TALKING POINTS

Polarized Training

This reference helps you talk about what you have learned with others. Talking Points also serve as a reminder for when, in the future, you want a refresher on the main highlights of this course. Schedule tea with a friend and have a conversation about this subject!

Do I need to be training for a race to apply this information?

Definitely not. This is about getting the most bang for your buck when it comes to workouts. While pretty much any type of exercise is usually a good thing, why not get as fit as possible for living a long healthy life?

What if I only have a limited time each week to train?

Doing a mix of high and low-intensity training would still be a good thing. It is very tempting to do high-intensity workouts each day, but this can often be too taxing on your body or end up being moderate-intensity instead of high-intensity because our body is not recovered. It is better to do some easy training, then when it's time to go hard you can really go hard.

What if I don't like eating before I exercise in the morning?

That's ok. While many people might perform better during hard or long workouts with some food in their system, it is not required and many people perform exercise in the overnight- fasted state. However when thinking in terms of our muscle's gas tank, it would make sense to include some more carbohydrate-rich foods at dinner the nights before a hard morning workout. If your workout the next morning is easy, then you wouldn't need as many carbs at dinner.

Some people don't eat before morning workouts because they think it will help with weight loss. Although a lot of people think it is "better" in some way to exercise in the fasted state, there isn't much evidence to support this idea. So if you want to have something small like a banana or piece of toast, there is no reason to think you'll be "missing out" on any of the benefits from your workout.