Following our exploration of the theory behind polarised training, let's look at how to implement it effectively, especially if you have a busy schedule.
1. How Time-Crunched Riders Do Polarised Training
Many riders with limited training time fall into a common trap: making all their training medium-to-high intensity. They usually do this to "compensate" for their lack of training time. Many time-crunched riders also worry that because low-intensity training makes up such a high proportion of polarised training, it might not be effective when training time is limited.
However, studies show that for amateur cyclists, polarised training is more effective than threshold training. More importantly, the training volume for both groups in these studies was actually very low:
- Polarised group's 10-week average volume: 39.1 hours
- Threshold group's 10-week average volume: 36.3 hours
Many training adaptations are linked to training duration rather than training intensity, so when there is no need to push the intensity, there is no reason to add extra stress and fatigue through harder riding. However, for time-crunched riders, we do make some adjustments to the standard polarised approach to compensate for lower overall volume. This is especially true because these riders can typically only manage one or two long endurance rides per week.
Adjustment 1: Increase Zone 3 Training Proportion
Slightly increase the proportion of Zone 3 training time (based on the 6/7 zone model). For example, ride at:
- Lower cadence: approx. 60–75 rpm
- Sweet spot intensity: approx. 85%–95% FTP
This type of training increases the stress on muscle fibers, helping to provide some of the muscular endurance adaptations normally gained through long-distance rides. Depending on the rider's recovery ability and how limited their training time is, we might schedule this 1–2 times per week.
Adjustment 2: Fasted Training / Low Glycogen Availability
We also frequently schedule:
- Fasted rides
- Low glycogen availability rides
This type of training can simulate the metabolic environment experienced in the later stages of a long endurance ride. In the later stages of a long ride, muscle glycogen stores are progressively depleted, and the body is forced to increase its proportion of fat utilized as fuel.
These sessions should be scheduled a maximum of twice a week. Furthermore, they must be combined with low-intensity or muscular endurance training, and never combined with high-intensity training.
2. Practical Advice for When Time is Limited
To translate the above principles into easily executable methods, here is some advice:
Focus First on Long Aerobic Rides: Try to schedule one long ride per week; do not neglect your aerobic capacity. The easiest time to schedule this is usually on the weekend, as you are more likely to have several consecutive hours available. Long endurance rides are genuinely the best way to build your aerobic base.
Next, Short Intense Sessions: Use the scattered time during weekdays to complete high-quality training. Utilize the roughly one-hour training windows available on weekdays to complete the most potent, highest-stress sessions. High-quality training should include:
- Lactate threshold intensity training
- Training above the lactate threshold
When scheduling these, ensure you are fully recovered before each high-intensity session. A "hard-easy" alternating weekly structure is generally very effective.
Use an Indoor Smart Trainer: Completing part of your training on an indoor trainer can effectively reduce preparation time. It also improves training quality, reduces ineffective time (such as coasting), and maximizes effective time spent in the target zone.
3. How to Calculate Polarised Training Intensity Distribution
When calculating polarised training intensity distribution accurately, should you focus on 75% of your training time being low intensity, or 75% of your training sessions being low intensity? The answer is calculating by the number of training sessions. This means you should follow a distribution of: 75% low-intensity / 5% medium-intensity / 20% high-intensity sessions.
Using this method, you simply label each session as low, medium, or high intensity based on the session's:
- Expected training adaptations
- Primary training objective
For example, a session targeting anaerobic power that contains intervals significantly above the lactate threshold should be classified as a high-intensity session. This is true even if the actual proportion of time spent at high intensity during the entire session is relatively low.
Therefore, achieving a polarised intensity distribution is actually very simple: approximately 1/5 of sessions are classified as high-intensity, and about 4/5 are low-intensity. While this method is simple and actionable, it has an obvious flaw: it treats all low-intensity and high-intensity training identically.
4. Using the "Time-in-Zone" Method
Another, and arguably easier, way to track training intensity distribution is using "time-in-zone".
For example, training devices like power meters can accurately record how much time a rider spends training at different intensities, down to the exact second. How the intensity zones are divided depends on the training zone system the rider uses. Using training software like Zwift, Mywhoosh, or TrainingPeaks makes it very convenient to view precise intensity distributions over any time frame.
Compared to the "session goal" (high/medium/low session) classification, the time-in-zone method generally shows more time at low intensity and less time at high intensity. For instance, a typical polarised training plan might show: 90% low intensity, 3% medium intensity, 7% high intensity.
However, the specific ratios will depend heavily on the goals of your current training phase. For example, if you schedule more threshold training, the medium-intensity proportion will increase, while the high-intensity proportion might decrease accordingly.
Overall, the best approach might be to observe your training intensity distribution from both perspectives simultaneously:
- Session level: Check if you are following the 75 / 5 / 20 distribution.
- Time-in-zone level: Check if you have accumulated enough training time within your target zones. For example, if the current goal is to improve VO₂max, you should check if you have accumulated sufficient training time in Zone 5.
5. Does Every Session Need to be Polarised?
Should every individual training session adopt a "polarised" structure? In other words, should every workout contain roughly 75% low-intensity time, 5% threshold time, and 20% high-intensity time?
While some sessions might coincidentally have this intensity distribution, we absolutely do not recommend artificially designing every session to hit this ratio. For example:
- If a session's main goal is recovery, artificially adding 10%–20% of high-intensity work will undermine the session's ability to help you recover.
- If an interval session restricts high-intensity time to 10%–20% of total time, it likely will not provide the high-intensity volume needed to generate training adaptations.
Therefore, polarised intensity distribution should be evaluated over a timescale of at least one week, preferably longer. For example, you can check whether roughly 75% of your sessions over one or two weeks are low-intensity.
6. Polarised Training Intensity Distribution Calculation
Calculating your training intensity distribution is relatively simple; you just need to view a training distribution chart covering your desired timeframe. For instance, in data analysis software like intervals.icu, it can analyze your total training intensity and classify your training into:
- Polarised
- Pyramidal
- Threshold
- HIIT
- Base
- Unique
7. Polarised Training Week Examples
For Time-Crunched Riders: 5–8 Hours/Week
If your training time is around 5 to 8 hours per week, you can use this as a basic framework. In this week's example, the interval training primarily targets VO₂max development. Of course, this can be adjusted based on the specific goals you want to achieve in your current training phase.
For Time-Rich Riders: 10–16+ Hours/Week
This still generally follows the typical weekly structure, where most of the training time is scheduled on the weekend.
For time-rich riders, strategies like muscular endurance training and fasted training can be integrated into endurance rides, depending on their fitness levels and recovery capacity.
These plans should be viewed as guiding frameworks rather than rigid structures. High-intensity sessions, in particular, need to evolve and be adjusted as your training progresses.
Summary
Polarised training (along with pyramidal training) has been proven to be an effective training intensity distribution, suitable for riders of different performance levels and time constraints.
Compared to the threshold training model, it provides a more sustainable and time-efficient way to distribute training intensity, and it has the potential to help you reach your cycling goals faster.
However, polarised training does not mean you must strictly enforce fixed ratios at all times and in all training phases. The most important aspect of polarised training is ensuring you have a massive amount of low-intensity training. How the remaining sessions are split between medium and high intensity is not as critical.
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