Periodisation Made Simple: Planning Your Training in Blocks

**0 to Elite course · Lesson 53 of 100 · Level 3: Novice to Intermediate** When you started, adding a little weight each week was enough. Now progress is slower and you need a plan that looks further ahead. That plan is called periodisation, and it is much simpler than it sounds. ## What is periodisation? Periodisation means organising your training into planned stages, with each stage having a clear job. Instead of doing the same workout week after week, you change the focus over time in a deliberate order. In [lesson 27](https://syp-fitness.co.uk/post/progressive-overload-explained) you learned progressive overload: doing a little more over time. As a beginner you could overload almost every session. As an intermediate you cannot, because your body has already made the easy gains. Periodisation is how you keep overloading over months instead of days. ### The three time scales Coaches talk about three levels of planning. You do not need the jargon, but it helps to know it: * **Macrocycle:** the big picture, often 6 to 12 months. For example, "get my squat to bodyweight by next summer". * **Mesocycle (a block):** usually 4 to 8 weeks with one main focus, such as building muscle or building strength. * **Microcycle:** one week of training, the sessions you actually do. For most intermediate lifters, the block is the level that matters. Plan one block at a time, with a rough idea of what comes next. ## A simple periodised plan Here is a straightforward way to run your year, built from what you learned in lesson 49 on volume and [lesson 51 on rep ranges](https://syp-fitness.co.uk/post/best-rep-range-for-muscle-growth): 1. **Block 1, build (5 weeks):** more sets, moderate weights, mostly 8 to 12 reps. The aim is muscle and work capacity. 2. **Deload (1 week):** fewer sets, as covered in [lesson 52](https://syp-fitness.co.uk/post/what-is-a-deload-week). 3. **Block 2, strength (5 weeks):** fewer sets, heavier weights, mostly 3 to 6 reps on the main lifts. 4. **Deload (1 week).** 5. **Repeat**, starting the next build block a little heavier than the last one. Each build block gives you new muscle. Each strength block teaches you to use it. Over a year that adds up to far more than random training would give you. ## Progressing inside a block Within a block, keep the exercises the same so you can measure progress. Each week, try to add either a rep or a small amount of weight. A simple pattern: * **Week 1:** start comfortably, with around 3 reps in reserve. * **Weeks 2 to 4:** add weight or reps so effort climbs towards 1 to 2 reps in reserve. * **Week 5:** your hardest week, close to failure on the final sets. Then deload. This rising effort is easy to follow if you use the RPE and reps in reserve scale from lesson 25. ## Fitting periodisation around real life A plan on paper is only useful if it survives your actual calendar. Before you write a block, look at the next two months. Busy work periods, holidays and family events are the perfect places to put a deload or a lighter block. Plan your hardest weeks for when life is calm. Your goals also shape the plan. If you are dieting to lose fat, recovery is lower, so a build block with slightly fewer sets and a focus on keeping your strength makes more sense than chasing new records. When you are eating enough to gain, you can push harder. You will see this in detail in the lessons on fat loss phases and lean bulking later in this level. Finally, keep it flexible. If you miss a week through illness, do not try to cram it in. Repeat the week you missed, or simply carry on. The plan is a guide, not a contract. ## Other types of periodisation The plan above is a simple form of linear or block periodisation. Later in the course you will meet two advanced versions: [block periodisation](https://syp-fitness.co.uk/post/block-periodisation), which strings specialised blocks together for a peak, and [daily undulating periodisation](https://syp-fitness.co.uk/post/daily-undulating-periodisation), which changes reps and loads within the same week. Both are refinements of the same idea, so get the simple version working first. If you want to see how we structure this for clients, our page on [personal training](https://syp-fitness.co.uk/personal-trainer-archway-training) explains how a 12-week programme runs in phases. ## Your action steps 1. Write one goal for the next 6 months. Make it measurable, such as a lift target or a body composition target. 2. Plan your next block: choose the focus (build or strength), the length (4 to 6 weeks) and the rep ranges. 3. Write the week your deload falls on and put it in your diary. 4. At the end of the block, compare your first and last week in your log and decide what the next block should be. ## Frequently asked questions ### What is periodisation in simple terms? Periodisation is planning your training in stages, each with its own focus, such as building muscle then building strength. It helps you keep progressing once beginner gains slow down. ### Do beginners need periodisation? Complete beginners can progress well by simply adding weight each week. Periodisation becomes useful once that stops working, usually after the first 6 to 12 months. ### How long should a training block be? Most training blocks last 4 to 8 weeks, followed by an easier deload week. Five hard weeks and one deload week is a simple, popular structure. ## Keep going Previous: [Lesson 52: What Is a Deload Week and When Do You Need One?](https://syp-fitness.co.uk/post/what-is-a-deload-week) Next: [Lesson 54: Barbell Squat Form: The Back Squat Step by Step](https://syp-fitness.co.uk/post/barbell-back-squat-technique) Lost your place? [See the full course map](https://syp-fitness.co.uk/post/how-to-get-fit-from-scratch). > **Want Artem to coach you through it?** SYP Fitness is a private 1-to-1 personal training studio at 2-4 Navigator Square, Archway, London N19 3UB. Rated 5.0 from [106 Google reviews](https://share.google/yAAPDk0VhwxmSzymT). [Book a free consultation](https://syp-fitness.co.uk/#apply) or [WhatsApp Artem](https://wa.me/447301512215) on 07301 512215.