

Block - Block periodisation involves organising training into blocks which each have a focus on a goal. For example a training block may focus primarily on developing strength with higher relative loads.

Periodisation is not mutually exclusive

The idea that these types of periodisation are separate from each other is incorrect and I think poorly understood. Rather each type of periodisation contains components of the others.

Firstly all training is essentially linear periodisation because it contains linear progression. The nature of weight training is progressive. If you add volume in the form of more weight, an extra rep or an extra set then you made a linear progression in volume and/or intensity. So even if you are training with what you think is a DUP set up, you will ultimately have a linear element to your training. In reality you'll have undulation of training variables occurring daily and linearity occurring weekly (or however often progression happens to occur).

If you're training with a frequency of 2 times per week or more per muscle group then chances are you have undulation occurring to some degree in your program. For example if you do bicep curls with 4 sets of 8 on Monday and then you do bicep curls with 3 sets of 15 on Thursday then you just did DUP. You undulated the volume and intensity via changing the sets, reps and load over a period of days.

You can have a block of training which is largely focused on strength which also has elements of undulation and linearity. Allow me to illustrate with an example:

Lets say the macrocycle is 8 weeks, with 3 weeks of training, 1 week of deload, 3 weeks of training and 1 week of deload/testing. You perform two lifts each day of: squat, bench, deadlift, OHP 4 days per week at varying numbers of sets, reps and percentage of 1 RM. You also do some accessory work - one week you do 3 sets of 12, the next week you do 3 sets of 10, the third week you do 3 sets of 8 prior to deloading during the fourth week and starting again the next week.

This is set up as a block where the primary lifts and the associated loads, sets and reps have a trend toward developing strength. It has a block periodisation element to it. You have your reps, sets and load for the primary lifts undulating from workout to workout (a daily undulating periodisation element). The secondary work is set up with load (intensity) increasing and volume (reps) decreasing week to week as would typically occur in linear periodisation. And of course we are trying to get stronger from the start of the block to the end of the block (another linear element).

As you can see there are endless ways to organise training and periodisation doesn't fit into the neat little package of  specifically "DUP" or "linear periodisation". Rather periodisation models are going to contain elements applied over periods of time. If you see someone trying to sell you a DUP program, remember it's because it's a popular buzzword right now and not because it's exclusive or superior to any other way of organising training.

That's a wrap for this week. Have any feedback? Leave a comment below or on social media. As always you can contact me via the details provided below if you want to speak to me about my coaching services.

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- Evan