A few notes about Periodization. This is a nice concise chart of what periodization is programmed.
We will implement this type with our program in conjunction with the Weakness
Correctional System.
3 Stage; 15 Week Mesocycle for Hypertrophy & Strength:
This routine below is used for muscle hypertrophy (growth) for an 8 week period, which is then followed by 4 weeks of strength training and two weeks for active recovery. The cycle is then started again, and continued for however long the macrocycle is designed for.
Hypertrophy Phase
Strength Phase
Active Recovery Phase
Weeks
1-8
8-13
14-15
Reps
8 reps
1-5 reps
15-20 reps
Sets
3 sets
5 sets
2 sets
Load
60-80% 1RM
85-100% 1RM
40-50% 1RM
Rest Intervals
2-3 min
3+ min
2 min
Warm-up and cool down. 10 minutes on each.
It is not necessary to have a strict plan of training for the whole year as normally changes may need to be made. Only a general plan would need to be made. The plan should reflect the training needs and also weaknesses and goals. It is far simpler to plan the cycle if a date for a certain occasion is required such as a competition or special occasion. From that date you can work backwards to structure your training year.
Firstly you need to decide on the amount of training phases that you require in the year. It is far easier to plan if you use 3-4 training phases rather than a greater number. You should then plan your training goals for each of these individual phases.
For example: you may choose strength first, muscle growth second, muscular power thirdly and rest and recovery phase last. Once you have your training goal phases you will then need to outline volume and intensity levels for the yearly plan, such as in the strength phase this would require low volume and high intensity. The training goal phases ideally should be started with an adaptation phase of low intensity and high volume and end with high intensity and low volume training. A careful evaluation from a scientific point of view would be required to ensure that the yearly cycle chosen would allow you to reach your desired goal in each phase.