Træningsgrundlaget

Træningsgrundlaget, literally meaning "the training foundation," is a concept used in Danish sport and physical education to describe the essential building blocks of long-term athletic development. It provides a framework for planning and evaluating training across ages and sports, emphasizing sustainable progression, injury prevention, and individualized load management.

Core elements typically include general physical preparation (GPP) and specific physical preparation (SPP), combined with ongoing technique and skill development, recovery and sleep strategies, nutrition, and mental preparation. These elements are adapted to the athlete’s sport, level, and goals, and are integrated into periodized training plans that balance volume, intensity, and recovery. The aim is to build a robust base of fitness and capability before advancing to more sport-specific demands.

Principles and methods associated with Træningsgrundlaget include progressive overload, variation, and individualization, along with systematic load monitoring and periodization. The framework supports adjustments based on growth, maturation, and performance feedback, with an emphasis on sustainable development and injury prevention.

Application of Træningsgrundlaget occurs in Danish clubs and schools, where it informs annual plans, microcycles, and day-to-day sessions. A typical approach starts with a base phase focused on general conditioning and movement quality, gradually increasing sport-specific loads as appropriate. The concept is intended as a flexible, overarching guide rather than a fixed program, compatible with current scientific insights and individual needs.

See also: periodization, general physical preparedness, injury prevention in sport.