My Cycling Training "Philosophy" | The Training Priority Pyramid

[@JustinOL1]

Pretty sure TR already had extensive discussion surround polarised training approaches for months before Dylan's video came out and they had been developing their polarised plans for quite some time, not in reaction to his video

[@JustinOL1]

But also great video Jesse, I love the point about enjoying training, seems to be the most important thing

[@nerocoaching]

@@JustinOL1 Good to know! The timing was very fast after he made that video, they must have been working on it previously

[@felixdieu]

@@nerocoaching When you look at their polarized program it's not like they put much thought behind it. 1h on the drawing table to put an interval progression, throw in some z2 rides and done. Their program is a very simple system, you wouldn't pay for that (just the platform).

[@schorndorf]

Just discovered your videos, and really enjoying them. Logical, good information, no-bullshit, not selling something.

[@fatue5]

Really solid video. Lots of detailed information out there but the truth is there’s no substitute for consistent work. Even Seiler says, when talking about the pros, “not a whole lot of periodization going on, just a lot of work.” When you’re hitting 25-30 hours a week, it’s just work.

[@connerburton2123]

This is the best video I’ve seen on training for the average or age group cyclist! Thank you for your great advise!

[@carloscastro8390]

👏👏 this is one of your best videos! I find Dylan's training videos are great but more geared towards those racing every week and aiming for podiums. Your approach and how you explained it makes more sense to guys like me who will do some events and never win but still want to do our best and train hard.

[@edwarddruitt7521]

Don't agree with all you opinions but I strongly agree with the content of this video particularly in relation to the vast majority of cyclists (non-pro). Enjoyment is so key, the other elements are basically wasted or impossible if you are not enjoying it.

[@syncr0904]

really appreciate how often you put out content

[@daness40]

Just saw this video. Very interesting. I've done heavy sweetspot/vo2max for the last few years and I think I mismanaged the fatigue and I would just get too tired during certain times of the year. This year I've created a polarized plan for a 12wk block where I'll be doing heavy low intensity with v02max work a couple of days a week and progressively making those intervals more challenging by increasing quantity of intervals and/or duration of those intervals. The following 12wks I'm going to substitute out a Vo2 workout for threshold and on low intensity ride for sweetspot leading into my event. I've never created my own plan but have been stagnant for the past 24 months bouncing between 318-332w ftp....I feel I got nothing to lose.

[@fgiraffe8751]

Great video, it deserves A LOT more views than it has. Very useful distillation of millions of hours of other YT exercise/training videos. As someone who struggles with Consistency I think I'd swap that one with Specificity, because skipping a few weeks can so easily wreck the progress you've made.

[@XX-is7ps]

Excellent video, and really great approach using the pyramid to highlight your training philosophy. I agree completely with the fundamental being training enjoyment or more broadly just “sticking with your training”, whether that’s down to enjoyment or motivation or discipline or all the above - if you don’t get hooked, look forward actively to training and actually want to do it, you’ll find excuses to put it off, you’ll let other things get in the way and in some cases just stop training completely. Just look at how many people sign up for gym memberships in January and then abandon them. All I would say is that the enjoyment needs to be paired with convenience and discipline in order to ensure consistency - getting all your kit and bottles etc out the night before and having the right kit etc so that you can stick to your training more often without life getting in the way.

[@blaquaman1739]

I train five days per week all year and do whatever I feel like. I’m getting faster and I’m happy

[@lolbubs11111]

Kind of amazing that race training is so de-prioritized. Race strategy and techniques make a much bigger difference in podium vs non-podium results than small differences in fitness.

[@BobMcAllan]

Great stuff, all the principles covered. Gold capstone (maybe)... get more aero!

[@danielbailey4394]

I'm so glad I found this channel and that there's always something new to watch, thank you so much for the videos Jesse! So interesting and keep it up!

[@kevwells]

Great one Jesse, totally agree for the majority. I like your real world approach. I’m sure there is a place for mental health in there it is totally underrated, I guess it is apart of event condition prep, training enjoyment etc. Good idea for another video 😉

[@michaelquinlan4817]

Loved that vid, thanks. Moreover the comments are sensational. Whether it’s your pyramid or Seiler’s or anybody’s, that bottom slice is ‘Ride your bike, cause you love it!’

[@unclespliff_productions]

great video...i agree with your points..something i want to add for rest management - in my opinion, as you progress year to year, i have found there are times when you do have to push through fatigue and soreness..there are ample studies on how newer and stronger muscle fibers are formed when we train sore..again, there is a correct way to do this and something more for higher end athletes, but necessary imo to make progress further into your training career.

[@BevandEdMusic]

As someone who loves training hard, I think trying a more polarised approach made me realise I wasn't recovering well enough. After years of stagnation, within 2 months polarised went from 344 to 364 watts for an hour. So in my case I like how as a T.I.D it played into the rest management aspect. Although predominantly Z1/2 isn't so great for the training enjoyment part, haha

[@luiscolon921]

Training enjoyment is broadly impacted by distribution. E.g., A lengthy training plan based on sweetspot will be neither enjoyable or sustainable for most people. Polarized helps shape this so that you don’t burn out, hurt yourself, or despise training 6 weeks in AND give you enough variety to train the various systems. There is complete flexibility within that approach so it is not restrictive by any means.

[@chrisvisvis]

Seriously great vid Jesse! Your approach makes logical sense to guys like me who rides for fun, does some events and loves to train hard.

[@stevenjones5602]

Love this. No one ever talks about enjoyment: Is there any way i can just go mountain biking instead of Zone 2 training? I hate Zone 2. It’s the Coldplay of cycling 😬

[@marcus_velo_9970]

very interesting Dr Coyle or is that Prof? 😀a good real world model. have you come across Maslows Hierarchy of Needs? it was devised in the 1940s. It's interesting if you lay that over an athlete as a coach - as the psychological attitude, needs etc can be the 1% extra that gets the win or gets you out on the cold morning - and sustains you. (always wonder what happened to B Canty??) likewise the role of 'rest and recovery' and hydration cannot be underestimated. in many ways r and r is central to how I train a more hub spoke model (rec cyclist).

[@nicholi1246]

I think the debate between polarized and sweet spot all comes down to how many hours you have to train in the week. Someone who trains 6 hours should obviously have more intensity (relative to volume) than someone who can get in 15-30 hour weeks.

[@nerocoaching]

Yeh that definitely plays into it. And also what you enjoy, I personally love doing sweet spot efforts, so work to find a way to include them, regardless of what T.I.D I am using

[@teddansonLA]

The sports science literature seems to show that the polarised approach worked better even for those with 6.5 hours a week (this was compared to a "threshold" training model).

[@OurSouthAfrica]

What is the current trends on exercise , is polarized still the go to? What is your current preferred method

[@rejickmukherjee9154]

I think there is a lot more to to with what part of the year it is. What your goals are.. Distribution for most elite athletes does not remain the same through the year

[@zacharymorford1846]

As an older rider (50+), I'm wondering if the pyramid would change as we get older, or maybe which part we focus on should change? I'm in the winter now and am focused on enjoyment and recovery more than specificity. That could be part of my problem though!

[@nerocoaching]

I'd say the specificity part may change as you age. Arguably less hyper-focused on results and it would be a healthy thing to include more cross training, strength training, etc than a younger person would.

[@sepg5084]

How to overload by add weight and drag to your ride: Wear comfier but less aero clothes, add tire fenders, add bike packing gear or more water bottles. These stuff are not totally dead weight because they offer some benefit to your riding.

[@joshualasiman2587]

I love how you put enjoyment on the top priority. but how do you balance training overload and rest management? Does Fitness & Freshness feature on Strava helps?

[@zwtvchannel]

I did polarised and went backward. I dedicated heaps of time to it. I could comfortably dedicate 20hrs consistently and 45W in fitness. Although my previous coach was a complete donkey and for 5 months my entire training program was a “copy and paste” doing the same thing week in week with no variety or anything. No baseline testing, screwed up my base training etc. complete farce.

[@matejburian3191]

polarised or SS, why not use advatages of both? In winter for example I love to do a long sweetspot interval like 1 hour long i really feel that it stress the aerobic engine diffrent way and I litrrally feel how my mitochondria getting more dense from these workout lol ,but yeah it also creates a lot of fatigue so high intesity stuff suffer a little which in winter is not a big problem so when season kicks in Im switching to polarised approach

[@sepg5084]

So Polarized training has the least Zone 2 training, while some training approaches recommend more Zone 2.

[@loungeroomlizardchapman5423]

what about doing 80/20 on the same day for time pressed riders or similar.

[@Marty72]

Lots of good points, but +1 for polarised.

[@sdbowen18]

The new Grandfather was born!. Good video man.

[@carlospinho5970]

Nice one mate! Keep it up.

[@keithfromchute8885]

An interesting video thank you and you make your points well. However, I would class myself as an average keen cyclist who wants to sprint better, climb better, do short races better and be able to ride long(ish) sportives at a reasonable pace. So how can I be specific about my training needs. I want to get better across the board. I am not an elite cyclist and never will be but am sure there are many cyclists who feel this way. How can the training be specific to that broad spectrum without being counter productive?

[@euroswilliams7303]

Can see your points but wouldn't agree with specificity so low in the pyramid. Specificity isn't that broad so should be higher up. I'd have building the (CV) engine there.

[@nerocoaching]

True, if just looking to be a "fit cyclist" then specificity isn't that important

[@euroswilliams7303]

@@nerocoaching I'm not saying specificity isn't important to all, more that it follows building "the engine" hence for me specificity would be further up the pyramid. For me, enjoyment and building the engine would take up the bottom two sections.

[@Brentletson]

Great video Jesse. Although I think consistency cannot be overrated.

[@benpaolorabara8297]

Pyramidal life > Polarized life

[@slavzizek403]

Super cool

[@TheGabyGail]

Kinda random, but do you have any opinions on l-citrulline when it comes to cycling? As I understand it, it sort of work on a theoretically simillar way as to nitrates in example beetjuice. I have no idea if it's snake oil or not, but giving it a short. Supposedly also brings out the vascularity, so at least that's one reason to take it ;) Would love your input on this stuff though ;)

[@lil__apan]

i do 4-6 weeks of training, then 1 week off to not get overtrained

[@kp-dr7tt]

That Devel bike looks super hot!!!

[@jeroenwieringa6420]

Specificity seems too high, you can do a lot with general fitness.

[@Jj88Im]

EAT TRAIN RACE ENJOY 🎉😁💪

[@nanthilrodriguez]

I just want to ride a really long distance in a reasonable amount of time.

[@zikaperic2133]

I didn’t get training specificity

[@nerocoaching]

Sure I'll explain more. It's a basic one, training just needs to be targeting whatever your goals are. Some cyclists want to be good sprinters, some want to be ultra endurance riders. Training needs to target what your goals are. Then the other thing is training needs to be more specific to your goals as you get closer to your goal date. So regardless of the type of training you are doing, there should be more training sessions that somewhat mimic your racing demands as you can closer to your event

[@richardmiddleton7770]

The nutrition thing is the most confusing for me. I mean we're designed to store fuel, we eat when we're hungry, why do people bang on about it?! Just eat what you're used to eating at the times you're used to eating. No need to overeat on carbs or do anything weird.

[@trdi]

These two pyramids are completely different. The first pyramid is... more useful I would say and probably scientifically more accurate. If you follow it, you will have great results, regardless of whether you "enjoy" it or not. If I enjoy sitting in my sofa entire week and watching TV, nothing else really matters. Same goes if I'm preparing for TdF by walking 10000 steps every day, tremendously enjoying while doing it. So training enjoyment can't be the foundation. And yes, I know what was the purpose of it, but it just shows lack of understanding what similar pyramids actually mean.