I usually do 3 week on 1 week off. I started 8 years ago, moreless. 3 years with training with low volume overall, and now 2/3 years with more volume and 2 efforts a week.
On base I do Tempo and Sweetspot, Build some FTP and weeks before races start with vo2máx. Then I continue my competing calendar with 1 effort FTP another vo2 max in a normal week.
I agree, it could be better labeled.
There’s a well known (and respected) coach, with his own podcast, where he mentions the 80/20 principle. The example given is a 25 hour week, and they (there are two on the show) say that 20% = 5h of intensity; which many know is a lot.
Instead, the intensity would more than like be 2.5-3h as there is recovery between intervals would be at low intensity. So the TIZ is closer to 90%/10%, which Seiler also mentions when he explained what 80/20 is when looking at TIZ.
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Yes, 90/10 TIZ for a healthy, well-trained athlete with many years of foundation work. For anyone else the TIZ ratio is closer to 95% Z1/5% Z2-Z3 (3 zone model). Dr. Seiler has pointed this out several times as well. For a beginner, metabolically unhealthy individual, or for someone suffering/recovering from any kind of illness or injury then the ratio is closer to 99%/1%.
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Of course; base work is the foundation for the rest of the work to build on top.
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To be clear, I wasn’t in opposition to you or what you said @Gerald. 
I just think that the point of foundation and maintenance of metabolic health, strength and stability can’t be clarified enough. Be patient, keep working on the basics …or get broke. 
It’s like a house. If you don’t care for the roof, the foundation and the outer layer then it doesn’t matter how nice one tries to dolly up the inside; the whole thing will rot.
So many people assume health when laying out percentages and programs. IME (and according to stats), health is hardly the state of affairs.
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That’s why I hate the TIZ targets 
When in Base phase, the hard sessions are, at least for me, longer lower Z2 (out of 3) efforts. While in build phase, I switch to upper Z2 efforts (SS and Over-Under). In Peak, I may do VO2max (Z3).
The time distribution easy/hard can’t be the same for workouts that different in intensity.
A hard Tempo workout in base could be over 2 hours. A VO2max in peak will rarely be more then 30min. That significantly changes TID… but still one hard session, as intended. At least, that’s my interpretation after listening to Seiler’s info for hours.
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The vo2max seeks a cardiac stress to achieve these adaptations, post analysis would have to check those series of one minute how long has been above 90% of your maximum pulse to see if it has produced that cardiac stress that is sought with the vo2max, I think in my opinion that series of 1 minute at vo2max will not produce the internal adaptations that are needed, remember that the watts is an external load to which our body has to respond internally.
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Clear as mud 
I was told that it pays better to do a couple weeks of VO2max followed by a couple weeks FTP. The VO2max first raises the ceiling and then your FTP sessions can have better effect to raise your treshold. Since then, I stopped mixing those 2 types of workouts in the same period.
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I feel and think the same as you, but he got strong as f****!!! Don’t understand where the strength came from…
Thanks mate!!! Will do that this year then 
Zone 1 is the new Zone 2 but only when you’re in competition phase! Base and Build you should still zone 2.
That’s not quite what the data are showing.
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Strength came from training intensity, if you want to perform at your best in a short period of time, train intensity, the problem is that form goes quickly if you don’t have a well trained aerobic base.
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In my example of the 90/10, it’s speaks to the 25 hour week, which is not a beginner’s level of weekly duration.
Chris Carmichael, in his book on training as a time crunched cyclist, he says that one cannot simply halve the plan of a pro’s plan.
Note: I don’t have his book, so can’t quote him exactly.
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Howie the post you posted says “countdown to a major competition”. Usually they do zone 1 rides when they’re between competitions or when approaching a major one. Before that they just go zone 2. Just my opinion. I don’t read an article about endurance since 3/4 months ago, maybe I’m wrong
In my opinion it is essential to start from how many hours a week you can train. I have athletes who don’t have many hours and in that case the polarized is theory. The base of the polarized is however low intensity but high volume, otherwise you risk losing performance
Actually, Dr Seiler has said repeatedly that there’s no floor. IOW, you can’t make up for volume via intensity.
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Exactly, and I would add that duration is also important - not just intensity.
A session with some easy tempo could be considered “easy” if it’s kept short, long sub-threshold intervals will be “hard” if they leave you exhausted.
It’s the in-between sessions that should be avoided, the ones that leave you tired but with not enough stress to stimulate an improvement.
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