IGX

Short review:

A short, but somewhat sluggish read on a way to keep your workout programs fresh and how to optimize the right workout for the right day.

Long review:

This book is to help people design and implement non-linear periodized training programs, aka undulating periodization.

The basics of non-linear periodization is that you have your program divided into various goals (max strength, hypertrophy, endurance, power, etc.) and then you do a workout for each desired strength quality.

A simple one would be max strength, hypertrophy and muscular endurance for full-body.

Max strength could be represented as a 4-6RM load (a weight that you could lift no more than 6 times), longer rest periods.

Hypertrophy could use an 8-12RM, with shorter rest periods of 1-2 minutes.

Endurance may be a 12-15RM, or a 15-20RM with 1-2 minutes (or shorter) rest periods.

So on week 1, you'd do max strength on Monday, endurance on Wednesday and hypertrophy on Friday.

But the book also talks about FLEXIBLE non-linear programming. Basically you test someone's vertical leap for power (or go by feelings of fatigue) and then decide the workout for the day based on how they feel and perform on the tests and initial workout sets. So maybe Monday of this week you'd go with a light workout because they got hammered on Sunday and felt like shit. Wednesday you'd hit the 4-6RM and Friday you'd go for hypertrophy.

The book is fairly short, going into some interesting tidbits of new research on lifting, recovery, machines vs. free weights and so on. It finishes with some case studies to help you understand how to adjust on a daily basis.

I feel that this is the best book I've read on program design since I read "Periodization Breakthrough!" (same authors) back in 1998. The problem with the previous book is that linear periodization (basically start light, low volume and build up in sets and heavier weights, finishing with a taper for power and strength), in my experience, seems to taper in utility once you have the base levels.

Flexible non-linear periodization is a good way to take a current program and with a tiny bit of thinking allow you to challenge your body differently on a regular basis.

I've been using it on myself and some personal training clients for the past two weeks, so it's too soon to note any changes, but I will say that my enjoyment of working out has gone up and my clients have noticed being sorer with the same volume of exercise we had been doing.

The book IS dry, even though it's short, it took a while to get through. And the concepts aren't too much beyond what I outlined above. Still I'm very happy I picked it up.