6 weeks · once daily · low-impact dominant · Zone-2 disciplined · built on the Norwegian polarized model and Inigo San Millán's Zone 2 science. Evidence-first. Hip-surgery-aware. The goal is the biggest aerobic engine possible before any sharpening in Phase 002.
Phase 001 is deliberately monotonous in the best sense: a large volume of truly easy aerobic work, almost entirely low-impact, with intensity on a tight leash. This is the engine every later quality phase is built on. The science is unambiguous — see the Science tab for citations.
Hip-stability work appears 2×/week (Tuesday + Thursday), 15–20 min, bolted onto the aerobic session. This is the bridge between physio rehab and training: building the glute and hip stability needed for future running and heavy ergs, without competing with the aerobic adaptation. Upload your clinical PT notes in the PT Notes tab to add your surgeon/physio-specific exercises.
Your Strava is connected (read). Log sessions manually on Strava — pick the right activity type (NordicSki=SkiErg, VirtualRide=BikeErg, Rowing=RowErg). Your Z2 discipline will show as low cardiac drift in the Strava HR graph — that's the training effect made visible. The Strava MCP currently reads your data; push/create is not available in this integration but manual logging is fast.
Every programming decision is anchored to peer-reviewed literature or high-quality applied sport science. Below are the key pillars — clickable references where available.
Stephen Seiler's analysis of elite XC skiers, cyclists, runners, and rowers consistently showed they accumulated ~80% of training at low intensity and ~20% at high intensity — almost nothing at threshold. This "polarized" distribution beat threshold-dominant models in head-to-head trials.
Seiler & Kjerland (2006) Scand J Med Sci Sports Stöggl & Sperlich (2014) Front Physiol Seiler (2010) Int J Sports Physiol PerformInigo San Millán's research demonstrates that sustained Zone 2 training (below LT1 — the first lactate inflection point) is the primary driver of mitochondrial biogenesis, fat oxidation capacity, and metabolic flexibility. Elite athletes oxidize fat efficiently at speeds/powers that recreational athletes cannot — because they have spent thousands of hours in Z2. The adaptation is slow (weeks–months) and cannot be accelerated by going harder.
Your HR Z2 ceiling (146 bpm) corresponds to approximately your LT1 — confirmed by your manually-set zones and 43:00 10k reference. The aim of 125–140 keeps you in the mitochondrial adaptation window without drifting into lactate accumulation.
San Millán & Brooks (2018) Front Physiol Achten & Jeukendrup (2003) Sports Med — HR monitoringDuring a steady Z2 effort, HR naturally drifts upward over time (cardiac drift) while power/pace holds. Aerobic decoupling — the % divergence between HR and pace/power — is a reliable marker of aerobic fitness. As base fitness improves, drift decreases. The Week 1 vs Week 6 BikeErg test at HR 140 will quantify this directly: more watts, less drift = larger engine.
Achten & Jeukendrup (2003) Sports Med Edwards (1993) — HR training literatureClinical consensus after total/bilateral hip arthroplasty supports low-impact aerobic training (cycling, swimming, elliptical) from approximately 6–12 weeks post-op, with a graduated return to running typically gated at 12–20 weeks depending on prosthesis type and surgeon protocol. The 10% weekly volume rule for running load is derived from overuse injury prevention literature (Gabbett load management framework; van Gent et al. 2007 on running injuries).
Your SkiErg + BikeErg-dominant approach is precisely aligned with post-THA best practice: large aerobic adaptation stimulus with near-zero hip joint compressive load. Run/walk re-introduction with HR-gated intensity prevents overloading healing tissue.
Aarons et al. — Return to sport after THA van Gent et al. (2007) Br J Sports Med — run injury prevention Gabbett (2016) Br J Sports Med — training loadThe Norwegian model used by Jakob Ingebrigtsen and elite XC skiers includes two daily threshold sessions — but on a base of years of polarized training and high aerobic capacity. The double-threshold sessions work because the engine underneath them is enormous. Phase 001 builds that engine. Trying to do threshold work without the base is like running a turbocharger on a stock engine — the gains don't stack.
Marius Bakken — Norwegian running methodology Tjelta et al. (2014) Int J Sports Sci CoachingWOD Science applies peer-reviewed exercise physiology to functional fitness programming. Key principles aligned with this plan: progressive overload within modalities, specificity of adaptation (ergs → erg stations), the importance of aerobic base for repeated high-intensity work capacity, and the superiority of well-periodized base phases over year-round high-intensity training.
The Hyrox-specific application: a deeper aerobic base means faster recovery between stations, better ability to hold run pace after functional efforts, and lower RPE at race pace — all of which translate to faster times.
Helgerud et al. (2007) Med Sci Sports Exerc — aerobic base qualityHigher cadence (≥170 steps/min) reduces ground contact time, vertical oscillation, and hip extension demands — all relevant post-THA. Research shows that increasing cadence by ~5–10% reduces loading rate and patellofemoral stress. For your return-to-run, this is not just a performance cue — it's a load management tool for the hips.
Heiderscheit et al. (2011) Med Sci Sports Exerc Hafer et al. (2015) — cadence and joint loadingFrom your manually-set Strava HR zones and FTP 270W (real, not estimated). Run zones derived from your 43:00 10k RacePace reference. Post-surgery: HR leads everything. Let pace and power settle where HR sits — they'll improve as the engine grows.
| Zone | HR (bpm) | RPE / feel | C2 BikeErg | Run pace | Use in Phase 001 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Z1 Recovery | <120 | 1–2 · effortless | <150W | >5:45/km | Warm-ups, flush spins, recovery days |
| Z2 Aerobic Base | 120–146 (aim 125–140) | 3–4 · full sentences, "all day" | 150–195W | 5:00–5:45/km | The block. ~85% of all work. |
| Z3 Aerobic Thr. | 147–165 | 5–6 · "comfortably uncomfortable" | 196–243W | 4:23–5:00/km | Controlled touches only, Wk 3–6 |
| Z4–Z5 | 166+ | 7–10 · hard | 244W+ | <4:23/km | Not in Phase 001. Phase 002 territory. |
| Machine | Z2 target | Strava log as | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| C2 BikeErg | 150–195W · 85–95 rpm | VirtualRide | Home. Primary modality Wk 1–2. |
| C2 SkiErg | ~2:30–2:50/500m at Z2 HR · 26–30 spm | NordicSki | Home. Wk 1–2 alongside BikeErg. |
| C2 RowErg | ~2:05–2:20/500m at Z2 HR · 22–26 spm | Rowing | Introduced Wk 3. Hip flexion — check pain. |
| Echo/Assault Bike | HR 125–140, watch watts (they're air resistance) | VirtualRide | BFT Tysons only · Saturday · 1×/week. |
| StairClimber | HR 125–140 · full step · no railing lean | Elliptical | Optional Z2 sub any session. |
| Running | — | — | Not in Phase 001. Phase 002 territory. |
Paste your PT clinical notes, emails, or exercise prescriptions below. They're saved privately in this browser only — never sent anywhere. Once saved, I'll surface the relevant exercises in each session's hip note.
This is the evidence-based default integrated into Tuesday + Thursday sessions. Upload your own PT notes above to layer in surgeon/physio-specific work.
Science: hip abductor strength is the primary predictor of run mechanics quality and is directly implicated in post-THA gait normalisation. (Bohannon 1997; Rasch et al. 2010 — hip muscle strength after THA).