What term means the division of a training program into smaller, progressive stages?

• A. Acute variables
• B. Periodization
• C. Endurance
• D. Interval training

Answer: (B)

Periodization is the plan for dividing a training program into progressive stages. By organizing training into cycles—often macrocycles over months, mesocycles over weeks, and microcycles over days—a program steadily increases stimulus while including planned recovery. This structure helps athletes peak at the right time, avoid plateaus, and reduce overtraining by alternating higher-intensity blocks with easier periods. Acute variables refer to the specifics within a single workout (like frequency, intensity, duration, and rest) and are adjusted inside the cycles. Endurance is a fitness quality, and interval training is a method of work-rest scheduling—neither describes the overall division of a program into stages.