The person credited with creating this in style and extremely efficient system of coaching has printed a superb information which shall be of curiosity to runners of all ranges.
Throughout almost 30 years at AW a gentle trickle of round three or 4 books every month have dropped on my desk for evaluate. Most are okay. More and more they’re self-published. As soon as in a blue moon, although, an absolute gem arrives.
I’m referring to the Norwegian Technique Utilized by Marius Bakken and, preserving with the digital period, it arrived by way of e-mail as a PDF from the writer himself. But after studying it web page for web page on my laptop computer, I now have an urge to purchase an precise copy as effectively to take a seat in my library. Sure, it’s that good.
Not solely is Bakken’s e book one of many best possible coaching books I’ve ever learn – and I’ve been devouring such publications for the reason that early Nineteen Eighties – however it is among the finest books about working, interval.
Different articles and books have been written on the Norwegian Technique lately, along with 1000’s of social media posts and movies, however Bakken is extensively considered the daddy of the system. Other than being a 13:06 5000m runner and two-time Olympian on the flip of the millennium, he’s a certified physician and has spent a number of a long time experimenting with the Norwegian Technique, which incorporates conducting round 5500 lactate checks.
The e book begins with an ideal story. He remembers coaching in Ingrid Kristiansen’s group in Frogner Park in Oslo and whereas everyone was pushing themselves onerous in every session, Bakken patiently settled into the center of the pack. But the next summer time he ran 13:22 for 5000m, greater than a minute faster than the subsequent finest runner within the group.
“I was watching one thing most runners by no means discover,” he explains. “The road the place coaching stops constructing you up and begins breaking you down. Most runners cross that line with out ever realising it.”
The e book is peppered with nice anecdotes like this. A few years earlier, for instance, he spent a interval coaching beneath Peter Coe. Throughout this time he found Coe’s principle of giving athletes reminiscent of his son, Seb, ‘top-up weeks’ to spice up their mileage at sure durations of the yr – considered one of many classes he discovered on an athlete journey that might culminate within the Norwegian Technique that we all know at present.
What would Coe consider it if he had been nonetheless alive at present? Bakken informed AW: “He would for certain prefer it. Peter was a particular man, a superb thoughts, and somebody who challenged the considering of others. Regardless that he was rather more into selection and anaerobic work than I’m, he would love the idea of considering otherwise and making an attempt to construct one thing out of precision.“
Associated to this, Bakken additionally tapped into the data of one other British coach, Alex Stanton, who guided Paula Radcliffe’s profession, at one level having what he describes as “an extended dialog the place he dissected their (Stanton’s and Radcliffe’s) expertise earlier than we checked out the way it might clear up my challenges”.
So what are the rules of the Norwegian Technique? Many affiliate it largely with ‘double threshold classes’ – the type which were popularised by Jakob Ingebrigtsen lately. However as Bakken explains in his e book, there’s rather more to it than that.
One of many core rules is that Bakken believes the muscular system, versus the cardiovascular system, is the true limiting issue for runners. He writes: “The Norwegian Technique is about managing load over time. Threshold-adjacent work is executed at an inner depth excessive sufficient to drive adaptation, but steady sufficient to be repeated with high quality. The aim shouldn’t be particular person classes that impress, however weeks that maintain collectively.”
In relation to double threshold classes, Bakken makes use of an ideal analogy of finding out for an examination. Isn’t it higher, in any case, for a scholar to do two classes of three hours slightly than one steady six-hour session the place focus will most likely wane? Equally, why not cut up the quantity of threshold working carried out on a selected day into two classes?
“Consider it this manner,” says Bakken. „Double threshold is actually one lengthy session with an extended break within the center.”
He provides: “The physique adapts to emphasize, however solely when it will get the chance. Prepare too onerous, and the chance closes. The physique spends its power on restoration as an alternative of adaptation.“
There are a number of new phrases and ideas within the e book. Certainly one of them is what Bakken calls the “golden zone”, or a “sub-threshold” tempo that must be caught to throughout so-called threshold classes.
“After I discuss threshold coaching within the e book,” he says, “I imply coaching slightly below the edge, by no means proper at it. Many name this sub-threshold or candy spot coaching. I name it the Golden Zone. The tempo is tough sufficient to adapt, managed sufficient to repeat.”
In fact this wants self-discipline to stay to this tempo. “It goes towards our instincts to not give every little thing in a session,” Bakken admits.
Nevertheless, he believes the rewards are big. Additionally, using the Norwegian Technique requires accuracy, as a result of going too gradual, or particularly too quick, will backfire.
There may be an exception to this, although. Bakken contains what he calls an ‚X-session‘ within the weekly programme – a non-threshold exercise that goals to inject a little bit of pace and often comes within the type of brief hill reps.
Muscle tone, or muskeltonus in Norwegian, is one other key idea within the Norwegian Technique and Bakken says his curiosity on this space has “bordered on obsession”. He provides: “In relation to muscle tone, I’ve been relentless, pushed by the necessity to perceive one thing so central to efficiency but so hardly ever described anyplace.”
Muscle tone rises and falls relying on how onerous a runner has educated. A lot of the Norwegian Technique is due to this fact geared round controlling this.
One factor I puzzled when reviewing this e book is whether or not the Norwegian Technique fits each runner, or whether or not simply sure physiological varieties reminiscent of Bakken, Jakob Ingebrigtsen and British 5000m record-holder George Mills reply to it favourably. Midway by means of the e book, Bakken solutions the query.
“This isn’t a recipe to observe blindly,” he writes. “It’s a framework you could make your individual. The rules are fastened, however the way you apply them will fluctuate along with your stage, your every day life, and your physique. A leisure runner with 4 coaching hours per week will make totally different decisions than an elite athlete with twenty. Each can observe the identical philosophy.”
I ponder, too, if it fits the extra ‘punchy’ middle-distance runners, notably Keely Hodgkinson-esque ‘400m/800m varieties’. Bakken accepts the Norwegian Technique won’t be the most effective plan for these sort of runners and he makes use of the instance in his e book of Vebjørn Rodal, the 1996 Olympic 800m champion from Norway.
“Earlier than the 1999 season, Rodal’s coaching shifted from a comparatively intensive focus to considerably extra threshold-based work,” Bakken says. “I keep in mind a proud sports activities director exhibiting me his measurements throughout spring. The brink numbers had been higher than ever. However the competitors outcomes? They dropped considerably relative to his stage.”
He continues: “Rodal was most likely extra ‘sort II–dominant’, explosive, quick, constructed for shorter, extra intense masses. When a few of his coaching was transformed to longer, monotonous threshold classes, a part of what made him distinctive disappeared.
“Many runners thrive and flourish with lengthy threshold classes and excessive quantity. Some tolerate it poorly, no matter coaching expertise or understanding. The distinction most definitely lies in muscle fibre composition. There are leisure runner variations of Rodal as effectively.”
This caveat apart, the Norwegian Technique can have advantages from nearly all of endurance runners. Bakken describes all of it in a approach that may attraction to runners of all requirements too.
What criticisms can I discover with this e book? Firstly, I might have cherished to have learn extra anecdotes regarding his personal coaching classes and conversations with prime coaches and athletes. There are some within the e book and they’re like gold mud.
Additionally, there’s a truthful purpose so that you can save your cash and never purchase this e book as a result of Bakken has already given away quite a lot of the theories and knowledge on his personal web site and in previous articles. He has additionally written a Norwegian model of the e book known as Løping! Raskere og skadefri for alle nivåer, which interprets to Operating! Sooner and injury-free for all ranges.
Writing these many 1000’s of phrases concerning the Norwegian Technique, nevertheless, has helped him arrive on the completed product that I’m reviewing right here.
Perhaps it’s not fairly a completed product both. The search to excellent the system is ongoing and every little thing will turn out to be simpler to measure in future if – or slightly when – steady lactate measurements turn out to be commonplace. Presently athletes prick their finger or ear to take blood to measure their lactate mid-session, which is an ungainly and pretty costly course of, or beginner athletes merely preserve to a sure tempo or coronary heart charge zone. Nevertheless it only a matter of time earlier than sensible wearable gadgets much like glucose displays come into operation, providing lactate readings in actual time.
“Discover your Golden Zone. Prepare there frequently. Preserve the simple days straightforward. Be affected person.”
Lastly, I ponder if Bakken has welcomed, or been pissed off, by the massive variety of articles, social media posts and even books which have tried to clarify the Norwegian Technique. In late 2024, for instance, I reviewed a e book concerning the Norwegian Technique by Brad Culp.
Bakken says: “It has been an fascinating journey for certain. I’m really simply very glad that the sort of coaching is gaining some traction, is being mentioned and applied.
“The straightforward purpose being: we all know that is an efficient common approach of coaching for prime athletes, should you have a look at the occasions of athletes like Jakob and Andreas Almgren. However I additionally suppose it’s a safer approach for youthful runners and leisure runners as effectively.
“It’s constructed on a unique mind-set about load, selection and precision. And should you attempt to respect these boundaries and consider the muscular part that I speak at size about within the e book, most runners will keep damage free extra simply, really feel recent extra days and run quicker.”
As a former membership stage 800m runner who’s now aged 56, I’ve been impressed by Bakken’s e book and making an attempt to observe this method within the final couple of months. I at all times felt as a younger runner I responded finest to top quality classes and didn’t run too effectively after spells of longer, slower reps and better mileage. However Bakken’s theories are so sturdy, I’m eager to place the Norwegian Technique to the check as I try to enhance my 5km and 10km occasions.
As Bakken says, the Norwegian Technique is easy to grasp however could be tough to implement. “Discover your Golden Zone,“ he advises. „Prepare there frequently. Preserve the simple days straightforward. Be affected person.”
The Norwegian Technique Utilized: Threshold Coaching and Depth Management for Sooner, Extra Sturdy Operating at Each Stage by Marius Bakken is out now right here
