How is a training year structured so an athlete peaks at the right time and avoids overtraining?
Explain periodisation - the division of training into macrocycles, mesocycles and microcycles - and apply it to plan training that peaks for competition.
How periodisation divides training into macrocycles, mesocycles and microcycles across preparatory, competition and transition phases to manage overload, recovery and peaking.
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What this dot point is asking
You must explain how periodisation structures training and apply it to plan a program that peaks for a target competition.
Why periodisation exists
Adaptation follows overload and recovery, but training at one fixed load all year causes plateau, staleness or overtraining. Periodisation solves this by systematically varying training so the athlete is fresh and at peak fitness when it matters most, and so recovery is built in.
The cycles
- Macrocycle: the longest cycle, often a whole season or year, built around the main competition.
- Mesocycle: a block of several weeks within the macrocycle, each with a specific focus (for example a strength-building block).
- Microcycle: the shortest cycle, usually a week, detailing individual sessions and their work-to-rest balance.
The phases of a macrocycle
- Preparatory (pre-season) phase: the foundation. Early on it favours high volume and lower intensity to build a general fitness base; later it shifts toward lower volume and higher, more specific intensity.
- Competition (in-season) phase: training maintains fitness with lower volume and high, sport-specific intensity, and includes a taper before key events. The goal is to peak and hold form.
- Transition (off-season) phase: active recovery and rest, low intensity and volume, allowing physical and mental recovery before the next macrocycle.
Peaking and tapering
Peaking means timing training so the athlete reaches their best form for the main event. A taper, a planned reduction in training volume in the final one to three weeks, removes accumulated fatigue while preserving the fitness adaptations, allowing supercompensation and a performance peak.
Linking back to the training principles
Periodisation is the practical application of overload, progression, recovery and variety over time. Each mesocycle applies overload; recovery weeks and the transition phase honour the recovery principle; the changing focus across phases provides variety while keeping later phases specific to the event.