Preparation Phase
The preparation phase is the first block of a season: 2–4 weeks of diagnostics, strength and mobility work so the body can tolerate base training.
Definition
The “preparation phase” is the first of the training phases in a season. It typically lasts 2–4 weeks and makes the body resilient enough to process the coming stimuli of base and build training as adaptation rather than damage. It is also called “general preparation” or “pre-season”.
Two things belong at the start: performance diagnostics that capture the current state of your metabolism, and an honest inventory of deficits in strength, mobility, balance and technique. Both provide the foundation on which the following phases are planned.
Why it matters
Most injuries in endurance sport are not caused by a single session but by a volume jump that comes too quickly after a break. Tendons and ligaments adapt more slowly than the cardiovascular system. The preparation phase gives them the head start they need.
The metabolic profile also shifts during the off-season. Anyone who starts with last year’s zones without new diagnostics trains at the wrong intensity for weeks. A field test only delivers an estimate here; a metabolic measurement delivers the actual state.
Structure and signals
| Feature | Typical value |
|---|---|
| Duration | 2–4 weeks |
| Volume | 50–70% of the later base volume, rising slightly |
Intensity Z1/Z2/Z3 | 90/10/0, no hard intervals |
| Strength training | 2–3 sessions per week, focus on core and support muscles |
| Diagnostics | in week 1 |
Signs the phase is working: no more muscle soreness after easy sessions, a stable resting heart rate, technique drills are executed cleanly, HRV rises or stays stable as volume increases.
Signs it has gone on too long: volume stagnates for more than two weeks despite good recovery, motivation drops because “real” training is missing, or strength numbers keep rising while endurance markers already start to slip.
How obseed measures it
obseed uses the diagnostics from the preparation phase as the reference point for the whole season. VT1 and VT2 define the intensity zones to which every later session is assigned. Generic estimates from a 20-minute test do not replace this measurement, because they reflect neither fat metabolism nor the position of the aerobic threshold.
During the phase, obseed monitors the volume trend and the share of Z3. If intensity shows up there early, it is flagged, because it is not yet intended in this phase. Resting heart rate and HRV from your wearable show whether the body is coping with the rising volume.
Example
Preparation phase of a cyclist, three weeks, target base volume of 10 hours:
| Week | Volume | Structure |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | 5 h | Diagnostics on Monday, then 3 easy rides of 60–90 min, 2 strength sessions |
| 2 | 6 h | 4 rides in Z1, one of them 2 h, 2 strength sessions, 2 mobility sessions of 20 min |
| 3 | 7 h | 4 rides, one with 4 × 5 min cadence work in Z2, 3 strength sessions |
Intensity distribution stays at 90/10/0 in all three weeks. At the end of the phase, base training starts at 8 hours with freshly measured zones.
References
- Bompa, T. O. & Buzzichelli, C. (2018). Periodization: Theory and Methodology of Training, 6th ed. Human Kinetics.
Categories
- Trainingsphasen