Periodisation

• What is periodisation?

  
  

  Organised division of training into blocks

  1. Each with a goal

  2. Each with a time frame
• What are the three aims of periodisation?

  
  

  • Avoid injury and burnout
  • Structured to give realistic and achievable goals
  • Performer reaching physiological peak at right time

• What is a macro-cycle?

  Long term training plan

  1. Covers a year

  2. To achieve long term goal e.g. podium at nationals
• What is a meso-cycle?

  Mid-term training plan

  1. Covers 6 weeks

  2. To achieve mid-term goal e.g. maintaining fitness over transition phase
• What is a micro-cycle?

  
  

  Short-term training plan

  1. Covers one week

  2. To achieve short term goal e.g. perfecting sprint start

  3. Split into individual sessions

  4. Focused on a specific unit e.g. skill-based flexibility
• What is a mega-cycle?

  Training plans looking beyond 4 years
• What is the preparatory phase of a meso-cycle

  
  

  Off-season and pre-season

  Focus on general sports-specific strength and skill based fitness
• What is phase 1 of the preparatory phase?

  
  

  
  

  Phase 1 -

  Offseason

  1. General conditioning undertaken

  2. Consist of aerobic training

  3. Mobility training

  4. Strength + conditioning
• Competition season


  1. Maintain fitness

  2. Injury prevention

  3. Progressive overload
• What is Phase 2 of the preparatory phase?

  Pre-season

  1. Focus + intensity of training increased

  2. As competition approaches, training volume reduced

  3. Competition-specific training will take over with practice games

  4. Progressive overload
• What happens during transition season?

  1. Time for active rest and recuperation

  2. Low intensity aerobic work (swimming, cycling) completed while receiving treatment for injuries

  3. As preparatory phase approaches, training load will gradually increase
• What is competition season?

  Maintain fitness, avoid injury + focus on strategies/tactics
• What is competitive phase 3?

  1. Training load reduces with periods of lower intensity + adequate rest days to maintain fitness but avoid injury

  2. Strategies, tactics, game-play = focus, endurance athletes will still need high intensity training
• What is competitive phase 4?

  
  

  - Tapering

  3 weeks prior to performance, training load is reduced + rest increased to ensure full recovery with maximum fuel stores
• What is tapering?

  Maintaining intensity but decreasing volume

  Training volume reduced by 1/3 to prepare for competition