What is Progressive Overload and Periodization
Progressive Overload (PO) is a training principle that involves continually and gradually increasing the demands and challenges on the musculoskeletal system to gain muscle size, strength, and endurance.
In addition, Progressive overload will prevent plateauing, which is when your strength and/or muscular growth progress levels off, and the results stop even though the routine is being maintained the same.
In Laymen’s Terms, “To get bigger and stronger, you must make the muscles work continually harder than they used to, thus avoiding the dreaded frustrating and time-wasting plateaus”.
Progressive overloading strategically stresses the muscles, maximising strength and muscle size gains while minimising the risks of injury and overtraining burnout. It’s not a ‘willy-nilly’ spur-of-the-moment decision to increase any factor based on feeling before a training session – it’s a programmed and calculated progression.
Progressive overload is the gradual, trackable, and calculated increase of stress on the body that warrants a goal-orientated adaptation; this could be increased strength, muscle size, and/or endurance. To keep stimulating growth and change to avoid plateaus in training, progressively overloading the body is a requirement!
Overload isn’t just adding weight to the bar for each training session; it can involve numerous factors, such as rest intervals, repetitions, sets, and time under tension on the concentric, eccentric, or isometric range of the lift or frequency of training.
The objective is to look at progressive overload as positive stress and how to add more stress to one’s training program without injury or fatigue burnout. These positive stresses act as stimuli for strength and muscle size gains; however, they are to be implemented gradually using a well-managed, calculated, scalable, and trackable programming method.
Previous research published in the Journal of Sports Science found that 10 or more sets per muscle per week elicited more significant hypertrophy than less than 10 sets. This could look like three to four sets close to failure for a particular muscle group per workout, working on the basis that you train three times a week.
Implementing Progressive Overload
It’s important to note that the body is very good at adapting to new stresses. Therefore, you need to be two steps ahead regarding your programming. Lazy programs whereby you perform the same old stuff lead to plateaus and zero progress. PO is essential for weight training for bodybuilding, Olympic, or powerlifting.
PO is deliberately progressive and strategic; your workout plan is fixed and set out clearly for each training session. There are even metrics to apply to ensure you can adapt your program in a calculated way each training session. Such as the Rate of Perceived Exertion Scale (RPE). Nothing is left to chance or guesswork! If this is the case, you’ll almost certainly burn out and fatigue quickly and even incur injuries. There are five prevalent methods of Progressive Overloading:
1. Progressive Overload of Weight (Weight)
This pertains to how much weight is added to the bar and the load added each training session. A simple linear progression would be to increase the weight by 5-10% every training session based on the lift. Alternatively, you can increase the intensity and decrease or increase the volume, i.e., the number of sets and reps.
2. Progressive Overload of Repetitions and/or Sets (Reps/Sets)
Another option would be to keep the load the same, and instead, each training session increases the number of repetitions or sets.
3. Progressive Overload using Pyramid Training
You can approach this by ascending (increasing) or descending Pyramid Training. Ascending Pyramid training involves reducing the number of repetitions per set and increasing the load of each set.
4. Progressive Overload using Negative Training
The negative is the lift's eccentric movement and the resistance's lowering and stretching. The tempo is generally between 3 and 8 seconds, depending on the lift and training program. You can progressively overload this in one of two ways: increase the load while maintaining the same negative stretch tempo for each training session, or maintain the same load but increase each session's negative tempo.
5. Progressively Overloading using Dropsets
This is another more advanced metabolic form of training called pump training. It focuses more on volume and trains each set to failure while lowering the load with little to no rest intervals between sets, usually 0-10 seconds between each set. What makes this different from pyramid training? Well, with drop sets, you take little to no rest, just long enough to reduce the weight, and you also seek to perform each set to failure, implementing a few partials if needed.
Periodisation
Periodisation, like Progressive overload, is designed to work through different phases of the Optimum Performance Training (OPT) model. The program plan achieves this using progressive exercises, weights, and intensity. They can be implemented into Micro, Meso, or Macrocycles, splitting training into blocks.

The periodisation process involves systematically planning your training schedules to optimise performance and achieve the most significant results. This training approach is predicated on having a structured long-term and SMART (specific, measurable, attainable, realistic, and time-constrained) training plan alternating between increased training stress and rest periods.
The three underlying goals of this form of training are to optimise performance and reduce the risk of injury and overtraining. It is the planned manipulation of training variables such as intensity, volume, frequency, rest, exercise selection, range of motion, etc. However, the most common are volume and intensity.
Macrocycle, Mesocycle and Macrocycle
In Periodisation, the usual terminology refers to cycles instead of weeks, months, or years. Cycles are an essential part of the planning process for developing periodisation strategies. A macrocycle is an annual plan, a mesocycle is typically considered a monthly plan, and a Microcycle is a weekly plan.

Macrocycle/Blocks
This refers to high-level cycles over a longer time, such as seven months or annually. It is the long-term goal—it usually refers to the season as a whole. It’s the big picture with long-term goals and uses other cycles to work towards it. For example, you’ll have phases within the macrocycle, which could comprise 1-2 mesocycles.
It can vary from sport to sport; an Olympic would have a four macrocycle, a Pro-athlete for a sport such as football, basketball, or baseball would have a 12-month macrocycle, a powerlifter would be shorter, 12-16 weeks to reach peak performance for a meet event.
A bodybuilder's macrocycle is 12 months long. Nine bulking to add mass and size, followed by three months of cutting to develop a shredded, aesthetic, and symmetric physique.
Suppose the individual isn’t training for a competition or sport either for strength or hypertrophy. In that case, they may have a shorter 12-14-week macrocycle simply seeking to achieve the body composition or strength goal they desire.
An athlete will have macrocycle such as:
Prep/pre-season phase: general conditioning, fitness, agility, and speed, with three mesocycles focusing on conditioning, strength, power and then agility.
Competition phase: During the on-season, this phase maintains fitness levels, strategies, skills, and techniques.
Transition Phase—Postseason, taking type off, usually includes two mesocycles involving recovery, fundamental strength, endurance, and maintenance.
In powerlifting and other sports, athletes split the macrocycle into two phases: general physical preparedness and special physical preparedness.
General Preparedness (GPP) Phase: Perform various movements to enhance work capacity, build cardiovascular endurance and muscle hypertrophy, improve mobility, and correct muscle imbalances, muscular endurance, technique, power and work capacity. GPP for Powerlifting includes all training modalities outside of pure maximal strength, notably less specific ones.
Special Physical Preparedness Phase (SPP): This phase concentrates only on exercises specific to the sport of choice, such as squats, Bench Presses, and Deadlifts. SPP phases target developing specific skills, abilities and qualities necessary for optimal performance in the sport. Special physical preparedness is essential for athletes, particularly as a competition approaches. A few weeks before a meet, it's vital to dedicate more time to training the specific qualities you'll need to perform your best on the platform. This focused training helps drive the direct adaptations necessary for peak performance.
Mesocycle
Mesocycles are midterm goals that work toward your main long-term goal. An intermediate length of time breaks the macrocycle into more specific phases, ranging from 1 to 12 weeks, depending on the sport and goal.
This is a single training phase within the long-term macrocycle, ranging from 4 to 8 weeks. It is rarely longer or shorter but can be if required. You will have multiple mesocycles during the macrocycle. A single mesocycle will focus on one training quality or target: strength, endurance, agility, or conditioning.
I like the idea of a mesocycle as a medium-term goal, which will differ from individual to individual. Some casual, non-competitive lifters seeking fun and getting fit will keep it simple: a one-month training block mesocycle to fit it conveniently into one calendar year.
When analysing programs, I usually see that there are, on average, four mesocycles within a macrocycle, also called blocks. The usual structure of a four-week mesocycle is that the first three weeks will progressively overload your body, and then the fourth week will focus on recovery, which can also be referred to as Deload Week. Usually, you’ll see a slight increase in the overall stress (TSS) each training week, and each training session will increase the amount of work demanded.
The mesocycle is highly specific and designed to accomplish a particular goal. It usually consists of 6-9 training sessions over three weeks, with one week dedicated to active or passive recovery. A common mesocycle is a 21 or 28-day training block.
Microcycle
The Microcycle is short-term and focuses typically on daily or weekly segments, but most often, it’s simply a weekly training plan for a specific mesocycle. The Microcycle is the shortest training cycle of the three and the most important because if one cannot progress past it, one won’t complete the Mesocycle or Macrocycle. A patch of Microcycles makes up a mesocycle.
Each Microcycle has its own short-term goal, and each Microcycle within a mesocycle works towards the goal of the mesocycle. The goal of a Microcycle is to create a focused training block, such as a few days of intense training followed by the same amount of time for recovery.
For example, if a mesocycle were four weeks long and focused on increasing training intensity, it would look like this:
Microcycle 1: Base Load (75-85% 1RM)
Microcycle 2: Increase Load (85-95% 1RM)
Microcycle 3: Peak Load (95-100% 1RM)
Microcycle 4: Active Recovery Deload (50% of 1RM)
The first two cycles are accumulation cycles, with each week getting harder by increasing the load. Cycle three is focused on peak load, and cycle four is a recovery transition Microcycle. As one can see, each cycle has its own training goal built within the grand goal of the mesocycle, which is increasing strength and power.
Example two for a shorter Microcycle based on daily would be as follows:
Monday: Volume (increase volume)
Wednesday: Deload (drop volume and load)
Friday: Intensity (increase load)
Each of those training days is a Microcycle.
Three Types of Periodisation
1. Linear Periodisation (LP)
Novices usually adopt this approach because the point of resistance in the progress curve usually experienced by advanced athletes has yet to be reached, meaning a simple linear program can yield significant results in optimal performance.
LP was introduced in the late 1950s by Russian professor Lev Matveev and is also referred to as traditional periodisation (TP) in the literature (Kok, Hamer & Bishop 2009; Bartolomei et al. 2014).
Linear periodisation is a straightforward programming method that gradually increases intensity relative to the lifter's one-repetition maximum (1RM) while reducing the training volume. The increase in intensity could be throughout one or multiple Microcycles or Mesocycles. It’s the simplest way to progress an exercise over time, starting with high volume and low intensity and transitioning over time to low volume and high intensity.

Linear progression refers to the sequential progression in the training program, and periodisation, as we know already, refers to how the sequential progression takes place in a specific block of time.
The above Linear Training Graph illustrates this by showing that training starts with generalisation, then specific, and finally, competition preparation. The graph shows that the volume (sets x reps) decreases as the intensity (percentage of one rep maximum) increases, along with the specificity of training as time progresses closer to competition.
In theory, the initial high-volume phases focus on hypertrophic adaptations, and the later phase focuses more on higher-intensity strength, challenging the neural mechanisms rather than just skeletal muscles. It is also typical for LP programs that the specificity increases in parallel with training intensity as they progress. Specificity means performing training movements specific to athletic skills or activities.
Examples of Linear Periodization routines are:
Example 1: Five Mesocycles consisting of three weeks of training and a week of recovery
Mesocycle One: Week one-four (4-5 sets of 8-10 reps)
Mesocycle Two: Week five to eight (3-4 sets of 6-8 reps)
Mesocycle Three: Week nine to twelve (4-5 sets x 4-5 reps)
Mesocycle Four: Week Thirteen to Sixteen (3-4 sets of 2-3 reps)
Mesocycle Five: Week Seventeen to Eighteen (3-5 sets of 1 rep)
Example 2: It consists of one mesocycle and five Microcycles, whereby the volume decreases, and the intensity increases with each cycle.
Microcycle One: 6x5 @70% of 1RM
Microcycle Two: 5x5 @75% of 1RM
Microcycle Three: 4x5 @80% of 1RM
Microcycle Four:3x5 @85% of 1RM
Microcycle Five: 3x5 @60% of 1RM
Example 3: A bodybuilding LP program consisting of four mesocycles with four Microcycles for each mesocycle.
Microcycle One: Weeks one to four (3x10-12 reps)
Microcycle Two: Weeks five to eight (3x8-10 reps)
Microcycle Three: Week nine to twelve (4x6-8 reps)
Microcycle Four: Week thirteen to sixteen (4x4-6 reps)
2. Undulating/Non-Linear
This method is adopted by more intermediate-advanced lifters and alternates between high-volume/low intensity and high-intensity/low volume daily (each training session) or weekly. Undulating training organises sessions so that volume and intensity vary daily or weekly.
By frequently changing the training variables in Undulating programming (UP), the body is challenged differently, and the training stress varies. Therefore, ensuring the lifter reduces the risks of plateaus in training, improves performance, and creates a more engaging and stimulating training protocol.
Weekly Undulating Periodisation (WUP) changes the volume and intensity week by week, and Daily Undulating Periodisation (DUP) adjusts the volume and intensity daily between each training session. A WUP program cycles from light to moderate to high-intensity training. During DUP, these intensities vary daily, ranging from a hypertrophy training session to a strength training session to a power session, all in one week.
Regardless of WUP or DUP, the primary purpose of undulating programming is for the lifter to avoid the ‘repeated bout effect,’ which is the theory that the more one exposes oneself to a stimulus, the less impact it has. Unlike a linear program whereby the training looks similar from day to day and week to week, you apply a small overload amount to continue progress using typically the same rep and set structure. For example, five sets of 5 reps for all main lifts (bench press, squat, deadlift), adding 10% or 5-10lbs every training session for that lift.
UP’s formation and implementation are due to the principle in lifting that the more you advance, the slower the progress is compared to that of a beginner. You’ll hear the expression “newbie gains” thrown around to summarise this phenomenon. UP leads to sustainable progression. A more advanced lifter will generally opt for WUP, while a more novice lifter will benefit from a DUP.
Because UP incorporates multiple training adaptations (hypertrophy, strength, power), you can improve in all these areas throughout a macrocycle. All three of these qualities are synergists, so improving one will help with the other, making you a more well-rounded lifter!
As mentioned, both forms of UP are highly beneficial due to their adaption of specificity to the lifter's intended sport or goal. They are highly adjustable session-by-session to help the lifter achieve peak performance for their sport or goal.
Undulated programs typically divide training sessions into three goals:
Power
Power day will focus more on high-intensity, heavier loads with lower volume, focusing on the main compound lifts and performing lifts with maximal power and explosive movement. Moderate set volume is performed between 3-5, very low reps between 1-5, with higher training intensities of 85-100% of 1RM. Rest periods should be 4-5 minutes, with moderate to low training frequency, performing 1-2 per week. Compound exercises should only be used for power days, limiting it to one per session.
This session focuses on the Fast Twitch Type IIb muscle fibres to provide the explosive power needed to lift heavier loads. The percentage of one rep max would be above 85-95%, with rep ranges between 1-4. The tempo should be explosive and plyometric; the objective is to recruit maximum muscle fibre to increase strength and power output.
Maximal Contractile Strength
This can be confused with power day; however, the rep ranges are higher, and the intensity is sub-maximal to maximal. The overall volume is higher than the peaking/power session, as its objective is to build strength.
The rep range is moderate to low, between 4-6 reps for 3-4 sets. The intensity is 70-85% of 1RM. The tempo is to be explosive, and you will build in more extended rest periods between 3-5 minutes. You wouldn’t perform more than two weekly sessions and no more than 1-3 strength exercises per muscle group, typically focusing on compound movements.
Hypertrophy/Base Building
Hypertrophy day focuses on lighter loads with more volume, focusing on the Slow Twitch and Fast Twitch type IIa muscle fibres to create muscle growth and endurance. The primary objectives are to maximise muscular development and growth, increase protein synthesis, improve strength, and improve body composition.
The rep range is generally between 6-12 repetitions, with 65-75% of 1RM performed in 3-5 sets with lower rest periods between sets under 60 seconds to create a metabolic effect. Moderate tempo is applied, usually 2/0/2, with 2-4 exercises per muscle group. You’ll also see this referred to as ‘Base Building.’ This means that it creates the foundations for the future phases, accustoms the body to future higher-intensity loads, preps the body, and creates the founding pillars for the long-term goal of your training.
Daily Undulating Periodization (DUP)
This type of periodisation is structured around having different intentions for each training session.
Daily = every training session
Undulating = increasing and decreasing over time
Periodisation = structuring training intensity, volume, and frequency to achieve a specific training goal
For example, if it was DUP, it could be structured such as this;
Day 1 – Power; 5 sets of 3 reps @85-90% of 1RM
Day 2 – Maximal Strength; 3 sets of 5 reps @ 70-80% of 1RM
Day 3 – Hypertrophy; 3 sets of 10 reps @ 55-70% of 1RM
Then, every week, you can increase the maximal strength training load by 5-10lbs (2.5-5kg) and the Hypertrophy load by 5lbs (2.5kg) and maintain the Power load consistent throughout the 3-4-week program. Alternatively, you can increase the load bi-weekly. In addition, you can implement variations of the main lifts on hypertrophy days each training week while keeping the load and reps consistently the same.
The benefits are the variety of factors regarding volume and intensity adaptations. Due to the undulations (waves), you can adapt to greater intensities and rep ranges.
DUP provides opportunities for more practice with heavier loads, which can boost your confidence when lifting.
Incorporating weekly power sessions with heavier weights exposes you to these challenges more frequently than with other training systems. This increased exposure enhances your mental preparedness for lifting heavy weights and helps improve your technique and form. It also allows for greater autoregulation as you can adjust the volume and intensity to optimise recovery between training sessions.

In addition, you can opt not to run a Power-Strength-Hypertrophy split weekly and run them in different orders. Alternatively, weeks 1-4 can perform a Power-Strength-Hypertrophy split, then change for 5-8 to focus more on Power with two sessions per week and one hypertrophy. One benefit of DUP is the flexibility it allows the lifter while keeping your training structured and disciplined.
Weekly Undulating Periodization (WUP)
WUP would shift from changing the variables each training session to one for each training week or Microcycle. For example:
Week 1 - Day 1 – 5 sets of 3 reps @ 60% of 1RM
Week 2 – Day 1 – 4 sets of 5 reps @80% of 1RM
Week 3 – Day 1 – 3 sets of 10 reps @ 65-70% of 1RM
A WUP example would be whereby the volume and intensity increase and decrease every Microcycle (weekly). For example:
Week 1: 5x5 =70-80% of 1RM
Week 2: 4x10-12 = 55-65% of 1RM
Week 3: 5x3 = 85-90% of 1RM
Week 4: Deload = 3x6 60% of 1RM
Week 5: 4x4 =80-85%
Week 6: 4x8 = 65-70% of 1RM
Week 7: 3x2 = 90-92% of 1RM
Week 8: 3x6 = 65% of 1RM

WUP is very flexible, similar to DUP. However, you’ll find ‘Deload’ or ‘Transition’ weeks to break up the intensity and allow rest and recovery to avoid overtraining and fatigue.
As with the volume, the intensity during these transition/deload weeks is reduced significantly.
You can adapt the WUP structure to fit your sport, training style, or experience level by adjusting only the intensity and volume levels based on your preferences.
WUP would be better suited for more advanced lifters who require more specificity and cannot sustain the DUP intensity. Performing a power and strength session within the same week when your Squat Personal Record is 360kg, bench press 220kg, and Deadlift 380kg would be very difficult and fatiguing.
In addition, advanced lifters could perform each training adaption bi-weekly; for example, weeks 1-2 would be hypertrophy, week 3 a transition week, week 4-6 strength training, week 7 deload, then week 8-9 power/peaking.
3. Block Periodization (BP)
Block periodisation is sometimes confused with WUP; however, they are different. BP comprises several mesocycles, each with a concentrated stimulus for a specific performance aspect (Bartolomei et al., 2014). Each mesocycle prepares the lifter for the next block, and for sports applications, block periodisation categorises it into three phases: Accumulation, Transformation and Realization.

Issurin states, “The general approach to the compilation of Block-Periodized training assumes the sequencing of three different-type mesocycle blocks that form a single training stage ending in some competition.
This system focuses on general abilities in the early blocks of the macrocycle. Training becomes more specific and less general as you reach the end goal. This allows the lifter to allocate movements to blocks that best fit into each category. Training blocks are also commonly referred to as phases, which add another layer to this complicated subject! Within each phase, the volume, intensity, and event-specificity are varied.
Accumulation
This is the foundation block; intensity is reduced, and training volume is higher. The work performed during this block is more general and general-specific, with fewer sport-specific exercises. This block promotes GPP, such as cardio and muscular endurance, mobility, technique, work capacity and hypertrophy in a powerlifting program.
The general 1RM range is 50-70 % of 1RM, and this block can last 2-6 weeks. Less experienced lifters will have a more extended accumulation block than more advanced experienced lifters. The accumulation block or phase is the longest.
The accumulation block aims to improve work capacity, build muscle, and develop a general base of strength, power, and endurance. The reps per set will be higher, generally between 8-12+ reps per set. Rest periods will be shorter, and this block will not focus on the big three compound lifts.
Transmutation
This block transfers the general abilities to specific abilities. The intensity will increase, and the volume will be reduced but still moderate. The exercises will become more specific but still include general specific lifts to accompany the main particular exercises, but they won’t be prioritised.
The transmutation block aims to develop abilities specific to the competition lifts (Olympic and powerlifters) or the sport. The percentages of 1RM for weightlifters during this block range from 75-90% of 1RM. The Transmutation block lasts 2-4 weeks; the length is determined by the sport and the lifter's experience.
The transmutation block builds on the accumulation, turning fitness adaptations they’ve gained into more sport-specific skills. The focus shifts from general higher volume-low intensity to more sport-specific, less general practices. The intensity will be higher, typically between 75-90% of 1RM, and the rest periods between sets will be more extended.
Realisation
The Realisation block is the final phase, also known in the powerlifting world as the Peaking and Tapering phases. General and general-specific lifts have been removed entirely. The training frequency is also reduced during this block; the duration is 1-2 weeks for peaking and then 1-2 weeks for tapering.
During this block, the individual's training becomes highly specific to their sport, paying more attention to fatigue management to peak for the particular event or goal; in the case of powerlifters, it would be a powerlifting meet/competition.
By peaking, we mean training has the highest intensities and highest level of specificity experienced during the macrocycle. This would mean reducing the number of sets performed while lifting heavier loads for a powerlifter. It’s the shortest block of the three; it can be between 7 and 14 days; however, most I see are 7 to 10 days. The intensity is usually above 85% or more of 1RM and has long rest periods between sets. The training frequency is very low, and recovery between sessions is prioritised to reduce fatigue and/or injury.
The Tapering phase during this block is when the lifter reduces the training volume and/or lowers the intensity to reduce fatigue and help create supercompensation, leading to peak performance. A Taper typically involves a structured reduction in training load to alleviate acute fatigue and enhance psychological and physiological performance.
The taper phase is characterised by reducing or eliminating most accessory movements to minimise fatigue and enhance recovery. This approach lets lifters concentrate their energy and resources on the competition lifts. Typically, lifters will perform opener attempts and warm-ups to prepare and practice for competition day.
Training volume is reduced by 40-60% during the taper phase. Maintain or slightly increase training intensity while keeping frequency the same. González-Badillo et al. stated that volume was reduced by 60% during the first 7 days of the taper, followed by 40% during the final 7 days of the taper.
The literature suggests that strength athletes should taper by reducing volume by approximately 30-70% while maintaining an intensity of at least 85% of their one-repetition maximum (1RM). An exponential or step-like taper should be implemented for 1-2 weeks before competition, followed by a short cessation period lasting 2-7 days.
Below is a more detailed graph outlining a sample basic Blocked Periodization program; the y-axis shows the number of repetitions per set, and the x-axis indicates the number of weeks. Each block is four weeks (Microcycles), followed by a transition Microcycles.
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