Periodizing your training

[GodsGiftToFatBirds]

http://www.t-nation.com/readTopic.do;jsessionid=3A7E1E0F6B778B2FD2A708513B084FB7.hydra?id=929615

I came across this while browsing t-nation, the tip I'm interested in is tip number 7 (scroll down). It basically says that to stimulate muscle growth as much as poss you wanna be periodizing your training into 3 or 4 week cycles.
With these, you should be alternating between an 'accumulation' phase (high volume, low intensity) and an 'intensification' phase (low volume, high intensity).

I'm posting this to see what the experienced lifters on here think of it?

Cos I know quite a few (thinking people like Semag, Warboss Alex and Metal Fortress, you know who you are) are very into the DC principles of low volume, high intensity, but I've never heard any of you mention alternating this with 'accumulation phases'.
So I'm interested to see what you think.

 

[ethnomethodologist]

I can't wait to here a DJ take on this one either.

Back when I used to actually go to the gym(hint I don't anymore so ignore my advice) my teacher would talk about hitting every muscle in your body with every exercise. The guy was heavy into taichi, but was a world record holder and his daughter had just won a canadian weightlifting championship belt.

It was to stimulate your whole body and eliminate bad energy. I used to train to fight, than evolved into looking big to scare people away from fighting, than just down to plain being healthy and not getting into fights at all. So I ran the whole gamut without my body or the knowledge really keeping up with me...

Well I learned to hit hard each seperate workout day one set of muscles, and lightly tap on the rest with a sort of 'cardio' sets.

I know that it was and is still only theory in my mind. Again I can't wait to get a few good lesson from the other guys out there.

 

[semag]

actually GGTFB, the strict DC variation has a "cruise" phase every 4 weeks, that's a week or so, where you drop all the weights, and chill out, and leave a lot in you when you go to the gym.

It's more of an accumulation like you mention, or also known as a Deload phase..... West Side Barbell has some stuff like that too, and I truly think if you push hard in the gym, your body's gonna make you slow down for a week, or you'll hit an injury. I've always found that after a bunch of weeks, i'll just lack ANY motivation to go, or something will come up that keeps me from going, and life kinda creates these natural "deload" and recouperation phases.

 

[GodsGiftToFatBirds]

the strict DC variation has a "cruise" phase every 4 weeks, that's a week or so, where you drop all the weights, and chill out, and leave a lot in you when you go to the gym.

To be quite honest, it might be time for me to take it easy for a week, my muscles have been aching bad the last few days, even the ones I've not just trained, and my performances this week have not generally improved at all on last week's. Not surprising really though - I can't remember the last time I took a few days off - it must be literally months!

In this 'cruise' phase, do you just not touch a weight for a whole week? Or just do some lighter stuff to keep yourself ticking over?
And what about diet - do you keep that exactly the same as you would normally?

 

[semag]

from what i've read, the DC cruise week just kinda touches the muscles during the cruise.. .tries out new exercises for the next blast, and just kinda go light... the diet is toned down, you don't eat as much... and you just kinda take life easy.

If you just take a full week off from everything, it can really help ya out... More than that gets bad though because you have trouble getting back into the routine