A BRIEF OVERVIEW OF PEAKING FOR STRENGTH PERFORMANCE
By Shane Robert
In sports with specific competition dates, such as track or the weight-based lifting sports, there is a performance enhancing (not that kind) process known as peaking. Peaking is the end of a structured training program (aka periodization), designed to help an athlete reach their highest possible performance level on a specific day. Peaking is the last block of the program and is typically done leading up to a competition or testing max lifts. This is done by reducing volume to dissipate fatigue in combination with strategically increased intensity to optimize neurological efficiency, technical sharpness, and muscular readiness. Without a proper peak, an athlete might feel sluggish or fatigued and hit weights well below their potential.
Peaking allows athletes to reduce the accumulated tiredness from the previous training weeks without losing fitness (the ability to do a task). With fatigue minimized, a greater emphasis can be placed on movement specificity, which improves technical consistency, and an increase in intensity (percentage of 1RM) enhances confidence by training close to max weights in a controlled way. All of this combined allows someone to express the strength and skill they’ve developed over a training block. Also known as MAXIMUM PERFORMANCE.
The process of peaking, therefore, is actually quite simple. Just before starting the peaking process, you should be at your highest recoverable training volumes and average intensities, then it follows this simple order:
- Overreach somewhat by pushing volume slightly above normal
- Reduce Volume but increase intensity
- Reduce volume again to highest intensities (90-100%+)
- Taper with low volume, low intensity
The timeline that all of this occurs will vary from person to person based on training age, chronological age, biological sex, body weight, max strength, etc. How much volume needs to be reduced also varies from person to person and is largely dependent on what your training volume was like during the training blocks leading up to the peak.
Below are two popular models of peaking that differ slightly while still keeping to the core concepts. One is shorter, at 4 weeks, and the other is slightly longer at 6 weeks.
Linear Peaking (simple; best for beginner to intermediate lifters)
- Week 4 (Heavy Volume): 4-6 sets x4-6 reps @ 75–85%, moderate-high volume
- Week 3 (Heavy Intensity): 3-5 sets 2-3 reps @ 85–90%, reduced volume
- Week 2 (Low Volume/High Intensity): 1–2 reps @ 90–100%
- Week 1 (Taper): 1–2 light sessions, lifts @ 60–70%, low volume
- Competition Day: Max attempt
Overreach & Supercompensate (more complicated and better for intermediate to advanced lifters)
- Weeks 6,5,4: Overreach with higher volume and moderate intensity (70-85%)
- Week 3: Drop volume (cut by 30–50%) but keep intensity high (85-95%)
- Week 2: Low volume, highest intensity (95-100%+)
- Test Week: Very light, very low volume, mostly technique until test day
Here is an example of a peaking program that I have had a lot of success with. I found a variation of this in an old article from the 1970s when it was labeled as a ‘Bulgarian Peaking Program.’ I’m sure that’s wrong since what we know about the Bulgarian System was nothing like this. However, after tweaking it a bit, I have found that it works great for any traditional grinding type of lift, such as squats, bench presses, deadlifts, overhead presses, etc. The first 3 weeks gradually increase the volume done with 70-85% weights, then drop volume and sharply increase intensity. This is just one example of how it can be done, but one that I like due to the slow increase across all weeks.
Note: All of the first numbers represent the percentage of 1 rep max.
A well-executed peak brings together months of training into a single performance window where you're the strongest, sharpest, and most confident you've ever been.
