Are You Intimidated By Undulating Periodization?
At first glance, undulating periodization might sound like a high-maintenance pain in the butt with a lot of moving parts.
It is actually pretty simple. You might even (unknowingly) be doing it already.
What Is Undulating Periodization?
Undulating periodization is a non-linear form of periodization. You will pick two or more different intensity levels and cycle through them.
These can be subtle contrasts like 10 reps, 6 reps, and 8 reps. Or, these can be sharper contrasts like 10 reps, 20 reps, and singles (this option is probably not ideal for most, but just to illustrate the range of possibilities). You can choose whichever rep and set ranges fit your situation.
Although undulating periodization is commonly associated with three day per week/ full body programs, this is not the only way that it can be used.
Upper/lower templates with heavy and light days and the Texas Method are both examples of systems that use undulating periodization.
Undulating vs Other Forms of Periodization
Undulating periodization has been glorified lately in comparison to other systems. However, this isn’t really a scenario where one form of periodization is awesome and the other one sucks. They all overlap and intersect.
Periodization strategies are BROAD concepts. Different concepts can be used in conjunction with one another.
While one form of periodization might be dominant in a given system, most training methods can be classified under more than one category. For example, the Texas Method and the upper/lower system mentioned above could also be classified as a something linear, as the weights are steadily increasing each week. Combine that with any other methods to improve other qualities, and it could also be classified as conjugate.
If you look hard enough at a program, you might find a little bit of everything.
Here are some of the distinguishing differences between traditional and undulating periodization:
Linear Periodization
Linear periodization starts with high volume/low intensity and progresses to low volume/high intensity. A traditional model might follow a descending rep structure of 12, 10, 8, 6, 5, 4, 3, 2, 1 over a long period.
Linear periodization gets a bad reputation for its traditional long model, but a long linear graph is not the only way that it can work. There are plenty of different ways to spin it. It is a flexible system that can be used successfully in shorter cycles, or with less gradual transitions.
Undulating Periodization
An undulating periodization scheme has a waving pattern. It could follow a daily or weekly rep structure like 12, 6, 9, 11, 5, 8, 10, 4, 7.
An undulating system can allow for better recovery. It can also help to retain multiple attributes, like strength and endurance, simultaneously (a criticism of linear periodization).
There is also a psychological component – varying workouts keeps people engaged.
Undulating Periodization Options
Undulating can be a great first step into programming when coming off of a beginner system.
I think that a lot of people like the idea of DUP (daily undulating periodization), but get the impression that it is a fussy way to program.
It can require a bit more diligence on the tracking end of things. (Colored highlighters come in handy.)
You also don’t need to jump right in with both feet.
Here are some ideas on how to dip your toes in:
Poliquin’s Undulating Periodization Model
This is the original undulating periodization model proposed in the 80’s by the late Charles Poliquin. The intensity changes every few weeks. This format doesn’t have a big advantage over plain old linear periodization, but something like this can allow for a less erratic-looking training log as you get used to occasional undulations.
The gradient shades of purple correspond with the intensity level of the workout. Just follow the colors to see the pattern.
The intensity selection here is a nice mix for strength and muscle growth. If you need something outside of that, you can adjust as necessary.
Progression Between Workouts
You have two weeks in each intensity range. How you choose to progress between those two weeks is up to you. If you’d like, you can use a simple double or linear progression inside of each undulating segment. (See how words can make things sound more confusing than they really are?)
In other words, just aim for a small improvement by increasing either weight or reps.
Example 1 :
Week 1 – 3 x 10
Week 2 – 3 x 12 (same weight as wk1)
Week 3 – 5 x 4
Week 4 – 5 x 6 (same weight as wk3)
Week 5 – 4 x 8
Week 6 – 4 x 10 (same weight as wk5)
etc.
Example 2 :
Week 1 – 3 x 10
Week 2 – 3 x 10 (more weight than wk1)
Week 3 – 5 x 4
Week 4 – 5 x 4 (more weight than wk3)
Week 5 – 4 x 8
Week 6 – 4 x 8 (more weight than wk5)
etc.
Example 3 :
Week 1 – 3 x 12
Week 2 – 3 x 10 (more weight than wk1)
Week 3 – 5 x 6
Week 4 – 5 x 4 (more weight than wk3)
Week 5 – 4 x 10
Week 6 – 4 x 8 (more weight than wk5)
etc.
Weekly Undulating Periodization
If you want to try weekly undulating periodization, just speed things up so that the intensity changes every week.
Weekly undulating periodization is ‘a thing’ (not just DUP/daily), and it can work very well.
If you are happy with this setup – your quest for an undulating periodization scheme could very well end right here.
Daily Undulating Periodization
This is probably the most talked about version of undulating periodization.
I used a 3-day/week schedule in this example. We also broke things up a bit by rotating through 10’s, 5’s and 8’s for one month, then 3’s, 6’s and 2’s the next month.
You can easily do an upper/lower schedule, or whatever fits your needs. Your cycle can be as many or as few days as you wish. There are unlimited possibilities. All you need to do is rotate the days.
Taking Things A Step Farther..
Do squats and deadlifts both leave you feeling beat?
How about rotating them on different undulating waves. One week, squat heavy and deadlift light. Next week, do the opposite.
This is where people might start feeling a little claustrophobic with the walls of complicated programming closing in on them. However, if you’ve already gotten your feet wet with simple undulations, then strategies like this might feel more intuitive.
Alternative: Just Change The Order of Your Current System
You can simply take a system that you are already using and undulate it.
This is a very easy way to bring undulating periodization into what you are already doing.
You Are Not Just Pulling Numbers Out Of Your Butt
Some might describe undulating periodization as ‘randomized’ workouts. I think it is important to make the distinction between cycling through varying intensities and pulling rep ranges out of your butt.
This system addresses the repeated bout effect. That isn’t to be mistaken for random workouts/ muscle confusion. If the game plan is to pull set and rep ranges out of your butt each time you lift, then the training response will likely be random as well.
Undulating periodization undulates. There are patterns within it, with the trend going upward.
Sure, if you have yourself penned for a day of heavy singles and it doesn’t feel right, you can absolutely adjust things. Many experienced lifters are great at training intuitively and will be successful regardless. And if you are someone who won’t even make it to the gym unless you have something exciting and new to look forward to, then doing something is better than nothing.
For long-term progress, the idea is to cycle through contrasting workouts rather than pulling them out of your butt.
It Only Needs To Be Applied To A Few Lifts
You’d just want to pick a few key lifts to apply this to (for example, a squat, a press, and a deadlift variation). Supplemental and accessory work do not need to follow the same structure.
This Can Be Super Casual
You can get fancy with this. However, there is no need to be a slave to a complicated spreadsheet. Most people don’t need to plan in excruciating detail for months in advance.
If you don’t even want to mess with charts or calculators, a simple more than/less than type of approach can be ‘enough’ to get that waving pattern that you’re after.
Weekly Undulating Example:
- Week 1, you lift 200lbs for 10 reps.
- Week 2 calls for 5’s. So, you will obviously lift heavier than you did in week 1.
- Week 3 calls for 8’s. You will lift a little more than you did in week 1, but less than you did in week 2.
- Week 4 is back to 10 reps. Aim to do a little better than you did in week 1.
Simple and easy.
Wrap-Up
Undulating periodization is trendy right now. If research factors into your planning, it does tend to outperform other options there.
Because there are so many ways to spin it, it can be appropriate for all training levels.
If you look at this and it doesn’t interest you, that’s alright. You’re not missing anything. Other periodization methods work just fine. This is just another potential tool for the toolbox.
If you have been stalled or feeling under-recovered and undulating solves that for you – that’s awesome. Even better if you can incorporate it with ease.
References
https://journals.lww.com/nsca-scj/Citation/1988/06000/FOOTBALL__Five_steps_to_increasing_the.5.aspx