3 Types of Training Periodization and How to Use Them to Make Gains

Walking onto the gym floor with only a loose plan and a few fun lifts in mind for your workout really can work for a while. You are primed to make progress in your early lifting years — your body is a sponge for the iron and will usually respond the best when you’re just starting out. However, there comes a time in every lifter’s lifecycle where you inevitably run into a proverbial brick wall.

Changing everything all at once might be the fix, or maybe it’s your technique, or, worst of all, maybe it’s just going to take more time. At this stage, the seriousness of your goals should be reflected by the seriousness of your planning. 

Periodization is the secret to making progress once you’ve cracked through your early gains. Creating a structured training program that adheres to the principles of periodization has been shown time and time again to remove the guesswork on gains. Here are the three main types for you to chew on and some extra context on how to best use them.