Periodization is an organized schedule of training. Whether you are preparing for a specific event or creating a schedule of training to add variety to your resistance training program, separating your training schedule into manageable blocks of time is recommended. The largest block of time is called a macrocycle. If you are planning a training program that lasts 3 months, then 3 months is the macrocycle. The macrocylce can be broken down into the next smallest unit of time, the mesocycle. For a 3-month macrocyle, you could have 3 mesocycles, each consisting of 1 month. Finally, the smallest unit of training time is the microcycle. For each 1-month mesocycle you could have 4 one-week microcyles. (The following figure illustrates this concept.) This approach allows you to plan your training schedule week by week while keeping the big picture in mind. Of course, you will also need to use your knowledge of the progression, overload, and rest and recovery training principles.
