Mesocycle

A mesocycle is a training block made of two to six linked microcycles.^{1Hoffman, NSCA’s Guide to Program Design, p. 256.} It typically lasts 4 weeks, with a range of 2 to 6.^{2Zatsiorsky, Kraemer and Fry, Science and Practice of Strength Training, 3rd ed., p. 97.} It’s arguably the first level of planning where a specific goal can be set and reached, such as a month of maximal strength work for a shot putter early in the season.^{3National Strength and Conditioning Association, NSCA’s Basics of Strength and Conditioning Manual, p. 15.}

After about four weeks of the same kind of mesocycle, the training effect starts to level off, with smaller adaptive responses to the same stimulus.^{1Hoffman, NSCA’s Guide to Program Design, p. 256.}

In practice

• Give each mesocycle one goal, such as hypertrophy, strength or endurance.^{4International Personal Trainer Academy, Certified Personal Trainer Textbook, p. 326.} For personal training clients, the International Personal Trainer Academy puts the range at 2 to 8 weeks, with the last week as a planned deload.^{4International Personal Trainer Academy, Certified Personal Trainer Textbook, p. 326.}
• Accumulative mesocycles build general abilities; transmutative ones turn that fitness into specific preparedness; realizational ones set up the best performance for an important event.^{2Zatsiorsky, Kraemer and Fry, Science and Practice of Strength Training, 3rd ed., p. 97.}
• The International Personal Trainer Academy uses “training block” for two or three mesocycles in a row with the same goal and a changed plan.^{4International Personal Trainer Academy, Certified Personal Trainer Textbook, p. 326.}