What is The OPT™ Model?

Utilized for over 20 years with the world's top athletes, the NASM OPT™ Model, or Optimum Performance Training® Model, is a fitness training system developed by Dr. Mike Clark. Based on scientific evidence and principles, the model is highly adaptable and versatile in its application, progressing individuals through five distinct yet complementary training phases.

Phase 1: Stabilization & Endurance

Stabilization Endurance is the foundation of the entire OPT™ Model. During this first phase, clients will perform 12-20 repetitions per set, their movement speeds will slow down, and the intensity/weight used for exercises reduced to promote muscular endurance and ensure correct form and technique.

Phase 2: Strength Endurance

NASM Master Instructor Ken Miller calls Phase 2 the “gateway phase ” because it gives clients the chance to acclimate to heavier weights and higher training intensities. Workouts in the Strength Endurance Phase use superset techniques—in which a client will follow a more traditional strength exercise (such as a bench press) with an exercise that has similar biomechanical motions but requires more stabilization to perform (like a stability ball push-up).

This phase is the logical next step from Phase 1 for increasing the intensity of clients’ workouts. Sets increase to 2-4, repetitions will stay high (8-12 per exercise / 16-24 per superset). The supersets combined with decreased rest periods will elevate the challenge considerably—leading not only to improved improvements in strength and endurance but more significant calorie expenditure for clients too.

Phase 3: Muscular Development/Hypertrophy

Phase 3 of the OPT™ model is all about building strength and developing muscle. Muscular Development/Hypertrophy training is ideal for the adaptation of maximal muscle growth, by focusing on higher volumes of work at moderate-to-high intensity levels and with minimal rest periods between exercise sets. These training variables contribute to cellular changes that result in an overall increase in muscle size. Typically, workouts in this phase involve performing 3-6 sets of 6-12 reps per resistance exercise at intensities ranging from 75-85% of a client’s one-rep max.

Phase 4: Maximal Strength

Phase 4 is geared towards enhancing clients’ abilities to produce maximal muscular force. Accomplishing this requires maximal efforts and lifting near-max/maximal loads during resistance training—ranging anywhere from 85-100% of a client’s one-rep max—for 1-5 repetitions.

Phase 5: Power

The 5th phase of the OPT™ Model focuses on using high force and high-velocity exercises to increase power. One method to improve power is to perform supersets with contrasting loads. Like the supersets outlined and used in Phase 2 of the OPT™ Model, supersets in this phase will consist of two biomechanically similar exercises performed back-to-back—the first exercise should challenge near-max/maximal strength for 1-5 reps, and the second exercise should involve and challenge moving relatively low loads as fast and explosively as possible for 8-10 reps.