Periodization versus deloading

[Violent Volume]

I have never deloaded or used periodiztion so consider me ignorant. My lifts are ok but the last year I'm sticking around a 1450 total. After reading this post I am trying to figure out if it's better for me to use periodization or to push and deload.

Opinions please?

[Fazc]

Taken from the other thread:

Originally Posted by Me

I don't actually think there is a massive difference between the two. The key is 'managing stress'.

To explain what I mean let's dial back a little to the era of Hoffman, periodisation was originally used to explain why athletes performance varies during the seasons, it was observed that athletes generally performed better in the summer. Even as early as 1910 there were documented examples of people experimenting with intensive pre-competition schedules of 5-6 weeks. Around that time people this was stretched out to 8-10 weeks with the proviso that varying performance over that time period was used. As early as 1917 phases of training were introduced and experimented with.

Over the years this has been refined considerably to what we now see in the modern day. There are precedents for almost everything that we commonly see on the net. Planned deloads? The Bulgarians were experimenting with those 40 years ago. Block Periodisation? The russians have been doing this for years and many more examples.

The point is that the roots of all of these methods can be traced back to the need to 'manage stress'. As in everything to do with the weight room, there is no better or worse it is strictly a matter of working out what is more appropriate for you, given your preference and motivation.

http://www.abcbodybuilding.com/periodization1.pdf

VV, in regards to you. My personal preference is push and deload, the entire thread on Increasing Strength is based on that concept. I find it's simpler to teach and less hard to mess up. That's what I would recommend.