Macrocycle
A long-term training plan, typically spanning months to a year.
Updated
A macrocycle is the big-picture training plan spanning several months to a year. It contains multiple mesocycles organized to peak for a competition or achieve long-term goals. For recreational lifters, the macrocycle might simply be ongoing progress without a specific peak date.
Macrocycle, mesocycle, microcycle
A macrocycle is the whole training plan, usually a year or a competition season. It is split into mesocycles, blocks of three to six weeks with one focus each, and each mesocycle is made of microcycles, which are normally a single training week. Think of it as year, month and week. Each level answers a different question: the macrocycle asks what you want to achieve and by when, the mesocycle asks what you are working on right now, and the microcycle sets what you do on Tuesday.
A worked example year
A lifter with a powerlifting competition in week 40. Weeks 1 to 16 are four hypertrophy mesocycles of four weeks, sets of 8 to 12, building muscle and work capacity. Weeks 17 to 28 are three strength mesocycles, with reps falling from six to eight down to three to five. Weeks 29 to 38 are peaking: heavier doubles and singles, less volume. Week 39 is a taper of light, short sessions, and the competition falls at the end of week 40. Weeks 41 to 44 are a transition of easier, varied training, and weeks 45 to 52 begin the next hypertrophy phase.
Without a competition
Most gym-goers have no peak date, and that is fine. Build the year around a goal you can measure, such as adding 20 kg to your squat or gaining 3 kg of bodyweight, and line the training up with diet phases: higher-volume hypertrophy blocks while eating in a surplus, lower-volume strength work while in a deficit, when recovery is harder. Review the plan every three months, keep what is working and change what is not.
Common mistakes
Planning all 52 weeks in detail, then abandoning the plan the first time illness, holidays or work get in the way. Plan the macrocycle loosely, the current mesocycle in detail, and adjust each week as it comes. The opposite mistake is having no long-term plan at all, so every block repeats the last one and nothing builds. And peaking or testing maximums too often: a recreational lifter rarely needs more than two or three heavy test points a year.
Examples
- Year-long training plan
- Multiple mesocycles combined
- Building toward competition peak
Related Terms
Compound exercises
Put this into practice with exercises from the library.
Sled Overhead Backward Walk
Strength · Other
Sled Push
Strongman · Other
Sled Row
Strength · Other
Sledgehammer Swings
Plyometrics · Other
Smith Machine Bench Press
Strength · Machine
Smith Machine Bent Over Row
Strength · Machine
Smith Machine Close-Grip Bench Press
Strength · Machine
Smith Machine Decline Press
Strength · Machine
Common questions
What is Macrocycle?
A long-term training plan, typically spanning months to a year. A macrocycle is the big-picture training plan spanning several months to a year.
What exercises train the Macrocycle?
Good options include Sled Overhead Backward Walk, Sled Push, Sled Row, Sledgehammer Swings, Smith Machine Bench Press. Each links to a step-by-step guide with demonstration images.
What are examples of Macrocycle?
Year-long training plan; Multiple mesocycles combined; Building toward competition peak.
Put it into practice
Macro Tracking Masterclass · £12
Set your calories and macros, track them accurately, and fix a stall: a 3-page guide plus an Excel calculator