Why Polarized Training Works (Especially for Masters + Menopausal Athletes)

One of the most underrated things you can do for your running: stop trying to do everything at a medium intensity.

That’s where polarized training comes in.

Polarized training isn’t new—but it doesn’t always get applied well, especially for Masters athletes or those going through major hormonal shifts. At its core, it’s simple: a good portion of your training should be easy, with small but powerful doses of intensity. Think 80% low intensity, 20% high intensity. Very little in the “gray zone” where you’re pushing just hard enough to build fatigue, but not hard enough to build adaptation.

And for Masters and menopausal runners? This approach can be a game-changer.

Why Polarized Training Works So Well as We Age

Here’s the short version: as we get older or go through hormonal changes, our recovery timelines shift—but the need for intensity doesn’t go away. In fact, we still need fast running and heavy lifting to maintain muscle, power, and metabolic health. We just can’t afford to stack hard day after hard day.

Polarized training gives us the structure to:

• Recover fully from hard workouts

• Protect lean muscle and joint health

• Improve aerobic efficiency without overtraining

• Avoid the "always tired" zone from chronic moderate effort

• Make room for strength and mobility without overload

In other words, it’s not just about running slower more often—it’s about being more intentional with how and when you train hard.

What a Polarized Training Week Actually Looks Like

Most people see "80/20" and think it has to be exact. It doesn’t. What matters is the distribution of stress. You want the majority of your runs to feel easy (you can talk, you’re not huffing), and then layer in speed, threshold, or long run workouts 1–2x per week.

Here’s a sample week that follows a polarized format with one day of rest:

Original Example – 1 Rest Day (Friday)

• Mon: Short easy run

• Tue: Speed work

• Wed: Strength training

• Thu: Moderate easy run + strides

• Fri: Rest

• Sat: Long run or long run workout (LRWO)

• Sun: Strength training

Tweaking the Format Based on Your Life

Here’s where it gets real: no one’s schedule is perfect. Some people need two rest days. Others work weekends. Some recover slower and need longer between intensity. That’s okay.

Below are multiple polarized week templates based on different rest days. Each keeps the easy:hard balance, includes strength work, and still respects your time and energy.

Polarized Week Examples (1 Rest Day)

Polarized Week Examples (2 Rest Days + Strength Stacking)

Why This Ties Back to Coaching

The way I structure these weeks comes from experience—not just with physiology, but with real people who have jobs, health challenges, big goals, and a limited number of hours in the week.

This is also why finding the right coach matters. A quality coach won’t just hand you a plan and call it good. They’ll:

• Ask the right questions

• Adapt to how your body responds

• Know when to push, when to hold back

• Make strength non-negotiable

• See you as more than a pace or a finish time

A good coach doesn’t follow one method blindly. They pull from multiple frameworks—Jack Daniels, polarized training, run/walk strategies, strength and mobility protocols—and blend them in ways that serve the athlete in front of them.

The best plan is the one that adapts.

Polarized training is a powerful starting point. But the real magic happens when it gets adapted to your life, your age, your recovery needs, and your goals. Especially if you’re a Masters or menopausal athlete, you deserve a plan that works with your physiology, not against it.

If you want coaching that combines structure, flexibility, and smart adaptation, I’ve got a few fall coaching spots opening up.  Let's chat!