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THE EFFECT OF AUTOREGULATORY PROGRESSIVE
RESISTANCE EXERCISE VS.LINEAR PERIODIZATION
ON STRENGTH IMPROVEMENT IN COLLEGE ATHLETES
J. BRYAN MANN,
1
JOHN P. THYFAULT,
2
PAT A. IVEY,
1
AND STEPHEN P. SAYERS
3
1
Department of Athletic Performance, University of Missouri, Columbia, Missouri;
2
Research Service, Harry S. Truman VA
Hospital, Departments of Nutrition and Exercise Physiology and Internal Medicine, University of Missouri, Columbia, Missouri;
and
3
Neuromuscular Research and Rehabilitation Laboratory, Department of Physical Therapy, University of Missouri,
Columbia, Missouri
ABSTRACT
Mann, JB, Thyfault, JP, Ivey, PA, and Sayers, SP. The effect
of autoregulatory progressive resistance exercise vs. linear
periodization on strength improvement in college athletes.
J Strength Cond Res 24(7): 1718–1723, 2010—Autoregula-
tory progressive resistance exercise (APRE) is a method by
which athletes increase strength by progressing at their own
pace based on daily and weekly variations in performance,
unlike traditional linear periodization (LP), where there is a set
increase in intensity from week to week. This study examined
whether 6 weeks of APRE was more effective at improving
strength compared with traditional LP in division I College
football players. We compared 23 division 1 collegiate football
players (2.65 60.8 training years) who were trained using
either APRE (n= 12) or LP (n= 11) during 6 weeks of
preseason training in 2 separate years. After 6 weeks of
training, improvements in total bench press 1 repetition
maximum (1RM), squat 1RM, and repeated 225-lb bench
press repetitions were compared between the APRE and LP
protocol groups. Analysis of variance (ANOVA) and analysis of
covariance (ANCOVA) were used to determine differences
between groups. Statistical significance was accepted at p#
0.05. Autoregulatory progressive resistance exercise demon-
strated greater improvement in 1RM bench press strength
(APRE: 93.4 6103 N vs. LP: 20.40 649.6 N; ANCOVA: F=
7.1, p= 0.02), estimated 1RM squat strength (APRE: 192.7 6
199 N vs. LP: 37.2 6155 N; ANOVA: F= 4.1, p= 0.05) and
the number of repetitions performed at a weight of 225 lb
(APRE: 3.17 62.86 vs. LP: 20.09 62.40 repetitions;
ANCOVA: F= 6.8, p= 0.02) compared with the LP group over
the 6-week training period. Our findings indicate that the APRE
was more effective than the LP means of programming in
increasing the bench press and squat over a period of 6 weeks.
KEY WORDS resistance training, strength and conditioning,
football
INTRODUCTION
For decades, strength improvement has been a goal
for the athlete attempting to secure a competitive
advantage over the competition. The ultimate goal
of any strength training program must be to deliver
the greatest gains in strength to optimize athletic perfor-
mance. For the exercise scientist and strength coach working
with the athlete, determining the most effective program for
eliciting maximal strength gains should be a primary focus.
There is no universally agreed-upon approach to maximize
strength gains in the athlete, but most coaches do agree that
there needs to be a planning or periodization of the training
stimuli. Periodization is a programed manipulation of several
key training variables (rest, overall training volume, sets per
workout, repetitions per set, intensity of training, and training
frequency) throughout a training cycle. Periodization can be
traced back to Selye’s (10) work on stressors and adaptation.
Selye theorized that the body will adapt to meet the demand
of stressors on the system, which has led to the specific
adaptation to imposed demands (SAID) principle (11). The
theoretical product of integrating the SAID principle with
the progressive overload principle implies that the athlete’s
strength will gradually adapt to a steady increase in the
intensity and volume of training. In simple terms, the
muscular and nervous systems adapt to meet the needs of
lifting an increasing load, requiring that loads continue to
increase for strength to improve.
Classic linear periodization (LP) is a breakdown of macro-
cycles, mesocycles, and microcycles, in which intensity
gradually increases and volume gradually decreases within
and between cycles (1). Studies have shown that periodized
programming elicits better gains in strength and perfor-
mance than nonperiodized programming (7,13); however it
Address correspondence to Stephen P. Sayers, sayerss@missouri.edu.
24(7)/1718–1723
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Ó2010 National Strength and Conditioning Association
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is currently not clear what type of periodization is most
effective. Daily undulating periodization has been found to
be more effective than LP in some studies (8,9) even with
equated volume and intensity of training.
A less common and understudied form of periodization is
‘‘autoregulation’’ of training (12). Autoregulation is a form of
periodization that adjusts to the individual athlete’s adapta-
tions on a day-to-day or week-to-week basis. This type of
periodization allows the athlete to increase strength at their
own pace by catering the program to the athlete’s individual
strength or performance on a daily basis (12). Because indivi-
duals increase strength or respond to training stimuli at
different rates, it is possible that the use of autoregulation may
maximize the amount of strength gained over a training
cycle. A specific autoregulatory program derived from the
original Delorme progressive resistance exercise (PRE)
system (2) and outlined by Siff is the autoregulating pro-
gressive resistance exercise (APRE) method (12). To our
knowledge, no studies have compared strength gains elicited
by a traditional LP program vs. an APRE protocol.
The purpose of this study was to compare the effect of an
APRE training program vs. a traditional LP training program
on strength improvement in National Collegiate Athletic
Association (NCAA) division I football players during a
6-week off-season program. We hypothesized that an APRE
program that adjusts to the day-to-day variation in perfor-
mance capabilities would result in larger strength gains in
previously strength trained individuals compared to a pro-
gram employing the traditional LP method.
METHODS
Experimental Approach to the Problem
The goal of this investigation was to compare the effects of
APRE to LP in strength trained college athletes. The primary
dependent variables in the study consisted of bench press
1RM, estimated squat 1RM, and the 225-lb repeated bench
press test. All dependent variables were obtained after the
off-season (January–May) spring conditioning program
(baseline) and after the preseason (June–July) conditioning
program (post).
Subjects
We compared 23 division I collegiate football players who
were trained using either APRE (n= 12) or LP (n= 11) for 6
weeks of resistance training during the preseason condition-
ing program at the University of Missouri in 2 separate years.
Demographic characteristics of each group can be seen in
Table 1.
All subjects had previously performed the LP program in
previous training cycles. The LP group consisted of athletes
who were trained during the 2004 off-season, whereas the
APRE group consisted of athletes who were trained the
following year (2005 off-season) using the new training
method. All athletes had similar training histories (see Table 1),
were trained during the same time period in consecutive
years, and were trained by the same training staff, which
limited seasonal variability or differences in application of the
programs. We sought to determine which of the 2 6-week
training programs resulted in the greatest increase in esti-
mated 1 repetition-maximum (1RM) bench press strength,
estimated 1RM Squat, and the 225-lb bench press repetitions
test compared with their final off-season spring results. The
retrospective analysis of human subject data was approved
by the University of Missouri Institutional Review Board.
Autoregulating Progressive Resistance Exercise and Linear
Periodization Protocols
In this study, APRE was implemented for the bench press and
squat exercises. Over the 6-week training period, APRE used
3 protocols: a 10RM program, a 6RM program, and a 3RM
program. For each program, subjects performed a set number
of repetitions at a certain percentage of the 10RM, 6RM, and
3RM based on Delorme’s PRE program (12). Each of the
10RM, 6RM, and 3RM resistance training protocol consisted
of 4 sets each. The 6RM program will be described here,
because it was the one that was used for the greatest portion
of the study. During set 1, subjects performed 10 repetitions
at 50% of the anticipated 6RM. During set 2, subjects then
performed 6 repetitions at 75% of the anticipated 6RM.
Finally, during set 3, subjects performed as many repetitions
as they could at 100% of the anticipated 6RM until they
reached failure. The weight used during set 4 was based on
the performance during the third set using an adjustment
table (see Table 2). During set 4, repetitions were performed
until failure, and the number of repetitions and load used
were then used to determine the initial resistance for the
following week’s training.
The LP group began their resistance training protocol with
sets of 8 at 70% 1RM and worked up to a 5RM by moving
up a weekly predetermined percentage for the repetitions
required. For the squat, 3 sets of 8 repetitions at 70% 1RM
were performed during week 1, 4 sets of 6 repetitions at 75%
1RM were performed during week 2, 4 sets of 5 repetitions
at 80% 1RM were performed during week 3, and 4 sets of
TABLE 1. Subject characteristics.*†‡
APRE group
(n= 12)
LP group
(n= 11)
Age (y) 20.2 61.0 20.3 61.6
Training age (y) 2.9 60.7 2.43 60.7
Body mass (kg) 111.3 621.9 104.1 622.5
Height (m) 1.85 60.7 1.87 60.3
*APRE = autoregulatory progressive resistance exer-
cise; LP = linear periodization.
†Values are presented as mean 6SD.
‡No significant differences were found between the
APRE and LP groups.
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5 repetitions at 85% 1RM were performed during week 4.
Maximal strength testing was then performed on week 5. For
the bench press, week 1 was 3 sets of 8 at 70%, week 2 was
4 sets of 6 at 75%, week 3 was 4 sets of 5 at 80%, week 4 was
4 sets of 5 at 82%, week 5 was 4 sets of 5 at 85%, week 6 was the
test. For the bench press, 3 sets of 8 repetitions at 70% 1RM
were performed during week 1, 4 sets of 6 repetitions at 75%
1RM were performed during week 2, 4 sets of 5 repetitions
at 80% 1RM were performed during week 3, 4 sets of
5 repetitions at 82% 1RM were performed during week 4, and
4 sets of 5 repetitions at 85% 1RM were performed during
week 5. Maximal strength testing was then performed on
week 6.
Training Protocol
This study examined whether APRE was more effective at
increasing upper and lower body strength compared to LP. To
our knowledge, no study has been done comparing APRE
to LP among football players at a major division I college
football program. There was no attempt to match volume and
intensity and intensity of training between the 2 protocols as
the volume and intensity of the APRE were set each day and
weekly by the individual’s performance. Both groups were
a part of the same program and underwent the same demands
related to off-season conditioning and sports-specific drills.
In addition, athletes in both groups performed very similar
resistance training program and exercises, both performing
a heavy barbell bench press at .85% of 1RM 1 session per
week, a heavy dumb bell bench press 1 session per week with
3 sets of 6 repetitions, and the 225-lb multiple repetition
bench press 1 session per week. For the lower body, both
groups performed squat exercises 1 session per week, front
squat exercises 1 session per week, step-ups 1 session per
week, lunges 1 session per week, glute-hamstring raises
1 session per week, and Romanian deadlifts 1 session per
week. The LP group increased intensity from 70 to 85% of
1RM over the course of the cycle, whereas the APRE group
performed the APRE 6RM protocol with the appropriate
daily and weekly adjustments to their training resistance.
Testing
Subjects participated in their normal strength and condition-
ing program for the off-season. There was no pretesting or
baseline measures taken before the initiation of the APRE and
LP programs during the preseason because this was not
standard practice of the football program at the time. Rather,
posttraining (LP or APRE) strength values obtained at the
end of the preseason training cycle (June–July) were com-
pared to strength values obtained at the conclusion of the
previous off-season training cycle (January–May).
Bench Press
Maximal bench press was an estimated 1RM based on 5 or
fewer repetitions to failure. The 225 bench press repetitions
test was done by determining the number of repetitions that
225 lb could be successfully completed, a protocol commonly
used by the National Football League scouts to determine
strength. For both measures of bench press, the athletes were
expected to start the lift from full arm extension, touch the
chest with the bar, and then return the bar to full arm exten-
sion for the repetition to count. In addition, it was expected
that the glutes remain in contact with the bench during the
entire repetition. Repetitions that did not meet these 2 quali-
fications did not count in the final score.
Squat
The Squat maximum was an estimated 1RM based on 5 or
fewer repetitions to failure. The Squat depth was determined
by descending to the point of the hip joint being even with the
knee joint and returning to a standing position.
Statistical Analyses
Change scores for bench press and squat strength were
calculated by subtracting the off-season baseline value from
the preseason posttest value, and the change score was used as
the dependent variable in the analysis. Independent samples
t-tests were used to determine differences in baseline strength
before training. T-tests were also used to determine de-
mographic differences between groups. One-way analysis of
variance (ANOVA) was used to determine differences in the
improvements in bench press, squat, and the bench press
repetition test between groups using SPSS V. 15 (Chicago, IL,
USA). When statistically significant differences existed in
baseline strength values, one-way analysis of covariance
(ANCOVA) was employed, using the baseline value as the
covariate and change score as the dependent variable.
Statistical significance was accepted at p#0.05.
RESULTS
All data are expressed as means 6SD. The subject’s charac-
teristics including age, weight, height, and training history are
TABLE 2. APRE protocol for 6RM and set 4
adjustment.*
Repetitions Intensity (% of 6RM)
APRE protocol for 6RM
10350%
6375%
Maximum 6RM
Maximum Adjusted weight
Repetitions for set 3 Set 4 adjustment (lb)
6RM routine adjustment
0–2 25to210
3–4 0 to 25
5–7 No change
8–12 +5 to +10
.13 +10 to +15
*APRE = autoregulatory progressive resistance exer-
cise; LP = linear periodization; 6RM = 6 repetitions
maximum.
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Autoregulation vs. Linear Periodization in Athletes
listed in Table 1. There were no significant differencesbetween
groups for any of the subjects’ characteristics (all p.0.05).
There were differences in bench press strength (APRE:
1314 6122 N; LP: 1510 6188 N; t=22.9 [df = 21]; p,
0.01) and repeated bench press strength (APRE: 9.9 64.2;
LP: 15.3 65.9; t=22.6 [df = 21], p= 0.02) between the
APRE and LP groups at baseline. There was no difference
between groups in squat strength (APRE: 1922 6357 N; LP:
2112 6230 N; t=21.5 [df = 21], p= 0.15) at baseline.
Pre to posttraining changes in absolute bench press and
squat strength were compared between the APRE and LP
trained groups. Autoregulatory progressive resistance exer-
cise demonstrated greater improvement in 1RM bench press
strength (APRE: 93.4 6103 N vs. LP: 20.40 649.6 N;
ANCOVA: F= 7.1, p= 0.02) (Figure 1A) and estimated 1RM
squat strength (APRE: 192.7 6199 N vs. LP: 37.2 6155 N;
ANOVA: F= 4.1 p= 0.05) (Figure 1B) compared with the
LP group over the 6-week training period.
The 225-lb bench press repetition to fatigue test was also
measured to determine which program would have the
greatest effect on improving strength endurance. Autoregu-
latory progressive resistance exercise demonstrated greater
improvement in the number of repetitions performed at a
weight of 225 lb compared with LP (APRE: 3.17 62.86 vs.
LP: 20.09 62.40 repetitions; ANCOVA: F= 6.8; p= 0.02)
(Figure 1C) over the 6-week training period, indicating that
the APRE is also more effective than LP in increasing upper
body strength endurance.
DISCUSSION
This study was one of the first to compare the effects of APRE
to LP and certainly the first to compare these training
programs among NCAA division I football players in a major
university program. Autoregulatory progressive resistance
exercise was found to be more effective at improving bench
press strength, squat strength, and upper body endurance in
previously strength trained division I athletes over a 6-week
period compared to LP. These findings provide strong
evidence that autoregulation of training may be important to
consider when choosing a program to elicit maximal gains in
previously trained athletes.
Programs to systematically improve muscle strength were
first described in the research literature by DeLorme (2) who
developed a method known as progressive resistance
exercise (PRE) to progressively overload the quadriceps to
improve strength after femoral fractures. Knight et al. (4)
modified the original DeLorme PRE program for rehabil-
itation of quadricep strength after knee surgery and de-
veloped a daily autoregulated progressive resistance exercise
(or DAPRE). For DAPRE, the principles of PRE were used to
determine the appropriate resistance for 2 sets of 5–7 repeti-
tions. A third set was then used to determine the training load
during the fourth set, and the fourth set was used to
determine the training loads for the following week. This
method demonstrated improvements in quadricep strength
compared to traditional methods (3). Autoregulatory pro-
gressive resistance exercise used in the present study varies
slightly from the DAPRE but the rationale is similar. Auto-
regulatory progressive resistance exercise has 2 working sets
followed by sets adjusted according to individual daily varia-
tions in strength and performance. Like PRE or DAPRE,
the goal of APRE is to work toward a repetition maximum.
The difference between APRE and other protocols and the
difference within APRE protocols itself is that they are
designed for different training needs. There is an APRE 3
(3 repetitions) for strength and power, an APRE 6 for
strength and hypertrophy, and an APRE 10 for hypertrophy.
DeLorme’s PRE only had the original 10RM protocol (2),
and the DAPRE evolved to a 6RM protocol (5). The present
study focused primarily on APRE 6 protocol for strength and
hypertrophy, because these are the favorable adaptations
wanted in a collegiate football player.
Although APRE has not been compared to LP previously
in the literature, Stone and Herrick (13) compared pro-
gressive overload training (of which APRE is one type) to LP.
The researchers reported that there were no significant
differences in strength between the progressive overload
and LP groups in untrained women at the conclusion of the
Figure 1. Change in A) bench press, B) squat, and C) repeated bench press from off-season to preseason for autoregulating progressive resistance exercise
(APRE) and linear periodization (LP) groups. All data are presented as mean 6SEM. *Significant differences between APRE and LP at the p#0.05 level.
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15 week study; however, the LP group continued to gain
strength, whereas the progressive overload group appeared
to reach a plateau in their strength gains. These findings led
the researchers to theorize that LP might be a better method
to use in a yearly plan. However, the strength improvements
observed during short term APRE training (6 weeks) in the
present study conflicts with these findings from Stone and
Herrick (13). The discrepancy may have been because of the
benefits of the autoregulation of PRE or using this method on
highly trained vs. untrained individuals.
Flexible non-LP is a similar type of programming as
APRE, and it has proven to be a successful approach among
collegiate athletes (6). However, in flexible non-LP, the
practioner makes daily choices about the athlete’s status and
workout based on the demands that will be placed on the
athlete for that given day. For example, a day in which a
training session occurred after a 3-hour practice with heavy
loads of conditioning would require a different strength
training workout than a prepractice strength training session
(6). Flexible non-LP allows adaptation by the coach or
practitioner based on demands of stressors such as increased
conditioning or periods of increased competition; APRE, on
the other hand, allows adaptation of a particular workout
by the individual athlete based on their abilities for that
particular day.
The mechanisms behind the effectiveness of APRE are not
known. However, it could be that the greater strength gains
resulting from APRE were because of a constant adjustment
of repetitions. It has been postulated by experts in the field
that when a constant training protocol is used over a period
of weeks to months that the body begins to adapt leading
to reduced effectiveness (8). Autoregulatory progressive
resistance exercise training prevents this adaptation because
repetitions used are governed by the athletes’ ability on that
given day and will change from set to set and week to week.
Theoretically, the athlete could continue a typical 6-week
training cycle and never repeat the same repetition and
intensity scheme throughout the entire cycle. This also fits
with the theoretical basis of undulating periodization (8) as
workouts use a repetition maximum that will not only vary
from week to week but within the workout. Undulating
periodization has shown effectiveness at improving strength.
For example, Rhea et al. (8) found that by alternating the RM
trained in each workout, strength was improved to a greater
degree than by changing the RM every 4 weeks. Rhea et al.
also reported that undulating periodization was more effec-
tive at improving endurance (9). The variation in repetitions
from set to set and week to week allows APRE training to
work like undulating periodization, which could explain its
effectiveness.
There were several limitations to this study: First, the study
was not set up as a traditional prepost design and therefore
has a methodological limitation. However, the novel aspect of
this study is the application of these training protocols on
strength trained NCAA division I college football players at
a major Big-12 program. Because the football program was so
structured in its off-season and preseason agendas, obtaining
baseline measures of strength before the implementation of
APRE and LP was not possible. We believe the findings,
however, are intriguing enough to warrant future evaluations
of the benefits of APRE in competitive athletes. Second, the
generalizability of these findings is limited to strength trained
competitive athletes; however, the benefits of APRE would
likely be most applicable to this trained population. Finally,
there was no way to completely equalize the volume and
intensity of training between APRE and LP, so it is possible
that any differences could have contributed to differences in
strength observed in the study.
This is the first study to examine the effectiveness of APRE
compared to LP in trained division I college football players.
The data from our study suggest that the APRE protocol
elicits greater strength gains than linear periodized programs
in terms of the bench press strength, squat strength, and
bench press endurance. It is reasonable to conclude from
these data that additional strength performance (other than
bench press and squat) would likely benefit from this type of
training, although future studies are warranted.
PRACTICAL APPLICATIONS
Because of the short duration of typical off-season and
preseason programs, it is critical for strength coaches to
achieve maximal gains in strength in as short a term as
possible. It has been theorized that progressive overload
training such as the PRE and APRE might be an excellent
tool for shorter training periods (4) typical of preseason or
off-season training cycles. We recommend using the APRE
method of training in highly trained athletes with greater
than 2 years of previous training during short (6-week)
training cycles because it appears to be more effective than
LP in improving strength and strength-endurance gains.
For the strength coach or practitioner who must demonstrate
the greatest strength gains during short-duration training
cycles, APRE training is effective.
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