Professional triathlete and sports science student Bart Cooymans wrote not 1 but 2 blogs on this topic. Haven't you read blog 1 yet? Then take a look back via the link. Below you can read the second blog. This blog will go deeper into how and what training you can do, such as Polarized training and training on heart rate zones

Don't exercise too intensely but work on the basics

All games are canceled until the beginning of April, depending on the progress of the spread and treatment of the virus, this period may be extended. At this time it is not clear when the games will resume.

Often we are used to exercising very intensely, when we come home from a workout we should be tired. In fact, you are always training in the zone between your aerobic and anaerobic threshold (this is what is known as classic threshold training). Not only does it train in a very limited area, but it also makes you more susceptible to overexertion.

A training model that is becoming increasingly popular is Polarized training, also known as the 80/20 model. This model prescribes that 80% of the total amount of training should be performed below or at the aerobic threshold and 20% above the anaerobic threshold. Research has shown that when used properly, this training model can provide a greater increase in performance than threshold training. (St?ggl & Sperlich, 2014)

Athletes who have done an exercise test know these thresholds of themselves, if you do not know then you can use the following guidelines:

Aerobic threshold: around this threshold you can easily have conversations or sing along with your music, for your feeling you can keep this up for a very long time. This corresponds to zone 1/2

Anaerobic threshold: at this intensity you not only feel acidification but also that it builds up quickly, you can only sustain it for a few minutes. This corresponds to zone 4/5

During these weeks, focus mainly on those 80%, quiet long workouts. This will ensure that your basic condition will improve, you will recover better and you will not take too much risk during/after your training by exercising very intensively.

Keep an eye on yourself

It is important to keep a close eye on yourself in the near future. Especially when you want to start exercising (more) it is important that you make sure that you do this at times when your body is ready for it. One of the ways that people say you can do this is to keep an eye on your morning pulse. If it rises over time, you are tired and you have to take care of yourself. Unfortunately with this method it is difficult to accurately monitor small changes and therefore there is not much information to be gained from a morning pulse.

Another method that can do this more accurately is to measure your HRV, or the variability in your R-R interval. You can't measure this with a watch or stopwatch. Fortunately, there are apps nowadays that can do this for you and one of them is HRV4Training. This app is paid but the full use afterwards is free. You open the app as soon as the alarm clock has gone off and for 1 minute you do a measurement by putting your finger on the camera lens, afterwards the app asks you a number of questions in order to link your subjective input to the objective data of the measurement. And exactly this combination ensures that an advice can be given that has the right context. The app can also be linked to Strava or Trainingpeaks which makes the advice even better because it takes into account the load of the previous day.

For more information on using the app and its main benefits, please refer to the HRV4Training website.

Intensive training - the last 20%

As stated in the Polarized Training Model, it is also necessary to do some strong intervals. You must be extra careful because this is a heavier burden on your body. You can occasionally increase the intensity but make sure you take extra measures for yourself:

• Keep an eye on yourself, do I feel 100% fit?
• The right nutrition for during exercise?
• Can I recover properly afterwards?
• Can I get enough distance from other people both during and after the workout? (Tip: afterwards, take a short power nap of about 20 minutes after you have had your shake and showered).

Everything alright? Ok, go!