In Module 2, we dive into the engine room of effective programming: systems thinking. Most coaches learn to write sessions, maybe even decent week-to-week training plans - but few understand how to construct a cohesive, adaptive system that can evolve with the athlete. This module introduces you to systems thinking as it applies to strength coaching: understanding inputs, outputs, feedback loops, emergent behaviour, and adaptability across time. You'll learn how to recognise patterns rather than chase symptoms, how to build programmes that respond to real-world lifters, and how to avoid overfitting one method to every athlete. We’ll also break down the major approaches to periodisation - linear, block, undulating, daily undulating, and Conjugate - with brutal honesty about when they work, when they don’t, and what you’re really doing when you claim to use them. You’ll see how periodisation fits inside a coaching system, rather than being the system itself. By the end of this module, you’ll be able to think in principles, not programs. You’ll stop looking for the “perfect split” and start engineering training that reflects the athlete in front of you - and adapts with them over time. This module builds the intellectual scaffolding for everything that follows: Max Effort, Dynamic Effort, accessories, and peaking. Whether you're programming for competitive athletes, general population clients, or even yourself, the concepts here will sharpen your ability to think in systems, not silos. What You’ll Learn: What systems thinking is and how to apply it to strength Why most programs fail to adapt - and how to fix that The truth about periodisation: what's useful, what's outdated How to integrate principles from multiple models How Conjugate fits into a systems-based approach Building coaching frameworks that last longer than templates