BASIC DEFINITIONS

Intensity: Also known as absolute intensity, it is the amount of

resistance presented during a movement. Measured as force, and usually

expressed in pounds or kilograms. Thus the intensity of a 335lb squat for

one easy rep is higher than the intensity of a 315lb squat for 11.5 reps to

absolute muscular failure. When most people use this term, they really

mean the next term on our list.

Relative Intensity: Proximity to concentric muscular failure of any given

set. This means that a set of 405 for 3, where you could have done 6, is
less relatively intense than a set of 275 for 8, where you could have only

got 9 with a gun to your head.

Volume: The amount of total mechanical work done during a rep, set,

exercise session, week, or any other measurement of training time.

Technically measured as the sum total force x distance executed. It can

be measured precisely by multiplying the sets, reps, and weight as well

as the distance of bar path. However, in most cases volume is compared

between the same lifts (bench vs. bench, squat vs. squat) of the same
lifter, and thus distance can be obviated. For this reason a reasonable

proxy of sets x reps x weight can be used to estimate volume.

Frequency: The number of training sessions performed within a certain

unit of time, usually measured within the week.

Exercise Selection: The actual name of the exercise, or exercises, used in

a training session. For example, it is a true statement to say that you just

trained legs, but a more precise statement would explain that you did

squats and stifflegged deadlifts.

Chapter No. 1 Scientific Principles of Strength Training P 13

Training Session: A single bout of training which can be done multiple

times per week or even multiple times per day. Each training session

generally has a warm up, a working phase, and a distinct end which may

or may not involve a cool down.

Light Session: A session of training that is intentionally non-overloading

(overload defined in detail in Chapter 4) and relatively easy to

accomplish. The purpose of a light session is to enhance the process of

recovery/adaptation while mitigating the loss of technique, muscle size,

and strength. Light sessions are typically characterized by a reduction in

volume and/or intensity.

Off Day: A day during which no training sessions occur.

Microcycle: A unit of training time measured between the repetition

of a single training session type. In other words if you train bench and
accessories on Monday, next Monday (when you train it for the first time

again) is the start of the second microcycle. This of course includes

all training sessions and off days within that time frame. An example

would be training bench and accessories Monday, squatting and lower

body accessories Tuesday, overhead pressing and accessories Thursday,

and training deadlifts and lower body accessories Friday. Those four

workouts and three off days construct our first microcycle and when

they are repeated next week, with planned alterations in weight set

and rep amounts, that will construct the second microcycle, and so on.

Microcycles are typically (but not always) a week in length.

Chapter No. 1 Scientific Principles of Strength Training P 14

Accumulation Phase: A series of sequential microcycles during which

training gets progressively harder, which occurs through an increase in

either volume, intensity, or both.

Deload Phase: Most commonly referred to just as a deload, it is an

entire microcycle composed of light sessions of various sorts, the

purpose of which is to reduce fatigue while preserving adaptations. For a

deload to be effective in meaningfully brining down fatigue, its reduction

of volume and intensity from normal accumulation training must be

marked and non-trivial.

Chapter No. 1 Scientific Principles of Strength Training P 15

Mesocycle: An organized sequence of microcycles ordered to elicit a

set of distinct training adaptations. The typical mesocycle is composed

of two distinct phases, an accumulation phase, which usually lasts for

three to five weeks and a deload phase, which usually lasts for about a
week. The typical mesocycle usually lasts for about a month. Sometimes

defined elsewhere as summated microcycles.

Accumulation: Deload Paradigm: The ratio of time spent in an

accumulation phase vs. a deload phase during any particular mesocycle.

Typical paradigms include the classic 3:1 paradigm, but other common

uses include the 4:1 paradigm (common to hypertrophy training) and the

3:2 paradigm (common to peaking and tapering).

Training Block: Known elsewhere as summated mesocycles a

training block typically consists of one to three mesocycles. All of the

mesocycles within one training block have a unified or similar purpose.

For example, three sequential mesocycles where muscle growth is the

dominant training priority form a hypertrophy training block.

Macrocycle: A sequence of training blocks arranged in a particular

order to accomplish high level improvement in sport performance.

Macrocycles often culminate in a competitive performance. For example,

a powerlifting macrocycle is typically composed of a hypertrophy

block followed by a strength block and then a peaking block before

a powerlifting competition. Most properly designed macrocycles will

also include an active rest phase after the competition. When the next

hypertrophy block begins, that is considered the start of the next meet
macrocycle.

Mass: A concordant block of both training and nutrition designed to

Chapter No. 1 Scientific Principles of Strength Training P 16