I’ve been running the Powerbuilding program which has the Powerbuilding block which then pivots to the developmental block.
If I was to go on a cut, could I just run the developmental block over and over?
My thought process is since I’m not building muscle tissue on a cut and the volume to maintain muscle can be lower, I can run this block to maintain muscle tissue and keep my strength up.
I probably wouldn’t run the same block over and over again unless I was getting great results with it. I still think programming changes need to occur regularly, independently of diet strategy, to drive progress.
Would you please expand on that, Jordan? Why would programming changes need to occur? What other factors beyond hypertrophy and strength am I missing here? It would seem that if my caloric deficit is small, I should recover adequately.
You mean why wouldn’t you run the same program you weren’t getting good results with?
Oh no, I’m just trying to understand the theory. Knowing what I know about hypertrophy, strength, volume, fatigue, etc… it would seem to me that running a lower volume block with heavy singles @8 during a caloric deficit would be a good way to keep the muscle mass while also maintaining/gaining strength.
However, you seem to be saying that changes in programming need to occur regularly. So I’m trying to understand that better. Why would changes need to occur? i.e. why would periodizing training to vary the volume and intensity drive progress in a caloric deficit?
Let’s try another question to hopefully elucidate my point, why would you respond substantially different to training while in a calorie deficit?
Here is the way I understand it: if the lifter is working in a caloric surplus, then we can periodize training so that we focus first on hypertrophy and eventually transition more to strength. Given the caloric surplus, the lifter will grow new muscle tissue, which they can then optimize for strength.
However, if the lifter is working in a caloric deficit (given a relatively trained individual), they will not grow any more muscle tissue. In addition, the amount of volume to maintain muscle mass should be lower than the volume to build more muscle mass. If the foregoing is true, then what would be the point of running a hypertrophy block during a caloric deficit? Is there another purpose that I am missing?
Why are these two processes mutually exclusive?
That’s not necessarily true, though I agree in general they will grow less tissue if any. The point is, so what?
Higher volume = greater improvements in strength, muscle mass, cardiorespiratory fitness, and calorie burning.
-Jordan