There are 2 of those workouts in the last 2 weeks before the rest week, one at 102% and the next at 104%. Those workouts are calibrated to a ramp test that you did 6 weeks prior. So perhaps physiologically they are really at 100% of your threshold and the plan is assuming your FTP has gone up by 2-4% over the course of the 6 weeks? If this is not the case then you would decrease intensity until manageable. The TR crew has said that the AI can handle intensity adjustments to the indoor TR workouts.
2 Likes
Love the idea of polarized plans.
Did them back in college with amazing success. I have no issues spinning for hours-trained for Ironman in a snowy college town through bitter winters.
Just started the initial 6 week base followed by the 4 week build. I’ll follow up to this post with results.
Current ftp 234, @71kg
3 Likes
Me as well and use Fulgaz for a once weekly climbing route that is average 7% (2,681 gain) over the 7 miles. There is a climb where I am from which is close and good simulation.
I have zwift for 1 more month and switching to Fulgaz over that. Of course I am always keeping TR and been a sub since 2013.
1 Like
I actually came to this thread to find this answer, must’ve skipped over it when reading the info … hoping the guys make it more clear perhaps in the plan’s title name, like “polarized base” etc. @Jonathan 
The two plans (6 and 8 week) are so similar I really don’t think it matters which you choose - - basically depends on how long you want to do it with a variance in recovery weeks and how long of a long ride you want to build to.
1 Like
Well covered article! Also cheers to Dylan Johnson who helped market this before its birth. 
3 Likes
Any plans to also offer the outside option for our High intensity days? Its getting warmer up her in Canada and I loved bringing trainerroad outside with me on my garmin.
1 Like
Yeah it is in the plan. Jon’s original post says they haven’t implemented them yet, but that outdoor versions are on the way.
That said, you can probably just do a warm up and cool down to bookend however many hours of riding it is for that zone. By the time you get to those 4 and 5 hour rides, it should be pretty clear the power you’ll want to average.
3 Likes
I’d encourage you not to modify the plan until you finish those first three weeks. For me anyway, the ratio of work:rest weeks when following a more polarized plan is different than following a pyramidal structure.
That said - your modification looks fine. I’d just say - don’t plan to take that rest week until you see how you are are doing after week 3
1 Like
Am I reading it wrong and the graphic states 5 hr duration but the description has it as 7.5 hours?
1 Like
That is likely due to the current 1.5 duration multiplier that TR applies when swapping an Endurance workout to “Outside”. Feel free to ignore that actual time requirement and just ride what works for you close to the original inside goal. They are reviewing the duration multiplier based on lots of comments and questions like this.
8 Likes
Was looking forward to the challenge!
Biggest ride since I started again was 4.5hours last Sunday…
5 Likes
Then… get after that beast 
3 Likes
Yeah, the whole discussion is funny. When they first introduced the Outside workouts, some people complained that the Endurance rides were 1:1 matching duration. The ideas and discussion about coasting and such lead them to make a change to the 1:1.5 adjustment.
That is likely well over what at least some riders see with more around 5-10% or so from my own experience and that shared from others. It’s likely that keeping it dead simple at 1:1, with a recommendation to add time as needed for the specifics found by each rider and their local riding options, would be the “better / easy” option. That or something more practical than the 1.5 at the very least. But who knows what makes the most sense on such a large scale? 
4 Likes
I’ve often thought I couldn’t hold anywhere near my ftp for an actual hour, but I did it on an outdoor ride last week (technically I held 303 NP, my FTP is 305) The first 20 minutes was all misery and self-doubt, but once I hit that point and realized I was already 1/3 done, the rest was manageable. I found it much easier to hold FTP or slightly above on climbs, and nearly impossible to hold it on descents (no flat ground where I live).
1 Like
Are the polarized plans a little too easy?
Putting aside Ramp Test and rest weeks:
- The high volume polarized base plan ramps from 474 TSS to 597 TSS
- The high volume sweet spot base plan ramps from 663 TSS to 731 TSS
- The high volume traditional base plan ramps from 711 TSS to 729 TSS
OK so I’m sure the answer it “it’s not all about TSS,” but aren’t these pretty dramatic decreases?
As the plans are in beta and polarized training is not exactly a well defined methodology my guess is they are being conservative about it. No good comes from burning people out before plans are finalized.
Also consider once AT rolls out the base plan won’t be as significant as it is now
3 Likes
There’s no solution to that question that doesn’t upset a camp. Either you add lots more Z1 to bump up TSS and people complain they don’t have time, or you add more intensity days, which deviates from the POL study…
Either this works for people or it won’t, but it’s what people have been asking for.
Looking forward to the summer once people have had time to complete these plans and see if there’s any FTP gains.
Personally either way I think these are the perfect platform to build on. Keep adding Z1 for a more base phase. Then start adding tempo on one day and progressing on long blocks there too. Current thinking anyway. Maybe one week super long Z1 Sunday ride, next week mega tempo effort. Will see!
6 Likes
Having been off a plan for a while, and just doing lots of rides at LT1 (ie easy rides), I’ve found I’m able to handle crazy amounts of TSS, in the 600-800/week range, and I feel fine. I definitely could not handle that with higher intensity. I think adding TSS with easy rides ends up being not that fatiguing, which I think is the point. 2 hours at 60%ish FTP is pretty easy (boredom is likely the hard part.)
2 Likes