Undulating periodization for bodybuilders… Part II

Accumulation (consolidation) and intensification

Undulating periodization only works when every workout has a clear purpose. One important point that people tend to gloss over is that each workout should have its own goal; it is often overlooked or ignored, and the purpose of a given session gets forgotten. Sets of 4 x 12 have a completely different purpose from sets of 6 x 3. The first option is lower in intensity, higher in volume and has more of a “pumping” character for the muscles. The second scheme undoubtedly means heavy weights (high intensity). What’s more, there is also a difference between doing all 4 x 12 with the same weight and pyramiding up over 3 – 4 sets, then trying once again to hit a new 12-rep record set with a heavier weight.

Translator’s note: here I want to express my great delight that someone is finally talking about this. For years I have been digging and searching to see whether anyone classifies or distinguishes in any way that 4 x 12 sets with the same weight versus pyramided sets aiming for a new best 12-rep set with a heavier weight are, in some sense, different things. This is the first article where I see that, when talking about programs, it really is important to know and keep in mind whether the sets listed after an exercise should be done in pyramids or whether all working sets should be done with the same weight.

The difference is that one is accumulation and the other is intensification. Translator’s note: accumulation could also be called “controlled overtraining.” Accumulation is precisely about overloading the body with high volume. Doing all 4 x 12 with the same weight is accumulation: we load the body with high volume. Intensification is when we pyramid up through the warm-up and try to push the top 12-rep set forward in weight from workout to workout. In fact, the difference should show even in how the rep-and-set scheme is written. If we write, for example, 4 x 12 after an exercise, that does not mean pyramiding. It means that all 4 sets of twelve are done with the same chosen working-set weight. If we want an exercise to be pyramided up, we should write explicitly after the exercise “pyramid up to your best 12-rep set”. This matters because if we are chasing a best 12-rep set but also pyramid up with 12s across all four sets, we tire ourselves out before we even get to our potential top set of twelve.

I believe that combining accumulation and intensification is just as important as systematically varying the rep ranges. When it comes to progression, you often don’t need to rush into changing the rep range in order to provide a new training load. It is enough to change even just the number of sets (translator’s note: for example 4 x 12 instead of 3 x 12) or the way you pyramid up. The accumulation phase means doing multiple sets with the same weight. Intensification means pyramiding up through preparatory sets and reaching your best set at the planned rep count. Translator’s note: for example, last time I did 12 reps with 120 kg in the press; today I pyramid up with warm-ups and try to do 12 with 122.5 kg.

Here are examples of how to set up workouts in the different phases. We will use an upper/lower split as the example and cover the 3 – 12 rep range across four different workouts (schemes): workouts A, B, C and D.

Accumulation

Workout A – 4×12
Workout B – 5×8
Workout C – 4×6
Workout D – 6×3

Each week includes two workouts for the upper body and two for the lower body. In the first week, do workouts A and B (for both upper and lower body), and in the second week workouts C and D. This two-week undulation across different rep counts makes up one cycle. Ideally, go through each scheme (rep range) twice, meaning the full cycle twice, for four weeks in total.

Intensification

Workout A – pyramid up to your best 12-rep set
Workout B – pyramid up to your best 8-rep set
Workout C – pyramid up to your best 6-rep set
Workout D – pyramid up to your best 3-rep set

In the intensification phase we shift gears: instead of doing 4 x 12 etc. with the same weight, we pyramid up and try to reach our best 12-rep set (or 8-rep, 6-rep or 3-rep set). The split is exactly the same, and so are the exercises. The only difference is how, and how many, working sets we do. The goal of intensification is to get a little stronger again compared with before. In these intensification workouts the goal is not volume but progress in intensity (top working-set weight) at the chosen rep count. This type of workout is shorter than usual but more intense.

I recommend going through the cycle twice in the accumulation phase. Some trainees can already set new records after going through the accumulation cycle twice, though not all can. In any case, don’t ignore the intensification phase either, if only because it avoids routine, kills monotony and gives the body yet another kind of stimulus.

Choosing exercises

When choosing exercises, there are a couple of nuances worth taking into account. First, are you following a fullbody split or a body-part split? Are you trying to get stronger in the basic strength exercises, or do you simply want to build muscle mass and grow? Are you doing accumulation or intensification workouts? These things should be considered first.

For example, say we’re running a fullbody split and that day calls for 5 x 8. For me, that means “OK, I’ll pick three main lifts, for example a squat, a press and a row variation, and do 5 x 8 of each.” My gut tells me that if I want to add something extra, I can of course do a few more sets, staying at 8 reps, but I definitely don’t have to do all the accessory exercises for 5 x 8 as well. Of course, not everyone thinks that way.

I’ve seen people who run a fullbody split and pick squats, deadlifts, rows, pull-ups, standing presses, bench presses, biceps, triceps, calves and abs, and then try to do 5 x 8 for every muscle. Don’t do that!

When it comes to fullbody splits and the number of exercises, I’d lean toward minimalism. I believe in the theory that the lion’s share of results actually comes from a small number of basic exercises. One main basic lift for each main movement is more than enough: a squat (or deadlift), a press variation and a row (or a pull-up variation). If you want to, and for cosmetic reasons you’d like to add a bit of “beach muscle” work (arms, shoulders, abs, etc.), do it afterwards with a few longer sets. That’s perfectly sufficient.

If you’re on a body-part split, you can of course do more exercises. The advantage of a body-part split is precisely that this type of split allows greater variety, both in how you apply rep ranges and in your choice of exercises. In the basic lifts you might do, for example, 6 x 3, while the accessory exercises for the same body part/muscle/lift can be done in a rep range of 10 – 12 repetitions.

The rule of thumb is this: on a fullbody split, stick to 2 – 3 basic lifts, and if you still have the desire, time and energy left after them, you can add a little extra work through longer sets. If you use a body-part split, you can do more exercises in a workout, but then you also need to combine and fit together more of the different rep-and-set schemes.

Author: Janar Rückenberg (translation)

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