Training Seasons and Periodisation
Periodisation is the process of dividing a performer's training year into planned phases so that fitness peaks at the right time for competition.
Before you start
Make sure you're comfortable with these topics first:
Method
- Learn the definitions of macrocycle, mesocycle and microcycle and the length of time each typically covers: a macrocycle is often a year, mesocycles are weeks to months, and microcycles are usually a week.
- Learn the three training seasons in order, pre-season, peak/competition season, post-season/transition, and one clear aim for each.
- Learn which types of training are emphasised in each season, e.g. continuous and circuit training to build a fitness base in pre-season, skill and tactical work alongside maintenance training in the competition season, and low-intensity active recovery in transition.
- Learn why complete rest for a long period in the transition phase is avoided, since it risks reversibility, the loss of fitness gained during the year.
- Practise reading a description of a training block or calendar and identifying which of the three seasons it describes, using the type and intensity of training mentioned as evidence.
- When calculating how a training year is divided, work out the length of a cycle by subtracting or dividing given figures for the other cycles from the total number of weeks.
- For explain answers, always link the phase back to its purpose, e.g. why building fitness before technical work makes sense, or why reducing intensity after the season protects against overtraining.
Worked example
A club's training year (macrocycle) lasts 48 weeks. The coach plans an 18-week pre-season, a 24-week competition season, and a transition period that fills the rest of the year. Calculate the length, in weeks, of the transition period.
- Add the lengths of the two known mesocycles: 18 + 24.
- Complete the addition: 18 + 24 = 42 weeks.
- Subtract this total from the length of the whole macrocycle: 48 - 42.
- Complete the subtraction: 48 - 42 = 6.
- State the answer: the transition period lasts 6 weeks.
Practice questions
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Q1Define periodisation.Show answer
Answer: The process of dividing a training year into planned phases, a macrocycle, mesocycles and microcycles, so that a performer's fitness peaks at the right time for competition.
Q2Name the three training seasons in the order they occur across a year.Show answer
Answer: Pre-season, peak (competition) season, post-season (transition).
Q3How long does a microcycle usually last?Show answer
Answer: About one week.
Q4Give one type of training that is emphasised during the pre-season, and explain why.Show answer
Answer: Continuous or circuit training, because it builds a general base of cardiovascular fitness and strength before more sport-specific, technical work is added closer to competition.
Q5Explain why a performer should not stop training completely during the transition period.Show answer
Answer: Because a complete stop risks reversibility, the loss of fitness and training adaptations built up over the year, making it harder to reach peak fitness again the following season.
Q6A macrocycle of 40 weeks is split into a pre-season and a competition season of equal length, with no transition period. Calculate the length of each season.Show answer
Answer: 40 / 2 = 20 weeks each.
Q7State one focus of training during the peak (competition) season, other than physical fitness.Show answer
Answer: Skill and tactical (game) preparation for upcoming fixtures.
Q8A swimmer's 44-week year is divided into a 16-week pre-season mesocycle and a 5-week transition mesocycle. Calculate the length of the remaining competition season.Show answer
Answer: 44 - 16 - 5 = 23 weeks.
Exam-style questions
Written in the style of a GCSE Physical Education exam paper, with a full mark scheme.
A distance runner's training year is divided into three seasons. Describe what the runner's training would typically involve during (a) the pre-season and (b) the transition period.
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Explain why a well-designed periodised training year is likely to produce better performance results than training at the same intensity all year round.
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See real GCSE Physical Education past-paper questions, with official mark schemes →
Free printable worksheet
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