| Abstract |
[Truncated abstract] Resistance training is increasingly popular for improving strength qualities such as hypertrophy, maximal strength, endurance and power. Although many resistancetraining programmes now adhere to the concept of periodisation, the number of studies examining its structure and design are few, and there are just a handful of studies that have examined periodised training for the maintenance of strength and power. Even rarer, are periodised resistance-training studies that utilise female subjects. Previous studies have compared non-periodised training regimens such as Progressive Resistance Exercise (PRE), and the two main models of periodisation, Linear Periodisation (LP) and Undulating Periodisation (UP). Results are inconclusive as to whether the efficacy of the periodised training programmes were due to the manipulation of training variables such as volume and intensity, or that training programmes with higher doses of volume induced better training responses. However, to make effective comparisons between training programmes, the training volume or workload (total load lifted x total repetitions) and training intensity have to be equated between the groups under examination. While the intensities (percentage of one-repetition maximum, 1 RM) for improving strength qualities such as hypertrophy and maximal strength have general consensus among resistance-training practitioners, there exists disagreement over the intensity that should be used during the training of power. Thus, it is important to first identify the load for power training before comparisons can be made between LP and UP programmes using equal training volumes. ... The final study found that adhering to two UP maintenance training programmes with equalised volumes and intensities twice a week increased upper-body strength and maintained lower-body strength adequately across a 3-wk |
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phase. The results from these studies support previous results that suggest training programmes with higher workloads and repetitions produce superior strength and power adaptations, and it is not specifically the variation of training volume and intensity within a periodised programme that improves strength qualities. Thus, both periodised programmes used in this thesis can be recommended for untrained and moderatelytrained women as both LP and UP were found to be similarly effective for increasing upper- and lower-body hypertrophy, strength and power. |
