What is Periodization?

Periodization is the systematic planning and structuring of a training program to optimize performance, manage fatigue, and prevent overtraining or plateauing. The training cycle is typically divided into specific timeframes: macrocycles (the overall training year or season), mesocycles (blocks of 4 to 12 weeks focusing on a specific adaptation like hypertrophy or strength), and microcycles (typically a single training week). Periodization strategies can be linear (gradually increasing intensity while decreasing volume over time) or block/undulating (varying intensity and volume within a week or block).