In previous posts, I’ve discussed periodization at length and in great detail. I would say it’s the one aspect of training that I’ve sharpened up on the most over the past few years. Personally, periodized training that is both organized and flexible has been the difference between me breaking PRs and spinning my wheels. It would be an understatement for me to say that when it comes to results, I hold intelligent programming at a premium.
However, I recently heard legendary bodybuilder and coach John Meadows say something that brought up an interesting perspective. I’m likely paraphrasing here, but he said something to the effect of: “Most people just don’t work anywhere near hard enough to need periodization.”
This brings up a valid, yet often overlooked point. Regardless of whatever periodization model you follow, most programs are only guaranteed to produce results under two crucial assumptions:
- You are completing all of the scheduled workouts in the order they are written.
- You are giving sufficient effort during each workout.
Now, let me premise my explanation here… Anyone who’s trained long enough has probably had the occasional missed workout or bad day in the gym. In the grand scheme of long-term consistent training, these are likely no more than minor speed bumps in your training.
What I’m referring to more here is consistently missing workouts and/or putting forth minimal effort during the workouts you do complete. If this is you, is it really any wonder why that last program didn’t work out well for you?
I’m a proponent of training individualization, but I think its importance grows only as you become a more advanced trainee. Because of this, I also think most people (and most people aren’t advanced) put too much emphasis on this early on. It’s easier for human beings to assume that their last program just wasn’t specific for their individual needs than to come to terms with the fact that they never made the program that much of a priority in the first place.
We all have the same physiological systems that respond to training in the same fashion, after all. Starting basic and adhering to consistency and effort are really some of the only things that beginners should focus on to make progress. Subsequently, this is why I’ve seen beginners still make decent progress despite following atrocious programs given to them by their neighbor’s boyfriend’s cousin who used to play [insert sport] back in high school.
A simple analogy for consistency is equating training to a job. If you’re supposed to do 4 workouts a week, but you skip out every Friday and miss one day a week, that adds up over time. No matter the length of the program, you’re basically only doing 3/4 of the total work. If you only showed up to your job 3/4 of the time, would you expect a promotion? In that case, you probably wouldn’t have a job to go back to in the near future.
As for effort… no, your program shouldn’t kill you. But it shouldn’t be a cakewalk either. If your program comes from a quality author, it should be doable under normal circumstances. Note that circumstances such as crash dieting, routinely sleeping 4 hours a night, and adding 2 hours of cardio to your already demanding workouts are not normal. If you’re doing these things alongside your training, then you’re not prioritizing your training. Prioritizing your training means that the things you do outside of your training are supportive of it.
Now, some people may realize their place in all of this. If you’ve come to terms with the choice that you’ll never be able to train with any kind of consistency and/or give sufficient effort on a routine basis, that’s fine. Everyone has different career paths, goals, and personal endeavors that have an effect on training availability. Nonetheless, most people can still do workouts when they can and see some results, or do enough to keep their health in check at the very least. Some training is always better than no training in any case.
But before you decide to embark on a rigorous, detailed training program, don’t set yourself up for disappointment at the very beginning. Make sure that you can at least hold yourself to the commitments of showing up every day and giving good effort. If you can’t, then you likely need to earn your requirement for periodization.
Feel free to comment with any questions or thoughts; you can also contact me directly at strengthscrolls@gmail.com
As always, thanks for reading.
Strength Scrolls 