Short answer: to create a free training plan defines a target with date, divides time into blocks (base, development, specific and set-up), builds a type week with most of the volume at mild intensity and reviews each week how the body responds. You can do it on paper or in an app; if you have a coach, TrainingForever has a free version for coaches up to 5 athletes, and for you it is always free.
Step 1: a target with date
A dateless plan is a list of sessions. Write the test (e.g. a 10K or a cycle tour), the date and how many days a week you can really train. That last data sends more than any template.
Step 2: divide time into blocks
| Block | What it's for | Predominant |
|---|---|---|
| Base | Build Volume and Tolerance | Soft bearings, technique, general strength |
| Development | Raise aerobic capacity and threshold | Soft + 1-2 quality sessions |
| Specific | Looks like the test. | Paces and field of competition |
| Setting up | Arrive fresh | Less volume, intensity maintained |
The theory of cycles is in our guide to periodisation and microcycles.
Step 3: the type week
In well-trained endurance athletes, the observed distribution tends to be around 80% of the sessions at low intensity and 20% with intense work (Seiler, 2010, IJSPP). For an amateur plan, practical reading is simple: most days, soft; one or two days, quality; and true rest.
If you want a week template ready to fill out, you have it here: weekly training plan with staff.
Step 4: Setting up
A meta-analysis found that the most effective strategy was a development of about 2 weeks reducing volume by 41% to 60%, without lowering intensity or frequency (Bosquet et al., 2007, Med Sci Sports Exerc). It's a starting point, not a fixed rule for everyone.
Step 5: Check every week
- Did you do what you planned? Compare planned versus realized.
- How did you feel? Aim the EPR (perceived effort) of each session.
- Do you sleep and recover? If not, lower the load before you get hurt.
To understand how the load accumulates week by week, read the training load: CTL, ATL and TSB.
Checklist of a good free plan
- Purpose and date written.
- Blocks with a clear purpose.
- More mild days than intense.
- Weeks of unloading.
- Set up before the test.
- A place to record what you've done and how you've felt.
Free internet plan or plan with coach
A generic plan is for starters. A coach adjusts it when life doesn't go as it was written: a week's work, a cold, or a nuisance. In TrainingForever the coach creates the block plan, publishes it in your app and adapts it with your feedback.
Price of TrainingForever: Free version with all functions up to 5 athletes; then, 0.99 € per active athlete per month, with a maximum of 49 €/month. Your athletes don't pay anything, ever. The gems are optional extras, such as the AI Assistant or Business, for monthly payment and no permanency. Clubs have no cost of their own: each coach pays only for his or her athletes.
If you're a coach and you're starting, you might be interested in knowing. what free software there is for coaches.
What a coach says: Marc Bañuls
Marc Bañuls, endurance coach with more than 15 years experience. «A free internet plan is good for starters, but the good plan is the one that fits when life doesn’t go as it was written.» «Before looking at paces I ask how many days you can really train. I know what the plan makes sense with that."
Frequently Asked Questions
Where do I get a free training plan?
You can create it by following the steps of this guide. If you have a coach, you can publish it in the TrainingForever app, which is free for the athlete and has a free version for coaches up to 5 athletes.
How many intense sessions should my week have?
In endurance athletes most training is usually smooth, with one or two quality sessions per week (Seiler, 2010). Your coach adjusts it to your level.
How much should I reduce before the race?
A meta-analysis (Bosquet et al., 2007) found the best results with about 2 weeks of finishing reducing the volume by 41% to 60%, maintaining the intensity.
Can I share my plan with my coach?
Yeah. In TrainingForever the coach invites you, publishes the sessions in your app and sees what you do from your watch (Garmin Connect and Strava (and export to Coros and Polar).
