Many people think effective training is about going hard every single time. But what carries the whole thing is actually the calm, low-intensity work. Here, Mads Tærsbøl explains why endurance training in the low zones is the foundation, and how you build on top of it.
Endurance training is the foundation
Low-intensity endurance training is the foundation. It's essentially non-negotiable. Because when you work in the low zones, zone one and zone two, a number of interesting things happen in the body.
Among other things, you build more mitochondria, the body's little energy factories. They also help modulate inflammation, influence the immune system, and regulate the hormonal balance.
A lot of return for a low cost
One of the most interesting things about zone one and zone two is that it doesn't cost the body much at that intensity. You can do a lot of it, and you get quite a lot out of it relative to what it costs.
Over time, we also know that low-intensity training has a very positive effect on the nervous system. Your heart rate variability, HRV, becomes higher and more stable. And that stability is one of the healthiest indicators there is: relatively stable numbers and a nervous system that can cope with different kinds of stress.
The foundation isn't the whole house
But you can't rely on zone one and zone two alone. It's the foundation beneath the house, but we also want to build the house itself, not just lay the foundation.
To be completely clear: there's nothing magical about any particular training zone. There's nothing magical about zone two, or about any other zone. The magic lies in putting the training together correctly.
Mads's takeaways on training zones
Build the foundation with low-intensity work. Zone one and zone two are the base, and you can do plenty of it without draining the body.
Track the trend over time. A higher and more stable HRV is a healthy sign of a nervous system that can handle stress.
Remember that the combination is what counts. No single zone is magical. It's the right blend of training that creates the results.
