Personal trainers · 5 min read
How to write a periodised training plan for clients
Periodisation for personal trainers, minus the jargon: phases, weekly structure, double progression and deloads, with a 15-week example plan.
"Periodisation" sounds like a sports science lecture, but the idea is simple. You change the focus of training over time, deliberately, so clients keep progressing and don't grind themselves into the ground. You don't need a 40-tab spreadsheet. A periodised training plan comes down to three decisions: which phases, what the week looks like, and how the client progresses.
Choosing the phases
A phase is a block of weeks with one main job. These are the ones you'll use most.
A hypertrophy phase builds muscle and work capacity. Expect moderate weights, roughly 8 to 12 reps, and more total sets. A strength phase uses heavier loads for roughly 3 to 6 reps with longer rests, turning that new muscle into strength. Power phases use lighter, fast, explosive work and suit athletes more than general clients. Endurance or fat-loss phases use higher reps, shorter rests and denser sessions. And a deload is a deliberately easy week to recover, usually after four to eight hard ones.
Most general gym clients do well cycling hypertrophy, strength and a deload, then repeating with slightly higher numbers. It's not the only way, but it's hard to go badly wrong with it.
Keeping the week recognisable
Inside each phase, the week should feel familiar. Pick training days the client can genuinely commit to and give each day a clear purpose.
| Days per week | A split that works |
|---|---|
| 2 | Full body A, full body B |
| 3 | Full body three times, or push / pull / legs |
| 4 | Upper / lower, twice through |
| 5 to 6 | Push / pull / legs, or upper / lower plus extra days |
When the phase changes, keep the days and swap the workouts. Clients settle into a routine, and "Monday is lower body" survives a phase change much better than a whole new schedule does.
A progression rule your client can follow
Clients shouldn't need to message you to know whether to add weight. Double progression is the simplest rule that works for most people:
- Give each exercise a rep range, for example 8 to 12.
- Start with a weight they can lift for the bottom of the range on every set.
- Add a rep each session until they hit the top of the range on every set.
- Then add a small amount of weight and go back to the bottom of the range.
It regulates itself (a bad day just means no extra reps), it's easy to explain in one message, and it works in both hypertrophy and strength phases with different rep ranges.
Planning deloads
Put the deloads in the plan from the start, rather than waiting until the client is exhausted. A typical deload keeps the same exercises with about half the sets and a little less weight. Some clients feel lazy doing it. Tell them that's normal, and that the deload week is when the hard weeks start paying off.
An example 15-week periodised plan
Here's a plan for an intermediate client training four days a week on an upper / lower split.
| Phase | Weeks | Focus | Typical sets × reps |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 6 | Hypertrophy | 3–4 × 8–12 |
| 2 | 1 | Deload | 2 × 8–10, lighter |
| 3 | 6 | Strength | 4–5 × 3–6 on main lifts |
| 4 | 2 | Deload, then retest | Easy week, then retest key lifts |
After week 15, start again from phase 1 with the new numbers. Keep accessory work in the 8 to 15 rep range throughout. Only the main lifts need to swing heavy in the strength phase.
Watching the plan once it's running
A good plan on paper still needs a coach looking at it. If a client misses the same day every week, move that day rather than lecturing them about it. If their check-ins show poor sleep or rough training two weeks running, bring the deload forward. Weekly volume should drift upward through a hypertrophy phase. Personal bests should start appearing in the strength phase, and if they don't, look at recovery before you look at the program.
Our guide to weekly client check-ins covers the questions that tell you when to adjust.
Building a phased plan in Valleur
Valleur Coach supports phased plans directly. You pick the training days and build each day's workout in its own tab, all in one window. Then you split the plan into phases, each with a name, a length in weeks and a focus: hypertrophy, strength, power, endurance, fat loss, deload or general. You can choose whether the plan loops back to phase 1 when it finishes.
Make it the client's active plan, and the Valleur app tracks which phase and week they're in. Your dashboard warns you when a plan is about to finish, so the next block is ready before they ask.
Frequently asked questions
What is periodisation in personal training?
Periodisation means organising training into phases with different goals, such as building muscle, then strength, then recovering, instead of doing the same thing indefinitely. It helps clients keep progressing and reduces the risk of overreaching.
How long should each training phase be?
Four to eight weeks suits most general clients. Shorter phases don't give adaptations time to show. Longer ones tend to get stale, and fatigue builds up before the deload.
How often should clients deload?
Every four to eight hard weeks is a sensible default. Bring it forward if check-ins show poor sleep or training feeling rough two weeks in a row.
Is periodisation necessary for beginners?
Beginners progress on almost anything for their first few months, so a simple plan with double progression is enough. Introduce distinct phases once their progress starts to slow.