Periodization involves systematically varying training specificity, intensity, and volume over periods or cycles to promote improvements in training and performance while preventing boredom. The goals are to optimize performance at key points, structure training to target physiological and performance outcomes, manage training stress to reduce overtraining, and promote long-term athlete development. Training is divided into macrocycles, mesocycles, and microcycles with different periodization models like linear, undulating, block, concurrent, and conjugate. Proper periodization requires understanding an athlete's schedule and needs to effectively plan preseason, in-season, and overall training.

1. Periodization
What is Periodization
Pre planned, systematic variations in training specificity, intensity and volume organised into
periods or cycles to promote training and performance improvements, elevating boredom
while considering demands of sport.
Goals of periodization
• Optimizing performance at predetermined points or maintaining performance capacity
• Structure training interventions to target development of specific physiological and performance outcomes
• Managing the Training Stressors to reduce potential for over training (GAS)
• Promoting athletes long term development

2. Periodization
Macro, Meso and Micro Cycles
Macrocycle = Largest Cycle- Normally consisting of a training year / season but a year can contain various macrocycles
Mesocycle = Typically several weeks, depending on goals, generally considered to be blocks of training
Microcycles = Sit within Mesocycles, Focuses on daily and weekly training variations
Preseason Macro and In Season Macro

3. Periodization
Types of Mesocycles
Accumulation = To develop overall conditioning, establishes foundation for other Mesocycles.
Transmutation = Enhance abilities developed during previous phase. Utilising higher intensities
Realization = Final structure before competition, maximise player readiness. Reduction is training intensities
to reduce accumulated fatigue

4. Periodization
Types of Microcycles
Ordinary – Load is gradually increased with successive microcycles
Shock – Sudden increase in Training Load / Volume, recovery /ordinary microcycle follows
Precompetitive – Early part of Taper, reduced training load, more sport specific training
Competitive – Last part of taper, includes travel to game, preparation, warmup and actual Game
Recovery – Reduced Training Load in order to facilitate recovery.

5. Periodization
Types of Periodization
• Linear = Involves a steady progression from high volume – low intensity (load) at beginning of
program to low volume – high intensity (load) at end of programme.
• Undulating (Non Linear) =Training Variables being altered across multiple workouts over a short
period. Can occur day to day over course of a week or week to week over the course of a month
or 2.
• Block = Involves training sequentially towards a specific goal.
Each block is the foundation of the next one.
i.e. Hypertophy (accumulation), Strength (Transformation), Power (realisation)
• Concurrent = you train to achieve different goals simultaneously, rather than one
after the other
• Conjugate = Is to develop one ability while maintaining all others with minimal volume. With this
approach, the athlete is optimally adapting to one stimuli while maintaining others.

6. Periodization
Types of Periodization continued…
• “A Factor that appears to support undulating model is the absence of accumulated neural fatigue caused by linear model
Komi P.V Interaction of Neuromotoric , hypertonic and mechanical factors 1986
• “It should be noted that periodization should be both undulating with respect to regular fluctuations in
microcycle volume and load and linear in respect to long term nature of fitness goals.”
Plisk S.S and M.H Stone Periodization strategies NSCA 2003
• “There is no single Periodized system that provides all the answers. A sound training programme should take
strength ideas from power lifting, power ideas from track athletics and injury prevention concepts from physical therapy.”
Mike Boyle Advances in functional Training 2nd Edition 2014
• “Take you pick, concurrent or conjugate, the bottom line in sports training is we never train just for strength or just
for power or just for speed. We need to train all concurrently during off season and maintain a thread of all of it all
year round” Mike Boyle Advances in functional Training 2nd Edition 2014

7. Periodization
General Adaption Syndrome
A purpose of Periodization is to avoid this phase
Non training stress (Home life, Occupational stress,
lack of sleep, poor diet) can also contribute to
Exhaustion.

8. Periodization
Information Required?
Preseason
• Length of Preseason
• Start and finish Dates
• Number of training Days Per week
• Pre Season Fixture List
• S n C Elements Trained / Schedule– Pitch
In Season
• Fixture List
• Rest day Structure
• Training / Gym Days Per Week
• S n C Elements trained / Schedule - Pitch

9. Periodization
Planning
Pre Season
In Season
Playing Squad 1 Macrocycle
Development Squad
1 Macrocycle
Full Squad 1 Macrocycle

10. Periodization
Programming is not nearly as important as execution.
Good Periodization done poorly is disturbing, the
programme is only as good as the technical proficiency of
your athletes.