Periodization and Progressive Programming - Fitness for Women 35+

Good programming requires all the pieces; strength, power, speed, muscle building, cardio, and mobility. For midlife women especially, we can't afford to skip any of it. But thinking about it all at once? That's where the overwhelm creeps in.

Here's a better way to look at it.
Yes, we need periodization across the year. But we also need balanced movement patterns within each week. Instead of thinking "glutes today, back tomorrow," think in planes of movement - a framework strength coach Ian King brought into mainstream training years ago.

Upper Body Movement Patterns:
Vertical Push: overhead press, lateral raises
Vertical Pull: cable pulldowns, pullovers, pull-ups
Horizontal Push: chest press, push-ups, flyes
Horizontal Pull: bent-over rows, seated cable rows, reverse flyes

You'll also hit adduction and abduction of the arm, rotator cuff work (scapular stabilizers), and grip training—forearm flexion, extension, deviation, dead hangs.

Lower Body Movement Patterns:
Knee Dominant: lunges, step-ups, squats, single-leg squats, leg extensions
Hip Dominant: glute bridges, deadlifts, hip thrusts, leg curls

Add in foot stabilizer drills, calf and anterior tibialis work, back strengthening (back extensions, good mornings), core work (side planks, crunches), and yes - biceps and triceps.

Here's the filter:
Regardless of whether your program is focused on strength, hypertrophy, or power, the major compound movements should be non-negotiable—vertical push/pull, hip dominant, knee dominant, horizontal push/pull. After that, you fill in with accessory work based on your goals and the time you have.

You can hit the major muscle groups in a single program. But all the accessory muscles? They won't fit into one phase. That's why I keep steering you back to a foundations phase: a dedicated block to shore up weak links and bring attention to areas you may have been skipping all year.