Help with periodized system.....

Hey all,

I am looking for a spark, something new so I am curious what you all have found for a good periodized system to gain mass and strength. I am not looking to overtrain, LOL.

I made some nice gains this last year but it is time to make some changes to keep things going.

I was reading through some of Clarence Bass's books to get his thoughts and was reading Bodybuilding.com.

Both have some good ideas, some I have tried and some have not.

I was reading this article. But the guy contradicts himself. He starts out by saying the Hypertrophy phase is fine but would be lost in later strength phases if volume is increased. Then later talks about a strength program of lower reps and set with heavier weights that build the most long term muscle. Hmmm

http://www.bodybuilding.com/fun/keats2.htm

To add to this, he doesn't really give a solid example of his idea of a good periodized system. He mentions a few systems but doesn't mention if those sets and reps are per exercise of workout. Odd.

*** I was wrong. There is a part two linked at the bottom of the page. Looks like an interesting program and I may try it.

It can be tough super setting in our gym however if it is crowded because you might not have the bench when you come back from the second part of your set, LOL. I am also not sure I can do stiff legged deads after heavy squats and step ups! Too fatigued for good form!

He still doesn't really get into periodizing the workouts. He doesn't say how he would cycle the reps and sets, etc. Should one start the next 4-6 week cycle with higher reps and sets, less of a rest interval, etc?

Anyway, open to what you all found.

I tend to like to do workouts that appeal to me and that I enjoy. Periodized workouts that incorporate sets where I use about 50-65% of max for 10-12 reps bores me, because I am not pushing myself and it is an easy workout so I feel i am wasting my time. I like to go hard but instead vary the exercises, the rep range, set range, rest interval, etc.

In light of this and the fact that my previous year of workouts have served me well, I might do the following:

I read in Clarence Bass's book how he does one workout a week...but he periodizes by doing 4 weeks of 20 rep sets going all out, followed by 4 weeks of 12 reps all out and then 4 weeks of 8 reps all out.

Instead, since I enjoy working out and I find I get a lot out of a 4 day split I want to try doing 4 weeks of 12-15 reps or 15-20 where I am using 80-90% of my max for that range. Then over the next 4 weeks do 10-12, followed by 4 weeks of 6-8 with maybe the last set hitting really heavy weights and 3-6 reps. Then I would take one week off and start over.

With this system i am not sure how hard I should go on each set in terms of a % of my max for that rep range.

Finally, I would like to incorporate deadlifts and squats but I find them too demanding to do in one workout so I just do legs one day a week and choose squats. Maybe I will find a way to add in deadlifts. Clarence Bass alternates his exercises so he does squats one week and deadlifts the next week, etc. Might try that!

One thing I am really concerned about is since I only hit each exercise or try to hit each body part once a week....shoudl I be going all out each workout. For example I am in a high rep phase right now so I was doing chest exercises today at 15-20 reps. Should I be doing maybe 60-80% of my 15 rep max or should I do about as many as I could do for 15 reps.

Then when I go into the next phase in 4 weeks, I will be looking at hitting about 12 reps. 3rd phase will be about 6-8 reps. In each of these do you all think I should be going for the max for that rep range or should I stay at about 60-70% till I get to the heavier weights and lower reps.

I have also read that as one approaches the heavier/lower reps portion of the system you could lose size since volume is lower. What if I keep volume high, meaning I will still do the same amount of sets, but my rest between sets may increase.

I workout right now 4 days a week, an hour at a time.

I am surprised nobody has a comment on this subject since it seems like an essential part of anyone's training program. I am really struggling with this right now. I am curious how many of you who hit each muscle group once a week like I do, actually do at least one set per exerice that reaches 95-100% of max for that rep range.

I do each body part once a week but there is overlap with shoulders since right now I do chest on Monday and shoulders on Thursday and when you think about it, shoulders get pounded during the bench press. On Thursday I do a machine overhead press, side and rear raises and some external rotator work. Maybe I am over training shoulders.