Train Smart: The Science of Periodisation

Imagine an Olympic sprinter who trains flat-out, seven days a week, every week of the year without any planned rest or change of focus. By the time the Games arrive, they are exhausted, injured, and nowhere near their best. Now imagine the opposite: an athlete who follows a carefully structured plan — building fitness slowly, then sharpening speed, then resting just enough — so they arrive at the starting line in the best shape of their life. What is the difference between these two athletes? The answer is periodisation — the art and science of planning training across time.