In the “Training for SUP” series of blog posts I did a while back I outlined the importance of having a periodized training program. If you are going to get maximal benefit out of the time you spend training and perform at a high level then it is imperative to periodize your training according to some coherent plan. But in tandem with that it is becoming increasingly evident that a polarized training program as part of the periodized plan is the most effective training to achieve performance gains.
There are a few different approaches to
training that athletes (and coaches writing programs for athletes) in endurance
sports can take. To summarize they are:
1.
High Volume Training
(HVT): This is training performed at low
intensity for long periods of time such as long, steady paddles or long
intervals with low amounts of rest (high work to rest ratio). This is the type of training that is
traditionally done when developing an aerobic base early in the paddling
season.
2.
Threshold Training (THRT): This is training where the majority of the
work is done at or close to anaerobic threshold. Anaerobic threshold is the point where the
body can no longer meet the working muscles’ demands for oxygen and the muscles
must turn to anaerobic energy systems to make the ATP necessary to sustain
muscle contractions. It has always been
believed that by working close to threshold it is possible to raise the
threshold, thus allowing an athlete to continue to work aerobically at a higher
level of performance.
3.
High Intensity Interval
Training (HIIT): This is training in
which the main focus is completion of work done above anaerobic threshold. Of course since it is so demanding and uses
primarily anaerobic energy systems it is performed for shorter periods of time
so intervals look more like 10 x 1 to 2 minutes with 2 minutes of more of
rest. This work isn’t performed every
day, but forms the backbone of the training program based on HIIT.
4.
Polarized Training (POLT): This is training based on a combination of
HVT and HIIT, according to an 80% HVT to 20% HIIT ratio. There is virtually no, or at least minimal,
time spent doing THRT. The theory behind
this is that physiological adaptations that support increased aerobic capacity
can be developed effectively at lower intensities while the stimulus for
greatest performance gains comes from maximal efforts. While doing low intensity work between HIIT
workouts has a beneficial training effect, it also ensures that the athlete is
sufficiently rested and prepared to perform at a true maximal effort in the
high intensity sessions. The theory also
suggests that repeated training close to threshold in THRT has a cumulative
fatiguing effect that diminishes the athlete’s ability to perform at that true
maximal effort in the HIIT sessions, thus preventing the athlete from getting
the necessary stimulus required to achieve maximal gains.
There have been numerous studies performed
in recent years with athletes training for 9 to 12 week blocks on programs
based on each of the above approaches.
Some of the studies have been crossover studies in which the athletes
switch from one training approach to another at the end of each training block. This allows for an even better comparison of
the effects of each type of training philosophy.
In each of the studies the group training
on a polarized program has had the best performance gains. In one study (http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3912323/)
the polarized training group had VO2 max gains of 1.7%, time to exhaustion
gains of 17.4%, and peak velocity and power gains of 5.1%. Interestingly, the peak velocity/power at
anaerobic threshold increased by 8.1% even though the participants in the polarized
program never trained at threshold! The
groups based on HIIT and HVT training achieved substantially less improvement,
and the THRT group showed no notable changes in physiology or performance.
What are the implications of this for SUP
paddlers? If you are an experienced
trainer with a good level of fitness and training daily, you’ll stand to gain
more from polarizing your program than you will if you don’t. If you’re new to paddling or not really very
fit to start with, you’ll probably get very good gains just performing high
volume training, however as you get fitter and more experienced then you’ll
probably want to add in enough HIIT to make your program polarized.
If you’re only training a couple of days a
week, I’d still suggest some type of polarized approach, for example I’d
suggest on a three days/week schedule doing two HVT sessions and one HIIT
session.
Over the last few seasons I was finding
that my training was excellent early in the year but I felt the effectiveness
tapered off the deeper into the paddling season I got. I believe this was attributable to a couple
of things. First, I think I could have
done a better job of maintaining strength through the paddling season. You’ve heard me say before that SUP paddling
requires a lot of strength simply because of the shape of the board and the
amount of paddle shaft beneath your bottom hand. Early in the season I had lots of strength to
apply to my paddling after a winter of effective strength training. But as the season progressed I felt my
strength diminished, and with it my ability to move my board as
effectively. To remedy this I have been
much more diligent so far this year doing quality work in the gym to maintain strength
and power, even if it means I am spending time in the gym at the expense of
time on the water a couple of times a week.
I believe the second thing that contributed
to less effective training the deeper I got into the paddling season was doing
too much threshold and/or high intensity work.
I have a pretty good training group at home in the summer and also we have
had some weeks in which we have lots of good downwind conditions. In our group training we often get quite
competitive and in downwind sessions it frequently turns into an informal
race. While the key to successful
downwinding is to relax and rest as much as possible, if you’re trying to link
waves and even jump waves you’re doing a lot of short, intense sprints. It’s HIIT training and you can’t do it
everyday without eventually dealing with significant cumulative fatigue. I believe the result of training at threshold too
frequently on the flats and doing high intensity intervals so much was that
eventually I felt flat and somewhat run down, and then I couldn’t properly perform
the high intensity work that provides the best stimulus for improvement.
This year I’ve made a concerted effort to
polarize my training and have used a heart rate monitor regularly to ensure
that I stay within the proper training zone and am not training too close to
threshold. This training has still allowed
me to experience the adaptations at the level of the muscle fiber that result
in improved aerobic performance without getting too fatigued and having a
negative impact on my ability to do high intensity work. My level of performance has been very high (I
recently completed the Graveyard at the Carolina Cup seven minutes faster then
my previous best) while at the same time I have felt less cumulative fatigue and
seem to have better command of my technique on a daily basis. So far, the polarized approach to training
has proven quite effective for me.
I’d like to make it perfectly clear that I
am not advocating dropping threshold training from your program entirely. I usually end up doing one session per week
at threshold and will probably continue that.
There are lots of reasons why I think threshold training makes sense for
a SUP paddler. Some of those have to do
with pacing and technique, as you can only really develop mastery of them at
threshold pace by actually doing that training.
And let’s face it, there are going to be important chunks of our races
in this sport that are performed at or close to threshold. Make no mistake. Threshold training is not bad for you. The take home for anyone reading this should
be that threshold training performed too frequently in a training program is
not going to lead to performance improvements.
In fact in a worst-case scenario it might lead to over reaching in
training or even a state of over training.
At best you’ll just be working incredibly hard for little or no
likelihood of improved performance.
In contrast, setting your program to a
balance of approximately 80% volume training and 20% high intensity training
will increase your chances of seeing notable performance improvements and
diminish the risk of over training.
Adding in a threshold training workout into that 80:20 ratio isn’t going
to hurt, but I’d suggest it be well spaced out from the high intensity work you
do.
There’s no one program that works ideally
for everyone. We’re all individuals and
we all have different strengths and weaknesses.
The idea is to experiment with your program and find out what structure
works best for you. You can start by
reflecting on the structure of your current program. If you’re not doing one or two high intensity
interval type workouts per week you can add them. They’re hard but they’re fun. If you’re hammering all the time close to
threshold, understand that it’s okay to go slower regularly in your training. You’ll actually improve. And while you shouldn’t ever be afraid of
training at threshold, if you’re doing it all the time it’s a problem. Have fun!
