Macro, meso, micro: the levels of periodisation translated into climbing
Macrocycles, mesocycles and microcycles explained with real climbing examples, from a bouldering season down to a single finger session.
Coach Lucian · · updated · 3 min read
Training plans are usually described in nested levels, a bit like Russian dolls. The terms come from the classic periodisation literature associated with Matveyev and later Bompa, and they sound intimidating. In practice they are just different zoom levels on your calendar.
The four levels
| Level | Typical length | Question it answers |
|---|---|---|
| Macrocycle | Several months to a year | What is the big goal this season? |
| Mesocycle | About 3 to 6 weeks | What quality are we building right now? |
| Microcycle | Usually 1 week | How do this week's sessions fit together? |
| Session | One day | What exactly am I doing today? |
The lengths are conventions, not rules. Some coaches use two-week microcycles; some mesocycles last only two or three weeks.
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