Sharing 4 training methods for intermediate lifters!
Once a lifter has gone through a few bouts of linear progression, what’s next?
They’ve got a 1-3 training years under their belt. They’re familiar with different exercise variations, tempos and working with percentages or RPE. Do they just keep repeating the same linear progressions? Or hop to a new program?
In today’s episode, I hope to give coaches and maybe even trainees some ideas to research and/or implement into their programming. Maybe you already know of these training methods, maybe you don’t. I won’t simply be listing them off, but giving insight into how one would apply these methods into an entire program - including accessory work.
Before we get started, please be reminded that I am not your movement or programming bible. These training methods are tried and tested - like through scientific studies, not just “tried and tested” anecdotally by humans. Take what makes sense for you, ponder it, and stay curious.
Now, I use bits of all of these throughout my 36 total phases of programming inside Built By Annie. Thus, I am partial to them. I just think they are solid training methods to introduce to intermediate lifters. Call me biased, because I am in this sense.
First up!
Conjugate training method or Daily undulating periodization (aka DUP)
I was first introduced to this approach via my chiropractor as we rehabbed my back injury (which happened during squatting). Yes, my back rehab involved squatting three times per week. So, let’s get into it.
The daily undulating periodization is a type of conjugate method. If you read the definition of both from multiple textbooks or the interweb, you might be like…so these are the same thing?
Conjugate method: Repeating the big lifts multiple times per week, in slightly different waysDUP: Changing the volume, rep scheme, intensity of main lifts daily rather than phase to phase.
Same same, yes? For the sake of this episode, yes. Also, I am unsure who FIRST brought DUP to the table, but I know Poliquin has talked extensively about undulating periodizations in general. And though we’re talking about DUP, undulating periodization is also widely used in a weekly fashion - which will make more sense in a second.
In a traditional and even non-traditional linear periodization you might see:
Monday - Bench Tuesday - SquatWednesday - RestThursday - Overhead PressFriday - Deadlift
You could have many other set ups, but the point here is that you’re hitting each big lift ONCE per week, and changing sets and reps, or other factors of said big lifts on a 4-5 week basis. Performing each lift once per week.
With conjugate or DUP, the big lifts are performed three days per week (this is most common from my understanding). That is also *most* common with the big three powerlifting movements of Squat, Bench, and Deadlift. If, like me, you also add overhead press, you simply juggle a bit more, or maybe only hit OH twice per week.
TECHNICALLY - astrix all over here…You could use a DUP for ONE movement pattern which is a weak link in your training. For instance, squatting three days a week if your squat is seriously lacking. Or benching three days per week if you need to bring up your bench.
So how do you hit one, or all big lifts three days per week and not destroy yourself? Fair question.
Rather than having a “power phase” a “strength phase” and a “hypertrophy phase” you do each of those, once per week, for each week.
Are you tracking?
It might look like this for ONE LIFT:
4x10 back squat for hypertrophy focus day6x2 back squat for power focus day3x5 back squat for strength focus day
In the weekly fashion of undulating periodization, you’d have a week of 10’s, week of 2’s and week of 5’s say. That could also be 8’s, 5’s and 3’s or what have you.
If you apply DUP to all big lifts, it might look like:
Bench + Squat - Day 1Deads + Squat + OH - Day 2Rest day - Day 3Bench +...
