I´ve just reviewed the Polarization-Pathway and still not sure how to define my Zone 3 WOs (so the polarized hard ones acc to Seiler).
For example I did 4x4m right at my FTP (100%).
Taking my average Heartrate (aHR) of my maxHR and maxHR I ended up with the following:
Interval: 88% aHR / maxHR at 90%
Interval: 88% aHR / maxHR at 92%
Interval: 90% aHR / maxHR at 95%
Interval: 90% aHR / maxHR at 95%
What do you think?
And what are you looking at for your Zone 3 WOs: Watt / aHR or maxHR.
Based on what I´ve read in the pathway everything above 85% maxHR can be considered Zone 3 but running closely to 95% would come with too much fatigue. I assume this relates to the aHR per Intervall only? Dont say, it depends :D.
And based on the Watts only my WO seems to be too easy …
Currently no access to a lab to define the lactacte levels so I would need to work using Watts / HR.
Great question. You’re really getting into what I consider the “art” of training. I love to do steady intervals by heart rate, but as you saw, the first one is actually going to be below your target and successive intervals are going to be at higher average heart rates even if power was the same across intervals.
So, using power helps a lot to make sure you’re being steady. If you’re using heart rate only, then you’re going to have to trust feel to ensure your intervals are consistent. What I look for is a plateau in heart rate once I’m about a minute into the interval. If heart rate doesn’t level off, then you’re probably going too hard.
For a 4x4 minute interval, if you’re using feel, the intensity should be something that you feel you could sustain across all four intervals, but you also shouldn’t feel that you could go much harder.
When Dr Seiler did all of his research on 4x4s, 4x8s, and 4x16s, he never prescribed a wattage or heart rate target (even though he had the numbers to do that.) Instead, his prescription was always to go as hard as you can that is sustainable across all four intervals. The athletes naturally found the target zone doing that.
In terms of whether 85% of maxHR is considered Zone 3, that’s highly individual. One of the major adaptations you see in endurance athletes is that their VT2 gets closer to their VO2max.
For example, I’m a time trialist. My max heart rate is 170, but my anaerobic threshold heart rate is 163, which is 96%. 85% for me is 144 BPM which is my VT1. For me, to do a workout in zone 3, I need to be at about 93% or higher. Other athletes have a much broader range and 85% for them is right.