Block Periodization...confused

So i just got done reading dr. issurins book and a couple things have me really confused.

1)He says that during accumulation, basic abilities such as aerobic endurance and maximal strength are targeted. I get that, but the common percentages i have seen used for strength work during accumulation is 50-80%. But, if the goal of accumulation is to increase maximal muscle strength, why then would the percentages be so low? Wouldn’t you want to use 80%+ if your goal is maximal strength?

2)He says during transmutation, that sport specific abilities, special endurance, strength endurance and proper technique are the goals. Then why would you use 80%+ for your strength work(squat and bench) if strength endurance, not maximal strength were the targets of transmutation?

3)I understand about training for aerobic endurance, but for a sport like say wrestling, that is mostly anaerobic, then am i right to assume that the only anaerobic training that would take place, would be during transmutation?

I’d appreciate any help someone can offer, that will help me better understand the BP approach.

Don’t feel bad. His book left me more confused than when I started.

Haha…well, atleast i’m not the only one then.

im not totally sure either…but, as the first phase progresses would the emphasis change slight towards max strength( or away from it) and thats why its says 50-80%…maybe he only goes as high as 80% which could work
MS.

As for second phase, it would be whatever is specific to your sport. Is wrestling really all anearobic? i wouldnt have thought that.

I’m just having a hard time grasping the use of such low percentages during accumulation, when the goal is max strength. Then like i said, such high percentages during transmutation, when the goal is strength endurance. An NCAA wrestling match is 7minutes long, certainly there is an aerobic component, but wrestling, imo, is certainly an anaerobic sport.

oh ok …well if the only goal is max strength, then i totally agree with you…but if there are more than one goal with an emphasis switch somewhere, that might be it…

as for wrestling, there is certainly a need for power endurance and anaerobic endurance within the training so that would be the special end, he was talking about, therefore just doing anaerobic work wouldnt be recommended…

“Greater volume of lesser intensive work (accumulation) followed by lesser volume higher intensive workouts performed more frequently throughout the microcycle/training week (transmutation/concentration) followed by higher intensive lesser frequency training (realization).”

  -From James Smith