What is block periodisation?

Block periodisation sequences training into focused blocks that each develop one or two abilities at a time, rather than training everything at once. A common order is accumulation (volume), intensification (intensity), and realisation/peaking, finishing with a taper before competition.

How long should the taper be?

Research on tapering suggests a 1 to 3 week reduction in volume of 40 to 60 percent while keeping intensity high. This planner sizes the taper at roughly 15 percent of the run-in, capped at 3 weeks, which fits most endurance and strength sports.

What if I only have a few weeks?

With under 6 weeks the tool uses a compressed 3-phase model, dropping a dedicated accumulation block, because there is not enough time to build volume and still peak. It still reserves a short taper so you arrive fresh.

Why size phases proportionally?

Fixed phase lengths waste time on long run-ins and crunch peaking on short ones. Allocating each phase a percentage of the available weeks keeps the model balanced whether you have 8 weeks or 28 weeks to prepare.

Sport Periodisation Block Planner

Q: Does this replace a coach?

No. It is a planning aid that maps phase boundaries onto a calendar. The actual sessions, loads, and exercise selection within each block should still be designed by you or a qualified coach for your sport.

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A well-structured run-in to competition is built from focused training blocks, each developing one quality at a time. This planner counts the weeks between today and your event, then divides them into accumulation, intensification, peaking, and taper phases with concrete start and end dates.

How it works

The tool counts whole weeks from today to your competition date, then allocates each phase a proportional share. The 4-phase model uses:

accumulation   ≈ 40% of weeks   (build volume / work capacity)
intensification ≈ 30% of weeks  (raise intensity / specificity)
peaking        ≈ remaining      (sharpen, reduce volume)
taper          ≈ 15% (max 3 wk) (drop volume, hold intensity)

When fewer than 6 weeks remain, a compressed 3-phase model is used: it drops the dedicated accumulation block and reserves a short taper, because there is not enough time to build volume and still peak.

Example

With 16 weeks to race day, the 4-phase model returns roughly 6 weeks of accumulation, 5 weeks of intensification, 3 weeks of peaking, and a 2-week taper, each with calendar dates so you know exactly when to change focus.

Notes

Phase lengths are planning estimates, not prescriptions. Sessions, loads, and exercise selection within each block should still be designed for your specific sport and training history. The taper percentage follows the well-supported range of a 40 to 60 percent volume reduction over 1 to 3 weeks.