Microperiodization of load.

Microperiodization of loads is an important element of any adequate training program for “natural bodybuilding”. Yes, when using pharmacology you can progress linearly for much longer, although this does not eliminate the need to use meso and macro cycles. The bottom line is that the body’s adaptive reserve during “chemistry” is much higher, so all muscular and non-muscular systems are restored much faster, as a result of which the athlete can afford 3 or 4 hard workouts per week.

It is clear that without the support of pharmacology, a person using adequate training schemes will not be able to train like this for a long time, since this will simply lead to overtraining.

That is why at a certain stage, which occurs approximately when the athlete's strength indicators are 150, 200 and 220 percent of his own weight in one repetition in the bench press, squat and deadlift, respectively, the athlete is forced to make a choice between sports pharmacology and microperiodization. By the way, even if you prefer the first, you still won’t be able to avoid the second in the future, you’ll just postpone the need to use this technique for some time. The fact is that differences in the speed of recovery of various systems, sooner or later, will make themselves felt, and progress in speed-strength indicators will require you to use increasingly sophisticated methods of deepening training stress, the excessive complexity of which will force them to alternate even case if you use "pharma".

When it comes to strength sports, microperiodization most often concerns indicators such as intensity and volume. Intensity regulates the qualitative indicator of the load, namely the percentage of the personal maximum that the athlete uses. Volume, accordingly, regulates the number of barbell lifts per workout. An example of maximum intensity and minimum volume is singles, where an athlete performs an exercise for 1 repetition with a maximum weight. Accordingly, microperiodization involves manipulation of these two indicators. The simplest training schemes offer manipulation only with the intensity indicator, when the athlete alternates training with 100% of the working weight and 75-50% during the training cycle. In particular, such a scheme is the Plintovich system, which you can find on the Internet.