If you want to get strong, the truth is this: strength programming isn’t complicated. People overthink exercise selection, accessory lifts, and fancy methods… but all elite strength athletes — powerlifters, strongmen, weightlifters — share only three essential programming principles.

It’s not magic. It’s not secret. And yes, genetics matter, but how you structure your training determines how strong you can become.

In this guide, we’ll break down the only three things you need to program for long-term strength:

1. A yearly training plan (periodization)

2. Undulating volume with high intensity

3. Systematic progression every single week

If you dial in these three pillars, your strength will skyrocket — regardless of your current level.

And if you want structured programming built around these principles, check out my Strongman 101 program, which includes 12 weeks of education and training designed exactly this way:

👉 Join Strongman 101 Coaching

---

1. Annual Planning: Why You Can’t Chase Max Strength Year-Round

If your plan is “lift heavy all the time,” your progress will stall fast. Strength is built in phases, not in a straight line.

Trying to stay at near-maximal loads all year leads to:

• Diminishing returns

• Soft tissue breakdown

• Tendon pain

• Nervous system fatigue

• Weaker lifts over time

That’s why every world-class strength athlete cycles through different training blocks.

The 5 Trainable Qualities of Muscle

Across a full year, you should rotate through the following qualities:

• Strength (heavy 1–5 reps)

• Hypertrophy (6–12 reps)

• Muscular endurance (15–20+ reps)

• Power (speed, explosiveness)

• Aerobic fitness (recovery capacity)

Even if your goal is pure strength, hypertrophy and endurance phases are non-negotiable.
Here’s why:

Why Hypertrophy Blocks Make You Stronger

The biggest predictor of strength is muscle cross-sectional area — not how “heavy” a muscle is, but how thick it is. If you build more muscle, you raise your ceiling for future strength.

Why Muscular Endurance Helps Strength Training

Endurance training (15+ reps) improves:

• Local muscular enzymatic activity

• Oxygen utilization

• Work capacity

• Recovery between heavy sets

This lets you handle more volume in your next strength block — meaning you get stronger faster.

A Sample Yearly Strength Plan

Here’s a simple example structure:

• Jan–Feb: Strength (1–5 reps), peak toward end

• March: Hypertrophy (8–12 reps)

• April: Muscular endurance (15–20 reps)

• May–June: Strength block #2

• July–Aug: Hypertrophy

• Sept–Oct: Strength block #3 (second or third annual peak)

• Nov–Dec: Muscular endurance

This rotation prevents burnout, drives progress, and keeps your nervous system fresh.

---

2. Undulating Volume, High Intensity: The Most Important Rule

The biggest mistake lifters make?

Not training hard enough.

Volume should go up and down throughout the year…
But intensity should stay consistently high.

What “High Intensity” Actually Means

• For strength: 90%+ effort, meaning fewer than 4 reps left in the tank

• For hypertrophy: 0–2 reps in reserve

• For muscular endurance: close to failure, managing metabolic fatigue

Most people think they train hard — but they aren’t even close.

Strength Below 90% Effort Is Just Practice

Sub-90% training helps build skill, but it does not develop maximal strength.
If you want to get strong, you must lift heavy weekly or biweekly.

Why Most Lifters Are Nowhere Near Failure

Most gym-goers would see 3x the results by replacing:

❌ 20 “working sets”
with
✔️ 3–6 true sets to failure

You don’t need more volume.
You need more effort.

---

3. Systematic Progression: Something Must Improve Every Week

Elite lifters don’t guess.
They don’t “wing it.”
They track everything.

Progressive overload isn’t just adding weight. It can be:

• More reps

• Slower tempo

• Added pauses

• Shorter rest

• Better technique

• More sets

• Higher range of motion

• Harder variations

As long as you're improving something, you’re progressing.

If You Aren’t Getting Stronger, You Aren’t Recovering

If your training effort is high but lifts are stalling:

• You need a deload

• You need more sleep

• You need better nutrition

• You need less life stress

Or you simply need to change the block.

Hypertrophy → Endurance → Strength
Strength → Hypertrophy
Strength → Endurance

Repeat forever.

---

Training Through Injuries (Smartly, Not Stupidly)

Every high-level strength athlete trains while dealing with something:

• A strain

• A sore tendon

• A nagging joint

Training around injuries is mandatory.
Training into pain is stupid.

Because of cross-education, training the uninjured limb maintains strength in the injured one.
There is almost always a way to train.

No excuses.

---

Your Biggest Takeaway: You’re Probably Not Training Hard Enough

Most people:

• Use too much volume

• Use too little intensity

• Rarely reach failure

• Never hit 90%+ effort

• Don’t track progression

• Don’t plan annual phases

If that’s you, it explains your plateaus.

Start training with intention.
Start training with purpose.
Start treating each set like it actually matters.

---

Want a 12-Week Program Built Exactly on These Principles?

If you want a structured, proven system to get stronger — the exact methodology I use with athletes — my program teaches you EVERYTHING:

👉 Strongman 101 Coaching Program

You’ll get:

• A full 12-week training program

• Weekly educational breakdowns

• Clear progressions

• Strongman fundamentals

• Strength-specific periodization

• Video support

• Real results

It’s cheaper than almost any comparable program and designed for lifters who are ready to take strength seriously.

As always,

Lift Heavy, Be Kind

Mitchell Hooper