Coaching Masterclass – Marius Bakken Double Threshold
Marius Bakken synthesized Joe Newton’s mileage, Peter Coe’s precision, Kenyan efficiency, and lactate testing into the Norwegian double threshold model. Precision intensity control and muscle tone management enable high-volume threshold training without excessive muscular fatigue.
Marius Bakken’s training evolution reveals how synthesizing diverse coaching philosophies produces more effective systems than any single approach. His interviews reveal the practical integration of theoretical knowledge with real-world athlete development.
The Synthesis Framework
Bakken studied under multiple Hall of Fame coaches but avoided copying any single method. Instead, he identified common threads:
Joe Newton: Building massive volume base; high school runners running 160+ km/week. Foundation principle: you need aerobic infrastructure before speed work.
Peter Coe: Precision and control. “You have to tolerate intensity,” but only through precise pacing and monitoring. Multi-pace training within structured frameworks. Short hill work married to longer efforts. The psychological component: confidence from measured progression.
Bob Kennedy & Kenyans: Training efficiency. East African runners achieved elite performance with lower perceived effort and lower lactate levels than Western athletes training at similar paces. Altitude’s role in naturally limiting intensity. Cultural approach: less aggressive, more natural progression.
The challenge: How do you combine high mileage (Newton), precision control (Coe), and efficiency (Kenya) without combining their weaknesses?
Lactate Testing as the Unifying Tool
Bakken conducted over 5,500 lactate tests on himself and monitored continuously. This wasn’t obsession—it was the bridge between theoretical coaching and practical implementation.
What lactate testing revealed:
– Specific intensity levels could be sustained without muscular breakdown
– Double threshold sessions (morning and evening) were possible at low lactate levels (2-3 mmol)
– Progression happened gradually; jumping lactate thresholds too quickly caused breakdown
– Individual response varied; some athletes could tolerate more consecutive threshold work than others
The practical insight: You can do more threshold work if you keep it below the point where muscular system pays the price. Most coaches trained at the edge of breakdown; Bakken trained safely below it with enough volume to build massive adaptation.
Muscle Tone: The Missing Variable
Peter Coe introduced the concept; Bakken operationalized it.
Muscle tone is the state of muscular readiness and recovery. Two athletes might have identical lactate curves but different muscle tone states:
– Fresh, bouncy muscle = good tone
– Heavy, sluggish muscle = poor tone
The principle: If your muscles feel heavy or sluggish, you’re approaching breakdown, regardless of what lactate numbers say. Conversely, if muscle tone is fresh, you can push lactate a bit higher.
Managing load through tone:
– Morning sessions at lower intensities preserve tone
– Evening sessions can go slightly higher because you’ve already accumulated morning fatigue, but not so high that recovery suffers
– Split sessions (morning + evening) allow more total threshold volume than a single long session because the intervals in evening don’t fully fatigue the system if morning work was modest
The Double Threshold Session Structure
Example Tuesday:
– AM: 6 x 2000m at 2-3 mmol lactate with controlled recovery (easy jog between)
– PM: 20-25 x 400m at ~3.0 mmol lactate
Example Thursday:
– AM: 4 x 10 min intervals at 2-3 mmol
– PM: 10-12 x 1000m near 3.0 mmol + short hill sprints (X element)
Why this works:
– Total volume: substantial (easily 15-20km of threshold work per session)
– Intensity: controlled, monitored
– Muscular load: manageable because intensity stays below the point of heavy muscular damage
– Adaptations: cumulative; the body adapts to high threshold load without breaking
The key difference from traditional threshold work: instead of 25-30 minutes at threshold (which generates high muscular fatigue), you split it into longer intervals at slightly lower intensity + shorter, faster work. More total time, less muscular cost.
Kenyan Training Principles Integrated
Bakken’s observation: Kenyans train at lower lactate levels than Western athletes for similar paces. Three factors:
- Cultural: Less driven by “no pain, no gain” mentality; training feels easier because they’re not pushing against psychological resistance
- Altitude: Natural lactate limiter; even if you want to push hard, your body forces lower intensity
- Aerobic adaptation: Years of training at altitude creates a more aerobically-tuned system; they achieve high speeds with lower lactate
The adaptation: Use lactate testing to train more like Kenyans—keep intensity lower while maintaining or increasing volume. Don’t assume you need to hurt more to get faster; instead, train smarter.
Summer Transition to Track Season
Moving from base phase to track:
– Start with shorter intervals (300-400m) at 6-8 mmol lactate
– Gradually lengthen to 1000m over weeks
– Maintain some threshold work (single 20-min sessions at 2.0 mmol)
– Use races for high-lactate work (above 10-12 mmol)
– Return to threshold sessions between competitions
Altitude returns: Brief 7-10 day blocks mid-summer (after racing has started) to lift the anaerobic threshold before peaking.
The Coaching Philosophy
Bakken emphasizes the integration of multiple perspectives:
– Don’t copy Newton, Coe, or the Kenyans exclusively
– Learn what each was solving for
– Use lactate testing and muscle tone assessment to monitor your specific athlete
– Adjust based on real feedback, not just theory
The result: a system that builds extremely high anaerobic thresholds (personal best 13:06.39 in 2004 at 5000m) while reducing injury risk compared to traditional high-intensity approaches.
Key Takeaway for Coaches
The Norwegian model demonstrates that precision control, guided by lactate testing and muscle tone monitoring, beats blind intensity. You can train high volume at threshold levels without excessive muscular fatigue if you manage intensity precisely and split sessions strategically. The athletes who succeed aren’t necessarily those who hurt the most; they’re those whose training is most intelligently structured.