Sticking points….who doesn’t hate them as well as suffer from them from time to time? Rep after rep, set after set, workout after workout, grinding away hoping to make some sort of progress and frustrated by the seemingly impenetrable barrier holding progress at bay. Then the low energy day hits and progress is not only halted, but seems to be waning. It is enough to make even the most dedicated lifter dread the next workout.

What is the best way to combat the plateau? Take a week off? Try the next, newest “miracle” supplement? Scrap the current workout and opt for something totally different? All of the above can certainly help (well, an exception might be granted for the “miracle” supplement), however it pays to keep in mind that there are some basics that need to be revisited in order to get moving forward again.

Periodization is one of the biggest that comes to mind. This word probably scares many weekend warriors because the professional lifting coaches have made it so complicated. Micro cycles. Macro cycles. Tapering. This kind of complication is understandable because those coaches have to get the most out of their charges come competition day. But these concepts can be broken down into something more manageable for the average trainee--something that will bring normal lifters out of the doldrums and regain forward momentum.

What the following program will do is use micro cycles to bring back a lifter’s ability to take full advantage of progressive resistance. Each lifting cycle takes small increments in weight and allows the body to become accustomed to it and then primed to add more weight. More weight equals more strength, which will eventually equal more muscle!

Some basics on this routine

• Utilize full body training. The body is a closed system, and working out is very stressful on that system. While it may be possible to isolate the biceps from the quads through proper exercise selection (which “advanced” training splits do), the CNS and endocrine systems will be ramped up during training times also. Like the muscles in the body these systems need recovery time. Dividends will be paid to the trainees who give these often-ignored systems time to rebalance and recover.

• The first few weeks, and even the first few cycles, will seem ridiculously easy and the temptation will be there to add or change things. Keep in mind that it won’t take long before personal records are set, and the “easy” part of each micro cycle is not what it was at the beginning of the program. As a matter of fact, the trainee will look forward to having only one work set. Patience does get rewarded.

• Don’t miss workouts. Consistency and persistence pays off in the long run. If a workout absolutely has to be missed (life gets in the way sometimes) just complete the scheduled workout next training day. Yes, the schedule will be back a day or two, but it is completion of the scheduled workout that matters – not the day on which it was done.

• Keep a training log. This is very, very important, especially if a missed workout occurs. Memory is a great thing, but it cannot compare to a written journal. The workout has been placed on a sample journal page for ease of use. Get in the habit of keeping a training log. Time shows it to be a very valuable training tool.

• Cardio can be done post workout but keep it to a minimum. Intervals would work well. The main focus of this program is strength and size.

• Eat clean, eat often.

• Use a ¼ scoop of whey and some of creatine pre workout, then one or two scoops of whey, with dextrose and more creatine post workout. Try and eat a solid meal within an hour post workout also.

Now for the nuts and bolts of the workout

• Train 3 days per week with one day off between sessions. On a 7 day week that will give you 3 work days and 4 off days. Always add weight after the two consecutive days off.

• Use compound exercises as they stimulate the most muscle growth and strength gains.

• Choose a weight that allows 7 repetitions. The workout uses 5 reps per exercise. The object is not to train to failure. Leaving one or two reps in the tank will pay dividends when PR’s are set.

• Use super sets to save training time. Opposing muscle groups do not have to be used in a full body workout. A classic superset is bench and chins, which is a great combination. But squats can be paired with overhead presses to save time and engage relatively untaxed muscles.

• The micro cycles are three weeks in duration. On each new cycle, add weight (usually no more than 5 pounds on barbell exercises and 2.5 pounds on dumbbell exercises) and start the process over with one set, adding sets each consecutive week.

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  • Week one uses one set per exercise

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  • Week two uses two sets per exercise

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  • Week three uses three sets per exercise

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  • Week four starts a new cycle with added weight and one set for the first week

The workout

The table above is an example of what a workout log for this workout can look like. It can be created in Word or Excel. What is written in red is information that the lifter changes as needed, depending on the week and weights used. Sets should be written down as a hash mark after completion so they are not forgotten.

This is a simple, easy to follow example of progressive resistance using periodization. If a trainee uses this, within a few cycles the weights will be heavier than ever, and the sticking point will be a bad memory.