How are people finding the TR Polarized plans?

[Doughnut-Heed]

Sorry but thats absolute nonsense

[jiffylush]

I’m enjoying Polarized Base Mid but that might be because I like threshold efforts and zone 2 riding. Nailing a threshold workout outside just feels amazing and I still get the z2 rides which are doable even when outside stressors or a lack of adequate recovery have me not feeling super motivated.

[jiffylush]

Maybe a little harsh

I think for the most part we are all effectively doing progressive overload with these plans. Not having rest weeks, which again aren’t “off” just Z2, will catch up to you.

If you really don’t understand why someone might need a rest or cutback week then your FTP is probably set too low.

[BikeTampa]

I need recovery weeks not only physically but mentally.

[onemanpeloton]

Not sure if this is the right place for this, but hoping someone won’t mind humouring me on the following points:

1. I understand the rationale behind polarized training and I’d like to try it, but why does a WORKOUT need to be polarized? I thought the idea was for easy rides to be easy and hard rides to be hard, but when comparing POL build vs General build, the TiZ for the hard workouts is lower for the POL workout, so the workout is easier, and therefore the overall TSS each week is lower.

2. The reason I’m considering a POL plan is because I’ve previously always done Sweetspot base low volume,plus extra unstructured z2, but I’d now like to try following a plan that only has 2 days of intensity per week. The reason for this is because I get through the aforementioned base phase quite well, but then burn out during build phase. Is following a POL plan better for AT than following Sweetspot and replacing an intensity session with z2 every week, considering my intensity concerns listed in the previous point?

3. I want to use plan builder, but it always gives me sweetspot base, which is 3 intensity days per week. How do I use plan builder and only have 2 intensity days, without constantly replacing workouts?

[mcneese.chad]

Per #3:

Adaptive Training and the Polarized Plans

Hey @Marc76!! Good question. I encourage you to use Plan Builder while making use of the Polarised plans. We have two types of Polarised plans - one for the Base phase and one for Build phase. You can swap these in for the normal Base & Build phases during the Plan Builder process. When you get to the Schedule section of Plan Builder, you will see the option to “Customize training days for each block”. See the screenshot below. Toggle this on (green). [Screenshot 2022-11-16 at 3.03.30 PM] T…

[Nedward]

A question I have about polarized, at least within trainer road, is how does it actually flow into a specialty phase?
I’m two months from Leadville and not going to switch to polarized now but am interested in try it. It just seems like an abrupt change going polarized build to specialty phase.

[pedalpusher174]

It is an abrupt change, but I’ve hit my speciality block feeling strong and prepared.

I switched to polarized plans earlier this year as I was rebuilding from a knee injury.

I completed a low volume polarized base block, then a low volume polarized build block, and I’m now three weeks into low volume rolling road race speciality - all workouts this block have been VO2 or Anaerobic focused. It feels good to get some power down, see big jumps in my top end progression levels, and I’m coming into a de-load week feeling like I’m making progress.

[Deej]

Some people love 'em, some hate 'em