The Evolution of Periodization Theory: Evidence and Practice from Linear, Block, to Daily Undulating Models

Starting with an Athlete’s Plateau

A few years ago, I coached an amateur mountain biker—let’s call him A-Kai. He was extremely dedicated, training five times a week without fail, following the “classic linear periodization” from the books to the letter: first a few weeks of aerobic base, then building strength, then threshold work, and finally peaking with explosive power. In the first two months, he improved rapidly, with his power-to-weight ratio climbing steadily from 3.6 W/kg. But by the third month, he hit a wall—not only did he stop improving, but even intervals he used to complete easily felt exhausting. His resting heart rate was 6 to 8 bpm higher than usual, and his sleep had deteriorated.

He came to me with his training logs, and his first words were: “Coach, is it because I’m not working hard enough?” After reviewing his data, I told him: “It’s not about effort—your training plan structure no longer matches what your body needs at this stage.”

This is exactly what makes periodization both fascinating and most misunderstood. Periodization is not a fixed training plan, but a framework for thinking about how to arrange training stress over time. Over the past three to four decades, this framework itself has evolved: from the classic linear model, to block periodization, and then to daily undulating periodization. In this article, I want to walk you through this entire evolutionary path, help you understand the scientific basis and practical evidence behind each generation of models, and finally give you training plans you can apply directly.

Whether you’re a seasoned athlete chasing a new PB or a beginner just starting serious training, understanding this evolution will help you avoid the detours A-Kai went through.

Why Do We Need Periodization? Back to the Fundamentals of Physiology

To understand the evolution of periodization, you first need to grasp what problem it’s trying to solve. The answer lies in two classic concepts from exercise physiology.

General Adaptation Syndrome and Supercompensation

When the human body faces training stress, it goes through a process of “alarm → resistance → adaptation (or exhaustion).” When you apply an appropriate stress to the body, performance briefly drops (fatigue), then rebounds after adequate recovery—sometimes even exceeding the original level. This is supercompensation.

The core task of periodization is to arrange the rhythm of stress and recovery so that supercompensation accumulates over and over, while avoiding the path toward ‘exhaustion.’ Too little stress, and the body has no reason to adapt; too much stress with too little recovery, and you end up like A-Kai, heading toward functional overreaching or even overtraining syndrome.

Specificity of Adaptation and Detraining

The second key concept is: adaptations are specific, and the abilities you build will decay. Train aerobic and you gain aerobic fitness; train explosive power and you gain explosive power. But if an ability goes untrained for a long time, it gradually fades. Research estimates that most fitness adaptations have a “residual effect” lasting anywhere from a few weeks to over a month, with aerobic endurance decaying more slowly and maximal explosive power decaying more quickly.

Together, these two concepts underpin the entire theory of periodization. The difference between the three generations of models essentially comes down to different answers to ‘how many abilities should be trained simultaneously’ and ‘how training stress should be distributed over time.’

Understanding Three Time-Scale Terms First

Before diving into the models, there are three terms you’ll encounter repeatedly. Let’s establish a common language first:

Term	Time Scale	Plain Explanation
Macrocycle	Several months to a year	The big picture for an entire season or year
Mesocycle	Approximately 2 to 6 weeks	A training block with a clear objective
Microcycle	Approximately one week	The smallest scheduling unit, usually a weekly cycle

The differences among the three generations of models mainly occur at the level of how mesocycles are designed and how they connect to one another. Think of it like building a house: the macrocycle is the blueprint for the whole building, mesocycles are the floor slabs, and microcycles are the bricks laid day by day. Once you understand this hierarchical structure, the discussions of linear, block, and DUP will become much clearer—because the core debate among them is all about “how many types of training stimuli should fit into a single mesocycle.”

First Generation: Classic Linear Periodization

Concept and Origins

Classic linear periodization (sometimes called traditional periodization) originates from the work of Soviet scholar Matveyev in the 1960s. Its core logic is intuitive: across an entire macrocycle, training volume decreases from high to low, while training intensity increases from low to high—the two curves cross like scissors.

Using cycling as an example, a typical linear annual plan looks like this:

Phase	Primary Goal	Volume	Intensity	Taiwan Context
Early Preparation	Aerobic base	Very high	Low	Winter (Dec–Feb), long Z2 rides
Late Preparation	Strength / Muscular endurance	High	Moderate	Spring climbing sessions, e.g., Yangmingshan, Fengguizui
Pre-Competition	Threshold / VO2max	Moderate	High	Intervals 6–8 weeks before race
Competition	Explosive power / Maintenance	Low	Very high	Taper + race (e.g., Wuling, KOM)

Strengths and Suitable Athletes

The biggest advantage of the linear model is that it’s simple, easy to understand, and easy to schedule. For beginners just starting serious training, it almost never goes wrong: focusing on one major direction at a time gives the body ample time to adapt, and training stress progresses gradually. When I work with beginners, more than 80% of the time I start with a linear framework, because beginners respond to any structured training—no fancy arrangements are needed.

The Two Achilles’ Heels of the Linear Model

But the linear model has two inherent problems, which are precisely why later models challenged it.

First, abilities built early may have already decayed by race time. If you stacked a full month of aerobic base in December, but your race is in June with two or three months of high-intensity phases in between, some of those early adaptations will gradually fade due to the residual effect.

Second, prolonged focus on a single direction provides insufficient stimulus for advanced athletes. This was exactly A-Kai’s predicament. He was no longer a beginner; his body quickly adapted to the ceiling of “doing the same type of stimulus for weeks on end,” followed by stagnation and fatigue accumulation. This is why the linear model isn’t wrong—it just has a clear “shelf life.” It works very well for beginners, but advanced athletes need a more flexible framework. This brings us to the second-generation model.

Second Generation: Block Periodization

Concept and Origins

Block periodization was primarily systematized by Issurin in the 1980s, with theoretical roots tracing back to Verkhoshansky’s concept of concentrated loading. According to Issurin’s review article published on PubMed, the core claim of block periodization is: instead of training many abilities simultaneously in a dispersed manner, concentrate training into a series of focused ‘blocks,’ with each block highly focused on developing only a few target abilities.

Behind this lies a crucial assumption: the adaptive signal from concentrated loading is stronger than the same total volume spread out. The body responds more dramatically to a highly concentrated stimulus than to “the same stimulus flattened across the timeline.”

Three Block Types: Accumulation, Transmutation, Realization

Issurin categorizes blocks into three functions, arranged in sequence to form a mesocycle:

Block Type	English	Primary Task	Cycling Example
Accumulation	Accumulation	Build a foundation, stack general capacities (aerobic, base strength)	High Z2 mileage + strength training
Transmutation	Transmutation	Convert general capacities into specific abilities (threshold, VO2max)	Threshold intervals, climbing-specific work
Realization	Realization	Taper, recover, cash in capacities as performance	Taper + race simulation

Why Is the Block Model More Effective for Advanced Athletes?

The key lies in the clever use of residual effects. The aerobic capacity and strength built during the accumulation block decay slowly; by the time you move into the transmutation and realization blocks, those capacities are still “on you” as a foundation. This way, you can run several accumulation→transmutation→realization cycles within a year, letting advanced athletes repeatedly receive fresh, concentrated stimuli without grinding to a plateau the way a linear model tends to do.

According to the literature review found earlier, for well-trained athletes, block periodization generally shows an advantage over traditional models. This matches my practical observations: the more advanced and the longer the training history, the more an athlete benefits from the concentrated load of a block arrangement. When I switched A-Kai from linear to block periodization, I first gave him a 3-week accumulation block focused on stacking aerobic fitness and strength, with week 4 as a taper, then moved into the transmutation block—his plateau broke after two mesocycles.

Third Generation: Daily Undulating Periodization

Concept and Origins

Daily undulating periodization (DUP) goes to the other extreme. The linear model is “one big phase trains one thing,” while DUP varies the type of training stimulus within the same week, or even day to day.

A strength-training example makes this clearest:

• Monday: Heavy weight, low reps (e.g., around 5RM, training maximal strength)
• Wednesday: Moderate weight, moderate reps (e.g., 10RM, training hypertrophy)
• Friday: Light weight, high reps (e.g., 15RM, training muscular endurance)

Three stimuli alternate within the same week, rather than spending a month only on maximal strength and another month only on muscular endurance. Applied to cycling, a DUP week might look like this: Tuesday neuromuscular power (short sprints), Thursday VO2max intervals, Saturday long threshold work.

DUP’s Theoretical Selling Points

DUP touts two main benefits. First, frequently varying stimuli theoretically delays the body’s adaptation to a single stimulus, keeping training fresh. Second, every capacity gets touched within a week, so you’re less likely to see the linear-model problem of ‘capacities not trained this month start to decay.’

What Does the Evidence Say? Don’t Get Carried Away by Marketing Hype

Here I need to be especially honest about the evidence. DUP has been hyped up in the fitness world in recent years, as if it’s necessarily superior to linear. But the actual systematic reviews and meta-analyses tell a more subdued story.

According to a 2017 systematic review and meta-analysis on hypertrophy (published in PeerJ), comparing linear versus daily undulating periodization for muscle growth, the pooled effect size was essentially zero (standardized mean difference ≈ −0.02, 95% confidence interval crossing 0), meaning the two models are likely equivalent for hypertrophy. The more critical takeaway sentence is: when total training volume is matched between the two models, there is no evidence that one is better than the other.

That sentence deserves to be framed: much of what people attribute to the ‘periodization model’ is really just a difference in ‘total training volume.’ Once you equalize volume, the gap between models often shrinks or disappears.

So Does DUP Still Have Value?

Yes, but the value isn’t that “it’s more magical”—it’s that “it’s easier for some people to execute.” In practice, I prioritize DUP in a few scenarios: first, athletes with fragmented schedules, where training days vary week to week—DUP designs each session as a standalone unit, so missing one day doesn’t collapse an entire block; second, maintenance phases, where you need to preserve aerobic fitness, threshold, and power simultaneously during the season, and DUP’s within-week variation fits perfectly; third, the psychological side, some people can’t stand weeks of the same session type, and varying stimuli sustains training motivation. In other words, DUP’s advantage leans more toward adherence and scheduling flexibility than any magic in physiological adaptation. Once you frame it that way, you won’t be led astray by exaggerated claims online.

Side-by-Side Comparison of the Three Generations

Putting the three generations together makes the context clearer:

Aspect	Linear Periodization	Block Periodization	Daily Undulating Periodization
Core logic	Volume down, intensity up, scissor crossover	Concentrated load, blocks linked in sequence	Frequent stimulus variation within the week
Number of capacities focused at once	Few (one broad direction)	Few (a handful of targets per block)	Many (all touched within the week)
Best suited for	Beginners, early season	Advanced, multi-season athletes	Experienced athletes needing to maintain multiple capacities
Main advantages	Simple, progressive, easy to schedule	Strong concentrated stimulus, good use of residual effects	Fresh stimuli, multiple capacities advanced together
Main risks	Advanced athletes plateau easily, capacity decay	More complex scheduling, requires understanding residual effects	Poor scheduling turns into daily fatigue
Evidence highlights	Consistent effects for beginners	Common advantage for well-trained athletes	No significant difference from linear when volume is matched

The single most important message from this table: no generation ‘replaced’ the previous one—they are different tools in the toolbox. A mature coach doesn’t pick one model and stick with it forever; they mix and match based on the athlete’s level, season phase, and goals.

How to Schedule It in Practice? Three Ready-to-Use Plans

Enough theory—here’s something you can put into action. Below are skeletons I actually give to different athletes; adjust them to your own time and fitness.

Example 1: Beginner Linear 4-Week Mesocycle (Cycling)

Week	Monday	Wednesday	Saturday	Sunday
Week 1	Rest	Z2 60 min	Z2 90 min	Rest
Week 2	Rest	Z2 70 min	Z2 105 min	Easy 30 min
Week 3	Rest	Z2 75 min + short climb	Z2 120 min	Easy 30 min
Week 4 (Taper)	Rest	Z2 50 min	Z2 75 min	Rest

Beginners should first build the aerobic foundation and routine; don’t rush intensity. Week 4 must be a taper so supercompensation has a chance to occur.

Example 2: Advanced Block Mesocycle (Accumulation Block, 3+1 Weeks)

Week	Focus Block	Key Sessions	Notes
Week 1	Accumulation	Tue lower-body strength + Thu Z2 90 min + Sat long ride 3 hr	Focus on stacking aerobic + strength
Week 2	Accumulation	Same as above, long ride extended to 3.5 hr	Slight volume increase
Week 3	Accumulation	Same as above, long ride 4 hr	Block peak
Week 4	Taper	Volume cut 40–50%, retain a little intensity	Cash in the accumulation block

After finishing the accumulation block, move into the transmutation block (switching focus to threshold/VO2max intervals), then into the realization block (taper + race simulation).

Example 3: A One-Week Daily Fluctuation Schedule for Experienced Riders (Cycling)

Day	Stimulus Type	Workout
Tuesday	Neuromuscular/Power	After warm-up, 6×15-second all-out sprints, with full recovery
Thursday	VO2max	5×4 minutes @ VO2max zone, with equal time recovery
Saturday	Threshold/Endurance	2×20 minutes @ threshold, or a longer tempo ride
Sunday	Recovery	Z1–Z2 easy ride for 60 minutes

The success or failure of a DUP schedule hinges entirely on ‘recovery day discipline.’ When you pack this many high-intensity stimuli into a single week, skipping recovery days will quickly turn into “training hard every day while carrying fatigue.”

Periodization in Practice: Adapting to Taiwan’s Climate and Race Season

Theory is one thing, but when you actually plan a training schedule, Taiwan’s climate and race calendar will force you to make many localized adjustments. In this section, I’ve compiled several points that are often overlooked but are highly critical in practice.

Reverse-Engineering Your Macrocycle from Taiwan’s Race Season

Taiwan’s key cycling events are concentrated in a few periods: autumn/winter hill climbs (such as Wuling or KOM, mostly in October and November), and various challenge events in spring. The first step in periodization is always to pin your target race date on the calendar, then work backward. This is called “beginning with the end in mind.” Suppose your A-priority goal is the Wuling climb at the end of October; the general direction working backward would be:

Period	Periodization Phase	Suggested Model	Focus
Mar–May	Base Period	Linear/Cumulative Blocks	Build aerobic mileage, lower-body strength
Jun–Aug	Specific Period	Blocks (Conversion)	Long climbs, threshold intervals
Sep	Intensification Period	Blocks/DUP Hybrid	High intensity, race simulation
Early Oct	Taper Period	Taper	Cut volume, maintain intensity, recover
Late Oct	Race Period	—	Deliver performance

Note that June to August is exactly when Taiwan is hottest and most humid. This happens to coincide with the specific high-intensity period, so you need to be especially careful about heat stress when planning.

High Heat and Humidity Are Additional Training Stress

In Taiwan’s summer, temperatures routinely exceed 33°C and humidity breaks 80%. Riding in these conditions means your heart rate will be noticeably higher than at the same power output in cooler weather, and your body’s recovery burden will be heavier. This means during the peak summer specific period, you can’t just push based on power numbers alone; you need to factor heat stress in as an additional training load. Practical advice: schedule high-intensity intervals as early as possible (6–7 AM) or in the evening, turn on fans and air conditioning when on the trainer, and be sure to replenish fluids and electrolytes (with heavy sweating, you can lose several hundred to over a thousand milligrams of sodium per hour). If the heat and humidity cause your heart rate to spike abnormally, downgrading the workout is smart, not lazy.

Monitoring Metrics: Let Your Body Decide Whether to Progress

A periodization plan is a “hypothesis made in advance,” while your body’s actual response is the “truth revealed afterward.” I ask every serious athlete to consistently track a few simple metrics to decide whether to progress as planned or to reduce volume early:

Metric	How to Measure	Warning Sign	Meaning
Morning resting heart rate	Measure lying down upon waking	3 consecutive days >5 bpm above baseline	Fatigue accumulation or early sign of illness
Heart rate variability (HRV)	Morning measurement via wearable device	Sustained significant drop	Autonomic nervous system recovery insufficient
Sleep quality	Subjective + wearable	Difficulty falling asleep, frequent waking	Insufficient recovery
Subjective fatigue	Self-rated 1–10	Consistently high	Overall load too great
Heart rate at same power	Fixed workout on trainer	Heart rate drifts up or power drops	Declining form

None of these metrics is accurate on its own; you need to look at the trend together. When two or three of them flash red simultaneously, that’s your body telling you the plan needs to yield. Learning to listen to these signals is more important than any perfect periodization model.

Common Mistakes and Corrections

In all my years coaching athletes, the pitfalls in periodization are highly repetitive. Here are the most common ones:

Mistake 1: Thinking That Switching Models Will Automatically Make You Stronger

Many people see “block periodization is better for advanced athletes” and rush to switch, but they overlook the key takeaway from the meta-analysis mentioned earlier—when volume is equal, the difference between models is small. If you switch models without taking care of training volume and recovery, the switch is pointless. First ensure training volume and recovery are in place, then talk about model optimization.

Mistake 2: Forgetting Deload Weeks

This is the number one killer for beginners and overzealous athletes alike. Deloading is not laziness; it’s a necessary step to let accumulated fatigue dissipate and allow supercompensation to occur. Scheduling a deload week every 3 to 5 weeks, cutting training volume by 40% to 50%, is a solid general rule. Half of A-Kai’s problems back then came from never deloading.

Mistake 3: Turning DUP into “Every Day Is a Hard Workout”

The spirit of DUP is varying stimuli, not going all-out every day. I’ve seen people schedule DUP as heavy lifting on Monday, VO2max on Tuesday, and high-rep work on Wednesday, with no easy days in between—that’s not periodization; that’s queuing up for an injury.

Mistake 4: Ignoring Life Stress as an Invisible Training Load

The training stress on your schedule is only part of the total stress your body endures. Work overload, late nights on deadlines, or family issues all eat into your recovery capacity. Taiwan generally has long working hours and long commutes, so you must factor life stress into your training plan. The same schedule is completely different for a well-rested you versus a you who has worked overtime for two straight weeks. Learning to read resting heart rate, heart rate variability (HRV), sleep, and subjective fatigue is far more important than rigidly adhering to a schedule.

Mistake 5: Not Managing Recovery Nutrition as a Regular Eater-Outer

The other half of periodization is recovery, and the fuel for recovery is nutrition. Eating out in Taiwan is extremely convenient, but it’s also easy to eat in ways that are “not conducive to recovery”—during high-intensity periods, you need enough carbohydrates to replenish glycogen and enough protein to repair tissue. A practical general principle is: consume a meal containing carbohydrates and protein soon after training. A commonly cited protein intake range for endurance athletes is approximately 1.4 to 1.8 grams per kilogram of body weight per day (individual variation is large; the number is only a conceptual reference). In Taiwan, buffet restaurants, convenience store onigiri with tea eggs, and soy milk can all make a decent recovery meal; the key is choosing deliberately rather than just grabbing anything. If you have specific dietary needs or metabolic conditions, be sure to consult a registered dietitian for individualized nutrition planning.

A-Kai’s Follow-Up: How a Full Season of Periodization Unfolded

Returning to A-Kai from the beginning, I want to lay out his entire season’s adjustments in detail, because it perfectly demonstrates the spirit of mixing all three generations of models.

When he came to me in March, he was stuck in the third month of a linear schedule. The first thing I did wasn’t to switch models—it was to have him deload for a full week first—cutting volume in half, keeping only a little intensity. Just that one week brought his morning resting heart rate down from an elevated state, and his sleep improved too. This confirmed one thing: many so-called ‘plateaus’ are actually just illusions of fatigue.

Then in April and May, I scheduled two rounds of “cumulative blocks (3 weeks) + deload (1 week)” for him, focusing on building up his aerobic base and lower-body strength. From June to August, as Taiwan entered the hot, humid season, I moved all high-intensity sessions in the specific block to early morning and strictly monitored heat stress using heart rate at the same power, downgrading when necessary. In September, entering the intensification period, I added DUP elements to his maintenance weeks, hitting power, VO2max, and threshold within the same week to keep all abilities sharp before the race. Taper in mid-October, race at the end of October—he broke his personal KOM record.

Throughout the entire process, no single model was the protagonist. Linear helped him build a foundation, blocks helped him break through the plateau, and DUP helped him maintain comprehensive abilities before the race. This is the core message I’ve always wanted to convey: Models are tools; they change hands according to the season, the athlete’s level, and the goal.

Actionable Advice for Readers of Different Levels

If You’re a Beginner (Less Than One Year of Training Experience)

Don’t touch fancy models; stick faithfully to linear. Focus first on building “consistent training” and an “aerobic base,” tackling one major direction at a time. At your current stage, you’ll respond to any structured training, and complex periodization is a waste for you. Remember to schedule deload weeks and get enough sleep.

If You’re an Intermediate (1–3 Years, Already Hit a Plateau)

Start thinking in blocks. Split your training into 3+1-week mesocycles, with each mesocycle focused on developing a small number of abilities. Deload after each block, then shift the focus. Learn to recognize which block you’re in and what that block’s goal is. This was the key step that helped A-Kai break through his plateau.

If You’re an Advanced Athlete (3+ Years, with Clear Race Goals)

Mixing is the way to go. Use a block structure to set the overall direction of your season, and during maintenance phases or when you need to maintain multiple abilities simultaneously, use DUP thinking to vary the stimulus within the week. At this stage, your attention should be on recovery quality, fine-tuning training volume, and pre-race tapering, rather than chasing new models.

FAQ

Q: Do I have to pick just one model?
A: No. In practice, the best approach is often a mix: linear at the start of the season, blocks mid-season, and DUP elements during maintenance. Models are tools, not beliefs.

Q: Does periodization matter for fat loss or general fitness populations?
A: Yes, but don’t overcomplicate it. For the general population, consistent training, progressive overload, and adequate recovery matter far more than which periodization model you choose.

Q: How do I know when I need to deload?
A: Look at several signals together—resting heart rate elevated for several consecutive days, HRV dropping, worse sleep, struggling with sessions that are usually easy, and low mood. If two or three of these show up, consider deloading early.

Q: I have a chronic condition (such as high blood pressure, heart disease, or diabetes). Can I follow these training plans?
A: These plans are general educational content for healthy populations and cannot be applied directly. If you have a chronic condition, you must discuss with your physician and get an individualized assessment before adjusting training intensity. With Taiwan’s convenient NHI healthcare, getting an exercise capacity assessment or an exercise ECG before starting high-intensity training is a worthwhile investment. Exercise often helps with the overall management of these chronic conditions, but intensity, frequency, and monitoring methods all need professional, individualized oversight—never drastically increase intensity on your own.

Q: How many weeks should a mesocycle actually be?
A: The common range is 3 to 4 weeks, with the final week as a deload—i.e., “3+1” or “2+1.” Beginners or those who recover slowly use 2+1, while advanced athletes with good recovery can stretch to 3+1. There’s no single right answer; the key is observing your body’s response and adjusting dynamically, rather than rigidly sticking to numbers.

Q: Can a trainer (roller/direct-drive) replace outdoor riding?
A: It’s excellent for executing high-intensity intervals, especially during Taiwan’s humid, hot, or rainy weather—a trainer lets you control power precisely and is unaffected by weather. But for long-distance aerobic work and technical descents, outdoor riding remains irreplaceable. Ideally, combine both.

Q: Should women consider their menstrual cycle in periodization?
A: This is a topic that has received a lot of attention in recent years. Some women do notice differences in perceived effort and performance across different phases of their menstrual cycle, but the current scientific evidence is still quite mixed, and individual variation is large. The practical approach is to track your own data and find your personal pattern, rather than forcing any universal formula; if you experience significant discomfort, consult an OB-GYN.

Conclusion: Models Evolve, Principles Don’t

From linear to block to daily undulating, periodization theory has evolved over the decades, with each generation trying to answer the same core question: How should we arrange stress over time so the body supercompensates again and again, while avoiding burnout?

But having walked through this evolution, what I most want to leave you with are the principles that never go out of style: adequate but not excessive stress, sufficient recovery, regular deloading, factoring life stress into the total load, and choosing the right tools for your level. Models are just different packaging for these principles. Meta-analyses repeatedly remind us that when training volume is equal, the differences between models are far smaller than the marketing talk suggests.

If you want to take just three sentences away from this long article, I hope they are these three: First, get your training volume and recovery in order before talking about model optimization; second, regular deloading isn’t laziness—it’s a necessary part of making progress happen; third, learn to listen to your body’s signals, and let the plan serve the body, rather than the body sacrificing itself for the plan. Get these three things right, and you’ll already be ahead of most people who are just chasing new models.

A-Kai eventually broke his personal KOM record. Not because he found some magical model, but because he finally learned: training is the art of stress and recovery, and periodization is just the language that helps you write that art into a plan. Next time you feel stuck and are tempted to scrap your entire training plan and start over, first ask yourself: Do I really need a new model, or do I just need a good night’s sleep and a serious deload week? The answer is often more down-to-earth than you think. May you also find your own rhythm, and ride longer, farther, and for more years to come.

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This article is educational content and does not replace individual diagnosis or treatment advice from a physician, physical therapist, or nutritionist.

References

• Issurin, V. — Block periodization versus traditional training theory: a review (PubMed): https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/18212712/
• Effects of linear and daily undulating periodized resistance training programs on measures of muscle hypertrophy: a systematic review and meta-analysis (PeerJ, 2017): https://peerj.com/articles/3695/

Related Reading

• The Modern Evolution of Periodized Training: What’s Different Between Traditional, Block, and Reverse Periodization?
• The Science of Periodization in Cycling Training: Comparing Linear, Wave, and Block Periodization
• A Systematic Review of Periodized Training: Linear vs. Nonlinear vs. Undulating Periodization
• Periodization Training Models Compared: Linear, Block, and Polarized Training