What type of training involves varying the intensity and volume of workouts to prevent plateauing?

Periodization is a structured training approach that systematically varies the intensity and volume of workouts over time. This method is designed to optimize performance and avoid stagnation in progress, commonly referred to as plateauing. By manipulating these variables, periodization can help athletes adapt to increasing training demands, enhance their physical capabilities, and ultimately achieve their goals more effectively.

This approach typically involves cycles of training that encompass different phases, such as endurance, hypertrophy, strength, and power, each with its own specific focus and adaptations. By integrating rest and recovery, periodization allows for improved performance and prevents overuse injuries.

Other training types mentioned, such as circuit training, cross-training, and interval training, do offer their own benefits but do not inherently involve the systematic manipulation of volume and intensity over extended periods in the same structured way as periodization. They may contribute to fitness in various forms but lack the strategic progression aimed at adapting to training loads found in periodization.