Each Phase Can Be Formulated Into Multiple Exercise Routines! 

Phase 1 is a great starting point for new training clients and is an opportune time to do questionnaires and fitness assessments to determine goals, establish baselines for training, and identify any movement compensations, respectively. And, for more experienced clients, Stabilization Endurance is a great phase to include in their program to add different stresses and challenges to the body and will also become a critical phase to cycle back through between training periods in the other phases.

This phase is the logical next step from Phase 1 for increasing the intensity of clients’ workouts. Sets increase to 2-4, repetitions will stay high (8-12 per exercise / 16-24 per superset). The supersets combined with decreased rest periods will elevate the challenge considerably—leading not only to noticeable improvements in strength and endurance but more significant calorie expenditure for clients too.

 Muscular Development/Hypertrophy training is ideal for the adaptation of maximal muscle growth, by focusing on higher volumes of work at moderate-to-high intensity levels and with minimal rest periods between exercise sets. These training variables contribute to cellular changes that result in an overall increase in muscle size. If caloric intake is appropriate, the increased intensities and training volumes, and decreased rest periods experienced in this phase also make it great for clients who aspire to change their body composition through fat/weight loss.

Phase 4 is geared towards enhancing clients’ abilities to produce maximal muscular force. Accomplishing this requires maximal efforts and lifting near-max/maximal loads during resistance training—ranging anywhere from 85-100% of a client’s one-rep max—for 1-5 repetitions.

While similar to Muscular Development training in scope, developing maximal strength largely depends on neuromuscular adaptations resulting from consistently and progressively overloading muscles with higher intensities (loads). Because clients will be lifting so heavy in this phase, longer rest periods between exercise sets and higher volumes of training are usually required to optimize strength gains.

It is important to note, though, the benefits of power training extend beyond those seeking to improve athletic performance and is appropriate for the traditional client and non-athlete too.

Phase 5 can be easily modified for any client. And when strategically used, the power phase can not only yield great results and challenging experiences for clients, but also be a differentiator for fitness, strength and conditioning, and sports medicine professionals—as well as sport coaches—looking to incorporate fun, innovative, and proven methods to get the most out of the individuals they work with.