How does everyone structure their yearly training

[needheaven]

I recently watched this video (link below) and made me wonder how others plan their yearly training. Watching some of his past videos I determined at least for me a 6 month bulk is about the longest I'd want to do. However, there are big advantages to structuring training seasonally throughout the year which tends to fit better with life + practical advantages like bulking in winter when its cold and dieting when its warmer. The disadvantage is you are time constrained at every phase, if cut takes too long then bulk gets cut short, or if a bulk is going well you just have to stop because the calendar says its time.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jRm\_NKO2AAE

 

[dendennis]

@needheaven Hate myself for ten months, act like I'm Prime Greg Plitt for two months.

 

[dawn16]

@needheaven Bulk until I’m so fat others start to notice and my gut looks like Homer Simpson’s. I bulked throughout my entire first year of training and made great progress. And I shall do it again. Then I cut until I’m lean and happy with how I look. Then the bulk resumes. Lessons learned, don’t go as wild with my surplus so I can bulk for longer, and be more dialed in during cutting so I can shift weight faster.

I’m not really bothered about how other people perceive me or what they think, and generally speaking I think most people who consistently lift, even when they’re a tad heftier, still look better than 99% of the population. So if I go on holiday mid-bulk and I’m a bit tubby, so be it. If I cut during the summer and no one really sees me lean. Who cares. As long as I’m happy and making some progress inside and outside of the gym, I’m good. I’ve learned to be a bit more lax as well with my training as well and not be so harsh on myself. When I switched to a 6 day split at first I’d try to let nothing get in the way. And it was hard. Now I have deadlines, work, assignments, a girlfriend, family and just other stuff going on in my life I’ll basically just lift whenever I can so I might not get 6 days a week in every week but I’m close enough most weeks, even if sometimes it might just be 3 or 4 days. I understand this will affect my progress to an extent but even so I’m not a professional bodybuilder or some fitness influencer where it’s my job to be as ripped and massive as possible. It’s very much a marathon for me and I hope that in 10+ years that general consistency, 80% of the time, even if it’s not 99.9% of the time, will translate into an impressive physique. All whilst still living my life and not torturing myself for missing the odd day.

 

[533th3r]

@needheaven I really like bulking during winter and cutting before summer. Gives me like 5 months to build properly and then 3 months to cut.

 

[needheaven]

@533th3r 5 and 3 months is good but what about the other 4? I think one problem is the ideal bulk length is too long to do twice a year but doing once means some wasted months if you plan around a year.

 

[533th3r]

@needheaven one month maintenance after a bulk and about 3 months maintenance after the cut. After the cut is just to maintain a nice physique throughout summer.

 

[needheaven]

@533th3r That works, the video I linked basically suggested to use summer as a very slow bulk to the point you still look lean so it's probably not too much different than what you are doing. Personally for me maintenance is a hard thing to train because of motivation for those 3 months lacks a goal, a "bulk" where you don't actually gain much weight might fix that.

 

[chrisjohnstonone]

@needheaven Currently aiming for .5 lb per week on a 9 month bulk and just now starting. 6 ft 185 pounds

I will run Stronger by Science Novice hypertrophy program at least 6 months for that which is just basic form of linear progression structured as a 4 day upper lower and a 5th day for vanity . Start out with all lifts at 3x8. Work up to 5x8. Reset to 3x10. Repeat. Progress till 5x12. Reset to 3x8 with 10-15% weight increase. It works up to a set increase every week, 3 weeks before a rep increase, 9 weeks before a weight increase assuming no failures. In a 6 month period I should increase weight by 10% 3 times on my lifts as long as I dial in to effort and push myself.

Once 9 months is up, if I hate myself, I’ll cut. If not, keep bulking in 3 month increments.

Either way, I’ll round out 3 months after the 9 with running a strength/powerbuilding type program and push my 1 rep maxes. I’ll run either SBS strength, or jacked and tan 2.0 or something of that sort

Will then recalibrate for another hypertrophy block and just keep alternating after that. Since I mentioned pushing my 1rm: Current 1rm is: 205 lb bench, 275 lb squat (low bar), 335 lb deadlift.

Hoping my high bar is where my low bar is once I start the strength block, hopefully 225 is not out of reach on bench, and that dead will be trending closer to 405

 

[lilethmagdelene]

@needheaven I never do seasonal bulks/cuts. I time it with my need of gaining more mass or losing more fat. If it falls in line with a traditional summer cut or winter bulk, so be it, but I don't actively seek out the seasonal cuts.

If I have to bulk during and through summer, so be it. I follow a long term goal of being the biggest and leanest my genetics allow me to be. I don't let short term satisfaction dictate my long term goals.

 

[needheaven]

@lilethmagdelene This is what I'd prefer and there is some advantage to having the seasons work for you, disadvantage is it's not on your own timeline

 

[reemal]

@needheaven Bulk in the fall/winter, cut in the spring/summer, do a bit of maintenance in late summer/early fall (mostly when I'm on vacation).