What to do when a cycle ends

What counts as the end of a cycle

Every program in the library has a defined cycle length, such as four, six or eight weeks. When you finish the last training day, your personal plan is marked as completed; that is the end of the cycle. Do not start the next program right away. Spend ten or fifteen minutes on a review first.

What to look at

Open My weekly report and look at the weeks of this cycle together:

1. Attendance: of the training days the program asked for, how many did you actually complete? Below seventy percent, the next priority should be frequency, not load.
2. Changes in the main exercises: pick two or three exercises and compare the best set of the first week with the best set of the last week. Progress is good; no progress does not mean failure either. Check whether the load basis or attendance explains it.
3. What did not go smoothly: things that keep showing up in your notes, such as an exercise that always feels awkward or a training day that always runs over time. These are what the next cycle should address, and they are not solved by adding weight.
4. Recovery: were you getting more and more tired in the second half of the cycle? If so, rest a few days or schedule a light week before starting the next cycle.

Three common next steps

• Rerun the same program: if attendance was low or the movements are not smooth yet, rerunning is the safest choice. Start with loads one step below the numbers from the last week of the previous cycle.
• Switch to a similar program: keep the same equipment and number of days, and find another program with a different structure in the same category of the program library. This is the sensible choice for most people.
• Change your conditions: if the number of days you can train each week has changed, or you have moved from home to a gym, filter again by the new equipment and days.

Switching programs mid-cycle is not recommended. If you really must, mark the current plan as ended so that your records keep a clear boundary.

Should you take a week off in between?

Taking a few days to a week between cycles is common practice, especially when fatigue has built up. That week can be complete rest, or a small amount of light training; the aim is recovery, not maintaining intensity. When you start the new cycle after resting, the numbers of the first week usually come back quickly.

A cycle is there to be completed, not to be broken through. Complete enough of them and the breakthroughs show up on the curve by themselves.

Every program on this site lists its author, reviewer, version and scope; check the suitability conditions when switching. This content is general training knowledge and does not replace medical advice.