Norwegian Method: The Culture, Science, and Humans Behind the Groundbreaking Approach to Elite Endurance Performance

by Brad Culp

Find out how a sparsely-populated country came to dominate the world of endurance sports and get a blueprint for high performance. 

Norway has long stacked the field with champions in sports like Nordic skiing and sailing, but a new generation of athletes has arrived on the endurance scene, smashing records and grabbing medals in running, cycling, and triathlon.

Sports journalist Brad Culp unpacks the rise of the Norwegian method and its meticulous scientific protocols, which upend long-held beliefs about training and performance.

With its rugged terrain and harsh weather, Norway has a way of hardening competitors for any test. Culp explores the how the Scandinavian culture imbues a unique biopsychosocial approach to performance. He also introduces the athletes, coaches, and scientists who are shaking up the world of endurance sports. Their secret? Plenty of volume at low intensity, punctuated with hard-fought double-threshold workouts, which seems to turn workhorses into winners—they know when to hold back and when to go all-out.

The Norwegian Method is a real-life story of how discipline and determination can be employed to overcome seemingly impossible odds and achieve breakthrough performances. Culp drives this point home by introducing U.S. pros who have reconfigured their training to look more like that of Norway’s Jakob Ingebrigtsen and Kristian Blummenfelt, and how endurance athletes can adopt the same methods in their own pursuit of high performance.

Genres: Sports, Nonfiction

230 pages, Kindle Edition

Published October 22, 2024

Reviews

[Daniel Herrera · Rating 4 out of 5]

learned more than a youtube video. Norwegians are crazy

[Sofya Lebedeva · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very easy to read. Great overview. The author knows their audience well. A good mix of introduction and also some science. A nice speak peek of what is to come. As a side quest, this made me want to re visit some Norse mythology.

If you’re intro endurance training, and I mean really into endurance training this is for you.

[Norm Torres · Rating 4 out of 5]

Motivating
Mind changing
Brad..so spicy as always
Great book to change what you think about training

[Carles · Rating 3 out of 5]

Vaig arribar a aquest llibre cercant regles per a estructurar els meus entrenaments, doncs vull millorar la meva forma física. Estic en el moment de la meva vida on faig més volum d'exercici, per tant, la estructura i la especificitat en l'entrenament és l'element a millorar per poder avançar.

Arribant al llibre amb aquestes expectatives, em vaig decepcionar una mica al començar-lo. Els primers capítols del llibre estàn dedicats a la història del mètode d'entrenament i a la cultura noruega. Els capítols sobre la cultura són fluixets, plens d'estereotips i, al meu parer, una mica curts de vista. En aquest cas la meva formació com a politòleg i sociòleg europeu juga una mala passada en llegir un text escrit per un atleta i periodista esportiu estatunidenc. Estic acostumat a anàlisis més profunds, destriant el gra de la palla.

Malgrat aquesta crítica, a l'avançar amb la lectura del llibre, he sapigut veure com aquests capítols teníen una funció estructural molt ben pensada. L'objectiu d'aquests capítols és preparar la mentalitat del lector pel que ha d'arribar: el mètode d'entrenament noruec és un estil de vida, no una fòrmula màgica per començar a batre rècords personals.

Personalment tinc molt gola avall la necessitat de la pràctica per poder excel·lir en qualsevol tasca. Ara bé, en un mont on la gent es centra en els guanys ràpids, en triar "el millor" de forma acrítica i en la optimització de factors amb impacte negligible; acabo entenent la necessitat de l'autor d'estructurar el llibre d'aquesta forma. Qui sap si l'autor mateix es veu sorprés pel canvi de mentalitat i també s'ha de convèncer a ell mateix. La forma d'entrenar dels atletes noruecs no és altra que fer molt volum. Cada cop més. Explorar el límit del propi cos, respectant el descans i les adaptacions.

Per tancar la ressenya, puc dir que en general el llibre m'ha aportat algunes pistes per assolir el meu objectiu; però en cap cas és un manual d'entrenament del mètode noruec. Una lectura amena, variada, poc profunda, i amb una visió molt americanitzada.

[Jamie Matthews · Rating 5 out of 5]

A book that motivates. I found that the history around the Norwegians and the cultures give the method life and the athletes that are a part of the book. There is also a great inclusion of some of the most up to date science and the method that is used. It is a great mix between the science and the story to both motivate you and excite you but also gives you parts of the Norwegian method that you can use yourself. Highly recommend this book!

[Reader · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is definitely worth a read. There is a great story around the Norwegian culture that motivates and excites. The book looks into the history of the Norwegian method and explains all the aspects that make this method more about how you train but about how you think about training and how to integrate training into life. It is a book that I didn't want to put down, but had to realise that it ended at some point.

[Gareth Turner · Rating 5 out of 5]

Absolutely brilliant! An interesting and detailed insight into the world of Norwegian endurance training. I enjoyed the athlete stories and history that bought a potentially dry topic of physiology to life. Highly recommended for anyone interested in endurance training and sports science!

[Dalius · Rating 2 out of 5]

Apie nieką :)

[Jeremy Krantz · Rating 3 out of 5]

Interesting backstory and detail on Norwegian endurance sports and culture, but over all the book felt a little lacking.

[Owen Wright · Rating 2 out of 5]

Nothing you wouldn't already know if you knew anything about anything already

[Sandor Toth · Rating 4 out of 5]

A Tier - Excellent - Dec 2025