December 20, 2025 · 4 min read

How to Plan a Cycling Season — Periodization for Amateurs

Training without a plan is riding without a map — you might get there, but you'll get lost along the way. Periodization splits the season into phases with different goals, so you're in your best form exactly when you need it — not randomly, halfway through winter.

What is periodization?

It's splitting the training year into phases, each with a different goal:

1. Base phase (off-season + build) — building an aerobic foundation, general strength.
2. Build phase — rising intensity, Z3–Z4 intervals, building FTP.
3. Peak phase — short, sharp Z5–Z6 intervals, VO2max.
4. Taper — reducing volume, keeping intensity, sharpening form before your goal.
5. Recovery — rest, cross-training, a mental reset.

A typical annual scheme

What does this look like on the PMC?

On the PMC chart, a well-planned season has a characteristic shape:

• CTL rises slowly — 3–5 points a week through the base and build phases.
• Taper — CTL drops a little (−5–10 points), TSB rises to +10–25. You're sharpening form, not training.
• After the season — CTL drops significantly. That's normal and healthy.

Periodization for amateurs — the simple version

You don't need to plan down to the day. All you need is:

1. Pick 1–2 season goals — a race, a granfondo, a personal record on your local climb.
2. Count backwards — 12–16 weeks before the goal is when you start the build phase.
3. Stick to a 3:1 rhythm — 3 weeks of load, 1 recovery week.
4. Layer intensity gradually — start with Z2, add Z3, then Z4, and Z5 last.

The most common mistakes

• Too much, too fast — a CTL jump of 10+ points a week is a direct route to injury.
• No recovery — constant load with no rest weeks leads to stagnation or overtraining.
• No goal — without a set goal, you don't know when you need to peak. You're training blind.

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