I stumbled on a reddit AMA with John Haack, where he was questioned about his training methods. I thought what he said was quite interesting:



While I do realize that we're talking about an elite level athlete, how do you feel this sort of programming would work for an advanced lifter?

Also, he mentioned that he benches and squats twice a week. If an individual would bench as is explained above, could the second bench-session be performed with a variation such as CGBP; or something similar? Also, would it follow the same weekly peridoization protocol or just something linear for example?

Fixed image URL.

There's no such thing as just 'periodisation', only linear periodisation or conjugate periodisation. Linear where you would focus on specific points in phases, and conjugate where you would try and implement all at once.

Periodisation just means the undulation of one or more programming attributes over a microcycle, mesocycle or megacycle.

OP sounds like he's talking about block periodization although I can't see the image for some reason (probably work firewall)

Wut? I don't understand what you're trying to say.Yeah I'm referring to blocks, I've done some reading on the subject but fairly little.

What I've often seen, is a 3-5 week loading phase, followed by a deload and 3-5 weeks of intensification.
Haack goes from high volume to high intensity in a (meso?)cycle of 3 weeks and repeats the process.

What I'm asking, is whether this is an effective way of periodizing your training, if there is any scientific evidence behind it and if accessory work should follow the same volume/intensity. It can't be completely retarded because the dude just won his weight class. Assume we're talking about an advanced lifter here.

It sounds like the same thing just over a shorter cycle. Whether you do the volume or intensity block first is immaterial if you are going to keep repeating the cycle. Generally though, the traditional approach is better at aiming to produce a peak at the right time - i.e. after volume -> intensify -> taper.

I don't know the impact of length of cycle, it probably is just governed by how rapidly you accumulate fatigue on your current training load, you need to either stay within recovery abilities or make sure you deload before overreaching tips over into overtraining.

Just as an aside OP, here is further curveball:

http://www.powerliftingtowin.com/autoregulation/

Cliff notes: Use fatigue (performance drops) and RPE rather than volume and intensity percentages to govern training loads.

Too bad you can't see the image, he didn't specify intensities, just rep ranges, number of sets and RPE. I'm intrigued to try this sort of periodization as soon as I stall again on madcows.

I'll have a look when I get home.

Never mind haha.. It should be effective as its cycled within 3 weeks so its kind of conjugate as you're focusing on several different methods within a short time span.... If it was high volume for 3 weeks then high intensity for 3 weeks on the other hand, that would mean one or the other would suffer more. However this method is often used in a build up to an event or if you're kind of limited in training days or play sports etc.. whereas on the other hand if you did it in linear phases then you would need more time. Hope this makes sense

To be honest, there isn't much to go on there. If you write your intended program up at some point I'll have a look if you want.