52 As it presents a range of different activities, global training is generally perceived as more fun and more motivating than specific training which, on the contrary, is often considered monotonous and stressful, often leading athletes to abandon sport. TRAINING IN SPORTS The aim of sports training Sports training has the aim of making athletes reach their best possible performances and improving their physical conditions, skills, and techniques. Training programmes cannot be the same for every athlete as their age, physical and psychological conditions, and time available must be considered. Sports training sessions must be done regularly and follow three basic principles: specificity: specificity in training allows athletes to concentrate on the development of specific skills or functions through dedicated exercises. For example, slow running improves general resistance, while weightlifting is suitable for increasing muscular mass, but not, for example, to improve agility; globality: this principle is opposite to specificity and very important especially in sports training for beginners or young athletes. It consists in performing various activities suitable for developing almost all skills globally ; to expend: spendere overload: sovraccarico overload: to obtain good results from training, the body must be engaged at a level higher than the normal one. Overload may be obtained by increasing training frequency, exercise intensity, and the time dedicated to them. However, as the body needs to MACROCYCLES The big-picture plan that sets the overall goal over a season or year. MESOCYCLES Focused phases, typically lasting a few weeks to a few months, targetting specific goals like building endurance or sharpening speed. Periodisation of training Training activities must also be carefully scheduled. Once the objectives are defined, it is necessary to establish the periodisation of training. In general, training is divided in cycles: the macrocycle is the longest one, usually extends over a year or a full competitive season, and outlines the overall training plan. A macrocycle is divided in mesocycles, medium-length cycles typically lasting from several weeks to a few months, which focus on specific training goals. Mesocycles are further divided in microcycles, the shortest cycles, usually lasting a week, in which the daily and weekly workout plans are detailed. Periodisation of training is essential to define the period of the year in which the athlete should reach the best physical fit, which should coincide with the competition sessions. From this point of view, an annual macrocycle can be divided into three periods: preparation period, during which the athlete must reach a suitable level of physical fitness; MICROCYCLES competitive period, when competitions take place, during which the specific sporting form (technique, tactics...) is developed; Individual workouts transition period, during which much lighter work or a period of complete rest allows the body to fully recover the energy expended in the previous periods. Day to day workouts that fine-tune the process and adjust for recovery and performance. 106 PHYSICAL EDUCATION get used to increasing work gradually, overload must be progressive and personalised, according to the physical condition of the athlete.