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Bike fit and polarized training.
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John - Bike Fit Adviser, has this video where he says that even if a person is fit correctly to the bike injuries can still occur if you don't mix up your training. He advocates for polarized training.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-HpoDpX0onI

He says that many riders stay too much in what is called the "Sweet Spot" in this explanation of polarized, HIIT and sweet spot training.

https://www.pezcyclingnews.com/...lified-for-cyclists/

How true do you think this is? Can polarized training prevent or take care of an injury with super easy training and some intervals that build capacity and power? Or is that a stretch?

I do buy into repetitive use injury; yet, will intensity and lack of intensity help?

Indoor Triathlete - I thought I was right, until I realized I was wrong.
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Re: Bike fit and polarized training. [IT] [ In reply to ]
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Bike injuries. What are they besides crashing your bike? Can't say I've heard of a seasoned cyclist getting injured purely from riding in the sweet spot. Maybe if you then try and race or match it over a climb or sprint you may tweak something but sounds like a load of sh*t to me...
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Re: Bike fit and polarized training. [IT] [ In reply to ]
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im currently doing a polarized plan, see thread here...

https://forum.slowtwitch.com/forum/?post=6949691

do some reading on the 80/20 training method at http://8020endurance.com/


im not advocating the method yet, as ive just started using it, but one thing ive seen and i like / enjoy is im not drained all the time, and logic does dictate the more time you spend at higher intensities the higher chance there is for injuries.

if i can spend less time smashing myself during workouts, feel less drained overall and still get gains im all about it.

80/20 Endurance Ambassador
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Re: Bike fit and polarized training. [Shambolic] [ In reply to ]
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Shambolic wrote:
Bike injuries. What are they besides crashing your bike? Can't say I've heard of a seasoned cyclist getting injured purely from riding in the sweet spot. Maybe if you then try and race or match it over a climb or sprint you may tweak something but sounds like a load of sh*t to me...

Well I can think of cycling overuse injuries like IT band, hip flexor and maybe shoulder blade/neck/back issues from staying in one position and straining. Polarized training has a contrast with super easy riding and hard efforts. Does that contrast prevent injury when we are really locked in by our cleats, saddle and bars?

Indoor Triathlete - I thought I was right, until I realized I was wrong.
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Re: Bike fit and polarized training. [damon.lebeouf] [ In reply to ]
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Your thread had me looking into it. I'm one to stick to a routine, which has been closer to sweet spot than 80/20. What will be a change for me will be the going easy.

Did my first attempt at it on the bike today. Set my power meter to %FTP and averaged 70% made up of 6x1:30 up a 5% grade at 140% of FTP. My resting FTP was probably 60% so maybe only 9 minutes of the 69 minute ride was hard.

My hip flexors still hurt and maybe even more so than sweet spot training. I need some polarized training as I definitely lack power and capacity. Maybe my hard was too hard?

If polarized training can reduce injury, then that will make a HUGE difference to me and my willingness to adopt it.

Indoor Triathlete - I thought I was right, until I realized I was wrong.
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Re: Bike fit and polarized training. [IT] [ In reply to ]
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Overuse while riding in the sweet spot. That must involve an obscene amount of miles to get injured. 'Polarized training has a contrast with super easy riding and hard efforts' is standard training?
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Re: Bike fit and polarized training. [Shambolic] [ In reply to ]
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Shambolic wrote:
Overuse while riding in the sweet spot. That must involve an obscene amount of miles to get injured. 'Polarized training has a contrast with super easy riding and hard efforts' is standard training?

No my problem was probably too much sweet spot training at a steady effort - base training. I think that is what John the Bike Fit Adviser was warning against. In other words, bike fit alone won't prevent injury. One needs to vary the pace too.

Indoor Triathlete - I thought I was right, until I realized I was wrong.
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Re: Bike fit and polarized training. [IT] [ In reply to ]
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IT wrote:
What will be a change for me will be the going easy.

im still struggling with the mindset that most of my workouts will be easy.

with the plan that 80/20 endurance gives you have power zone ranges that you have to stay in. i find myself always wanting to go the hardest i can in the zone which nearly puts me in tempo range, so i have to force myself to pull it back.

however on hard days i dont mind pushing all the way to the edge of the zone like for my run today.


again im not advocating for it personally as i havnt seen any tangible results yet (other than positive and encouraging anecdotal observations in my heart rate / RPE during workouts), but what led me to it was a lot of first hand info from people using it as well as a very will laid out argument for the method as well as easy to follow plans.

80/20 Endurance Ambassador
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