Periodization and Planning


By Sharone Aharon USA Triathlon Level III Certified Coach


Developing an annual training plan (ATP) is critical in maximizing performance for every athlete. Whether you are coaching an advanced athlete or one just getting into the sport, the ATP is a training road map. It is an instrument that guides training and should facilitate improvement in physiological, psychological and technical abilities. The objective of every training program


is to ensure peak performance on a specific date. This is a challenging task. If peak performance occurs before the desired date it’s likely due to lack of sufficient rest. If peak performance occurs after the desired date, it’s likely due to insufficient load. Poor planning that leads to an inaccurate peak performance is a result of lack of knowledge and inadequate planning experience. Periodization is crucial to developing a long-term training plan. Periodization means dividing a certain amount of time, in this case the training year, into smaller, easy-to- manage phases. Normal periodization jargon generally refers to three segments in the plan that differ by size.


A microcycle is a basic unit that forms the smallest training cycle and typically lasts for 3-10 days. A weekly training plan might consist of a hard day, an easy day and a rest day, followed by the hard-easy-rest pattern again. For many athletes, this is simply one week of training in a predictable way. A mesocycle is a block of training which focuses on achieving a particular goal and usually covers 4-16 weeks. The base training mesocycle phase develops strength, flexibility, endurance and basic technique in order to prepare the athlete’s body for the load of the more advanced strength phase. Strength phase will be the next mesocycle. A macrocycle is a long stretch of training


that focuses on accomplishing an extremely important overall goal. A macrocycle is made up of a number of different mesocycles and covers a period of 6-11 months. Applying periodization concepts to the


process of building an ATP simply means developing a training plan with training blocks where each block prepares the athlete for the next, and more advanced, training period.


In most cases, the annual training cycle is divided into the preparatory, competitive and transition phases. The preparatory and competitive phases are divided into two additional sub-phases as shown in Figure 1. The building block phases are mostly the same for every athlete; however, the length, intensity and recovery time of each period will change based on the athlete’s goals, experience and the time needed to adapt to the training stress. The yearly plan may have more than one macrocyle per year depending on how many times the athlete needs to reach peak performance and/or how long the athlete needs to be in peak performance state. The ATP is an important communication tool between the coach and the athlete or team. It should be simple to understand and easy to use, as well as flexible and easy to adjust for unforeseen events. The first step is to gather background information about your athlete, his/her goals and objectives for the coming season. This is sometimes overlooked by inexperienced


Annual Training Plan


Preparatory General Preparation


Competition Specific Preparation Pre-­‐Competitive Competitive


Transition Transition


Figure 1 – Division of annual plan into phases and training cycles


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