I gotta believe most people will take those rides outside.
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Cool down of 30mins is longer than my entire workout!
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Swapped the sustained power build (ending week 2) to Polarised low volume, actually looking forward to the lower longer intesity even on the trainer (is age starting to creep up on me?).
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Wondering how one might add extra days to the low volume plan? I do not have the time to commit to 2 hours during the week of the MV plan - but I do have the time to commit to 5 or 6 days a week at 60 to 75 minutes during the week.
Not sure I’ll switch from my current SSB → Build routine. But curious how one might make these new plans work with more days available to ride.
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Just add endurance rides as able. If you start to not be able to do the hard days… make the endurance days shorter/easier.
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@TR where do you classify these plans: Base, Build or Specialty?
Yeah that really boggles my mind. Such long workouts at low intensity week after week?! Utterly bonkers. I just can’t imagine anyone really doing that inside on the trainer 
Pretty perfect outdoors, but in the sweatbox?! I’d rather do Mary Austin every single day.
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The six week plan is marked as Base, the eight week as Build.
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I actually really like the long time in doors. Used to do 2-3 hour rides that way a while back.
Its nice to just…zone out and be with your own thoughts.
I just wonder cause people love polarized in theory but when actually asked to do a long ride…then you get a lot of push back.
I just think it’d be hilarious in like 6 months the TR team comes back and goes…yeah so everyone just omits the long ride :P.
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Haha that’s kind of what I expect to happen. I can’t help but feel that the people who want/do polarised, already have their own version.
But hey only time will tell. Good for TR for offering it.
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I mean…i stopped because I didn’t like having to sit and program my training every…2-3 weeks. It just drove me mad.
Now that TR offers it (and hopefully a version tuned with AT over time) the convenience factor is there again for me to hop back on it.
I also have the slight opinion that you could re-brand a polarized training plan as a plan that helps people who want to lose weight as well. But baby steps.
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After a while you get used to it but small breaks ever 2 hours can help for sure
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To each it’s own. But I can’t understand this perspective at all. Perhaps, this view it’s prevalent and I’m in the minority who have a hard time outsourcing the “thinking” part.
Just swapped from SPB low volume to Polarized High Volume (8-weeks build). Looks perfect for this time of year where I am wanting to do long outdoor weekend rides and an hour or two outside most week days after work. Was struggling to fit the third workout of SPB low volume in. Am a bit scared of the weekly long session above FTP but nothing ventured…Thanks TR!
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This will happen unless people can ride the outside. I took one look at the plans and it just confirmed to stick to the regular base and build. There is no way I can do these long Z2 rides on the trainer.
Champion, nice ride!
Just added Polarised Mid Volume Build to my calendar. Currently resting up for a week or two because I twisted my knee a while ago and it’s still giving me gip! Will start it on the 29th (hopefully). Will push most outdoors, maybe just the VO2max being done indoors.
I can confirm that I 100% use TR so I don’t have to plan out workouts and progression and the like. I’ve got plenty of other things in my life to stress about so taking this off my plate is a major convenience. Could it be more optimal? Probably, but if I get lost in optimization and it keeps me from getting on the bike, then it ain’t optimal anymore.
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Right, POL really is about getting this long accumulation in Z1.
This will go full circle, loads of guys talking about Pol will end up back with sweet spot and regular build plans because they really they’re not getting that much TSS in on the limited time they’re prepared to make.
Some of us have been ultra-time crunched (like myself who actually quit cycling in 2019 because I just couldn’t fit it in), who have now taken advantage of the pandemic and have a ton of time to ride while WFH in a nice place rented in the countryside.
Guys like me can really try POL and that means doing a ton of Z1 every week and building that Z1 up as a focus.
Intervals are intervals, maybe some lift your VO2 or threshold a few % faster but one way or another you’ll hit the ceiling within a few weeks of whatever VO2 interval type you’re doing that season.
It’s this long time at Z1 that’s supposedly going to take you into new areas of fitness all round including opening up new areas of VO2 Max.
Most guys will feel fresher on these POL plans, with two sessions a week. Doesn’t mean they’ll get faster on them compared to the existing plans. It may help some guys by stopping them overtraining or burning out. Overreaching etc.
Also nice for weight loss these Pol plans I’d say. Just two days you’d need fueled for, unlike sweet spot where you’ll break down and dig a hole fast if cutting cals by any significant amount.
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Not everyone has the luxury of time.
I love to tinker, think, and plan. And do so with lots of things. But at some point, you have too much to tinker and think in your day to day and you have to simplify.
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