Daily Undulating Periodization (DUP) Program (with Template)

Most of the people can’t able to develop the habit of regular workout. All of us know that we should stick to a workout regimen to see results, but our mind convinces us that skipping one more day doesn’t affect anything.

Gaining Strength is the most important need for our body. It doesn’t matter that you are doing it for gaining or to lose weight. Going to gym regularly and hitting an exercise doesn’t help you in gaining the pure strength, until and unless the workout is well programed.

People out there use different types of programs to gain strength like 5/3/1, DUP etc. Few of them make there own program and others work under the trainer.

In this article, we will learn about one of the best strengths building program – DUP (Daily Undulating Periodization).

What is DUP (Daily Undulating Periodization)?

DUP is suitable for people at any experience level. It’s particularly recommended for athletes and powerlifters. If you’re seeking short and consistent workout sessions to enhance your strength, this program could be an excellent fit for you. Essentially, it involves strength-building exercises done 3 to 4 days a week. Let’s discuss each component separately:

• Daily: Daily training session of the specific exercise.
• Undulating:  It means “to have a continuous up and down movement, like waves on the sea.
• Periodization: Periodization is a type of resistance training characterized by a structured approach to planned training sessions. This method aims to systematically enhance both workout volume and intensity (expressed as a percentage of One Repetition Maximum or 1RM) in the course of a training program.

Introduction to DUP Workout Program

This is a program lasting 3-4 weeks designed to enhance body strength and promote muscle growth.

In DUP, we focus on both volume and intensity. We begin with fundamental exercises such as Bench Press, Squats, Deadlift, Overhead Press, etc. Each day, we switch to a different exercise. This rotation allows for weekly adjustments, enabling you to increase the weight or repetitions for each exercise.

The exercise sessions are organized into “Power, Strength & Hypertrophy” categories. For instance, if you use Bench Press for power on one day, the following two days should focus on strength and hypertrophy. On the same day, the other two exercises should be geared towards strength and hypertrophy. Adjust the weights and repetitions accordingly for each of these categories.

You can choose exercise variations based on your program, including Bench Press (flat, incline, decline), Deadlift (sumo deadlift, snatch grip deadlift, etc.), and Squats (Goblet squats, Glute Bridge, Single leg squats). The days in between (Tuesday, Thursday, Sunday) are free, giving you the opportunity to focus on maintaining a proper diet plan and allowing your muscles to rest.

Daily Undulating Periodization (DUP) Program

Begin by planning your exercise sessions and warm-up exercises, such as pull-ups (3 sets of 8 reps) and push-ups (3 sets of 15 reps). After that, organize your DUP cycle for that day.

Now we look towards Power, Strength and Hypertrophy individually:

• Power days– 5 Sets of 3 reps at 70% of 1 Rep Max
• Strength days– 4 Sets of 4 reps at 85% of 1 Rep Max
• Hypertrophy days– 3 Sets of 10 reps at 65-70% of 1 Rep Max

This is how the DUP program will look-

Monday

 Bench press (5 sets of 3 reps), Deadlift (4 sets of 4 reps), squats (3 sets of 10 reps) progress by adding weight.

• Bench press- 5 Sets of 3 reps
• Deadlift- 4 Sets of 4 reps
• Squats- 3 Sets of 10 reps

Wednesday

Squats (5 sets of 3 reps), Bench press (4 sets of 4 reps) increase weight in every next set, Deadlift (3 sets of 1 rep)

• Squats- 5 Sets of 3 reps
• Bench press- 4 Sets of 4 reps
• Deadlift- 3 Sets of 10 reps

Friday

Deadlift (5 sets of 3), squats (4 sets of 4), Bench press (3 sets of 10),

• Deadlift- 5 Sets of 3 reps
• Squats- 4 Sets of 4 reps
• Bench Press- 3 Sets of 10 reps

This is just the simple programming cycle of DUP to understand easily without any confusions.

Daily Undulating Periodization Program Template

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Now many of you thinking that “What the hell 1RM is?”

What is 1RM?

The term 1RM stands for one-repetition maximum, indicating the maximum weight you can lift for a single repetition while maintaining proper exercise form. 1RM figures vary from day to day and week to week. Knowing your 1RMs for squats, bench press, and deadlift is crucial when engaging in any strength training program.

To determine your 1RM for a specific lift, you can either use our 1RM calculator or select a weight that permits approximately 4-6 repetitions and apply the following equation:

• For your upper body: (4-6 RM X 1.1307) + 0.6998
• For lower body: (4-6RM x 1.09703) + 14.2546

For example, if you bench press 60 kg for 4 reps, then it looks like:

(60 x 1.1307) + 0.6998 = 68.5418

In simple terms, when rounding off the calculation, the result may go down to 65 or goes up to 70 and that’s the simplicity of it.

Like the above calculation, calculate your estimated 1RM for squats, bench press and deadlift. Note down your 1RM of every week and compare it to the next week. You will get your progress report.

DUP Workout Progression

When you are working on anything, progression is the key to success. In DUP program, progression is done in two different ways – first add weight every week and keep sets and rep same and second keep the weights the same and increase sets and reps.

• Add 5 lbs to upper body (Bench press and overhead press) every week.
• Add 10 lbs to lower body (Squats and Deadlift) every week.

So, now let’s take week by week progression:

First, we see progression by adding weight in bench press

DUP program progression by adding weight:

Week: 1

• Monday: 150lbs for 5 sets of 3 reps
• Wednesday: 130lbs for 4 sets of 4 reps
• Friday: 130lbs for 3 sets of 10 reps

Week: 2

• Monday: 155lbs for 5 sets of 3 reps
• Wednesday: 135lbs for 4 sets of 4 reps
• Friday: 135lbs for 3 sets of 10 reps

Week: 3

• Monday: 160lbs for 5 sets of 3 reps
• Wednesday: 140lbs for 4 sets of 4 reps
• Friday: 140lbs for 3 sets of 10 reps

DUP workout progression by adding sets or reps:

Week: 1

• Monday: 150lbs for 5 sets of 3 reps
• Wednesday: 130lbs for 4 sets of 4 reps
• Friday: 130lbs for 3 sets of 10 reps

Week: 2

• Monday: 150lbs for 5 sets of 5 reps
• Wednesday: 135lbs for 4 sets of 6 reps
• Friday: 135lbs for 3 sets of 12 reps

Week: 3

• Monday: 150lbs for 5 sets for 7 reps
• Wednesday: 135lbs for 4 sets of 8 or 5 sets of 6 reps
• Friday: 135lbs for 3 sets of 15 or 4 sets of 12 reps

Now, let’s take a look at deadlift and Squats week:

Week: 2

• Monday: 160lbs for 4 sets of 4 reps & 8 reps (Deadlift & Squats respectively).
• Wednesday: 140lbs for 4 sets of 8 reps & 5 sets of 5 reps
• Friday: 140lbs for 4 sets of 4 reps & 5 sets of 3 reps

Ensure you carefully observe how you perform your exercises. If done incorrectly, they may not provide much benefit and could increase the risk of injury. Therefore, it’s crucial to prioritize getting the correct form.

Accessory Exercises for Daily Undulating Periodization Program

The additional and smaller exercises and movements you perform after your main workout are referred to as accessory exercises. These exercises are done following the completion of primary exercises such as bench press, deadlifts, squats, etc.

The primary exercises are prioritized at the beginning because they are the most crucial in your routine, demanding the most time and strength. Accessory exercises help you to focus on different muscle groups.

So your workout session will look like-

• Warm-up
• Primary exercises
• Accessory exercises

There are hundreds of accessory exercises that people do after primary exercises. Some of the best and important accessory exercises are:

• Pendlay Rows
• Dips
• Overhead Dumbbell Triceps Extensions
• Glute Bridge
• Bulgarian Split Squat
• Clean Pulls and Pulls
• Reverse Band
• Split Squat
• Weighted Push Ups
• Barbell Curls
• Front or Lateral shoulder raises
• Straight Arm Pulldown etc.

If your progress is not up to the mark or appears negligible despite performing primary and accessory exercises, it’s likely that you might be making some common mistakes. Now, let’s discuss a few of these common errors that people often make when working out.

Common Mistakes Stopping Your DUP Progress

1. Improper Diet: If you are not taking enough calories then surely the growth will be slow. Your diet plan must consists of proteins, carbs and calories. Add Eggs, Bananas, Rice, Shakes in your meal plan.
2. Not Getting Enough Sleep: To grow, your body need rest. So, aim for minimum 7-8 hours of good quality sleep in the night. When you Sleep your body get time to recover, conserve energy, and repair and build up the muscles worked during exercise. In the gym, you tear muscle fibers and tissues, and as you rest, your muscles grow stronger. Insufficient sleep can lower testosterone, growth hormones, and strength levels.
3. Not Drinking Enough Water:Our body is composed of about 2/3rd water, with 70% of that water residing in our muscles. To promote muscle growth, it’s crucial to increase your water intake. Ensure you drink an adequate amount of water based on your weigh.
4. Overtraining: Overtraining can result in injuries, an increase in stress hormones, and negatively impact your immune system. Training tears your muscle tissues, and they require adequate rest for repair. Engaging in excessive training overwhelms your body’s capacity to support it, potentially causing setbacks and hindering progress.
5. Doing the Wrong Form: While lifting, many of us strive for high weights. However, lifting with incorrect exercise form is counterproductive. If the weight is too heavy and your form is sloppy, you increase the risk of various injuries. It’s crucial to lift a weight that you can control through the repetitions with proper form for effective and safe workouts.

Advantages of Daily Undulating Periodization (DUP) Program

• It aids in enhancing muscle size more effectively and with greater strength compared to other types of training programs.
• It helps in adding more volume per week (Weight or number of rep).
• It helps in increasing training frequency.
• It is a good way to set up an effective recovery pattern.
• 3-4 weeks productive workout program rather than working for months without much gaining.

Scientific Researches on DUP Workout Program

Zourdos MC, Jo E, Khamoui AV, Lee SR, Park BS, Ormsbee MJ, Panton LB, Contreras RJ, Kim JS. Modified Daily Undulating Periodization Model Produces Greater Performance Than a Traditional Configuration in Powerlifters. J Strength Cond Res. 2016 Mar;30(3):784-91.  https://doi.org/10.1519/jsc.0000000000001165

Conclusion: The HPS (Hypertrophy, Power, Strength) configuration of DUP has enhanced performance benefits compared with HSP (Hypertrophy, Strength, Power).

Rhea MR, Ball SD, Phillips WT, Burkett LN. A comparison of linear and daily undulating periodized programs with equated volume and intensity for strength. J Strength Cond Res. 2002 May;16(2):250-5.  https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/11991778/

Conclusion: Analyzing variance with repeated measures showed significant differences, favoring the DUP group from T1 to T2 and T1 to T3. Making daily program adjustments proved more effective in achieving strength gains compared to doing so every 4 weeks.

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Final Words

Adopt the Daily Undulating Periodization (DUP) program for increased strength, muscle growth, and notable boosts in volume and intensity. Work diligently and train with the goal of achieving significant strength improvements. Plan your training schedule weekly and assess your progress regularly.

When following the Daily Undulating Periodization, avoid taking week-long breaks within the 4-5 weeks of the training program. Maintain a proper diet, ensuring an adequate intake of protein, carbs, and calories each day. Be mindful of common mistakes that could hinder your progress.