What’s polarized coaching in relation to biking?A polarized mannequin for biking coaching considerations spending more often than not spent coaching at low intensities and fewer, however nonetheless important time spent coaching at greater intensities. Low depth right here is outlined as something beneath the bike owner’s lactate threshold, and excessive depth is any endurance coaching carried out above the lactate threshold.It is distinct from what’s been referred to as a “Threshold model” the place appreciable time is spent coaching at or across the lactate threshold, center depth vary. The polarized coaching mannequin has come to mild in recent times after the work of Stephen Seiler and colleagues.Why prepare utilizing a polarized mannequin?
It is nonetheless unclear precisely why the polarised mannequin appears to be the chosen depth distribution for high performers in lots of endurance sports activities, however there have been a number of theories put ahead in addition to anecdotal proof.Many coaches who’ve had success utilizing this mannequin agree that coaching on the lactate threshold excessively induces an excessive amount of stress on the athlete for the quantity of health profit they’ll fairly anticipate to achieve. It has been known as the “blackhole” of coaching, the place the coaching is simply too onerous to advertise restoration and never onerous sufficient to induce giant beneficial adaptions.This depth distribution could play into the psychology of the athlete. When solely having to “dig deep” and prepare very intensively about 1 in ever 5 coaching classes, the athlete is prone to really feel that the coaching is extra manageable and that they’ll mentally refresh earlier than having to endure by way of a painful session once more. By being mentally and bodily recovered by the point of their subsequent excessive depth exercise, athletes arguably get probably the most from these classes and could also be much less prone to endure from overtraining syndrome or burnout.Sensible considerationsAs an endurance athlete, it could be sensible to undertake some or all the traits of the polarized mannequin into your individual endurance coaching. Listed below are some sensible ways in which a bike owner might motion a number of the suggestions:
Improve total coaching time by vastly growing time spent coaching at low intensities (far beneath lactate threshold, <2Mml lactate, Zone 1, 2 and three coronary heart price and energy) Prepare conservatively on the lactate threshold intensities at applicable occasions within the season Spend extra coaching time in direction of the VO2Max degree of depth, utilizing interval repetitions of ~5-Eight minutes. Embrace very straightforward days for relaxation and recuperation. Discover ways to prepare with an influence meter to be able to carefully monitor coaching intensities utilizing a time-in-zone methodology.
