Periods of Specialization

[BendtheBar]

What are your thoughts on periods of specialization, be it for strength building or muscle building?

[Fazc]

I wrote an article about this for 'The Hardgainer' magazine, in 2002(ish). I'll see if I can dig it up.

[BendtheBar]

If you don't we're coming for you...

[Off Road]

Specialization is the best way to make the fastest gains. Spend short-ish periods working on something specific. Progress comes through repetition and frequency. Everything else should be kept to a minimum so not to interfere with the main focus. After a period of specialization and after the gains are realized, the lifter should return to a more balanced aproach.

[BendtheBar]

Nice post OR.

[LtL]

Surely specialising in one thing works to that thing to the detriment of all others. How much muscle would you keep when you go back to training for strength or vice versa?

Is this the same principle on which Linear Periodisation is based?

LtL

[Off Road]

Originally Posted by LtL

Is this the same principle on which Linear Periodisation is based?

LtL

No, it's based on Specific Adaptation; The more you do something, the better you get at it.

[Off Road]

Originally Posted by LtL

Surely specialising in one thing works to that thing to the detriment of all others.

LtL

Not entirely, the goal should be to "maintain" the other lifts or bodyparts through abbreviation.

Let's say you wanted to focus on your squat, then you'd reduce the work on your bench and deadlift with the goal of maintaining those lifts. It doesn't take as much work to maintain lifts and the extra recouperative powers can be lent to the squat for a short time. And the extra attention paid to the squat and its assistance lifts may actually end up helping the deadlift and bench in the long run.

[BendtheBar]

I was reading a quote by Dizenzo yesterday regarding specialization.

Q: Vinny, what sacrifices did you make when working toward your 600lb raw press?

Put my ego in check. I kind of like lifting heavy things. I was not opposed to doing different lifts coming up, but I learned they were not going to help me in my quest for a 600 raw. No more 400 lb overhead presses, 800 trap bar deadlifts, 600+ raw ssb squats, log presses, stone lifts, etc. If it was not going to directly help my bench, I cut it out. I did keep squatting and deadlifting, but just to maintain that core strength, not necessarilly increase it.

[LtL]

Using Hazzard as an example. He has used Smolov for both bench and squat. Both have gone up. I believe his deadlift has gone down during this time slightly though. Same with DW when he did the Anello deadlift cycle. Didn't he then struggle to hit the same squat numbers at his next meet?

LtL