Polarized Periodisation

Conventional periodisation is based on the Macro, Meso and Micro cycle, typically an Annual season, 4 week block and 1 week plan respectively. Goals are established for the Macrocycle. Then the mesocycle blocks are designed to target reaching peak performance for your highest priority event, usually based on 3 overload weeks and an adaption week. Each mesocycle has a clear target most often based on an exertion level, using terms like base, build, peak, race (Friel).

However, I’ve not seen an equivalent periodisation based plan for Polarised training. What I do see is that each microcycle (week) is based essentially on the 80/20% volume ie, below VT1 and above VT2 respectively. Like conventional plans 3wks overload 1wk adaption for a meso block.

How does the Meso Block progression concept get applied to a Polarised Plan? Maybe it doesn’t. Maybe it just repeat the same block with different workouts gradually increasing the overload 5% per block? With a bit of event race speed work in the last mescycle of the plan?

If it is the latter, it seems too simple?