The Personal Evolution SystemTotal Strength and Conditioning Training Systems  The Personal Evolution system for total strength and conditioning was founded on the principle of simplicity. The whole fitness and athletics industry is over-crowded with a plethora of methodologies that all claim to produce the greatest results. The Personal Evolution approach cuts through all of the unnecessary and complex principles and gets down to basics. The reason this system works is because of its logic and research based reasoning. What you are about to learn is simply a theoretical skeleton structure for which the Personal Evolution system is based. Of course, there are always exceptions and a single method cannot be applied to every individual situation. However the system is structured in a way that it can simply be used as a universal outline for which to base all training upon.
The Personal Evolution system follows a specific structure that is designed to progressively condition an individual or athlete so that each level of improvement is reached in perfect form. There is no point adding complex exercises to a circuit-style routine if you can’t perform the exercises perfectly or at a high enough level. This approach simply leads to injury. The Personal Evolution system works in phases. Each phase builds on the last to help the individual perfect technique and fine-tune weak points. Please note that phases are not set out for exact time periods here, this is just the broad outline. Every individual is different, so each person needs phases that are structured to meet their needs and outcomes. This skeleton structure provides a guideline for all athletic and fitness programming across all domains. All phases are to be set within the parameters of effective per iodisation applicable to the individual or athlete. Please note that this system does not intend to outline per iodisation, that is different. This is the entire system and encompasses the whole athlete as opposed to cycles.
Phase one is the initial foundational development phase. During this phase the individual will learn how to execute correct technique in all major barbell exercises, callisthenics, running technique and build and perfect other rudimentary conditioning techniques. During phase one the individual is introduced to exercises with minimal load and intensity. This increases as the athlete’s ability increases. The primary skills adapted are generally strength and coordination related. However this will vary depending the athlete’s specific goals and needs. During this phase the individual will generally build a base level of strength rather rapidly, which will increase exponentially as skills are developed. This phase is essential in order to build up to higher levels of conditioning effectively and without incident. The duration of phase one will vary depending on the individual’s progress and every person without exception is required to complete phase one. Experienced athletes may complete phase one within a few short weeks, others may take upwards of six months. The Personal Evolution system requires flawless technique and a highly developed foundation due to the high potency nature of the training methods used at advanced levels.
Phase two is a transitional phase designed to condition an individual to cope with the high demands of future training. This phase resembles phase one, with the major difference being that a wider variety of specific movements are introduced and the structure of sessions is generally more physically demanding. During this phase the athlete is introduced to challenging loads and intensities and begins to incorporate high intensity intervals and a structured strength programme. Having said that, varied circuit-style training is not included in this phase. For workouts involving a high cardiovascular demand we will only use single modalities during this phase, such as running, rowing, swimming, cycling etc. The aim here is to further develop foundations but in a context of higher intensity and challenging loads.
By phase three the athlete is expected to be highly proficient in all lifting techniques and capable of withstanding considerable intensity in both strength and metabolic conditioning exercise. This phase sees the introduction of more specific and functional workouts such as circuits, IWT, intervals etc. Some workouts will begin to involve multiple domains and complex movements while under extreme fatigue. This means the incorporation of multiple modality cardiovascular exercise and the combination of strength and metabolic conditioning within the same workout. For this reason it is essential that during phase one and two all techniques were learned and perfected and developed to a reasonably high standard. Before doing something like a timed circuit at blistering intensity, it is essential that the athlete be able to perform the exercises as if they were second nature.
Phase four is the final and ongoing phase of training for all individuals participating in the Personal Evolution system. By this phase the individual has learned and perfected technique in all major strength exercises and developed a strong foundational level of conditioning. Phase four is where the individual can be challenged and pushed to their highest level without fear of injury. During this phase the athlete will set challenging targets and aim to train within their highest training intensities. By this phase it is expected that technique is second nature and rarely needs correcting and that the athlete can handle considerable intensity. Phase four is also characterised by highly specific and functional training techniques. By now the athlete will have a high enough foundation to enable them to get highly specific to their intended goal. This may involve movements specific or even exclusive to their sport or activity and metabolic stimulation that matches the exact needs of the task at hand. Basically phase four is aimed at preparing the individual for any physical demand that may come their way.
The Personal Evolution training system utilises only the necessary techniques and movements for the task at hand. There is no need for seven different types of bicep curls and a gym full of fancy equipment. This is a waste of time and will only chew up adaptive energy. The Personal Evolution system is founded on simplicity and efficiency. This means that what is not needed gets discarded. So what we are left with is a minimalist array of tools that are the most effective and efficient. The following tools, techniques and movements are not an exhaustive list. This is just a brief outline of the primary tools we use to get the job done. There are endless techniques that can be used and these are all considered and scrutinised and may be included if they prove to be the best tool for the specific job at hand.
The first thing worth mentioning is that we treat everyone like an athlete. There is no separation between athlete and grandparent. The human body essentially has the same components universally. Some things need to be adapted and scaled to meet individual needs and fitness levels, however the nuts and bolts are the same. A 90 year old is trained as if they are an athlete, as is a 21 year old rugby player. The difference is that the 90 year old may need certain movements, intensities and durations scaled to their level of physical capacity. This approach utilises only athletic movements and primal patterns. There are no machines and very few isolation exercises except where they may be specifically required. Most of our training requires the use of bodyweight exercises, barbell training, kettle bells, dumbells, medicine balls, running, swimming, rowing, fighting techniques and other athletic movements. We have eliminated things like bicep curls, chest press machines, leg extensions, lat pull-downs, light aerobics etc. Everything is designed to serve a function, not just burn calories. For this reason every person that takes on the Personal Evolution system is developed for functional capacity and efficiency. As a result everyone trained this way looks, feels and functions like an athlete that is elite for their age and experience.
Progressive overload is the second on this list. Progressive overload is required in every strength and conditioning programme, regardless of goals. Progressive overload simply refers to progressively increasing loads, distances, volume etc. This fosters improvement and progression. Various methods are used for progressive overload. One of which is progressive intensity. Progressive intensity fits into our per iodisation model and works as follows… Progressive intensity involves a progressively changing intensity in response to the adaptive capacity of an individual. This occurs on a sliding scale, then peaks before dropping back off to a restoration/maintenance level. Here’s an example… STAGE ONE: Begin with a low intensity. Lets use squats for instance. A workout that looks like squats for 7-5-3-1 reps, we might train with intensities of 45%-50%-60%-75% for a micro-cycle or two. Then we would increase the same workout to 50%-60%-70%-85%. We would keep progressively increasing intensity until the individual is peaking at levels that are nearing muscular failure during main working sets. After this the athlete will have depleted adaptive energy capacity and will hit a plateau. At this time we would incorporate a restoration phase of training that uses low intensity once more then build back to training at maximal loads. Each time this happens it is expected that the athlete will be lifting larger weights at the same given percentages.
Periodisation is an essential component of the Personal Evolution system. Many gyms and coaches have forgotten this method of training and as a result simply bang their head against a brick wall when they hit a plateau. Periodisation is used differently for different purposes, however the idea is universal. The reasoning behind per iodisation is that an individual has a finite level of adaptive energy. Trying to progressively improve without restoration is fruitless and will cause a halt in training results. Periodisation allows an athlete to develop non-linearly, which means the body never fully adapts and stalls. This is because the highest level of potential is rarely reached in training, and when it gets close it’s time for a restoration phase, which resets the adaptive clock.
Technique number four is a combination technique. This encompasses frequency, volume and intensity. We will describe this in a systematic format.
The four defining components of the Personal Evolution system is the last technique we will mention here. This encompasses four defining concepts that span across all the training we do, regardless of whether it is applied to an athlete or overweight, middle-age war veteran.
Please note that the preceding techniques are not a complete list of methodologies. These are just the primary defining themes of the Personal Evolution system. Refer back to the component of flexibility.
It may seem hard to follow given all the preceding information. So I felt it necessary to include an outline that briefly skims each phase of training and incorporates the techniques mentioned in the previous section. This will give you a basic idea of how it can all be put together and used in context. We will explain in terms of programme design. This means we will run through a very broad, basic outline of a programme with examples of how the structure and techniques can be incorporated. I will remind you again that this is not a complete programme. This is a skeleton structure and does not outline a complete periodised strength and conditioning programme. This is just to provide a little understanding of the preceding information. ATHLETE: Rugby player. This involves broad development of all fitness domains. Most notably this athlete requires considerable muscular strength and power that is able to be utilised in the context of continuous aerobic and anaerobic demands on all body systems. TIMELINE: The time period will span over two years. This will incorporate pre-season, in-season and post-season for two seasons. The athlete will need to peak for a long time period. This means that restoration phases need to be structured in a way that allows complete maintenance of results. We expect that an athlete like this will be best trained by spending this length of time to reach phase four. Of course, some circumstances will require a faster progression than this, however this is ideal. SITUATION: The theoretical athlete will have been training and playing rugby for several years. However he has not been involved in a structured strength and conditioning programme until now. The only training undergone is two nights a week of rugby training and several days a week on and off at the gym performing a body-building style routine. Therefore this athlete will be trained meticulously through phase one to ensure maximum skill development in the area of strength techniques and other fundamental and foundational components.
During phase one our rugby player will be learning all the basic techniques and movements under minimal loads. This will last a period of 12 weeks and will progressively become more intense in preparation for phase two. Phase one will go from the middle of one off-season into the beginning of the next season. EXERCISES: Basic barbell movements including back squat, overhead press, deadlifts, power-cleans, bent-over rows, pull-ups, push-ups etc. Running technique, mostly sprinting. Basic agility drills. SAMPLE PROGRAMME INCLUDING INTENSITIES: (Please note that this programme is just a single session to outline what we are doing and why we are doing it). Back squat for 5-5-3-3 reps at 50%-55%-60%-70%-70% of max Deadlift for 5-3-1 reps at 50%-60%-70% of max Power-cleans for 5-5-3-1 reps at 50%-55%-60%-70% of max Overhead press for 5-3-1 reps at 50%-60%-70% of max Then… Sprinting drills. Running at 80% of max pace with a focus on correcting gait efficiency. At approximately halfway through phase one add 5% to all intensities then a further 5% towards the last two weeks. Also note that when a restoration phase comes along the goal is not to keep going back to square one. The aim is to start from a higher level each time and peak at higher loads after each of these cycles.
During phase two our athlete will have developed a high level of proficiency in all basic barbell movements and other fundamental skills. He will also have developed a reasonable base level of fitness across multiple domains. This has prepared him for an increase in intensity until a peak is reached followed by a restoration phase. The duration of phase two will be 12 weeks and peak at about halfway followed by restoration of two weeks then a build-up into phase two. EXERCISES: All exercises used in phase one with the addition of power movements such as box jumps, broad jumps etc. SAMPLE PROGRAMME INCLUDING INTENSITIES: Back squat for 5-3-1 reps at 70%-80%-85% of max Deadlift for 3-3-3 reps at 75%-80%-80% Push-press for 5-5-5 reps at 70%-70%-70% Then… Box jumps, broad jumps and sprinting drills. The sprinting drills are to be done at 90% of maximal capacity. Also incorporated will be longer sprints and intervals with shorter rest times. Here we can also incorporate the Tabata protocol. Every workout add a load that will enable the athlete to still move the weight for the prescribed repetitions, however will increase the intensity. By halfway through phase two the athlete should have reached maximum percentages for each given repetition range. After this time the percentage should be reduced to what was used at the beginning of phase one. Please test this percentage as it will be a higher load than was used in phase one. After a two-week restoration phase begin increasing intensities until about 90% capacity is reached by the end of phase two.
By phase three most techniques and movements are expected to be almost second-nature. The athlete will be highly proficient at completing all major exercises at high intensities and with near-flawless form. Phase three will see the introduction of some circuit-based metabolic conditioning exercises, an increase in power work such as plyometrics and the introduction of kettle bells. Phase three will last a duration of six months in preparation for the ongoing phase four. EXERCISES: All exercises used so far with the addition of plyometrics, circuit drills and kettle bells. SAMPLE PROGRAMME INCLUDING INTENSITIES: (Phase three will utilise an example of two different session types. This does not mean you need to follow a set structure like this, this is purely for demonstration purposes. Circuit based workouts should ideally be varied each session). Session One Back squat or deadlift (alternate between the two) for 5-5-3-1 reps Power-cleans for 5-5-3-1 reps Push-press for 5-3-1 reps Pull-ups performed at an intensity just below maximum capacity. Increase intensity in conjunction with the current pattern we are using. One set only. Push-ups performed the same way as mentioned for pull-ups. One set only. Kettlebell swings for one set of 20 reps. Then… Sprinting (long and short and with varied rest periods), plyometrics and agility drills focusing on intensity. Session Two Timed circuit such as… Three rounds of the following for time… Thrusters x 5 Squat jumps x 10 10 metre shuttle sprints x 6 Burpees x 10 Power-cleans x 10 kettle bells snatch x 10 Notice that I didn’t mention the intensity for each of these workouts. Simply perform the timed circuit based workout at about 90% of maximal intensity. Everything else should pick up where we left off from phase two by increasing to a peak then back a restoration phase and so on.
Phase four is our final phase and the ongoing phase for the athlete. By this phase the athlete should be extremely proficient in all exercises. Everything should be second-nature with movements performed flawlessly. This phase will mimic phase three with the difference being that a few more complex movements may be added because the athlete will now have the foundation to handle it. By this phase the athlete has a very high foundation of strength and fitness across all necessary domains. For this reason everything can be taken to maximal intensities wherever necessary. EXERCISES: All previously used exercises with addition of the snatch and the full squat clean. During this phase the athlete may also incorporate dozens of other movements and techniques such as medicine ball work, stability ball, cables etc. These are too numerous to name here or include in our example as there are a full array used for each given purpose specific to the athlete. SAMPLE PROGRAMME INCLUDING INTENSITIES: (Phase four will use a different format to illustrate the methodologies and systems used. Instead of providing intensities and specific workouts we will just include workout types and broad descriptions). During phase four a rugby player or any team sport athlete will ideally perform a set structured strength programme with all other parameters being varied from one workout to the next. Here is a sample of a typical week… Workout One: Structured strength workout, power and sprinting. Workout Two: Time based circuit, intervals or other high intensity metabolic conditioning session. Metabolic conditioning workouts can always be performed at 100% intensity once the athlete has gone through each phase and has proven proficient in all types of movement patterns. Workout Three: Same as workout one. For the next three workouts follow the same pattern. Remember the intensity pattern being used. This will be best understood by learning to use per iodisation. Exercises in phase four are basically anything goes, provided you select intelligently from an array of athletic movements and those that are specific to the task at hand. Finally we will look at tracking progress and fitness testing.
The Personal Evolution training system requires close monitoring of training sessions and regular fitness testing. This allows intelligent adjustments to be made throughout an athlete’s training programme. We will keep this brief and minimalist as I don’t believe in fussing too much over the mathematics of it and all the miniscule details.
Monitoring sessions should be fairly simple. We provide templates and outlines that help you monitor progress by recording sets, reps, loads, intensities etc. The following are a few guidelines for monitoring progress on a session by session basis. SIMPLE STRENGTH RECORDS: Strength sessions are recommended to be a relatively set programme. Therefore you may record sets, reps, loads, and percentages (optional). MULTIPLE MODALITY CIRCUIT TRAINING: For circuit style training that incorporates multiple training modalities all that needs to be recorded is a result for the workout. For a workout for time simply record the time. Workouts for rounds in a specific time should simply note the rounds completed. SINGLE MODALITY WORKOUTS: Sprint training is hard to monitor, as is plyometrics. Which is why we leave that until testing time. However long sprints, endurance training, Tabata intervals etc can be recorded logically. It is recommended that you record things like running/cycling/rowing times, Tabata intervals etc.
The second and final method for tracking progress involves fitness testing. Fitness tests obviously need to be chosen that represent the athlete’s goals and training needs. The following are a few guidelines. STRENGTH TESTS: In order to determine intensities and training loads it helps to know what your capacity is. Strength tests can include 1RM tests, 3RM tests etc. SPECIFIC TESTS: Specific tests include tests specific to an athlete’s sport. These can be replaced with a choice of more general tests for non-athletes. Specific tests may include running tests, swim tests, rowing, vertical jump, broad jump, maximum push-ups and an array of other things. OTHER CORE TESTS: These can include standard things such as an abdominal test, three minute step test etc. In addition to fitness testing it is advised to include body fat tests, girths and other relevant information. This concludes the outline of the Personal Evolution training system. It is worth mentioning again that this is not a complete and specific plan. What we have created is a set of parameters and techniques as well as a complete skeleton structure to base the design of programmes on.
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