Daily Undulating Periodization (DUP) Training

Daily Undulating Periodization (DUP) Training
Maximize Muscle Gains With This Brilliant Training Method Whether your goal is to lose fat or build muscle, many fitness experts agree that there is one type of training you should prioritize over all others — strength training. Now, when I say strength training, I’m not talking about going to the gym and pumping out 3 sets of 10 on biceps and triceps every other day. No, I’m talking about pure, unadulterated, strength training. The type of training that separates the men from the boys; where you’re actually a little bit scared to get under the bar. There are many different programs out there that focus on helping you build strength: 5x5, 5/3/1, Westside, etc. In this article, were going to talk about one of the best and most fun (in my opinion) programs for increasing your overall strength: daily undulating periodization (DUP). What is Daily Undulating Periodization? DUP is a method of programming that has you performing a core set of movements three or more times per week, working in different rep ranges with each session. Let’s look at each component individually: Daily: During each workout, you’ll be performing the same main movements. These movements are compound, multi-joint exercises like the squat, deadlift, bench press, and overhead press (or the variation of these that suit you the best). Undulating: Undulating is defined as “moving in a wave-like motion.” With DUP, the weights, rep scheme, and intensity you use for each exercise will change with every workout ,going from light to moderate to heavy weights, and from high to medium to low reps. Periodization:The goal of periodization is progression towards maximizing strength while minimizing fatigue and injury. With DUP, the daily variation of periodization places enough stress on your body to continually make progress, yet it doesn’t allow it to adapt to the stress and plateau. So basically, you are performing the same exercises during every workout, just with different loads and rep ranges. But won’t training like this lead to overtraining, excess fatigue, and injury? Actually, no — for a couple of reasons. One, the change in rep scheme and load ensures that you are not overworking a single area. Not only that, but the higher frequency of work increases your body’s motor learning capabilities. Basically, this means that the more you perform an exercise, the better you get at it. In addition, increased training frequency increases muscle protein synthesis, leading to more strength and more muscle gains over time. How to Program DUP Since this may be your first introduction to DUP, we’ll start off with a basic sample program that has you performing squats, deadlifts, and bench press three times a week. But you will be performing the exercises in different rep ranges each day: These are usually classified as power, strength, and hypertrophy. For your power sets, you’ll be using a moderately heavy weight (65-70% of your one-rep max) with low reps, focusing on speed. For strength, you will be using a heavy weight (80-85% of one-rep max) for low reps, focusing on strength. For hypertrophy, you’ll again be using a moderately heavy weight, but this time for higher reps. Here is an example: Power days – 5x3 at 70% of 1RM Strength days – 4x4 at 85% of 1RM Hypertrophy days – 3x10 at 65-70% of 1RM Here is how the program can be set up: Monday – Deadlift (power), Bench Press (strength), Squat (hypertrophy) Tuesday – Off Wednesday – Bench Press (power), Squat (strength), Deadlift (hyprtrophy) Thursday – Off Friday – Squat (power), Deadlift (strength), Bench Press (hypertrophy) Saturday – Off/Accessory Sunday – Off Accessory work is allowed with DUP, but not required. It’s really up to you. If you’re going to have an accessory day, I would suggest doing five or six exercises that support your primary movements. Something like: Deadifts – Romanian Deadlifts/Pull-Ups/Barbell Rows Squats – Goblet Squats/Leg Presses/Glute Bridge Bench Press – Push-Ups/Seated Shoulder Press/Floor press Progression When it comes to seeing gains, progression is key. The best way to progress with DUP is to either add weight every week or increase the amount of sets and reps on a weekly basis. For adding weight, your goal should be to increase the load by five pounds each week on your strength and hypertrophy sets, while keeping your power sets the same and just focusing on speed or adding an extra set. When it comes to adding sets and reps, focus on trying to add one additional rep each week during your strength work, while adding an additional set during your power and hypertrophy work. Regardless of which progression method you choose, you don’t want to do DUP for longer than a four to six-week cycle without taking a one-week break in between. You can keep the exercises, sets, and reps the same during these "de-load" weeks, but you should reduce the loads by 50%. This helps facilitate recovery while preventing burnout. It would also be beneficial to switch your exercises up with each DUP cycle so you can target other movement patterns and muscle groups. When used correctly, DUP is a fantastic way to add strength quickly. While it is a bit more of an advanced strategy, if you have experience with the basic compound exercises, it can help you set new PRs and take your gains to the next level. RELATED: Maximize Muscle Growth With These Three Training Methods Original article and pictures take http://ca.askmen.com/sports/bodybuilding/daily-undulating-periodization-dup-training.html site