Whether you are trying to gain strength for a sport, for Olympic lifting, or for powerlifting, there are a few concepts that remain constant. The largest and most important of these concepts is periodization, or the training stages for strength gains. This explanation will be fairly basic and simplified. There are, in reality, more stages than three, but for most beginners, this will be a good enough map of what to do when you’re stuck at a plateau for strength gains.

This concept is fairly alien to a lot of new lifters, and most probably won’t believe it at first. But anywhere you look, you’ll find both scientific research and actual power, Olympic and athletic lifters backing this system of periodization as well. Lee James, James George, and Tommy Kono, all three of whom were Olympic medalists in the Olympic Lifts, used various stages of the periodization to their advantage and, should one look at their training regiments, they’ll see that all three phases were used, even if not by the same name.

As pretty much any lifter will tell you, the first stage of lifting is the size stage. Nobody can lift without building muscle first. And whether you’re a bodybuilder, an athlete, an Olympic lifter, or a powerlifter, you’ll need some mass before you can really start to move weight. So when you first start, it should probably be at what is called the size stage, or hypertrophy. During this stage, you will need lower weight with higher repetition. Generally, you should be lifting around eight to 12 reps every set. This stage is focused on volume of lifts, so you’re really going to need to eat well and be prepared for your actual numbers to go down a little bit. What you’re doing is preparing your body to build actual strength later. This is the foundation that the rest of your training will be built on.

The second stage that you’ll lift is generally known as maximal strength. It is a fairly simple concept, and its name really explains it. During this stage, you’re using the muscle you built in the hypertrophy stage to actually build strength. Your intensity should be higher now and the rest you take between sets should go down a good bit. Now, rather than just building up bodybuilder style, you’re finding your limit for lower set ranges, so you should stick to around five to eight repetitions per set. During this stage, you will find that your numbers increase dramatically and that you’re finally starting to act at your peak ability once again. But you can’t just skip to this stage because you have to build up your potential -- your foundation -- before you can get stronger.

The third stage is the building of explosive power. Once again, the name of the stage is self-explanatory. You’re building power, which is the ability to put strength and energy out over a shorter period of time. You’ll be at your fastest during this phase and, though you’ll lose strength over it, at the end you’ll be as competitive as you will get without beginning. During this stage, your repetitions for each set should stay around three to five. For the most part, this stage won’t destroy your body, but as you’re usually in season during this stage, it’s not meant to. During this stage, you’ll find that you’re at your peak abilities. Your volume is low, and so you can’t just stay here without losing muscle mass, but your intensity is supposed to be so high that, for a short burst, you’re as strong and explosive as you’ll ever be without restarting the phase once again.

The actual method of doing these three stages varies depending on who you ask, but the simple fact that they exist is undeniable. If you follow these programs and find more specific ones online or at your local gym, then you’ll find your strength gains will spike like they never have before.