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Hypothetical question
Hello Mark.
Sorry I am asking a lot of questions lately, but you are probably the best expert I know of, and easy to contact with ![Smile](https://startingstrength.com/resources/forum/smile.gif)
So, in Practical Programming the advanced athlete is defined as someone who is competitive in the barbell sports and weekly progression does not work for him. Which means he needs periodization.
What do you think a non competitive (in any sports) athlete, who trains just for balanced strength should do when approaching the stage where he needs periodization? Should he just maintain his current physical state, or try to advance to the next stage?
Thanks.
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Unless you are a competitor in a barbell sport (or at least are lifting weights that a competitor in a barbell sport would be handling), you will not be approaching the point where you would need periodization any more complicated than intermediate-level programming. Really. It's very hard to get this strong, and you wouldn't have done it without a good reason. A meet would be that good reason. And that makes you a competitor. No meet = no competitor = not an advanced athlete.
In other words, I don't think non-competitors ever approach this point.
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So, if a non-competitor doesn't ever reach the point of periodization what happens to his training? Shouldn't he stall somewhere? And if he does, what happens next?
I'm just trying to understand how can someone train his whole life without ever reaching the point he needs more than weekly periodization.
Thanks for the reply.
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In your definitions of novice, intermediate, and advanced athletes, are you assuming that diet, rest, and other factors aiding recovery are kept at an optimum?
Could it be the case that a non-competetive lifter could recover from a properly induced overload event within a week, but that his or her lifestyle requires two weeks for recovery and supercompensation? I'm venturing a guess that the answer is no, since an intermediate would have to be on a really shitty diet and sleep schedule to take two weeks to recover from what should take only one week.
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My point here is that anybody training hard enough and long enough and intelligently enough to eventually need very complicated programming to get a new PR every 6 months is not the type of person to do the PR in their garage. Such a focused person is a competitive lifter that goes to meets. I suppose it happens occasionally, like maybe twice a year in the entire country, but you are asking me questions about a person that essentially doesn't exist. Theoretically, the sun can explode, or all the air molecules in the room could end up on the ceiling, but they probably won't. People that need to program their training months in advance are not doing it just so they can write about it on the internet or tell their buddies at the bar.
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I see your point. Thank you for clearing it up.
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This question is evidence of a poor understanding of the whole situation. Read PPST again.
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