For the last few months, I have been thinking about how different periodized programs affect progress. As Winston Churchill once said, “The farther back you can look, the farther forward you are likely to see.” With this quote in the forefront of my mind, I re-read some of Poliquin’s amazing work regarding hormonal manipulation via exercise selection and the manipulation of the volume, intensity, and rest continuum. Also, the work of Bill Starr and Dan John provided me with a platform in aiding my decisions of what to include and when to program certain elements.

Here then, was my starting point for this voyage of discovery. As always, I like to have a chart for exercise selection based on what has been the most productive “bang for buck” movements and also where my “preferential bias” may currently lay. As with all of my work in programming, these are living documents, and although there is a degree of fixedness for probably 80% of my work, there is a 20% fluidity that allows me to incorporate new ideas as they come to my attention.

July

Alternative Weeks in a Month Plan

Full Body (FB) Gym Programming

Week One

Week Two

August/September 

BIG Bang Exercise & Loading

6-Week Programming

Sets & Reps

Following this month, I wanted to look at how I would respond to the classic work of Starr and John, so my initial ideas were as follows:

Alternating Full Body Weeks and Split Body Weeks Month Plan 

Week One (Full Body Programming) 

Week Two/Four (Split Programming)

Week Three (Full Body Programming) 

Which led to this program as the alternating weekly variation of methods.

RECENT: Conjugate x Conditioning Tactical Athlete Programming

October

Week Variation (Starr/John)

Week One/Three: Pull, Push, Squat, Loaded Carry

Week Two/Four: Squat, Hinge, UB Push, UB Pull

The final step in my current programming journey is the incorporation of the work of Starr and John overlayed by the thoughts of Poliquin in the monthly plan.

Hormonal Response Training Plan

Based on the work of Poliquin in relation to the ideal amount of time that a session should take, testosterone appears to decrease at the 45-minute mark, and growth hormone is stimulated by larger volume with minimal rest, and also that cortisol increases after the 60-minute mark. Intensity will dictate rest periods and hence the number of exercises that are able to be performed in the required time zone of 45–60 minutes.

Month Plan

Week Plans

Since I primarily program in the sport of rugby and rugby league, I also developed a break-in program to allow returning players to ease into training again after a break from the previous season.

3 Week Loading Plan Variations

Week One: 2 Sessions (Full Body Programming) 

Week Two: 3 Sessions (Full Body Programming) 

Week Three: 4 Sessions (Split Programming)

CARE Program After Each Session

To conclude this month’s column, I want to include a program that I wrote for a player to provide our readers with a template for physical preparation.

Neural Gym/French Contrast Method 

Week 1

Lower Body: Box Squat 3 - 5 reps @ >85%, Knees to Feet Jumps x 5, Jump Squats 40% x 5, Band Assisted repeat jumps x 5 (repeat x 4)

Upper Body: Bench Press 3 – 5 reps @ >85%, Med Ball Explosive Push x 5, Bench Press Throws x 5, Band Assisted clap Push Ups x 5 (repeat x 4)

Week 2

Lower Body: Trap Bar Deadlift 3 – 5 reps @ >85%, Standing Long Jump x 5, DB Hang Clean (fast) x 5, Band Assisted Long Jumps x 4 (repeat x 4)

Upper Body: Military Press 3 – 5 reps @ >85%, Overhead (vertical) Med Ball Push x 5, DB Shoulder Press (fast) x 5, Band Assisted Push Press x 5 (repeat x 4)

Traditional Contrast

Explosive Hip + Med Ball Throw or Plyometric, Explosive Knee + Med Ball Throw or Plyometric, Explosive Upper Body Push + Med Ball Throw or Plyometric

Wk1: 60% 3 x 6

Wk2: 80% 6 x 3

Mechanical Gym

Week 1

Hip Hinge Bilateral, Knee Unilateral, Upper Body Vertical Push Superset Pull

Week 2

Knee Bilateral, Hip Hinge Unilateral, Upper Body Horizontal Push Superset Pull

Metabolic Circuits (different one each session)

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Ashley Jones has worked in three professional sports across 30 years and four continents. He was awarded the NSCA's Professional Coach of the Year in 2016. Ashley holds his CSCS (Certified Strength and Conditioning Specialist) since 1988 and is an honorary lecturer in the School of Therapeutic Sciences, University of Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, SA.