Partial Periodization For Mixed Rep Workouts

A well planned workout consisting of mixed reps can be a highly effective method for building strength and size. The variations in reps will provide three triggers that stimulate strength and muscle size. These triggers include:

1. Mechanical tension with heavy weights,
2. Metabolic stress with lighter weights and higher reps,
3. The combined effect of both weight and volume will produce muscle damage.

These three factors can be achieved by performing the following workout for each basic exercise performed:

Easy Warm Up Sets

Set 1: 10 reps using a weight that allows 30 reps (30% to 40% of your 1 RM)

Set 2: 5 reps using a weight that allows 20 reps (about 50% of your 1 RM)

Set 3: 5 reps using a weight that allows 15 reps (60% to 65% of your 1 RM)

Ascending Single Reps

Set 4: 1 rep using a weight that allows 12 reps (70% of your 1 RM)

Set 5: 1 rep using a weight that allows 8 reps (80% of your 1 RM)

Set 6: 1 rep using a weight that allows 4 reps (85 to 87% of your 1 RM)

5 Reps

Set 7: 5 reps. Hit your marker rep on your 5^th rep (about 80% to 82% of your 1 RM)

15 Reps

Set 8: 15 reps. Hit your marker rep on your 15^th rep (about 60% of your 1 RM)

Important Factors

This workout was also presented in the last article along with a discussion of the importance of adding weight at the right rate and using the right level of effort, volume, and frequency. I suggest that you read the last article if you have not yet read it, as the key to any workout is to progress at the right rate while using enough intensity to stimulate strength, but not so much intensity that it causes overtraining.  

Some lifters may not want to use the same workout on a continual basis and would prefer variety. The good thing about the listed at the start of the article is that it can be modified from week to week in a progressive manner. Many people understand progress in terms of linear progression or linear periodization programs where weight is added from week to week. They often do this in conjunction with a fixed amount of reps for an individual workout, instead of doing it in conjunction with a mixture of reps within the same workout, but it is actually very easy to use a progressive loading scheme by using what I refer to as Sectional Loading and Partial Periodization.

Sectional Loading

In order to utilize sectional loading, you must first divide your workout into sections. The workout that was listed at the start of the article can be divided into four sections including:

Section 1: Easy Warm up Sets

Section 2: Ascending Single reps

Section 3: 5 reps

Section 4: 15 reps

You can see how this integrates into the workout by viewing the workout that is listed below:

Section 1: Easy Warm Up Sets

Set 1: 10 reps using a weight that allows 30 reps (30% to 40% of your 1 RM)

Set 2: 5 reps using a weight that allows 20 reps (about 50% of your 1 RM)

Set 3: 5 reps using a weight that allows 15 reps (60% to 65% of your 1 RM)

Section 2: Ascending Single Reps

Set 4: 1 rep using a weight that allows 12 reps (70% of your 1 RM)

Set 5: 1 rep using a weight that allows 8 reps (80% of your 1 RM)

Set 6: 1 rep using a weight that allows 4 to 6 reps (85 to 87% of your 1 RM)

Section 3: 5 Reps

Set 7: 5 reps. Hit your marker rep on your 5^th rep (about 80% to 82% of your 1 RM)

Section 4: 15 Reps

Set 8: 15 reps. Hit your marker rep on your 15^th rep (about 60% of your 1 RM)

How To Load Each Section

Weight is loaded to each section of the workout at separate times. For example, if you want to add weight to all 8 sets over the course of four weeks, you simply add 5 pounds to one section of the workout at a time as follows:

Week 1: Add 5 pounds to each set in section 1

Week 2: Add 5 pounds to each set in section 2

Week 3: Add 5 pounds to each set in section 3

Week 4: Add 5 pounds to each set in section 4

Speed up the Rate of Loading If Necessary

If you want to speed up the rate at which you load 5 pounds to each section, you can add 5 pounds to one section per workout instead of one section per week. You can also add 5 pounds to one section every other workout.

Slow Down The Rate of Loading If Necessary

If you want to load 5 pounds at a slower rate than once per week, you would simply add 5 pounds to one section every 10 to 11 days, or you could add weight to one section every two weeks, or three weeks, or four weeks. Beginners and intermediates can generally add weight faster than advanced lifters who have been lifting for a long time. Add weight at a rate that corresponds with your rate of gain.

 Partial Periodization

Partial periodization refers to changing the amount of weight and reps in just one section of the workout at a time. You don’t change the weight or reps for all of the sets or the whole workout, you just change the weight and reps in one part, which is why it is called partial periodization. In my opinion, partial periodization is most applicable to your last two work-sets consisting of 5 reps and 15 reps in the workout previously listed. A whole cycle of partial periodization would last six weeks. An example of how to do this is necessary to facilitate an understanding of how it would work.

Partial Periodization of 15 reps: Weeks 1-3

When using partial periodization in conjunction with the workout listed at the start of the article, I suggest changing the reps and adding weight to the section of the workout in which 15 reps are used. You can add weight and decrease reps in this section on a weekly basis for three weeks as follows:

Week 1: 15 reps

Week 2: Add weight and decrease the reps to 12

Week 3: Add weight and decrease the reps to 10

After reaching the third week with 10 reps, keep using 10 reps for the next three weeks until the six week cycle is finished. You should use a weight that causes you to hit your marker rep on your tenth rep when doing ten reps.

Partial Periodization of 5 reps: Weeks 4-6

After the first three weeks, you would utilize partial periodization in conjunction with the section in which 5 reps are performed during weeks 4, 5, and 6. However, I would suggest starting with 6 reps instead of 5 reps. You would then add weight and decrease reps on a weekly basis for three weeks during weeks 4, 5, and 6 as follows:

Week 4: 6 reps

Week 5: Add weight and decrease the reps to 5

Week 6: Add weight and decrease the reps to 4

Sectional Loading For Ascending Singles: Weeks 7-9

If you want to extend the six week cycle into a nine week cycle, you can implement sectional loading to the ascending single reps for weeks 7, 8, and 9. My suggestion would be to only load to your single reps for one workout per week and call it your “heavy day.” When doing any other workouts during the week that are not your “heavy day,” simply repeat each ascending single according to what you have already been doing for your single reps during the first six weeks of the training cycle. However, when doing your heavy days once per week, the loading pattern would be as follows:

Week 7: Increase your last single rep to 90% of your single rep max.

Week 8: Increase your last single rep to 95% of your single rep max

Week 9: Increase your last single rep to 100% or more of your single rep max. Go for a personal record.

 The whole 9 week process is shown in the chart below: You can also access a easy to reach PDF of this workout by clicking on the following link – 9 Week Cycle with Partial Periodization and Sectional Loading

Small Weekly Changes

Notice that the changes from week to week are small within the context of the whole workout. The second week is only a little different than the first week, and the third week is only a little different than the second, and so on. However, by the ninth week, the workout will be substantially different than the first week, and the amount of weight used by the ninth week will be substantially more than the first.

At one time, mixed rep workouts were very popular. I think this is still true for bodybuilders, but powerlifters seem to get stuck on one rep range per workout, and often one rep range per week. When used wisely with partial periodization and sectional loading, mixed rep workouts provide an excellent means for increasing your strength. If you choose to use mixed rep workouts, consider the methods discussed in this article for optimum results. Best of training to you.