Muscle Physiology
Thank you for such an informative and interactive website. After a few years of lifting…
The question
Thank you for such an informative and interactive website. After a few years of lifting I have turned my attention from the muscle & fitness magazines to more of the strength and conditioining and sports medicine journals. Your website falls perfectly into that mix. My question is: Can you combine a week of heavy strength training (2-6 reps) followed by week of growth oriented training (8-12 reps) and have good results in both categories?
Dan's answer
Dan Wirth, MA, CSCS
Hello, Going back and forth every week from lower reps (2-6) to higher reps (8-12) is a little too frequent. Your body will never quite get the full affect of either aspect of training. I truly believe you need to spend at least 3 weeks in one particular emphasis or phase of training before switching to something different. The variation of your training should also follow some form of logical progression that is geared to your particular goal. For instance, if you would like to develop a high level of absolute strength and power then your progression should be one in which the volume of training (sets and reps) is reduced and the intensity of training (weight lifted) is increased over a period of time. Going back and forth between low volume and high volume workouts every week never gives your body a time to supercompensate and develop. This is especially true if you have been training consistently for more than 16-18 months. Stay motivated and search for the best form of training for you! I hope my response has given you some valuable information. Thanks, Dan
Dan designed the periodization models the Wave Engine runs.
See how the Wave Engine turns his programming rules into your workouts.