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01Chapter 1 · The engine and the erg

Easy days too hard. Hard days too easy.

Transcript

  1. Easy days too hard. Hard days too easy.
  2. That's living in the middle.
  3. Keep easy easy. Keep hard hard.
  4. Steady and intervals both raise V O two max.
  5. Intervals, a little more.
  6. Neither replaces the other.
  7. You need both. Mostly easy.

In short

Easy days too hard. Hard days too easy. That's living in the middle.

Every session ends up tiring, and none of them is really hard.

The fix: keep easy easy and hard hard. Researchers call this polarised training.

A 2015 review found steady work and intervals both raise VO2 max, intervals a little more.

Neither replaces the other: you need both. So keep most days talkable, and when a day is hard, make it properly hard.

How to run and pace each test, and how to read the result.

See the four engine tests

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Sources

  • Paper

    Stöggl T, Sperlich B (2014) Polarized training has greater impact on key endurance variables than threshold, high intensity, or high volume training. Front Physiol 5:33. doi 10.3389/fphys.2014.00033

    doi.org/10.3389/fphys.2014.00033

  • Paper

    Milanović Z, Sporiš G, Weston M (2015) Effectiveness of high-intensity interval training (HIT) and continuous endurance training for VO2max improvements: a systematic review and meta-analysis of controlled trials. Sports Med 45(10):1469-1481. doi 10.1007/s40279-015-0365-0

    doi.org/10.1007/s40279-015-0365-0

  • Ours

    Our coaching line, not attributed to any paper: 'Neither replaces the other' and 'You need both. Mostly easy.'

Nothing here is medical advice. The tests are maximal efforts: if you have a health condition or any doubt about training this hard, check with a doctor first, and stop if you feel unwell.