Cut The Fluff: The Only Two Training Intensities That Matter

94% of men over 35 are training in the wrong intensity zones. Or not at all, as a result of them perceiving that training should look a certain way.

I see it every day. Busy dads grinding through moderate-intensity workouts, feeling like they’re putting in the work, yet perpetually frustrated by minimal progress and constant fatigue.

That, or I am chatting with blokes that admit that they haven't been adhering to what they said they would because their expectations were wrong to begin with.

While you’re trying your best to carve out 60-90 minutes for what feels like “proper” training, your body is sending you clear signals that this system isn’t working.

The interrupted sleep. The persistent fatigue. The nagging injuries. The inconsistency.

These aren’t character flaws or signs of aging. They’re evidence that your training methodology is fundamentally misaligned with your physiology and your reality.

What if I told you that the most effective training approach for busy dads requires less time, not more?

Today, I’m revealing the training methodology I’ve used to transform the fitness of hundreds of time-constrained fathers—a system that strategically eliminates the “fluff” that’s keeping you stuck.

The solution isn’t more complex programming or somehow manufacturing extra hours in your day.

It’s understanding the power of polarised training—the implementation of very high and very low intensities, while ruthlessly eliminating everything in between.

The Middle Intensity Trap: Why Your Current Approach Is Failing You

Let me ask you a question: when was the last time you finished a workout and thought, “That was the perfect use of my limited time”?

Most men are caught in what we could call the “Middle Intensity Trap”—training hard enough to generate significant fatigue but not hard enough to trigger optimal adaptations.

The Physiology of Wasted Effort

From a physiological perspective, middle-intensity training represents the worst possible ratio of stimulus to stress.

Research from Seiler & Kjerland (2006) analysing elite endurance athletes found that the most successful performers spent approximately 80% of their training time at low intensities and 20% at very high intensities—with virtually nothing in the moderate zone.

Why does this matter for you?

Because moderate-intensity training:

• Depletes glycogen stores significantly

• Elevates cortisol levels for extended periods

• Requires substantial recovery time

• Fails to trigger maximal aerobic or anaerobic adaptations

• Creates central nervous system fatigue

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In contrast, very high intensities create powerful hormonal and metabolic signals that continue long after your workout ends, while very low intensities build aerobic capacity without excessive recovery demands.

Ask yourself: if you only have 3-4 hours per week to train, shouldn’t every minute deliver maximum return on investment?

The Busy Dad’s Dilemma

Mark, a 42-year-old father of two who runs his own business, came to me frustrated after trying to maintain the 5-day training split he used in his thirties.

“I feel like I’m constantly choosing between my family, my work, and my health,” he told me. “And somehow, I’m failing at all three.”

His typical week looked familiar:

• Monday: 60-minute moderate strength training

• Wednesday: 45-minute moderate cardio

• Friday: Another 60-minute moderate strength session

• Weekend: Attempted longer session but frequently canceled

The results? Constant fatigue, minimal progress, and guilt about time away from family.

The Stress-to-Stimulus Ratio

Here’s the fundamental “aha” moment that changed everything for Mark and hundreds of men like him:

Training effectiveness isn’t measured by time spent or discomfort endured—it’s measured by the ratio between the stimulus provided and the stress required to achieve it.

Picture your body’s adaptation system as a financial investment:

Middle-intensity training is like investing in a product with high fees that delivers below-market returns. You’re paying a premium (your time and recovery capacity) for subpar results.

Polarised training, by contrast, is like discovering two separate investment vehicles—one extremely low-risk that requires minimal management (LOW intensity) and one high-yield opportunity with concentrated effort (HIGH intensity).

Together, they create a portfolio that maximises returns while minimising the management time required.

The Transformation Evidence After implementing the polarised approach, Mark’s weekly schedule transformed:

• Monday: 25-minute HIGH intensity session

• Wednesday: 25-minute HIGH intensity session

• Daily: Integrated LOW intensity movement with family activities

The results after 12 weeks:

• VO₂max increased by 17%

• Strength metrics improved across all major lifts

• Body fat decreased by 5.4%

• Total training time reduced by 64%

• Training consistency improved from 67% to 94% adherence

  
  

But perhaps most importantly, the constant tension between family time and fitness disappeared.

“For the first time, I don’t feel like my health goals are competing with my family responsibilities,” Mark reported. “They’ve become integrated parts of the same system.”

This integration is the true power of the polarised approach—it acknowledges the reality of your life constraints instead of fighting against them.

The HIGH/LOW Method: Physiological Precision for Time-Constrained Men

The scientific foundation of polarised training is robust. A comprehensive review by Stöggl & Sperlich (2015) examined the effectiveness of different training intensity distributions and found that polarised approaches consistently outperformed traditional moderate-intensity approaches for both elite athletes and recreational exercisers.

Why does this work so well, particularly for busy fathers?

• Hormonal Optimisation: HIGH intensity work triggers significant testosterone and growth hormone release with minimal time investment (Kraemer & Ratamess, 2005)

• Metabolic Flexibility: The combination of HIGH and LOW intensities enhances your body’s ability to efficiently use both carbohydrates and fats as fuel sources (Romijn et al., 1993)

• Recovery Enhancement: Properly structured LOW intensity work actively accelerates recovery from HIGH intensity sessions through enhanced blood flow and waste product removal

• Neural Efficiency: HIGH intensity training improves neuromuscular recruitment patterns more effectively than moderate work, creating strength gains without requiring extensive time under tension

It’s the practical solution to the question that’s been frustrating you: How do I get results when I don’t have time to train like I used to?

The Polarised Training Protocol: Implementation Framework

The research is clear: a study by Gibala et al. (2006) demonstrated that just 2.5 hours of HIGH intensity interval training produced similar physiological adaptations as 10.5 hours of moderate-intensity training over a two-week period.

Let that sink in.

You could achieve the same (or better) results in less than 25% of the time you’re currently investing.

But knowing this isn’t enough. You need a systematic implementation approach.

What’s standing between you and these results isn’t information—it’s implementation.

1. The Intensity Audit: Honesty Above All

Before you can optimise your training, you need to accurately assess your current approach.

Most men dramatically underestimate how much of their training falls into the moderate “dead zone” of intensities.

Action Step: The 7-Day Training Log

For one week, record every physical activity using this simple intensity scale:

• HIGH: Cannot speak in full sentences, working at 85%+ of maximum capacity

• MODERATE: Can speak briefly but breathing heavily, 65-84% of maximum

• LOW: Can maintain conversation comfortably, below 65% of maximum After seven days, calculate your time distribution across these zones.

If you’re like 90% of the men I work with, you’ll discover that over 70% of your training time is spent in the MODERATE zone—precisely where the return on investment is lowest.

The Outcome: This audit provides the objective reality check needed to break through denial about training effectiveness.

Pain Point Solved: Eliminates the false belief that your current approach is “close enough” to optimal.

2. HIGH Mode Mastery: Maximum Stimulus, Minimum Time

HIGH intensity training isn’t just about “working harder”—it’s about precise application of stress to trigger specific adaptations.

The key is understanding that duration and intensity exist on an inverse relationship curve. As intensity increases, the duration required for optimal stimulus decreases.

Action Step: The 25-Minute HIGH Protocol

Implement two weekly HIGH sessions using this structure:

• 5-minute progressive warm-up

• 4 rounds of 3-minute high-intensity efforts (slightly above 5k pace or 85%+ of maximum)

• 2-minute active recovery between rounds

• 3-minute cool down

This creates exactly 12 minutes of HIGH intensity stimulus—the minimum effective dose for significant cardiovascular and metabolic adaptations (Gibala & McGee, 2008).

The Training Stack Effect

Think of your training adaptations like building a brick wall. Each HIGH session places a row of bricks that creates a specific adaptation. With insufficient recovery, you’re attempting to place new bricks before the mortar has dried on the previous row.

The result? A structurally unsound wall that eventually collapses.

By limiting HIGH sessions to twice weekly with appropriate spacing, you ensure complete recovery between stimulus applications—allowing each adaptation to fully consolidate before applying the next.

The Outcome: Maximum physiological stimulus with minimal time investment and optimal recovery periods.

Pain Point Solved: Eliminates the conflict between training time and family/work responsibilities.

3. LOW Mode Integration: The Family Connection Strategy

LOW intensity activity isn’t merely “easier” training—it serves specific physiological purposes:

• Enhances mitochondrial density and function

• Improves capillarisation for better nutrient delivery

• Accelerates recovery through enhanced blood flow

• Strengthens cardiac efficiency

• Builds aerobic foundation without stress

The brilliant aspect of LOW intensity work is that it doesn’t require structured “training time”—it can be seamlessly integrated into family life.

Action Step: The Family Movement Menu

Create your personalised menu of LOW intensity activities that can include family participation:

• Weekend hiking adventures

• Cycling with child seats or alongside older children

• Swimming together during family pool time

• Active yard work or home projects

• Walking meetings for work calls

• Morning mobility routines that children can join

The Movement Integration Map

Draw your typical weekly schedule and identify 3-5 time blocks where family activities already exist. For each, identify how to transform sedentary time into LOW intensity movement time.

For example, James, a 39-year-old father of three, transformed his children’s soccer practice from sideline sitting to walking the perimeter of the fields, accumulating 4,000-5,000 steps during each hour-long practice.

Over a month, this single change created an additional 16-20 hours of LOW intensity activity without requiring any additional time in his schedule.

The Outcome: Substantial increase in LOW intensity volume without sacrificing family time.

Pain Point Solved: Eliminates the false dichotomy between being a present father and achieving fitness goals.

4. Moderate Intensity Elimination: The Courage to Cut

The most challenging aspect of polarised training isn’t implementing the HIGH and LOW components—it’s having the discipline to eliminate moderate-intensity work.

This requires confronting psychological attachments to traditional training approaches and cultural notions of what “real” exercise should feel like.

The Moderate Zone Paradox

Moderate training feels productive because it’s challenging enough to create discomfort but not so challenging that it feels unsustainable.

This creates what psychologists call an “effort justification bias”—the tendency to value activities based on the effort they require rather than the results they produce.

Action Step: The Replacement Protocol

For each moderate-intensity session currently in your schedule:

• Identify whether its primary purpose is performance improvement or recovery/maintenance

• Replace performance-focused sessions with HIGH protocols

• Replace recovery/maintenance sessions with LOW activities

• Document perceived effort and time investment before and after the switch

The Identity Transition Framework

Moving from a traditional to a polarized approach often requires an identity shift from “someone who works out hard” to “someone who trains smart.”

Create a written statement completing this sentence: “I’m transitioning from training that _________ to training that ________.”

For example: “I’m transitioning from training that proves my work ethic to training that proves my time efficiency.”

The Outcome: Reclamation of valuable time and recovery capacity without sacrificing results.

Pain Point Solved: Resolves the internal conflict between what training “should” look like and what actually produces results in your specific life context.

5. Recovery Optimisation: The Multiplier Effect

Recovery isn’t merely the absence of training—it’s an active process that can be optimised to enhance the effectiveness of your HIGH intensity sessions.

The Recovery Hierarchy

Research by Halson (2014) identified that recovery effectiveness follows a clear hierarchy:

• Sleep quality and quantity

• Nutritional intervention

• Active recovery techniques

• Physical modalities (massage, etc.)

• Psychological strategies

Action Step: The Minimum Effective Recovery Dose

Implement these three non-negotiable recovery practices:

• Sleep consistency: Same bed/wake times (±30 minutes) daily

• Protein distribution: 0.4g/kg body weight across 4 meals daily

• Daily stress-regulation practice: 5-minute breathwork before bed

The Sleep-Intensity Connection

Studies by Skein et al. (2011) demonstrate that sleep restriction of just two hours reduced high-intensity exercise performance by 15-20% while simultaneously increasing perceived exertion.

This creates a vicious cycle where poor sleep reduces training effectiveness, which reduces results, which increases frustration and stress, which further impairs sleep quality.

The Recovery Feedback Loop

Create a simple daily scoring system (1-5) for:

• Sleep quality

• Physical readiness

• Mental energy

If your combined score falls below 10/15, convert any planned HIGH session to LOW intensity work.

The Outcome: Enhanced recovery capacity allows greater adaptation from each HIGH session.

Pain Point Solved: Breaks the cycle of accumulated fatigue that leads to inconsistency and abandonment.

The Polarised Training Calendar: Your Visual Implementation Guide

To simplify implementation, use this visual framework to structure your weekly training:

POLARISED TRAINING CALENDAR

The LOW+ designation indicates a slightly longer LOW intensity session that can be fully integrated with family activities.

The 80/20 Time Allocation

This calendar maintains the critical 80/20 ratio between LOW and HIGH intensities while requiring just two 25-minute dedicated training sessions weekly.

The remainder of your LOW intensity volume comes through integrated family activities that enhance rather than detract from your role as a father.

The Weekly Time Investment

• HIGH intensity: 50 minutes (two 25-minute sessions)

• LOW intensity: 3-4 hours (primarily integrated with family activities)

• Total dedicated training time: Less than 1 hour

Compare this to the traditional approach requiring 4-5 hours of dedicated training time with inferior results.

The Evidence of Transformation: Real Results from Real Dads

David, a 44-year-old with three children under 10, implemented this exact protocol after years of inconsistent training.

His previous approach:

• 4 planned 60-minute gym sessions (moderate intensity)

• Actual completion rate: 42% (averaging 1.7 sessions weekly)

• No structured cardiovascular work

• Minimal physical activity with children

After 16 weeks of polarised training:

• Resting heart rate: Decreased from 72 to 58 bpm

• Body composition: Reduced body fat by 7.2%

• Strength metrics: Increased across all major lifts despite less total training time

• Energy levels: Self-reported improvement of 8/10 vs. previous 4/10

• Training consistency: 91% adherence to scheduled sessions

But perhaps most tellingly, his 8-year-old daughter remarked to my staff: “Dad is more fun now. He plays with us instead of just watching.”

This is the true measure of success—when your fitness approach enhances rather than competes with your most important life roles.

The ultimate question isn’t whether you can train like you did a decade ago. It’s whether you can train in a way that serves the life you want to live now.

Cut the fluff. Focus on what matters. Embrace the power of polarised training.

Your family—and your body—will thank you.