You are listening to the nasm CPT podcast with Rick Richie the official podcast of the National Academy of sports medicine. Welcome to the nasm CPT podcast. My name is Rick Ritchie. And today we're going to be talking about exercise programming and periodization. This is a topic that's incredibly valuable. So as we start to talk about periodization and programming we'reReally going to look at what is it mean what is periodization? And why do we do it? And then what is programming and how is that different than periodization? So let's start with this a few weeks back on the nasm CPD podcast. We discussed the gas and said principles and gas points out that there's a need for stress called you stress eustress is a beneficial stress and distress is what we would refer to as overtraining now, you could be a regular exerciser. At the gym, you could hit the gym every single day and you're doing your thing. And then for the first time in a long time you go out to a batting cage or you go out to a driving range and you swing it some baseballs and you swing at some golf balls for 15 20, 30 minutes all of a sudden the next two or three days. You're like, I am so sore from swinging a baseball bat or swinging a golf club. I know this is recently came up. Because I took my daughter to a soccer practice and I was going to run around this this island next to Manhattan called Randall's Island. I was going to run around and do a little like longer slower duration cardio, but that's the soccer pitch right next to us completely empty and I decided I'm going to run sprints now. I haven't run sprints in a huge has a long time. So I go over and I get you know, let's just say the soccer pitch is about the same size as a football field for our purposes right now. So the let's say is a hundred yards long and I run 50 meters and then I walked the remaining 50 meters and then I walk a hundred meters back and then I run 50 meters and then I walk the remaining 50 meters and 100 meters back or yards and I do that several times until about the eighth time where I felt a little hitch in your giddyup. I felt a small little tweak in the hamstring. So I was like, all right game over. I'm done. That I'm not going to do that anymore today, but I loved it had a great time. I'm telling you for the next three or four days. I knew why my legs were sore, but I felt I was sore in my ribs with the muscles between my ribs were sore my abs were sore my obliques were sore and for at least the first half of the day, I was thinking what on Earth did I do that? I got sore and they remember the sprinting and house printing. Cuz I haven't done that in such a long time was going to be challenging for my but I just think it would be that challenging for my abdominal region, but it definitely was well periodization is one of those things where I was period izing my cardio program by adding in Sprints and we will get used to running longer slower durations. But when you start to add in the sprinting then that is a change in your program now, I haven't It is did that technically all I did was make a change to my program but I haven't actually scheduled that and say hey, let's start implementing this on a regular basis something for me that will change After experiencing what it was like to Sprint but let's talk about periodization and programming what are the differences and what do they mean so difference number one periodization is a division of a training program and a smaller Progressive stages and they're usually broken up. Into three different components or three different Cycles. There is a macro cycle a mezzo cycle and a micro cycle. The macro cycle is a long-term training period you can say that that's going to be between six months and a year. That's what you're going to commit to a six-month program or a year-long program and within that macrocycle you will identify the steps that you want to be made. So let's go large pitcher macrocycle and work our way down piece by piece and From my perspective like a macro cycle might be the timeline to get somebody through the opt model the so that that might be a macro cycle. It'll take a while six months to a year to get through the the entire opt model but a mezzo cycle are going to be smaller phases within that micro cycle are sorry the within that macro cycle and it's going to be several weeks to possibly a few months know that might be one phase in the opt model right? So you might be Spending time in stabilization endurance training for four to six weeks. All right. Well that that's going to be a mezzo cycle that's going to be an intermittent cycle. When you progress to that next phase in the opt model its strength endurance training, then that'll be a mezzo cycle to you can stay in that for four to six weeks. But a micro cycle the smallest component of this periodization cycled. It's going to be like usually a week and within that week. You might have several things program. So let's say that you're in a stabilization endurance training right now. So you might do several different types of training within that micro cycle, but you might also program a longer duration cardio or you might program within your clients training a yoga class to focus on stability and flexibility, but more in like a recovery way rather than a and I'm not saying that yoga is not challenging like that, but but we're Not necessarily going through this full muscle action Spectrum with eccentric isometric concentric and then doing weights. But you're holding poses and you are prolonging stretches that could be a pilates class. It could be simply adding in cardio where you want your clients to just do cardio instead. All of that stuff is a way to micro cycle where you want them to be for just the week maybe and then for that one to two week portion you to look at the Changes that need to be made to a program. Now. This is where true programming takes place programming is how the acute training variables change within that period of training in order to optimize your outcomes. And if you want to look at what those acute variables might be. So the variables you're looking at might be your rep range your sets the intensity or how much weight that you're going to be lifting the often overlooked tempo. So how fast or how slow you're going to be doing your repetitions? What's your rest range? You might see something that says zero to 90 seconds and nasm programming for arrest range. Well 0 seconds of rest in between two sets of push-ups is one really long set of push-ups. So clearly that's not what we're talking about. Zero seconds rest would be like those are going to be Circuits, there's going to be clusters. Those are going to be things that you do back to back with a zero rest and you might see the 90 seconds the 90 seconds sounds like well, that's a really long time to actually rest in between sets. But 90 seconds is likely an amount of rest that you might need to provide for your client in between circuits. So now after they go through four or five exercises potentially, then you can take a minute and a half break before going into it. And then you start to get into the duration which is kind of your your cycling. So how long are you going to be doing that and that duration if it's four to six weeks like we talked about it that in nasm where you might want to stay in a program based on linear periodization and next week. We're going to start will add conversation about different types of periodization, but that mesocycle is four to six weeks, but we are also looking at well how many times are people coming in and doing their work? Scouts right. So that's going to be part of the programming as well. But we've talked about now looking at well, what is what is periodization periodization division of training and two smaller Progressive stages and you can have a macro cycle six months to a year. Mezzo cycle would be you know, usually several weeks to a few months and then the micro cycle is likely usually about a week we talked about programming. Well, what is And that's how you change the acute variables within that period within that mesocycle or that micro cycle in order to optimize your training outcomes. So that might be will let's change from a bench press to a dumbbell chest, press well. That's not sets reps or anything like that. But it's just how you create this division of labor in between different types of exercises. That's programming. It might be now we're going to do in that first phase 12 to 20 repetitions. Ditions doing more of a 20 repetition and one day where your maxing out at 20 repetitions hardly able to get 21 or 22 repetitions at that shouldn't be the case. You you get to 21 or 22 reps your form starts to break or you you haven't fatigued at the muscle that's going to momentary muscular fatigue and you can't do anymore. Well, then you could start changing that and start saying well next time we're going to go to 15 repetitions and and instead of 20 and you're creating these variables these variable changes and that's programming as a thank you for listening to the nasm CPT podcast. I've got a special offer for you 20% off of any nasm order. You can use that 20% to get certified as a personal trainer through a CPT program the standard for the fitness industry or expand your career with one of our specializations, including our latest One nasm Nutrition certification, which gives you the skills to be a certified nutrition coach get 20% off your order by calling 804 6-0 6-2 7-6 or visiting nasm dot-org and using the code podcast 20 that's 800 for 6-0 6-2 7-6 and the discount code is podcast 20 start changing even more lives today. But what's a routine then a routine is something that you do routinely right? So it's something you got set up. So your exercise routine could be this. When when do you work out? That should be a routine and I know it's difficult and sometimes we're like, ah, just try to get it in when I can get it in that isn't a routine unless you're able to do that routinely unless you're able to do that and know that you're going Monday Wednesday and Friday and it doesn't matter what time the timing is not the routine. But the Monday Wednesday Friday is a routine. So the days you work out is a routine. That's what you do on a regular basis in order to Sure that you are a regular exerciser. It could be one time you work out. I was talking to a gentleman. I had an activation at Lululemon and their repair lab when they were preparing for the New York City marathon and a guy named Charlie dark said you should be as focused on getting up an exercising every single morning as you are brushing your teeth. It just should just be part of your day. Now, I think that's beautiful. I think that's wonderful love to be able to. Make that happen, but what he's saying is there is a time every day that you were planning your workout. And that is your routine. There is a day that you have selected days a week you have selected that is your routine. And so for him that example is going to be cardio he gets out and does a very specific cardio program. Now does he period eyes that program without a doubt? He's doing long slow duration runs. He's doing Tempo runs he's doing sprints. He's got all of these different types of things that he will program and then over the course of the training cycle in preparation for a marathon that is kind of a macro cycle of periodization. So programming a routine is really something that you as a client need to identify you as an exercise or need to identify. It can be what you don't change and the things that you don't change should not be B I guess how you exercise their needs to be routine in your exercise in order for you to maximize outcome, you need to exercise a certain way on a regular basis. So for instance if your Olympic lifter, you need to practice your Olympic lifts you need to period eyes that as well you need to create training variables for several reasons, but you've got to be able to create Variety in your program. And so those that generally don't Kind of altered their routines enough. There's nothing wrong with a split routine. But I know that for a fact there are people out there who have been doing the same split routine for like 15 years 15 years Straight live. And what do you do when you work out chest rise back buys Chaz legs and shoulders right those that's my split routine. All right, cool. How long you been doing that for like 15 years? Okay, when's the last time you saw really good results like 14 and a half years ago. That's how long it's been since I've really seen gains and the thing is like once you start working out and you're doing a split routine that can be a really valuable work out if this person's goal was hypertrophy and they saw in the first six months incredible amounts of hypertrophy and you're going to get that first of all because you just started working out and secondly because now you put together a program and a routine so you've got it planned what you're To do when you're going to do it and you stick to it value is there there is value there. But if you never change you never change and so when you get used to doing something you are no longer even in you stress, you're just doing the same old thing you're maintaining what you already got you're not going to get anything new unless you create eustress you start to create more challenge to the body and that's what this is. That's what we're trying to do right now is come up with this concept of understanding that nothing wrong with split routines. But if that's all you do, that's all you do. Thing like people pick tools and they're like, this is my thing. I do kettlebells. That's great. But a kettlebell is an exercise tool and if all you do is kettlebells, then I would venture to say that you are minimizing the ability to maximize your kettlebell use because there's not enough periodization in the program if you only and always do kettlebells or if you only and always do yoga or Pilates or strength train and a ocular type of way, then you're limiting your ability to maximize your outcomes. And the other thing one reason we also do periodization is because there is a tendency for overtraining you think about that for people who are running the marathon and if all you did was practice really long runs, then two things that happen you would you would probably get injured because there's just so many Impact so many impacts over and over again and you have to allow your your body the time to rest and recover which is another valuable part of your exercise program. You've got to implement recovery, but also you look at it and say there are a lot of impacts but the other thing too is once you get used to running slow and you're running the same time over and over again, you're not going to run a faster time unless you push yourself to run faster and that's why Tempo runs would be very valuable in this. Ticular example and even sprinting helps you. So once you start shifting your gate a little bit, once you start pushing yourself through a like a lactic acid training and you start to increase your ability to maximize your VO2 max or the the maximum amount of oxygen that one is able to consume while working out because we're all bringing in the same amount of oxygen when we breathe, but it doesn't mean we're all utilizing the same amount of oxygen when we work out. So creating these variables within the program creating a routine, but Focus your specific routine on when you work out what days you are going to commit to work out what times you are able to commit to work out. And then routinely put together a program. So your program falls into a routine. And the thing about that routine is that that routine is changeable that routine is something that is being programmed and that program has Variety in it, whether it's changing the sets the Reps the the frequency the duration. So how long you're going to be doing it? How many days a week you're going to be coming in? What's your rest range? Are you going to be doing? Are you going to be changing the type of program that you do? So are you going to do peripheral heart action? You're going to be doing a split routine or you're going to be doing volume training escalated density training all things that we'll talk about in future episodes and identify different types of routines that are there or programming that's there, but your routine needs to be routine. So pick those days of the week and if that means getting up early and getting your work out in get up early and get to work out in I tell this to my training clients when they're particularly if there are Professionals in an industry, so I'm going to get people like attorneys or people in the medical field and they know that once their day starts they have zero good judgment zero good judgment on when their day is going to end, but they know when they're going to go into work. Guess what? We got to start our routine before work because otherwise, I'm going to cancel charging you for every session that you miss and I want to keep charging your sessions that you miss. I want to charge you for sessions that you show up to and that we do together to help you reach your goals. So if you've got people that are in those fields and they have a really difficult time understanding when they're going to be out of work unless they're doing late and you're okay with doing late then then you may want to shift those clients into an early a.m. Session just so they know that they can get up and get it in. So these are all great opportunities to look at here's the difference between our our periodization our programming and our routine. Ins and then let's spend some more time on programming because I think sometimes this is where the wheels fall apart with with trainers is that they have this concept that they're going to put together a workout and it might have this macro and mezzo and micro cycle and then they're also going to put together something based off the opt model and they're going to do their stabilization. They're going to do their strength training then work up to power training and then six months later. They're still doing the same exercises every single day with the same clients over and over again and We can do better. The fact is that we can do better. The problem is that change is difficult and even change for the good right? They change for the good can be difficult, but we need to focus on making those changes for us and for our clients and if you need something like an app, maybe the nasm edge app or there's many other apps out there that you can utilize that can help you with how you program and what you program so that you can provide content. To yourself. So you know where you are to your clients so they know what you're doing with them and then you can give it to them on going so that you can say hey, you're only seeing me twice a week, maybe even once a week here is a program that you can follow and within that program. I want you to identify when you're going to do it. What is that routes Heen implementation of that program. So the exercise routine might be the components of a workout. We know that we're going to get strength training in there. We know we're going to get some video in there. We know we're going to Core Balance and reactive training and there may be some speed agility and quickness for certain types of clients that I take people through we're going to get all of these things in there that's part of the routine, but how you program those routines change and they vary and when you program them based off of what cycle you're in will also vary. So I hope this is at least a high-level overview of what our periodization looks like what our programming Hand look like and what our routines need to be focused on and then what we'll do in the next couple of weeks is dig a little bit deeper and find out how we can shift these programs even more to make them make sense for different types of clients. I appreciate all the feedback everybody's been given and the programming and periodization Concepts had come back multiple times through DMs on Instagram and emails that I've been getting. So I hope that this Those who reached out find this valuable and I also hope that you all continue to reach out. So hit me up at Dr. Dot Rick Rich ER IC H, ey at Instagram and you can email me at Ric died Richie at nasm dot org and let me know what you'd like to hear about and will produce it. Alright, thank you so much for listening. This is the NES uncp.
This week we look at the differences between periodization, programming, and routines. These are often used interchangeably and should not be. There is a mean of delineating the three and refining not only how we speak to them, but also how we implement them. Briefly, the following are discussed: Periodization – division of a training program into smaller, progressive stages Macrocycle: long-term training period, usually between six months and one year My macrocycle might be my timeline to get someone through the OPT Model Mesocycle: smaller phases within the macrocycle, usually several weeks to a few months Maybe one phase of the OPT Model Microcycle: each part of the mesocycle, usually one week A one-to-two-week look at changes that need to be made to a program. This area is where true programming takes place. Programming is how the acute training variables change within that period of training to optimize training outcomes. What is an exercise ROUTINE then? - When you workout - What days you workout - What time you workout - It can be what you do o Cardio o Strength - It can be what isn’t changing that will eventually need periodization o Split routines only o Same sets / reps / exercises on repeat  Enjoy this episode, and as always please provide feedback and let us know what you would like to hear more about. It can be exercise, programming, industry, business, etc. regarding the needs, goals, and desires for the NASM certified personal trainer. Get 20% off your order now by calling 800-460-6276 or visiting NASM.org, and using the code Podcast 20. 