The Norwegian Method isn’t about running harder; it’s about spending more time at the right intensity, replacing the “lactic acid burn” with scientific pace control.
- The method relies on obsessive intensity control: never “redline” during intervals.
- While pros use “Double Threshold” to stack quality volume, amateurs can simply apply the “slow down” principle.
- Running intervals slightly below threshold (rather than above) allows for more volume and faster recovery.
- You don’t need to test lactate: use a heart rate monitor or Rate of Perceived Exertion (RPE).
If you follow track and field, or even just keep up with running social media, you’ve definitely noticed the dominance of the Ingebrigtsen brothers. Jakob, in particular, looks like a machine designed to shatter records with disarming ease.
But what’s their secret?
The answer isn’t a magic potion; it’s a training approach that flips decades of “no pain, no gain” on its head. It’s called the Norwegian Method, originally codified by Marius Bakken and taken to the extreme by Gjert Ingebrigtsen.
The core idea is counterintuitive: to go faster on race day, you need to go (slightly) slower in training. Or rather: you need to stop turning every interval session into a near-death experience.
But what exactly is “Double Threshold”? And more importantly, does it make sense for you—someone who works 8 hours a day and isn’t chasing Olympic gold? The answer is yes, if you know how to adapt it.
The Norwegian Secret: Run Slower to Run Faster (For Longer)
Traditionally, quality training (intervals) has always been associated with pain. The idea was simple: run until your lungs burn and your legs fill with lactic acid.
The Norwegian Method says: don’t.
The philosophy is that accumulating too much lactate during training is counterproductive. It creates excessive fatigue, requires too many recovery days, and ultimately prevents you from hitting the volume you need.
The secret is working at threshold, not above it. Stay in that “sweet spot” where you’re running hard, but your body can still clear the lactate it produces. It’s the difference between “working hard” and “trashing yourself.”
What Is “Double Threshold” and Why Do Pros Train Twice a Day?
The heart of the system for elite athletes is Double Threshold.
This means that on quality days (usually twice a week), athletes perform two interval sessions in the same day: one in the morning (often longer intervals) and one in the evening (usually shorter intervals).
Why do they do it? Simple: quality volume.
By doing two sessions at a controlled intensity (just below threshold), a pro can stack 15–18 miles (25–30 km) of quality work in a single day without muscle breakdown. If they tried to do it all at once, or if they ran at 100% effort, their body would fail.
By splitting the work and controlling the pace, they can massively stimulate the aerobic engine.
Lactate Control: The Difference Between “Exhaustion” and “Training”
If you watch an Ingebrigtsen workout, you’ll see them stop between intervals to get a finger-prick or earlobe test to measure blood lactate concentration.
Their goal is to stay in a very specific, low range: between 2.0 and 3.0 mmol/L (millimoles per liter).
To give you some context: when you run “all-out” intervals at the local track and finish doubled over, your lactate is likely above 10, maybe even 12 mmol/L.
The Norwegians, despite running at paces we can only dream of, stay “comfortable.”
This obsessive control prevents them from going too hard. Yes, they are essentially holding themselves back. They know that crossing that red line means paying a high price in recovery time.
How Amateurs Can Apply the Norwegian Method (Without the Ear Pricks)
“Great, but I can’t train twice a day and I don’t carry a lactate meter in my pocket,” you might say.
True. For an amateur, Double Threshold is risky and logistically a nightmare. But we can steal the principles of this method to revolutionize our PRs.
Here is how to apply “The Norwegian” to your real life:
Lower Your Interval Intensity (You Shouldn’t Be Dying at the End)
The first step is checking your ego. Stop chasing “record times” in practice.
When you run intervals (like 1000m repeats), don’t run them at your maximum effort. Run them at 90-95% of your Anaerobic Threshold.
You should finish the workout feeling like you could have done two more reps, not like you need to call an ambulance.
Basically, if you’re exhausted, you went too fast.
Increase Volume (More Reps, But Easier)
Since you’ve lowered the intensity, you can afford to go further.
Instead of the classic, all-out 4x1000m, try doing 6x1000m or 8x1000m at a slightly slower pace (around **8–15 seconds per mile slower** than your 10k race pace).
You’ll spend more total time in the training zone, better stimulating your mitochondria without the “heavy legs” that last for three days.
Use a Heart Rate Monitor Instead of Lactate Testing
You don’t need blood; use your heart.
The target zone for the Norwegian Method corresponds roughly to 85-90% of your Maximum Heart Rate (or just below your anaerobic threshold).
Monitor your beats: if you see your heart rate spiking toward your max near the end of intervals, you’re going too hard (cardiac drift). Slow down.
The goal is stability, not a peak.
Ultimately, the Norwegian Method teaches us that discipline isn’t just about pushing—it’s about holding back. Training isn’t about breaking yourself down; it’s about building yourself up. One brick at a time, without ever letting the wall crumble.