First of all stop calling it periodization. Periodization simply means dividing a training into period. What you are describing is a form of periodization,yes, linear progression periodization. But it’s far from being the only type of periodization there is. You have block periodization, daily undulating periodization,undulating periodization, conjugate periodization, triphasic periodization,cybernetic periodization,etc.
I’m not saying it’s not a good option. In fact I have created two linear periodization programs in the past (915 and the Power look). But it doesn’t fit every body’s psychological profile.
It works best with people who are naturally patient, routine-based, do not like to take risks and who do better when they have to follow a strict plan.
Those who are impatient, like to take risks, are super competitive and need to “win the workout”, will have a harder time with a linear progression like this because they will not be satisfied with the sessions if they are “too easy” (and most should feel that way with this type of approach)…their natural tendency will be to use more weight than is planned, and this can kill their recovery and half progression. But if they don’t do it, they lose motivation.
It also doesn’t work well for people who need variety in their training.
Even though I’ve used a linear progression peridization like that with clients in the past (when it was the right approach for them), I personally was only able to do it once, when I was 18. Every other time I tried to follow such an approach I lost motivation after 3 weeks.
If you lose motivation because the type of training doesn’t suit you, you can’t progress optimally.
And this is without talking about the issues with the traditional linear progression periodization model.
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Most people use a reference weight that is too heavy. The percentages should be based on a technically perfect 1RM, not the most weight you lifted from point A to point B with shitty form and compensations. It should also be a training max: a lift you could do on any workout without any peaking or special measures to lift more… not a weight you lifted once and never again. It should also be the maximum you can lift right now, not what you did in the past. From my experience the vast majority of people use a reference weight that is too heavy and by week no 4 they accumulate too much neurological stress from the weights that are a bit too heavy and they crash.
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Percent-based programs will always have one major issue: depending on how you feel on a given day, 80% might really be 90% (if you are tired, haven’t slept well, are under stress) and on some days it might be your 75%.Forcing yourself to use a weight that is excessive TODAY might kill your progression by hurting your recovery.
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The body doesn’t adapt in linear fashion. It improves in spurts. Beginners and people coming back from a layoff can have an illusion of linear progression simply because the initial gain spurt is large. For example if you do 200 x 4 on week 1, 200 x 5 on week 2, 200 x 6 on week 3, 210 x 4 on week 4 (this is not a recommendation, it’s for illustration purposes) after week 1 you might very well have progressed enough to do 210 x 5, making the progression from week to week seem linear while in fact you somply progressed enough from the first week to breeze through the next 3 weeks. But more advanced individuals are more likely to hit a wall before the program is completed.
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It’s hard to adjust. If you miss a weight/reps on a given week,how do you adapt the progression? Do you scratch it off on having a bad day and continue with the progression? Do you decrease the weights for the rest of the weeks? Do you go back 1-2 weeks? It’s a system that is great as long as you are hitting your weights with solid technique… but it can go bad really fast when you can’t.
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Very few high level lifters use that approach. I know it doesn’t mean anything. But it illustrates that it is not theonly (or best) way to get stronger.
Again, I’m not saying that it can’t work. I’ve used it with clients in the past and if you are conservative with your reference weight, do not have a stressful life and are not advanced, it can work. I’d say that 50% of the people who use it willget very good results, 25% will get ok results and 25% will be dissapointed or can’t finish the progression.
