The document discusses principles of periodization for athletic training programs. It explains that periodization involves systematically varying training specificy, intensity, and volume over periods or cycles to continually challenge athletes and avoid plateaus. This includes general adaptation syndrome responses of alarm, adaptation, and exhaustion. Proper periodization incorporates supercompensation after training to reach new performance baselines. Cycles include macro, meso, and micro periods focused on preparatory, competitive, and rest phases. The preparatory phase establishes a base with low intensity/high volume training progressing to higher intensity sport-specific training. Competitive training peaks strength/power while rest allows physical and mental recovery. Periodization applies these principles to sport seasons.

1. Principles of Periodization
University of Massachusetts Boston
Timothy R. Morgan, D.C.

2. Periodization
 Periodization – systematic variation of training specificity, intensity, and
volume organized into planned periods or cycles within an overall
program
 Training programs need to be varied in order to continually presenting
the athlete with new demands and challenges
 Training variation helps to avoid plateauing of physical adaptations and
psychological adjustments
 The positive outcome gained through a successful training program
cannot continue indefinitely unless the training stimulus is constantly
changed

3. General Adaptation Syndrome
 Alarm reaction - the body detects and
prepares to mount a response to an external
stimuli or training stress; last days to weeks;
athlete may experience short term soreness,
stiffness and a drop in performance
Adaptation - the body protectively
responds and adapts to the training stress;
neurological, structural and biochemical
adaptations occur; supercompensation occurs in
this stage
 Exhaustion - Failure of the body to fully
adapt to the stress; can occur as a result of
sub-optimal training variety or when training
stress is too great; monotony, overtraining
and other training maladaptations may occur;
non-training stresses may also contribute to
exhaustion

4. Supercompensation
 Supercompensation refers to the desired, beneficial training effect
that occurs in direct response to the applied training stress, and
following a recovery period
 Supercompensation is the return of the performance level from a
point of reduced capacity that follows a training episode, beyond the
pre-training level and to a new, higher performance baseline

5. Supercompensation & Adaptation
Figure 1 Figure 2
Positive Adaptation Negative Adaptation
Figure 1 - note that the training effect brings the performance capacity back to a higher level
Figure 2 - note the inadequate recovery stage and its’ effect on adaptation

6. Periodization Cycles
Macrocycle – entire training period;
typically one year but may last from
 A Periodized training months to 4 years
program is divided into Mesocycle – lasts several weeks to
a number of different months, depending on the goals of
specific time periods; training and/or number of
each with specific competitions within period
training goals and
Microcycle – typically 1 week long,
training emphasis possibly up to 4 weeks; focuses on
daily and weekly training variations
Macrocycle
Mesocycle Mesocycle Mesocycle Mesocycle
Micro Micro Micro Micro Micro Micro Micro Micro

7. Periodization Periods
 The planned implementation of the meso- and microcycles within an
overall macrocycle is the basis for varying the training program design
 Training Intensity & Volume are the most often manipulated variables
 To avoid overtraining and to optimize performance, the concept of
periodization involves shifting training priorities:
Non-sport-specific Sport-specific
High Volume Low Volume
Low Intensity High Intensity
 Conventional Periodization models include four distinct periods:
Preparatory 1st Transition Competition 2nd Transition

8. Preparatory Period
 The longest phase of the Macrocycle; occurs during the non-
competitive period of the athlete’s calendar
 Major emphasis of this period is establishing a base level of
conditioning, increasing athlete’s tolerance to more intense training
 Low intensity / High Volume training
 High volume training requires extensive recovery; sport specific skills
are therefore not stressed, largely due to time requirements
 As the Preparatory period carries out, individual microcycles are
designed to progressively increase resistance training loads and sport-
conditioning intensity, decrease training volume and give more
attention to sport-specific training
Preparatory period is divided into three phases:
 Hypertrophy / Endurance
 Basic Strength
 Strength / Power

9. Preparatory Period (cont.)
 Hypertrophy / Endurance Phase
 Early Preparatory Period – from 1 to 6 weeks
 Low intensity / High Volume training
 Increase lean body mass
 Increase endurance
 Gradually increase sport specific training, but not a priority initially
 Endurance focus early, transitioning to more of a hypertrophy focus
Hypertrophy / Endurance Phase
Very low to moderate intensity (50-75% of the 1RM) and very
high to moderate volume (3-6 sets of 10-20 repetitions)
 End of H / E phase may see the microcycle design switch to a
recovery mode of decreased volume and intensity, preparing for
the next Prep period phase, Basic Strength phase

10. Preparatory Period (cont.)
 Basic Strength Phase
 Immediately follows the H / E phase, which may include a late
phase recovery microcycle(s)
 Training goal is to increase strength of sport specific muscle groups
 Involves a gradual increase of training intensity and a gradual
decrease of training volume
 Gradually increasing complexity of movement and exercise, moving
to more sport specific training
Basic Strength Phase
High intensity (80-90% of the 1RM)
Moderate volume (3-5 sets of 4-8 repetitions)

11. Preparatory Period (cont.)
 Strength / Power Phase
 Involves increasing sport-specific training
 Incorporates sport-specific plyometrics
 Explosive Power drills at high loads and low volumes
Strength / Power Phase
High intensity (75-95% of the 1RM, depending on the
exercise) and low volume (3-5 sets of 2-5 repetitions)

12. First Transition Period
 Scheduled between the Preparatory Period and the Competition
Period
 Represents a break between high volume training and high intensity
training

13. Competition Period
 The goal of this period is to peak strength and power through further
increases in training intensity with additional decreases in training
volume
 Significant increase in sport specific skill and strategy training
 Less time is spent on physical conditioning
 Competitions may be incorporated as training sessions
 The duration of the competition period is sport dependent, therefore
microcycles need to be manipulated due to seasonal demands
 With a short season, the goal is to peak strength and power for the
competitive period
 Longer seasons (some professional sport seasons may span 6-9
months) require a conditioning preservation goal; preserving
strength/power/performance over the length of the competitive period;
moderate volume, moderate intensity maintenance program
Peaking : very high intensity 93+% 1RM -- very low volume 1-3 sets of 1-3 reps
Maintenance : moderate volume ~2-3 sets of 6-8 reps

14. 2nd Transition Period
 Also known as “Active Rest” or “Restoration” Period
 Scheduled to follow the prolonged, intense competition period
 The duration of this period will differ depending on the length of the other
macrocycle periods, but typically lasts for 1-4 weeks
 The 2nd Transition allows the athlete to physically and psychologically rest and
recover from the competition period prior to entering into the preparatory period
of the next macrocycle
 Rather than inactivity, this period is marked by unstructured, non-sport-specific
exercise
 Low intensity / low volume, non-aggressive training
 Light recreational activities (i.e. recreational swimming, volleyball, very light
resistance training, yoga, etc.)
 The concept of “active rest” can also be used as a 1-week break between other
training phases or mesocycle periods. Active rest used in this capacity can be
termed an “unloading week”, and attempts to prepare the athlete’s body for the
increased demands of the next phase of training
 Unloading weeks help to minimize the cumulative stress that continuous
training places on the athlete’s body and may help prevent overtraining
syndrome

15. Applying Sport Seasons to Periodization
 Off-Season – period between the competitive season and the pre-
season
 Most of the Preparatory period occurs during the off-season
 Depending on the length of the off-season (dictated by the length of the
competitive season), the S&C professional can break up this season into
separate preparatory mesocycles. i.e. athlete may rotate through two or
more cycles of endurance/hypertrophy, basic strength and strength/power
phases, depending on sport-specific needs
 Preseason – leads up to the 1st contest of the season
 Varies in length depending on sport, but is usually less than 6 weeks
 The preseason typically contains the late phases of the Preparatory
period and the 1st transition period

16. References
Baechle, TR. Earle, RW. Essentials of
Strength Training and Conditioning, 2 nd
Ed. 2000. Human Kinetics.