Training Block Planner
A training block laid out week by week — the load rising by a set percentage each week from a starting figure, a deload week at the end, and the next block starting a step higher — with the peak week, the total for the block, and a check that the week-to-week jumps stay inside a safe ramp.
Periodised training builds load for a few weeks, then backs off to absorb it.
How the training block planner works
Periodised training builds load for a few weeks, then backs off to absorb it. Each build week adds a percentage to the last; the deload drops to a share of the peak; the next block starts a little above where this one did. The ramp between weeks is the number injury research watches — jumps above about ten per cent a week raise the risk sharply — and the page flags a progression that breaks it.
Formula: weekₙ = start × (1 + ramp)^(n−1); deload = peak × deload share; next start = start × (1 + block step)
Worked examples
| Inputs | Peak week load in this block | Note |
|---|---|---|
| Three weeks at 8%, then a 60% deload | 46.7 | a classic 3:1 block |
| A four-week build | 50.4 | a higher peak |
| Too steep | 52.9 | over the safe ramp |
FAQFrequently asked questions
What is a training block?
A few weeks of rising load followed by a lighter week to recover and adapt — three build weeks and one deload is the commonest shape. Blocks chain together, each starting a little above the last.
How much should load rise each week?
The ten per cent rule is the usual ceiling for runners; five to eight is more sustainable. The page flags any ramp above the maximum you set.
How deep should the deload be?
Fifty to seventy per cent of the peak week, keeping some intensity and cutting volume. Too shallow and fatigue accumulates; too deep and fitness slips.
What load should I count?
Whatever you plan by: kilometres, minutes, session-RPE load or tonnage. The arithmetic is the same; the safe ramp applies most clearly to volume.
Why does the jump off the deload matter?
Because the first week of a new block sits well above the deload week — 60 to 80% higher is normal — and that is not a violation of the ramp rule, which compares build weeks. The row shows it so it is expected, not a surprise.
Where these figures come from
- Riegel PS, "Athletic records and human endurance", American Scientist 1981 — T2 = T1 × (D2 ÷ D1)^1.06
- Cooper KH, "A means of assessing maximal oxygen intake", JAMA 1968 — the 12-minute run test
- Ainsworth BE et al., Compendium of Physical Activities (2024 update) — MET values by activity
- OpenPowerlifting — DOTS coefficients (Tim Konertz, 2019) — the DOTS polynomial used for scoring
- Naismith's rule (1892) as used by UK and Australian walking bodies — 1 hour per 5 km plus 1 hour per 600 m of ascent
- UK Sport — national high-performance body
Last checked: September 2026. Formulas are fixed by their published sources; the MET values come from the Compendium of Physical Activities.