Get In The Zone - Zone Training

Heart rate training is very cumbersome and can add a little bit of complexity to your training program, especially if you are a beginner.  Although it may seem as information overload at the start, it can be very beneficial in the long run.  By training in the proper zones, you are on your way to being efficient and training smart.  Athletes often neglect low intensity exercise since they feel as if they are doing nothing, but the benefits from such training will transfer into other zones and aid in your development as an endurance athlete.

Zone Training is just that, exercising at specific heart rates or exertion to yield specific physiological benefits.  The classical range for Zone Training consists of 5 zones:

ZONE 1

It should feel like you are doing nothing, almost not even exerting yourself.  It is normal to feel guilty after such a workout.  The Rate of Perceived Exertion (RPE - chart for reference at end) should be around 8. 

ZONE 2

You should be able to sustain a conversation at such an intensity; sentences should be audible.  If you are gasping for air between words, tone it down.  You may witness cardiac drift at the end of such a workout (when your heart rate increases although the intensity doesn't change).  RPE should be 10-11.

ZONE 3

You shouldn't be able to say more than one to two words without gasping for air.  It should be below your race pace but also above your easy workouts.  Your RPE should be around 13-14 for this workout.

ZONE 4

This is your race pace and you should feel as if you are really working yourself to keep the pace strong.  This is the pace you should be able to sustain for a longer duration (+1 hour).  Physiologically, your legs should start to burn and your lungs should feel as if they are expanding past their normal.  Your RPE should be around 16-18.

ZONE 5

I call this the RED ZONE.  Imagine your RPM meter on the dash of your vehicle and your vehicle is dipping into the red zone meaning working past its "safe zone."  This is exactly what zone 5 should feel like - extremely laborious.  You usually attain zone 5 with short distances or sprints where your pace is faster than race pace.  RPE should be near maximal during this zone; 19-20.

Benefits of Each Zone

Zone 1 and Zone 2 are most beneficial for endurance and strength.  These zones will increase vasculation in the muscles you are working so that more oxygen and nutrients can be delivered.  This will increase your endurance dramatically.  Furthermore, the strength about your joints will increase over time since you can increase the time spent in Zone 1 or 2.  By increasing the amount of time stressing the joints, your body will adapt to make those joints stronger.  Furthermore, Zone 1 and 2 can be used to increase recovery from Zone 4 and 5 training as it increases blood flow and nutrients to muscles.

The upper portion of Zone 3 is deemed as your anaerobic threshold, therefore for maximal aerobic benefits, stay below!  During this zone you will increase your aerobic efficiency and fat utilization as it is targeting this metabolic pathway specifically.  Over time you may notice your heart rate decrease while working at the same intensity.  This zone will increase the amount of blood vessels in your muscles, increase your lung capacity,  and metabolic efficiency for lipid substrates (fat burning).

Training in Zone 4 and 5 should be limited and only done once a week to once every two weeks.  Zone 4 is known as your anaerobic zone as you start to use your glycogen and immediate energy system (Creatine Phosphate) to supply the bulk of your energy demands.   Zone 4 will increase your oxygen uptake which is commonly referred to as VO2 max.  This level of exertion comes along with the buildup of lactic acid in your blood stream.  The more efficient you get, the better your body becomes at metabolizing the lactic acid and this can be accomplished during Zone 4 training.

Zone 5 is maximal exertion and should only be done during interval training where you enter Zone 5 for 30 seconds to a minute.  It increases the effectiveness of your fast twitch muscle fibers - ultimately - speed.  Be sure to have rest periods after these short bouts to ensure maximal recovery for the next interval.  accumulation of lactic acid is high during maximal exertion. 

Defining Your Zones

To find the proper heart rate allocated to the zone, I have supplied a table below to illustrate.  The percentage of heart rate is calculated using your maximal heart rate (MHR) using on of the following formulas:

MALE:      220 - AGE = MAXIMAL HEART RATE

FEMALE:  226 - AGE = MAXIMAL HEART RATE 

OR

217 - (AGE* .85) = MAXIMAL HEART RATE

These are just two of the most familiar formula's used for calculating heart rate, but many exist since no formula works 100% of the time.

A more exact calculation for the appropriate zones would be to find your Heart Rate Reserve which can be found once one has their resting heart rate (RHR).  

MHR - RHR = HRR

Once you have found your HRR, you can find the upper and lower limits of your zones through the percentages in the chart below.

TRAINING ZONE	Heart Rate	RPE
ZONE 1	50-60%	8
ZONE 2	60-70%	10-11
ZONE 3	70-80%	13-14
ZONE 4	80-90%	16-17
ZONE 5	90-100%	18-20

Then multiply your HRR by the percentage and add your RHR to find the limit. For example:

MHM = 191

RHR = 54

191 - 54 = 137 BPM

For Zone 2 Training 60-70%:

Lower Limit: 137 * .60 = 82.2 + 54 (RHR) = 136.2 BPM

Upper Limit: 137*.70 = 95.9 + 54 (RHR) = 149.5 BPM

How Often in Each Zone?

Here is a breakdown of how much you should exercise per week in each zone to yield maximal benefits and not sustain the overtraining syndrome.         

ZONE 1 & ZONE 2 à 50 - 65%

ZONE 3 à 25 – 35%

ZONE 4 & ZONE 5 à 10 – 15%

Rate of Perceived Exertion Scale:

6 No exertion at all
7
7.5 Extremely light
8
9 Very light
10
11 Light
12
13 Somewhat hard
14
15 Hard (heavy)
16
17 Very hard
18
19 Extremely hard
20 Maximal exertion

I MUST NOTE:  there is much speculation as to what limits are classified for each zone, therefore each athlete is unique and may fluctuate.  This is quite simplified and one can dwell further into the logistics and physiological markers to calculate their exact zones.  One would have to find their Lactate Threshold to figure out their exact zones, but this testing may be costly therefore these approximations are appropriate for the average athlete.  Refer here for an article written by USA Triathlon Coach Ken Johnson where exact values for VO2 Max and Lactate Threshold are used to find training zones.