Polarized Training with Stephen Seiler, PhD | EP#177 That Triathlon Show

  • Kinda. The point of the zones in general is to set the lines. I would not generally consider spending significant time “on the line” between zones.
  1. Our bodies aren’t that discrete in their transitions.
  2. All these zones are estimations and should not be taken for hard transition points.
  3. Overall, it seems best to shoot for somewhere in the middle of the Z1 and Z3 when you are training. Most seem to recommend staying away from the split lines, for many reasons (including #1 & #2 above).
  4. As such, I would say that 300w rider would want to be spending more time in Z1 around 200-230w. Keep in mind that is also depends on the specific duration of each workout. The longer you go, the lower you want to be in Z1.
  5. There are many people who feel the Z1 training is better served with HR as a guide instead of power. As such, you would likely find you need lower power, especially in the longer rides as aerobic decoupling occurs.

You may be interested in reading some long discussions that cover this and so much more about the POL world in great detail. There is some deep info, but I think we have hit just about every angle to some extent.

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