Flagstaff Double Threshold is general plan for base phase training. Double threshold training involves performing two high-intensity threshold workouts in a single day, often with a focus on lactic threshold intensity.

The approach aims to develop aerobic capacity and improve lactic threshold levels by training twice a day at an intensity near the anaerobic threshold. Here’s a typical structure of a double threshold training day: 1. Morning Session: Usually includes a warm-up followed by intervals or steady work at or just below the anaerobic threshold. The goal is to stimulate the system without fully depleting it, allowing for another session later in the day. 2. Evening Session: The second workout replicates or slightly adjusts the intensity, again focusing around threshold efforts. This session can be a bit shorter or use different intervals but maintains the threshold focus.

Benefits:
• Improved Lactate Tolerance: Double threshold training allows athletes to train their bodies to handle and clear lactate more efficiently.
• Aerobic Adaptation: Working at threshold intensity twice a day accelerates aerobic adaptations by increasing mitochondrial density and aerobic enzyme activity.
• Time Efficiency: For elite athletes, stacking two threshold sessions can create more intense adaptations within a shorter overall training period.

Considerations:
• Recovery Demands: Double threshold training is intense and places high demands on recovery. It may require careful planning to avoid overtraining, particularly if repeated multiple times weekly. Some coaches prefer using double threshold days in blocks, integrating them into a well-rounded training plan that balances high-intensity work with adequate low-intensity and recovery sessions. For many endurance athletes, balancing these high-demand sessions with a mix of easy and moderate training days is crucial to get the benefits without excessive fatigue.