The Vinegar Rinse - How to Stop Your Strength Gains from Going Rotten - Short-Term Gains vs. Long-Term Strength: Understanding Adaptation, Periodisation, and Sustainability

The Vinegar Rinse - How to Stop Your (Short Term) Strength Gains from Going Rotten - Short-Term Gains vs. Long-Term Strength: Understanding Adaptation, Periodisation, and Sustainability

Strength training is often misrepresented as a simple trade-off—push hard for a short period, gain strength, and then inevitably lose it once the peak has passed. While it's true that extreme intensification without a structured approach can lead to rapid detraining, this perspective fundamentally misunderstands the principles of adaptation, periodisation, and sustainable strength development.

If short-term strength gains were inherently unsustainable, powerlifters, strongman competitors, and weightlifters wouldn’t be able to repeatedly peak for competitions, maintain strength across training cycles, or build decade-long careers. The issue isn’t pushing intensity—it’s failing to develop all the necessary components of strength concurrently so that peak performance can be maintained in a sustainable way.

Let’s break down why this misunderstanding happens, and how a better approach—one that Louie Simmons, Zatsiorsky, and Bompa have all advocated—leads to stronger, more resilient, and more sustainable strength development.

The General Adaptation Principle & Why Strength Doesn't Just "Disappear"

The General Adaptation Syndrome (GAS), outlined by Hans Selye, forms the foundation of how the body responds to stress. Strength training follows the same three-phase model:

1️⃣ Alarm Phase – A sudden increase in training stress (e.g., high-intensity peaking) causes fatigue and initial performance dips.

 2️⃣ Resistance Phase – The body adapts by becoming stronger, more resilient, and capable of handling greater loads.

 3️⃣ Exhaustion Phase – If stress is too prolonged or recovery is inadequate, performance declines.

Here’s where people misinterpret the process: just because an athlete can’t maintain peak intensity indefinitely doesn’t mean the progress is lost. The idea that "strength disappears as fast as it comes" is a misunderstanding of how adaptation works.

✔ Strength is built in layers—if only the top layer (peak intensity work) is trained without the foundation underneath, yes, that strength fades. But if all components—GPP, volume, speed, and intensity—are developed together, strength is far more sustainable.

✔ A well-structured system ensures that strength gains don’t just peak and vanish—they become part of an ever-growing base that carries over into the next competition cycle.

Zatsiorsky's principle of residual training effects elucidates that various fitness qualities deteriorate at different rates during periods without targeted training. For instance, maximal strength can diminish within a few weeks if neglected, whereas strength endurance, muscle mass, and neural efficiency exhibit different decay timelines. This underscores the necessity of maintaining a comprehensive training regimen that concurrently develops all fitness components, thereby ensuring that strength gains are sustainable and not transient. Research indicates that different physical qualities decay at different rates.

According to Issurin (2010), maximal strength, when completely untrained, begins to decline within 3-5 weeks but is easily retained with occasional exposure. Meanwhile, hypertrophy effects can last up to 8-12 weeks without significant losses, and neural adaptations persist even longer. This means that as long as some level of exposure to each component is maintained, strength remains highly sustainable.

Zatsiorsky’s work further establishes that different training adaptations persist for varying lengths of time, depending on the stimulus. Maximal strength may see a small reduction within a few weeks if not trained, but speed, hypertrophy, and neural efficiency can be maintained for much longer. This means that an athlete who integrates all qualities into their training doesn’t lose their peak but simply needs to reactivate certain qualities.

Where Block & Linear Periodisation Fall Short

Many lifters following block or linear periodisation models experience the same frustration:

👉 They push a strength peak, perform well in competition, then immediately start “losing” that peak.

👉 They assume that means their gains weren’t sustainable.

👉 They conclude that intensity spikes should only be done occasionally and selectively.

This is why lifters following these systems often say, ‘I peaked for competition, but I lost it afterward.’ They didn’t lose their strength—it was never fully integrated into a sustainable system in the first place.

This isn't the issue. The problem is that linear and block periodisation create rigid training phases where certain fitness qualities are developed while others are neglected.

• If strength is pushed hard for 6-8 weeks, but speed, endurance, or work capacity aren’t maintained, the body can’t sustain that peak.

• When training then shifts back to hypertrophy or general work, the lack of intensity maintenance causes perceived "losses."

• In reality, the strength didn’t disappear—it simply wasn’t maintained.

Issurin (2010) highlights how structured tapering and maintenance work can preserve high-level strength adaptations beyond the competition period. The issue with traditional models is that they fail to retain all fitness qualities during each phase, causing an artificial loss of strength that would not occur under a well-structured concurrent model like Conjugate.

The Conjugate Approach: Building Strength While Sustaining All Components

The Conjugate System, as practised by Westside Barbell, exemplifies the efficacy of concurrently training multiple fitness qualities. By integrating maximal effort work, dynamic effort sessions, repetition and hypertrophy work, along with General Physical Preparedness (GPP) and restoration exercises, athletes can maintain and enhance various attributes simultaneously. This holistic approach mitigates the pitfalls of traditional periodisation models, fostering sustainable strength development.

Westside Barbell, Louie Simmons, and Zatsiorsky all understood this flaw in block and linear periodisation. Instead of treating strength development as a series of separate phases, they trained all components concurrently, ensuring that no progress was lost when focus shifted.

What this looks like in practice:

✔ Maximal Strength (ME Work) – Heavy singles, doubles, and triples every week keep peak strength from fading.

 ✔ Dynamic Effort (Speed Work) – Ensures bar speed and explosive power are continuously maintained.

 ✔ Repetition & Hypertrophy Work – Prevents strength loss by keeping muscle mass and joint integrity intact.

 ✔ GPP & Restoration Work – Keeps work capacity high so that fatigue is better managed.

By training all fitness qualities at once, there is no need to “protect” or “save” intensity spikes—because they aren’t disruptive. Instead, they fit within a system that allows them to be recovered from and sustained.

The notion that intensity spikes should be rare ignores the reality that properly structured training allows for regular high-intensity exposures without breakdown. In Westside’s system, athletes train at near-maximal intensities weekly without suffering the post-competition strength losses described in linear approaches. This is possible because maximal strength is always supported by speed, volume, and GPP work.

Bompa’s periodisation research highlights that neural adaptations and motor learning benefits from regular exposure to high intensities, as long as fatigue is managed appropriately. Westside’s use of Conjugate-style training aligns with these findings, allowing for frequent maximal lifting without leading to systemic overload (Bompa & Buzzichelli, 2019). The key is cycling variation and volume intelligently, rather than avoiding intensity.

Instead of treating intensity spikes as a ‘special occasion,’ Conjugate prepares athletes to handle them year-round, making short-term peaks repeatable rather than fragile and fleeting.

Short-Term Gains ARE Sustainable—If You Train Correctly

The idea that short-term gains lead to unsustainable long-term progress is only true when training is incomplete. If someone pushes for a massive deadlift PR but hasn’t built the supporting strength, endurance, or recovery ability to maintain it, of course, it won’t last.

But when all foundational elements of strength development are maintained, short-term gains aren’t just possible—they’re repeatable.

👉 You can push intensity more frequently—as long as you maintain the other elements needed to recover from it.

 👉 You can keep gains after peaking—as long as you continue training with a structured system that supports them.

 👉 You don’t need to avoid intensity spikes—you just need to avoid training in a way where they become unsustainable.

Research indicates that power and strength can be maintained for up to 30 days following the cessation of targeted training, provided that a structured system is in place to support these gains. This challenges the notion that short-term gains are inherently unsustainable, highlighting the importance of comprehensive training strategies that encompass all foundational elements of strength development.

Meta-analyses on tapering strategies (Bosquet et al., 2007) show that power and maximal strength can actually increase or be maintained for up to four weeks following reduced loading, provided there is adequate prior stimulus. This aligns with Conjugate principles—rather than fearing post-competition loss, lifters should structure their programming to ensure continued neurological and muscular reinforcement of peak performance.

Emerging studies have demonstrated that muscle thickness and strength can be preserved during short periods of detraining, particularly in individuals with extensive training backgrounds. This finding underscores the importance of a well-structured training programme that builds a robust foundation, enabling athletes to maintain gains even during brief training interruptions.

Recognising individual differences in response to training stimuli is essential for optimising performance. Tailoring training programmes to accommodate these differences ensures that athletes can achieve sustainable progress without encountering plateaus or overtraining. This individualised approach aligns with contemporary periodisation theories that advocate for flexibility and adaptability in training design

The Takeaway: Build Everything, Maintain Everything

The key takeaway here is simple: strength should not be developed in isolated blocks—it should be built as a complete system.

Understanding and leveraging residual training effects—the retention of training-induced changes after the cessation of specific training stimuli—are crucial for sustaining performance. By strategically planning training phases to exploit these residual effects, athletes can maintain adaptations in various fitness components, thereby achieving long-term strength sustainability.

❌ Block & linear periodisation make lifters feel like strength is fleeting because they stop training certain qualities for long periods.

 ✅ The Conjugate System, Westside methods, and Zatsiorsky’s approach show that strength gains can be sustained if you train everything at once.

If you develop strength, speed, work capacity, and hypertrophy together, then short-term intensity spikes are not a problem—they are a tool that can be used repeatedly without causing setbacks.

✔ Push hard.

 ✔ Recover intelligently.

 ✔ Train all aspects of fitness year-round.

That’s how you build strength that lasts.

Ultimately, strength should not be viewed as a fleeting peak, but as a constantly evolving and maintainable quality. When programmed correctly, there is no need to ‘save’ intensity spikes or fear post-competition regression—because you are always building, reinforcing, and sustaining strength year-round.

If your strength only lasts for a few weeks before vanishing, you’re not training it right. Strength isn’t a temporary skill—it’s something that should be built and maintained over time.

Push when necessary. Train everything year-round. Keep your gains. That’s the real secret.

Strength is not fleeting—it is built and sustained through intelligent programming. If you find your strength disappearing post-competition, the issue is not intensity spikes—it is a flawed system that doesn’t maintain all components of fitness year-round.

The solution? Train like a complete athlete:

 ✔ Push intensity regularly, but balance it with restoration work.

 ✔ Avoid linear traps that isolate fitness qualities for too long.

 ✔ Recognise that strength is not a single variable—it is a system of neurological, muscular, and technical adaptations that must be sustained.

When programmed correctly, there is no need to ‘save’ intensity spikes or fear post-competition regression—because you are always building, reinforcing, and sustaining strength year-round.

Never let the ceiling someone else puts on their own abilities and potential be yours as well.

References:

Bompa, T., & Buzzichelli, C. (2019). Periodization: Theory and Methodology of Training (6th ed.). Human Kinetics.

Bosquet, L., Montpetit, J., Arvisais, D., & Mujika, I. (2007). Effects of tapering on performance: a meta-analysis. Medicine & Science in Sports & Exercise, 39(8), 1358-1365.

Issurin, V. (2010). New horizons for the methodology and physiology of training periodization. Sports Medicine, 40(3), 189-206.

Kiely, J. (2012). Periodization paradigms in the 21st century: evidence-led or tradition-driven? International Journal of Sports Physiology and Performance, 7(3), 242-250.

Marques Junior, N. K. (2020). Specific periodization for volleyball: the importance of residual training effects. MOJ Sports Medicine, 4(1), 4-11.

Zatsiorsky, V. M., & Kraemer, W. J. (2006). Science and Practice of Strength Training (2nd ed.). Human Kinetics.