The terms seasonal plan, annual plan, macrocycle, mesocycle, and
microcycle can be explained as follows. The seasonal or annual plan is the plan
for the year. The coach and swimmer identify the main competition for the year and
put the plan in place for the swimmer to achieve optimum performance at the
targeted competition. Coaches work backwards from the targeted competition to
prepare the seasonal plan and assign each mesocycle and microcycle with the
appropriate training emphasis.
Macrocycles are the blocks of work that make up the seasonal or annual
plan. These cycles are generally 12, 15, or 24 weeks in duration.
