Macrocycle, Mesocycle and Microcycle Defined
The three nested time-frames coaches use to plan training: a macrocycle is the year, a mesocycle is ~4 weeks, a microcycle is one week.
Key takeaways
- Plan top-down, deliver bottom-up
- Macro = year, Meso = ~4 weeks, Micro = 1 week
- Every mesocycle should end with a deload
- Use a periodisation planner to keep alignment
Definitions
Macrocycle: 6–12 months of planning toward a goal (season, peak event, body composition target).
Mesocycle: 3–6 weeks focused on a specific quality (hypertrophy, strength, peak).
Microcycle: 1 week — the day-to-day session split.
Working backwards
Plan top-down: macrocycle goal → mesocycle blocks that develop the goal → microcycle structure that fits each mesocycle.
Build bottom-up: deliver one excellent week (microcycle) → string four into a meaningful block → string blocks into the year.
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