Periodization Of Training

Basic Periodization

We recently wrote an article on how your body adapts to exercise, which you can read here. To venture into this subject area in slightly more detail, we will investigate how to further prevent your body adapting to the exercises performed using a process called periodization. Periodization is the systematic planning of athletic or physical training, in simple terms, it is progressive cycling of the variables in your training in a specific period, to prevent over adaption occurring and your progress hitting a plateau.

Now periodization will differ massively depending on your goal and/or sport, whether or not it is to perform in a particular competition. A footballer who plays week in, week out for most of the year will have a very different periodization plan from an Olympic athlete who will aim to peak every 4 years, who will have a completely different periodization plan from someone who wants to just generally lose weight and tone up. It would be impossible to cover every single aspect of periodization in a textbook, let alone a brief article. So here we are going to discuss the basic principles of periodization and how to use them to get greater results from your training. For a more detailed periodization plan for you specifically, get in touch and we’d be happy to help.

Periods Of Planning

There are 3 different cycles that we must consider during the process of planning programs, and each have their own subset of cycles contained within them.

Macrocycle

A Macrocycle is the longest period we plan for. It usually refers to an annual plan, but can stretch up to 4 years (in regards to Olympic athletes). A current starting base needs to be established, realistic goals need to be set and you need a willingness and commitment to stick to a plan for a year.

It is made up of many mesocycles specifically designed to increase progression and enhance form and technique all the way up to the next phase. As it’s such a long time period, the most important thing is to employ a professional who knows what they’re doing instead of blindly stumbling forward on your own. A year wasted could be catastrophic. We would not generally plan a macrocycle into the everyday trainers programs, as goals may change more than a few times during the year. This is usually kept for more advanced trainers and competitors. A macrocycle for competitive trainers is usually divided into 3 stages

Preparation – This usually consists of the vast majority of the macrocycle, and includes building a base level to start the new regime from, working on technique and progressing training ready for the next phase.

Competition – The competition phase will vary in length from one sport to another but usually involves a few competition “testers” leading up to the main competition. The less important competitions is where the athlete will incorporate new ideas into their strategy such as new equipment, new tactics or a different nutritional approach.

Transition – The transition phase is basically a break from training to help you physically and mentally recover from the stresses of intense training, this may vary from a couple of weeks to a couple of months.

Mesocycle

A mesocycle is the most common form of training phase we incorporate into our programs, it allows the body to adapt to the stresses placed in your muscles without over adapting and halting progress. A mesocycle usually lasts between 2 and 6 weeks where the training program emphasize the same type of physical adaptations.

With Clients that are new to training, the objective of the first mesocycle is typically to build their muscular endurance and refine their form and technique. This is done by carefully monitoring their body positions when performing certain exercises and helping to improve the way they train. For any weight based exercises we would start with light weights and lots of repetitions.

Subsequent mesocycles would then consist of either progressing or regressing the training intensity, depending on how the client progressed. Intensity can be varied during a session by manipulating the many variables you will find in a training program, depending on the clients goals it may be any number of things from increasing the length of a run, to increasing power in the hamstrings, to decreasing weight on a bench press.

Microcycle

A microcycle usually consists of just 1-2 weeks, a block of microcycles will make up your mesocycle. These periods will contain a number of workouts within the given time frame and go into more detail on the intensity, volume, rest, and frequency used within the sessions to achieve a particular goal. For example if your goal was to increase strength within a mesocycle lasting 4 weeks, your one week microcycle would consist of low rep, high rest, low/moderate volume with heavy weights. Your aim with each of the following 3 microcycles would be to increase the intensity by increasing the increasing the weight you lifted on each exercise. Therefore ensuring progression. 

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