The Physical Performance Show: Dr. Stephen Seiler – Sports Scientist – Polarised Training
In episode 172 of The Physical Performance Show Brad Beer shares a conversation with Dr. Stephen Seiler – Sports Scientist – Polarised Training in this expert edition.
Dr Stephen Seiler is an American Sports Scientist who now resides in Norway. Stephen has been the past Dean of Faculty of Health and Sports Sciences at the University of Agder in Norway, a former Research and Senior Consultant for the Norwegian Olympic Federation and an Executive Board Member of Directus for the European College of Sports Science. Stephen is acclaimed worldwide amongst Coaches, Researchers, Athletes and Health Professionals for his work into Optimising Endurance Training. Stephen is perhaps best known for his work on Polarised Training. Over 2 decades of Research, Stephen and his team discovered that most endurance athletes spent the majority of their training time at very low intensities. And intensity Stephen claims as Zone 1. The majority of the remaining training time is spent at High Intensity or Zone 3 and quite surprisingly, the world’s best endurance athletes, Cyclists, Rowers, Cross Country Skiers and Distant Runners may spend only 4% at threshold level. Yet as recreational athletes, myself included it is so tempting to feel like we need to make our training sessions harder than likely what is required. And it is this training intensity distribution that has become popularised largely by Dr. Stephen Seiler and known worldwide as the Polarised Training Method. In other terms it has been referred to as 80:20 Training.
During this episode, Stephen covers some fascinating topics including why we are wise to avoid what Stephen refers to as the training intensity blackhole. Why we should be confident in ourself and stick to our plan? Why it maybe wise to do hard workouts with others and easy workouts by ourselves, why simply training at a higher intensity may not get the results we are after as opposed to lengthening out some of our training sessions. The concept of heart rate max and how to calculate this as opposed to heart rate peak, how to determine what training zone you are in, Zone 1, 2 or 3 without lactate testing equipment. Tune in now to hear the many decades of scientific forefront thinking for the acclaimed Sports Scientist Dr. Stephen Seiler on all things optimising training for peak performance and the Polarised Training Approach.
To listen to Episode 172:
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Listen in as we delve into the following:
- Education Background of Dr. Stephen Seiler
- How Stephen exercises and keeps fit
- How he ended up in Norway
- The girl that walked on the hill
- Intensity under time constraints
- The Training Intensity Blackhole
- Pushing athletes in threshold training
- Response to Polarised Training
- Support in Polarised Training Method
- Observations on looking at the practices of best athletes
- Intensity of training for Norway Athletes
- Bi-Products of getting cooked physiologically
- Advice for Low Intensity Workout
- Advice to pursue a 12 week cycle
- Calculating minutes across threshold
- Training Zone meanings
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Quotes:
“Keep easy low intensity sessions; low, keep the hard; hard and trust your plan. Plan your work and work your plan.” – Best Advice
“Increase your longest run/ride by 25% for 30 mins.” – Physical Challenge
“Do hard workouts with a group, do easy workouts alone.”
“Be confident in yourself, be confident in your plan and smile.”
“The great performances are the result of the last 200 sessions not the last hard interval session.”
“There’s a wonderful recipe for all the training.”
To follow Dr. Stephen Seiler
Twitter: @StephenSeiler
YouTube: Inside Sport Science
Dr Stephen Seiler’s Research Articles
Timeline:
00:00 Start
01:58 Introduction to Dr. Stephen Seiler
05:30 Education Background of Dr. Stephen Seiler
06:35 How Stephen got fit – Cycling and Rowing
09:40 How he ended up in Norway
14:10 Intensity under time constraints
17:90 The Training Intensity Blackhole
22:00 Pushing athletes in threshold training
25:45 Response to Polarised Training
27:34 Support in Polarised Training Method
32:25 Observations on looking at the practices of best athletes
37:22 Intensity of training for Norway Athletes
41:24 Bi-Products of getting cooked physiologically
49:40 Advice for Low Intensity Workout
58:15 Advice to pursue a 12 week cycle
1:05:06 Calculating minutes across threshold
1:09:40 Zone meanings
1:28:16 Physical Challenge
1:30:45 Best advice
1:37:00 Finish
People Mentioned:
Lance Armstrong – Triathlete, Professional Cyclist
Shalane Flanagan – American Runner
Thomas Geraint – OBE is a Welsh professional racing cyclist
For questions and comments about this Episode
Send to the show host @Brad_Beer (Twitter) or @brad_beer (Instagram)
