Question on typical periodization cycle

[rickhussey]

Here's a question I've always had about linear periodization. I don't understand the benefit of training at such light %'s in the beginning. I can do week 1-5 any day of the week. How does training at these light %'s stimulate stength/power gains if the body is already capable of doing this?

To gain strength don't you have to subject your body (muscles/CNS) to loads or increases in volume it hasn't felt before?

Can anyone recommend some reading material on this?

For reference, here's the typical cycle I'm talking about.

1 2x12 60 %
2 2x10 65 %
3 2x8 70 %
4 2x6 75 %
5 2x5 80 %
6 2x4 85 %
7 2x3 90 %
8 2x2 95 %

[3speed]

The theory behind this is that you are switching over to a peaking cycle from an off season training regimen. The lighter weeks are to give your body a break and ease you into the peaking cycle. This worked well for me when I was younger but now I have to stay closer to my limits just to maintain. If you know how to listen to your body and deload properly when needed, I do not believe the weeks at 60-70 percent are necessary. You do, however, need some of the lighter training in your off season work. It works the muscles in a different way........therefore different benefits.

EDIT: The only time I can think of where the lighter weights would be necessary is when you have not been directly working the lifts that you are going to cycle. Example: You have been working overhead presses and various tricep exercises and you are going to start a bench cycle. In such a scenario, you would need the lighter weeks to condition your tendons for the heavier work to come.

[thomas]

Think of it this way. You have 2 different muscle fibers. One set white which are stablizers or endurance muscles. These are the muscles that you are working when doing the lighter weights. These will help with endurance and stabalization. Just like above it helps prepare the body for the heavy stuff. Now the red muscle fibers are where your power comes from. These are the muscles that you work on for power and keep the reps low. There is a book that I have a photo copy of It was written by the mighty texan back in the 70s. How to increase your bench 50lbs in 10 weeks. It goes into really big depth on the 2 muscle fibers. The program worked for me.

[dopar66]

Piggyback 3Speed, another time to use this would be if you complete a meet just in time to cycle up for another. You're a little beat up from the heavy lifting at the meet, and need a few weeks at a lighter % for recovery without skipping workouts.

Thomas, fine info. I think the fancy names are mitochondria and microfybrills or something like that. The two together make up 90% of your total muscle mass, so it makes great sense to hit them both. One for strength, one for power/stamina.

God Bless.

[biglifter]

If I may reiterate part of 3speed's reply, the tendons/ligaments need the lower intensity training to support what the muscles will be doing after the GPP phase. If you skip right to high intensity (defined as % 1RM in this context) training and the connective tissue hasn't been developed, you're setting yourself up for injury. You always want to set up a good base of general conditioning before moving into specialization, and this holds true for most if not all sports. I like to visualize this as a pyramid with a large base of conditioning on the bottom leading to all out sports-specific performance at the peak.