Microcycle – important rules and classifications

Though organized coach should use long-term plans to pull macro and microcycle plans out of them, he shouldn’t make detail training plan for more than two microcycles in the future, cause it is very hard to predict progress dynamics. But, coach can create sportsmen macrocycle and be flexible to its application including that last microcycle should be the direction for creating important changes related to progress speed.

Many factors should be taken under look while creating microcycles, among which are these:

• Set the microcycle goals, especially for dominant training factors
• Set training goals(training number, volume, intensity and complexity
• Give the amount of microcycle intensity – number of maximal intensity trainings and changing with low intensity trainings
• Mark training and competition days(if possible)
• Start the microcycle with the trainings of low or medium intensity and progressively increase the intensity
• Before important competition use the microcycle with one day of huge intensity which should be reached 3-5 days before competition

Before each microcycle meeting between coach and athletes is suggested as good option.

Microcycle classification

Microcycle dynamics depends on training phase and training factors priority(if body or technical factors overrule). More important, they have to be reflected on athletes progress and training capacity. So coach should eliminate standardization and non-flexibility. Flexibility empowers changes which are gathered by the coach related to athlete and opponent progress.

It can be structured under the weak number of trainings. Flexibility is the biggest virtue during periodization programm creating.

Table 1. 8 trainings example

	Mon	Tue	Wed	Thu	Fri	Sat	Sun
AM	X	X	X	X	X	T	T
PM	T	T	T	T	T	T	X

This table shows the plan with eight trainings where athletes free time is increased during weekends. Letter T is for training, letter X for rest.

Table 2. Structure 3+1

	Mon	Tue	Wed	Thu	Fri	Sat	Sun
AM	T	T	T	T	T	T	X
PM	T	X	T	X	T	X	X

This table shows structure 3+1 where 3 halfes of the day is reserved for training, where fourth half is free.

Table 3. Structure 5+1

	Mon	Tue	Wed	Thu	Fri	Sat	Sun
AM	T	T	T	T	T	T	X
PM	T	T	X	T	T	X	X

This table shows structure 5+1 where 5 halfes of the day is reserved for training, and one half for rest.

Table 4. Structure 5+1+1

	Mon	Tue	Wed	Thu	Fri	Sat	Sun
AM	T	T	T	T	T	T	T
PM	T	T	X	T	T	X	X

This table shows structure 5+1+1 where 5 halfes of the day are work, one half rest, after that one half work.

Table 5. Microcycle with structure 5+1+1

	Mon	Tue	Wed	Thu	Fri	Sat	Sun
7:00	ST	ST	ST	ST	ST	ST	ST
17:00	T	T	T	T	T	T	X
19:00	WT	WT	X	WT	WT	X	X

This table shows 5+1+1 structure, additional trainings(ST) come in the early morning, with main training in the evening, after that goes weight training(WT) in the gym

If intensity is being increased, rule of progression load should be followed and number of peak intensities and high demands on training should also be though about. Altitude, temperature, long journey, climax can also influent on number of peaks reaching in the program of microcycles training. First serves for adjustment. In hot, wet climaxes intensity peak should be planned in the beginning of the day, when athletes still have power. 

"Periodization, theory and methodology of training", Tudor Bompa