Please Remember to Cycle
If you sat down to read this in hopes it would tell you the proper way to take a horse steroid of some kind this is not for you. What I would like to rant about though can be as detrimental, in my opinion, as abusing such substances that result in extra chest flesh resembling the breasts of an 80 year old tribes woman who has had every young male in the tribe drink milk from her to earn the privilege of being called grandmother by all.
Admittedly this reference may be lost on those who have not intensely studied history but I mean really, who reading a strength conditioning/fitness site hasn’t?
I am talking about the price that is paid when workout programs are not properly cycled.
First and foremost if you have a specific goal, you MUST plan out the steps to get there. Each week should have clear concise focus to move a little more towards achieving greater muscle mass, strength, flexibility, peak physical beat boxing condition, or whatever else you have in mind.
Break Them Down
Without getting too technical, one cycle can be broken down anywhere from 3-6 weeks. This can be referred to as a mesocycle. Each week within the mesocycle is called a microcycle.
Each mesocycle should have a specific purpose. Although “getting yoked” is a noble goal, the purpose of the mesocycle is to work on specific aspects that will build the base you need.
Once you have a purpose for your first mesocycle you look to the next 3-6 weeks. If you chose the proper exercises and sets/reps, you will be able to progress your workouts in the next mesocycle.
Putting together several mesocycles you will create a macorcycle.
A macrocycle can be as long as a year but does not always have to be. As with the mesocycles there should be a clear thought in your head as to what you want to accomplish in that given time.
Putting it together Do yourself a favor, even if you don’t want to actually sit down and plan what you want to accomplish in your training for a whole year, begin to develop a plan at least for 3 weeks. Too many people blindly go into the gym ever day with no plan of what they are going to do.
Winging workouts do have their place and time. They can spark your passion of strength or conditioning training again and refresh your mind. Those workouts should be the exception though and not the rule.
If your goal is to build muscle mass you should consider involving a cycle that is completely devoted to building greater strength. This means less reps heavier weight.
I guarantee that when that cycle is complete and you begin another one that focuses on bodybuilding style workouts- i.e. higher reps/ specific body part splits – you will put on extra muscle because you now have a greater base and capacity for increasing muscle mass due to the increased strength.
Have a question about cycling of something you want to ask? Leave it in the comments.