Polarized Training
While I support the idea behind polarized training 100%, many people take Dr Seiler’s suggestions too literally (in my opinion). Meaning it’s really simple. Mostly easy a bit of hard. There can be a lot of variety to this 80/20, 90/10. Random hard efforts here or there.
Remember this was a 9-week study to see if 80/20 out performed 4 days a week of sweet spot. The answer is, it did. That does not mean it’s the best year round training plan in the world. It does not mean it’s what best for you for the next 4 weeks to hit peak performance. It just shows that daily sweet spot is not the be all end all to cycling. What it also showed at least in 9-weeks is that a lower TSS plan beat a higher TSS plan with the right training. Since very little evidence exists in this stuff, and the small evidence we do have shows the opposite of what theory based cycling science promoted, the theory that maximizing TSS will give best performance is likely wrong.
We at TrainerDay and with our Coach Jack plan builder tend to use the mostly easy, a bit of hard through shortening the duration of hard efforts until right before peak season, when those hard efforts can really pay off. Not to mention building you up to be prepared for hard efforts.
We are strong believers in doing what inspires you. It seems his 80/20 approach is how Dr Seiler likes to train himself and he is a strong cyclist so it works for him. Find your version of polarized training that works for you. If that means a small amount of intensity 3+ days a week that can work as well. If you like Zone 1/2 training most days a week and one hard day, that’s great too. You also can see this Zone 3 is not “no mans land” as Seiler and others point out in his 3 zone model either all Zone 1 and 3 (polarized) or Mostly Zone 1 some Zone 2 and a small amount of Zone 3 (pyramidal) might be just as effective. Most pros train in a pyramidal fashion. Again find what you enjoy and makes you fast. Too much intensity is usually not the answer except for short periods of time.
