Periodization in Bodyweight Training | Calisthenics Programming EP.4

Summary

This episode of Calisthenics Programming delves into periodization, a systematic organization of training over time. It explains the concept of micro, meso, and macro cycles, using the example of learning a handstand push-up. The video outlines the importance of phase-specific training to progressively build muscle, strength, and skill. It emphasizes the significance of the right sequence in training phases and the role of undulation, linearity, and variation in a training program. The summary encourages viewers to avoid overthinking and to focus on the principle of overload for steady progress.

Takeaways

• 📅 Periodization involves changes in a training program over time, classified into micro, meso, and macro cycles.
• 🤸‍♂️ An example goal for an intermediate calisthenics athlete could be achieving a full ROM handstand push-up within a six-month macro cycle.
• 🏋️‍♂️ Training is divided into mesocycles focusing on specific objectives, such as hypertrophy or strength phases, each consisting of micro cycles.
• 💪 Initial phases may focus on hypertrophy to build muscle mass, using exercises with higher rep ranges and minimal skill work.
• 🔧 Strength phases involve more specific exercises with lower rep ranges, gradually introducing skill work like handstand push-ups.
• 🏆 Skill phases increase specificity and frequency, building on the muscle and strength foundations to achieve the desired skill.
• 🔄 The logical order of phases is important for effective adaptation, with strength phases preserving hypertrophy gains better than vice versa.
• 📉 Adaptive resistance and overtraining can be avoided by splitting training into dedicated phases and focusing on specific qualities sequentially.
• 📈 Components of training programs include undulation (change in volume/intensity), linearity (progression), and variation (exercise changes).
• 🔁 Advanced athletes may require more variation and undulation, with linear progressions happening on a weekly or monthly basis rather than daily.

Q & A

What is the main topic discussed in this episode of Calisthenics, Programming?

The main topic discussed is periodization in calisthenics programming, including how to organize training on a weekly, monthly, and yearly basis and the types of periodization that should be used.

What does the term 'periodization' refer to in the context of training?

Periodization refers to the changes in the training program that occur during specific periods of time, including micro, meso, and macro cycles.

Why is it reasonable to predict that it will take an intermediate calisthenics athlete around 6 months to learn a full range of motion handstand push-up?

It is reasonable because the athlete's level allows for an estimation of the time required to achieve the skill, with the 6-month period serving as the macro cycle for this goal.

What is the purpose of dividing training into mesocycles and microcycles?

The purpose is to split training into separate blocks, each focusing on improving a certain feature or smaller objective, with microcycles containing a given number of training days within each mesocycle.

What is the initial phase of training for an athlete aiming to learn a handstand push-up, and what is its main objective?

The initial phase is the hypertrophy block, where the main objective is to build muscle mass in areas like the delts, traps, and triceps, serving as the foundation for later, more specific training.

Why is it important to maintain a logical order of sequential phases in a training program?

The logical order is important because some qualities potentiate others better, and the adaptations gained in one phase can last longer and be preserved more easily, leading to more effective training progression.

What are the three main components of a training program that can change over time to emphasize different qualities?

The three main components are undulation (change in volume or intensity), linearity (progression in a given training factor), and variation (changing exercises).

Why might a beginner and an advanced athlete approach linearity differently in their training?

A beginner might include linearity daily by increasing reps or weight each time they train, while an advanced athlete might need to split training into higher and lower intensity sessions or use a full month to linearly increase weight or reps due to the complexity of their training goals.

How does variation in bodyweight training relate to undulation and linearity?

In bodyweight training, variation is often connected to undulation and linearity, with changes in exercises and slight progressions in range of motion or difficulty occurring on a weekly basis to maintain progress.

What advice does the video give for those who might overthink or overanalyze their calisthenics program?

The advice is to remember that as long as the principle of overload is included and linearity occurs as often as capable in any form, the training is on the right track, and improvements will come with consistency.

What is the role of skill work in the early phase of training for a handstand push-up, and how does it change later on?

In the early hypertrophy phase, skill work is kept to a minimum while the focus is on building muscle mass. Later on, during the strength phase, skill work becomes more specific and frequent, introducing exercises like wall handstand push-ups and negatives to prepare for the actual skill.

Outlines

00:00

🏋️‍♂️ Calisthenics Periodization and Training Cycles

This paragraph introduces the concept of periodization in calisthenics, explaining its importance for athletes looking to organize their training over different time frames. It discusses the idea of micro, meso, and macro cycles, using the example of an intermediate athlete aiming to learn a full range of motion handstand push-up within six months. The paragraph outlines how mesocycles can be used to focus on smaller objectives and how training phases should build upon each other, starting with hypertrophy blocks to build necessary muscle mass, followed by strength and skill phases to refine the movement. The importance of the sequence of training phases is emphasized, as certain qualities potentiate others, and adaptations from one phase can be preserved more effectively into the next.

05:00

📈 Training Program Components: Undulation, Linearity, and Variation

The second paragraph delves into the three main components of a training program: undulation, linearity, and variation. Undulation refers to changes in volume and intensity, linearity to the progression of training factors, and variation to the alteration of exercises. The paragraph provides examples of how these components can be applied in a weighted pull-up program, illustrating daily linear progression, weekly undulation, and monthly variation. It also touches on how the frequency and degree of these components can differ based on the individual's training level and goals. The importance of including overload and ensuring linear progression in some form is highlighted, as this is key to making continuous improvements. The paragraph concludes with advice against overthinking and overanalyzing, encouraging viewers to focus on the fundamentals for steady progress.

Keywords

💡Periodization

Periodization refers to the systematic planning of training programs over specific periods to achieve peak performance at desired times. In the context of the video, periodization is used to organize calisthenics training on a weekly, monthly, and yearly basis, with the goal of progressively improving and eventually mastering a skill like the handstand push-up. The script mentions periodization in relation to micro, meso, and macro cycles, which are different time frames for planning training phases.

💡Macro Cycle

A macro cycle is a long-term training phase that can last several months and is part of the periodization process. In the video, the macro cycle is exemplified by setting a six-month goal to achieve a full range of motion handstand push-up, which serves as the overarching time frame for the athlete's training progression.

💡Mesocycle

A mesocycle is a medium-term training phase that occurs within a macro cycle and typically lasts several weeks. The script describes how an intermediate calisthenics athlete might go through six different mesocycles within a six-month macro cycle, each focusing on smaller objectives to build towards the ultimate goal.

💡Micro Cycle

A micro cycle is a short-term training phase that occurs within a mesocycle and usually comprises of four training weeks. The video uses micro cycles to illustrate the weekly structure of training, where specific exercises and intensity levels are adjusted to progressively work towards the goals set in the mesocycle.

💡Hypertrophy

Hypertrophy is the increase in muscle mass and size. In the script, hypertrophy blocks are mentioned as the initial phase of the handstand push-up training, where the focus is on building muscle mass in areas like the delts, traps, and triceps to provide a foundation for later, more specific training.

💡Strength Phase

The strength phase is a training period focused on increasing muscular strength. In the video, it follows the hypertrophy phase, with exercises becoming more specific and rep ranges decreasing. This phase introduces actual skill work like wall handstand push-ups, preparing the athlete for the skill phase.

💡Skill Phase

The skill phase is a training period dedicated to mastering a specific movement or skill. The script describes it as an optional phase in calisthenics training, where the specificity of training is significantly increased, and the focus is on perfecting the movement, such as attempting the handstand push-up.

💡Undulation

Undulation in a training program refers to the fluctuation in volume and/or intensity. The video explains that undulation can occur daily, weekly, or monthly, and is a way to manage training loads to prevent overtraining and promote recovery.

💡Linearity

Linearity in the context of training refers to the consistent and incremental progression of a training variable, such as weight, reps, or sets. The script provides an example of daily linear progression in a weighted pull-up program, where resistance is added with each workout.

💡Variation

Variation in a training program involves changing exercises to target different aspects of fitness or to prevent boredom. The video script mentions variation as a component that can change on a monthly basis, such as switching from pull-ups to chin-ups to maintain progress.

💡Adaptive Resistance

Adaptive resistance is the body's physiological response to training that eventually leads to a plateau in progress. The script warns against the potential for adaptive resistance when training is not periodized properly, suggesting that without structured phases, an athlete may stop making progress.

💡Directed Adaptation

Directed adaptation is the concept of training the body in a specific way to elicit a targeted response. The video emphasizes the importance of directed adaptation, explaining that by focusing on one aspect of fitness at a time within each phase, an athlete can make more significant progress towards their goals.

Highlights

Introduction to the concept of periodization in calisthenics programming.

Definition of periodization as changes in training programs over time.

Explanation of micro, meso, and macro cycles in calisthenics training.

Setting a six-month macro cycle goal for learning a full ROM handstand push-up.

Use of mesocycles to focus on smaller objectives within the macro cycle.

Micro cycles as four-week blocks with specific training days.

The idea of potentiating different phases of training for sequential improvement.

Starting with hypertrophy blocks to build necessary muscle mass for later training.

Using high rep range exercises and moderate frequency during hypertrophy phase.

Transitioning to strength phase with lower rep ranges and more specific exercises.

Introducing skill work with exercises like wall handstand push-ups and negatives.

Optional skill phase for high specificity and increased training frequency.

The importance of the logical order of sequential training phases.

Adaptive resistance and the limitations of training without phase specificity.

The concept of directed adaptation and focusing on one quality at a time.

Three main components of training program: undulation, linearity, and variation.

Daily, weekly, and monthly progression examples in a weighted pull-up program.

Importance of individual differences and goals in utilizing training components.

The connection between undulation, linearity, and variation in bodyweight training.

Encouragement to avoid overthinking and focus on the principle of overload for progress.

Advice on getting familiar with articles and videos for further understanding of periodization.

Invitation to like the series and stay tuned for future episodes on calisthenics programming.

Transcripts

welcome to the episode 4 of calisthenics

programming

in the previous one we discussed the

topic of exercise selection

how to apply the principle of

specificity and what features the

exercise should have to be worth adding

to our program

as we know how to set goals we know the

basic variables of programming and we

can choose the right exercises it's time

to dive in the mysterious and often

misunderstood topic of periodization

as calisthenics athletes how to organize

our training on a weekly monthly and

yearly basis

and which type of periodization should

we use if something like that even

exists

enjoy

[Music]

let's start with some basic definition

of this fancy word

periodization as the name suggests has

something to do with a period of time

and to be more specific changes in

training program that occur during these

periods

now depending on when or how often these

changes occur we talk about micro meso

and macro cycles

let's assume we have an intermediate

level calisthenics athlete that decides

to learn a full rom handstand push-up

based on his level we can reasonably

predict it will take around 6 months to

get it

so we set it up as our goal time frame

to achieve the skill

six months is our macro cycle over this

period he's gonna go through six

different mesocycles

focus on certain smaller objectives each

mesocycle splits into four training

weeks which in this example

are our micro cycles that contain a

given number of training days

we're gonna use the mesocycles to split

our training into separate blocks

in which we'll be focused on improving a

certain feature

the main idea is that the different

phases of training should be

potentiating the following ones

we might start the handstand push-up

pursuit with two hypertrophy blocks

where the main objective

is building our delts traps triceps etc

muscle mass that is gonna be the

foundation of later work

during this time we can use the variety

of exercises done primarily in a higher

rep range

at the same time skill work might be

kept to minimum and frequency at a

moderate level

the goal is to build muscle in the

necessary areas that we can then use in

a more specific

training so this is the time for more

exercises with weights more single joint

movements

and for example some conventional

bodyweight stuff like dips or push-ups

later on we can go through the strength

phase for another two cycles where the

rep ranges go a bit down

exercises get a bit more specific and we

start introducing more and more

actual skill work so it's time for

things like wall handstand push-ups

spike push-ups handstand push-up

negatives and some other specific

exercises that

due to the technical aspects are more

suitable for lower rep ranges

after that optionally we can put our

training on skill phase where the

specificity goes up significantly

frequency might be higher response is

longer and having the muscle and

strength

base we can get closer and closer to

actually attempting the skill

because our training just like most

bodyweight athletes does not compete

this phase is not something crucial

like i mentioned rather optional unlike

in other strength sports we don't have

any

external pressure telling us when the

performance has to be the highest

and so after strength phase we can just

get back and repeat the whole process

but i think in the case of handstand

push-up it makes more sense because the

skill component of this move is pretty

high in comparison to some other ones

now the logical order of sequential

phases is important

you may ask why not to go through

strength phase first then hypertrophy

and then skill or any other way

some of the qualities potentiate others

better and most importantly the

adaptations gained lasts for a longer

time and can be preserved easier

by strength training we'll be able to

preserve our size gained in hypertrophy

phase but in a vice versa situation

by training mainly for size we can

notice a slight decay after two to four

weeks

the specific skill abilities will decay

even faster and because they are most

specific to the goal we obviously want

to put them as last

there are many ways to go about dividing

your training we can find many different

microcycle splits that differ amongst

training types and

disciplines just like the length and a

number of the mesocycles

is just an example to help you visualize

the concept

the question that may be developing in

your head is is splitting up your

training two phases mandatory

the answer is no you obviously can do

for example a very specific skill

training from day one

however sooner or later you will face

the adaptive resistance

and just spin your wheels making no

progress on the other hand you might try

doing a mixture of

everything but again there's a reason

most good coaches prefer basic approach

and it's directed adaptation the more

things you work on the less you will

improve at each one of them

so by doing everything at once you

inhibit your potential greatly

that's why a nice sweet spot is speeding

up training to dedicated phases and

developing each necessary quality

independently while still being somewhat

specific to the end goal in each phase

alright so as we have that and we

clarify the time component of

periodization

let's take a closer look at the changes

that occur what changes

exactly can we make to our program over

time to emphasize different qualities

simply put there are three main

components of training program

undulation which is basically change in

volume intensity or both

linearity referring to progression so

linear increments in a given training

factor

and variation which refers to changing

the exercises

each one of these components occurs in

most training programs

what usually differs them is to which

degree and how often they occur

let's take an example of weighted

pull-up assume we do two workouts per

week

each time we train we add a little bit

of resistance which means every single

day the intensity rises linearly in this

program linearity happens on a daily

basis

now let's say we stopped progressing and

adding weight so often is not possible

anymore we decide to make one training

of the week heavier and the second

lighter in terms of weight we use

by the same token we add the daily

undulation which is the change in

intensity and volume that

doesn't happen linearly we still add

weight to each following workout but

this time because of our structure

linearity occurs on a weekly and not

daily basis after a full month of

training we observe the progress gets

very hard to continue

so our next month we switch up from

pull-ups to chin-ups and repeat the

whole process

by this reasoning when it comes to our

pull-up training we include variation on

a monthly basis

as you might have already concluded in

the majority of training programs all

three components are present

and may occur on more than one time

basis when we get back to our weighted

pull-ups in two months we'll aim to

start the whole process with more

kilograms on the belt which means

linearity occurs not only in a micro but

also in a macro scale

based on individual differences and

goals we can utilize the components

differently

a beginner might be including linearity

daily and every time he trains for

example his pull-ups do more reps or add

more weight

person more advanced might not be able

to do it so a good idea may be splitting

up training to higher and lower

intensity than every week

and add weight or reps weekly someone

who is very advanced might need a full

month to linearly increase and it does

include more exercise variation and

undulation to the program

skills more demanding for connective

tissue like back lever usually require

more undulation in training loads and

more exercise variation

also generally the variation in

accessory movements can happen more

often than in our main lifts we want to

improve it

a thing that might be important to note

is that in bodyweight training the

element of undulation and linearity is

often strictly connected to changing

variation

in strength phase we might daily

undulate by one day doing pike push-ups

for

5-7 reps and the other day wall

handstand push-ups for 2-4 reps we might

also progress

weekly by changing variation slightly

and adding more range of motion in our

exercises

so it's progressing linearly every week

by using variation

[Music]

alright we went for a lot of information

that very possibly might be completely

new to you

so to sum everything up there are many

ways to write a good calisthenics

program i understand that with so many

concepts and new terms it's also easy to

get caught up in overthinking and

overanalyzing

which as we know from my previous video

is the first step to lack of progress

so please remember that as long as you

include the principle of overload and

the linearity occurs as often as we are

capable

in whatever form meaning more sets reps

weight range of motion harder exercises

just know that you do the right thing

and the improvements will come

eventually i would suggest getting

familiar with the articles and videos

i'm gonna post below as that's where

lots of the knowledge comes from

if you enjoyed the series so far leave a

like and stay tuned for the next

episodes if you happen to be interested

in online coaching with me all the

details in the description

thank you so much for watching this for

springs movement tv talk to you next

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time

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