PHASE 0 · FREE
Phase 0 · Structural adaptation
Adults 3 weeks · U20 4 weeks. This phase does not aim to raise performance; it prepares the body's structure to accept the loads that follow.
AGE REQUIREMENT
For athletes 18 and over. Every number on this page is executed under a coach's supervision and with medical clearance. Nothing in this table applies under 18; the club's youth pathway is the place for them.
Scientific basis
Kjær (2004, Physiological Reviews) and Magnusson, Langberg & Kjær (2010, Nature Reviews Rheumatology): tendon collagen synthesis activates within 24 hours of loading, but a positive tendon protein balance is reached only 36 to 72 hours after training, and full mechanical remodelling takes 8 to 12 weeks.
Aims of the phase
- Raise tendon and fascia collagen density
- Improve myofascial quality
- Baseline neural adaptation
- Correct movement dysfunctions identified by FMS
- Raise work capacity without neural fatigue
THE NUMBERS
Phase 0 numbers
| Variable | Adult | Junior U20 |
|---|---|---|
| Phase length | 3 weeks | 4 weeks |
| Strength sessions per week | 4 (push / pull / legs / posterior chain) | 3 |
| Sets × reps × load | 3 × 12–15 at 50–65% 1RM · RPE 6–7 | 2–3 × 12–15 at 40–55% 1RM · RPE 5–6 |
| Sets per muscle per week | 12–16 | 10–12 |
| Tempo | 3-1-1-0 | 3-2-1-0 (slower · connective tissue first) |
| Rest between sets | 60–90 s | 75–120 s |
| Technical mat work | 6–8 h/week · RPE max 6 · no live wrestling | 5–6 h/week · RPE max 6 |
| Zone 2 aerobic | 150–180 min/week at 65–75% HRmax | 120–150 min/week |
| Tibialis raises | 3 × 20 daily | 3 × 15 daily |
| Scapular control (Y-T-W, band pull-apart) | 3 × 12 · four times a week | 3 × 10 · three times a week |
| Hip mobility (90/90, Cossack) | 10 min daily | 10–15 min daily |
| Weekly tonnage target | 18,000–22,000 kg | 13,000–17,000 kg |
| FMS criterion | at least 14 of 21 | at least 15 of 21 |
| Baseline HRV | 14-day mean of Ln rMSSD | 21-day mean |
EXIT CRITERIA
Criteria to move to phase 1
01FMS at least 14 (adult) and 15 (junior)
02No pain after Nordic eccentrics
03Tibialis raise 3 × 20 with body weight
04Biering-Sørensen at least 120 s adult and 100 s junior
After phase 0
Phases 1 to 6 are paid and delivered individually, after the questionnaire and the safety-gate assessment. None of their numbers are published on the site.
Injury assessment, treatment and return-to-sport clearance belong with a sports physician; individual nutrition, supplements and anti-doping with a sports nutritionist; psychological intervention with a sports psychologist. This protocol replaces none of them and refers out wherever it should.