Training Methods & Coaching Systems
Following a structured training plan from Pfitzinger, Maffetone, Jack Daniels, or another respected coach? These training systems work—but only if you're training at the correct intensities for your unique physiology. Generic training zones based on age formulas or perceived effort leave massive room for error. Some athletes train too hard in their easy zones, accumulating fatigue without recovery. Others train too easy in their hard zones, missing the stimulus needed for adaptation. VO₂ max testing eliminates this guesswork, providing the precise physiological data needed to personalize any training methodology to your body.
At Fit Evaluations, we specialize in translating metabolic testing data into actionable training zones for every major coaching system. Whether you're following Pfitzinger's marathon plan, training with the Maffetone Method, implementing 80/20 training, or using Joe Friel's triathlon systems, we provide VO₂ max testing and personalized zone calculations that integrate seamlessly with your chosen methodology. Stop guessing whether you're in Zone 2 or Zone 3. Get tested and know exactly where your training zones begin and end.
Why Training Zones Matter
All effective training systems share a common foundation: training at specific intensities produces specific adaptations. Easy aerobic work builds endurance and fat oxidation. Threshold training improves lactate clearance and sustainable power. VO₂ max intervals increase maximum aerobic capacity. But hitting these intensities precisely requires knowing your individual physiology. Heart rate formulas like "220 minus age" can be off by 20-30 beats per minute. Perceived effort varies with fatigue, sleep, and stress. Only metabolic testing provides objective, individualized training zones.
When you train with properly calibrated zones, every workout has purpose. Your easy days are truly easy, promoting recovery and aerobic development. Your hard days are appropriately challenging, driving adaptation without excessive fatigue. Your threshold work targets the precise intensity where lactate accumulation begins. The result? Faster improvement, better recovery, fewer injuries, and optimal performance on race day.
Marathon Training Methods
Marathon training demands careful zone management. Run too fast on easy days and you'll arrive at hard workouts fatigued. Run too slow on tempo runs and you miss the lactate threshold stimulus. Our testing provides marathon-specific training zones that work with any proven marathon methodology.
🏃 Pfitzinger Marathon Training
Pete Pfitzinger's Advanced Marathoning is the gold standard for serious marathoners. His training requires precise zone work: easy runs, lactate threshold runs, VO₂ max intervals, and marathon-pace runs. We provide the exact zones needed for each workout type.
📖 Hal Higdon Training
Hal Higdon's marathon plans are among the most popular for good reason—they work. But "easy pace" and "tempo pace" are subjective without testing. We provide objective zones that remove ambiguity from Higdon's training schedules.
💪 Hanson's Marathon Method
The Hansons' cumulative fatigue approach requires precise pacing to avoid overtraining. Their "something of substance" (SOS) workouts demand accurate threshold and tempo zones.
⚡ Jack Daniels VDOT
Jack Daniels' Running Formula uses VDOT tables based on race times. While effective, direct VO₂ max testing provides more accurate zones than race time extrapolation, especially for runners between races.
Endurance Training Methodologies
Beyond sport-specific plans, several training philosophies have revolutionized endurance training. These systems—80/20, polarized training, Maffetone Method, Lydiard—all emphasize the importance of training at the right intensity. Our testing identifies your individual zones for any of these methodologies.
🎯 80/20 Training & Polarized Training
Research shows that elite endurance athletes do 80% of their training at low intensity and 20% at moderate-to-high intensity. The key is knowing where "low intensity" ends and "moderate intensity" begins. This boundary—your aerobic threshold—can only be identified through metabolic testing.
❤️ Maffetone Method (MAF Training)
Dr. Phil Maffetone's low-heart-rate training builds aerobic efficiency by training below your aerobic threshold. The MAF formula (180 minus age, adjusted for fitness and health) approximates this threshold. But direct testing is more accurate, especially for athletes who don't fit the formula's assumptions.
🏔️ Lydiard Training Method
Arthur Lydiard's periodized training system emphasizes long aerobic base building followed by hill training, anaerobic work, and sharpening. His method requires understanding your aerobic threshold for base training and VO₂ max for speed work.
Triathlon Training Systems
Triathlon training is complex—three sports, three sets of training zones, plus transitions and brick workouts. The best triathlon coaches use structured, zone-based training. Our testing provides sport-specific zones for swimming, cycling, and running that integrate with any triathlon training system.
🏊♂️🚴♂️🏃♂️ Joe Friel Training Systems
Joe Friel's Training Bible series revolutionized endurance coaching. His power-based cycling zones, pace-based running zones, and periodized training approach require accurate threshold and VO₂ max data. We provide testing for all three triathlon disciplines plus interpretation for Friel's training zones.
Cycling Training Methods
Modern cycling training is power-based, requiring accurate FTP (functional threshold power) determination. While 20-minute FTP tests estimate threshold, metabolic testing directly measures your lactate threshold power and provides detailed power zones for structured training.
⚡ Power-Based Cycling Training
Whether you're following a structured plan or working with a coach, power-based training requires accurate zones. We test you on your own bike with your power meter, providing FTP determination and 7-zone power distribution.
Specialized Training Approaches
Beyond the major training systems, several specialized approaches require specific physiological testing and zone determination.
🎯 Lactate Threshold Training
Training at or near lactate threshold is one of the most effective ways to improve endurance performance. Direct lactate threshold testing identifies this critical intensity.
💨 Ventilatory Threshold Testing
Ventilatory thresholds mark transitions in breathing patterns that correspond to metabolic changes. These are alternative markers for training zone determination.
🔥 Interval Training
High-intensity interval training (HIIT) works only when intervals are performed at the correct intensity—typically 90-100% of VO₂ max. Testing identifies these zones precisely.
🏔️ Hill & Altitude Training
Training at altitude or incorporating significant hill work requires adjusted training zones. Our testing can be performed at sea level or altitude for sport-specific applications.
Training Validation & Progress Tracking
The best training plans include periodic testing to validate that your training is working. Are your zones still accurate? Is your VO₂ max improving? Is your threshold power increasing? Regular testing answers these questions objectively.
Progress Tracking Services:
Coaching & Personalized Training
Testing is most valuable when combined with expert coaching. We work with many local coaches and can provide your test results in the format your coach prefers. If you're training on your own, we also offer coaching services that integrate metabolic testing with personalized training plans.
Coaching Services:
What You'll Receive
- 📊Complete VO₂ Max Analysis: Your maximal aerobic capacity, fitness age, and percentile ranking
- 🎯Personalized Training Zones: Heart rate, power, or pace zones formatted for your training system
- ⚡Lactate Threshold Data: Your sustainable race pace or power
- 🔥Fat Oxidation Rates: How efficiently your body burns fat at different intensities
- 📈Detailed Report: Professional report compatible with any coaching system
- 👨🏫Expert Consultation: One-on-one review of your results and training recommendations
Stop Guessing. Start Training Smart.
Whatever training method you follow, metabolic testing makes it work better. Your zones will be accurate. Your easy days will promote recovery. Your hard days will drive adaptation. Your race performances will improve. The only question is: what are you waiting for?
Ready to Dial In Your Training Zones?
Book your VO₂ max test and receive personalized zones for your training system.