The ‘Norwegian Method’ of training has become a hot topic in the triathlon world. Though I haven’t followed them too closely in the past, I was always skeptical about this being some new completely new and different training method. Everything I had seen and heard about their training was pretty standard triathlon training. I decided to look into it a little more closely as they truly dominated the Ironman World Championships recently sweeping the podium – unheard of for such a small country.
The only other countries to have done that on the men’s side were Germany (1997 and 2016) and USA (a bunch of times in the 80’s when Mark Allen and Dave Scott dominated the sport and it hadn’t really caught on internationally yet)
🏆 Men’s Podium Sweeps (1–2–3 same country)
🇺🇸 United States (the early era dominance)
- 1980: Dave Scott, Chuck Neumann, John Howard
- 1981: John Howard, Tom Warren, Scott Tinley
- 1982 (Feb): Scott Tinley, Dave Scott, Jeff Tinley
- 1982 (Oct): Dave Scott, Scott Tinley, Jeff Tinley
- 1983: Dave Scott, Scott Tinley, Mark Allen
- 1984: Dave Scott, Scott Tinley, Grant Boswell
- 1986: Dave Scott, Mark Allen, Scott Tinley
- 1988: Scott Molina, Mike Pigg, Ken Glah
👉 After this, foreign athletes started breaking into the top 3 more often, and U.S. sweeps disappeared.
🇩🇪 Germany (the “second wave” of dominance)
- 1997: Thomas Hellriegel, Jürgen Zäck, Lothar Leder
- 2016: Jan Frodeno, Sebastian Kienle, Patrick Lange
It’s very clear that this makes the Norwegian sweep even more remarkable as Germany and the US are much bigger countries with bigger talent pools. So there is something significant about their training. So lets break down the ‘Norwegian Method’ a little.
🔑 Core Features of the Norwegian Method
- Double threshold sessions
- Often two hard workouts in a day (morning & afternoon) at or just below lactate threshold.
- Lactate is measured during sessions (finger prick) to keep the intensity dialed in (~2.5–3 mmol).
- This lets athletes accumulate a huge amount of quality work without going over the red line.
- Controlled intensity distribution
- Instead of “just going hard,” sessions are tightly regulated by lactate and HR.
- High volume of training at sub-threshold, less reliance on VO₂max/anaerobic smash sessions.
- Lots of zone 2 / aerobic endurance to build the base.
- Scientific monitoring
- They use lactate testing, HRV, blood markers, and sometimes VO₂ testing in training, not just in the lab.
- Adjustments are made based on data, not feel alone.
- Massive volume & consistency
- 30+ hours per week, but most of it is steady.
- The “secret” isn’t a special session — it’s relentless execution, with no junk miles but also no wasted all-out efforts.
⚖️ How It Differs From Traditional Methods
- Traditional tri training:
- More polarized (lots of easy + some very hard).
- Threshold work done less often, usually 1–2 times per week.
- Intensity often guided by pace/power/feel instead of lactate data.
- Less day-to-day monitoring.
- Norwegian method:
- High frequency of threshold sessions (sometimes scary high by normal standards).
- Much tighter control of intensity → prevents athletes from “accidentally” going too hard.
- Science-driven micro-adjustments.
- The “system” is more about execution precision than a brand-new theory.
🤔 So is it really different?
It’s fairly traditional in structure (volume + threshold + recovery), but refined to the extreme. The double-threshold + lactate testing combo is what makes it look unusual compared to how most age-groupers or even pros train.
One thing I noticed in discussions about training is that athletes mention the super high Vo2 max of Blummenfeld and that I should integrate more Vo2 training in my programs. I was always skeptical of this and after doing some research it is pretty clear that the Norwegians do not do a lot of Vo2 training. Especially in newer endurance athletes Vo2 is going to improve just by doing lots of zone 2 and threshold training. Very new athletes have a very difficult time completing a Vo2 session because their sytems aren’t developed enough to push that intensity. Norwegian style is NOT Vo2 focussed.
Conclusions:
I think what the Norwegians show is that at the tippy top of the sport, specific, disciplined training in the right zones at the right time can make enough of a difference to perform at a higher level than the competition.
These top Norwegians haven’t reinvented with wheel by any means. They have made incremental adjustments using science driven principals and modern technology to make the wheel roll better.
Key things amateurs can implement to their training
- Stay in mid to low zone 2 on regular distance days. The Norwegians are very disciplined and don’t push the pace on workouts they are not meant to do so.
- Get a good idea (via testing or analyzing training data) of where your zones are and which pace or power output Threshold is and train at the effort your workout is telling you to. Resist smashing sessions just because you feel good.
- Keep it simple but pay attention to detail. There is so much information out there it is easy to get caught in the weeds. Training your program at the right intensities, eating well, sleeping lots are your foundation – keep the focus on those things.
At the end of the day, the Norwegian method isn’t about secret sessions — it’s about discipline, control, and consistency. That’s something any athlete can benefit from. What do you think? Have you tried training this way, or do you still find yourself chasing more VO₂ work? 👇 If you’re curious how to put these principles into your own training, let’s connect — I’d be happy to help you structure it.
💬 If you’re curious how to put these principles into your own training, let’s connect — I’d be happy to help you structure it.
Book a free call today and let’s create your custom plan implementing some Norwegian magic.
