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Why use different training zones?

Heart Rate based Training Zones

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Why use Heart Rate Training Zones?

Of the 3 most important variables of a Training Plan or Program –  Frequency, Duration and Intensity – Intensity seems to get the lion’s share of the attention. 

 

Using Training Zones is an easy way to denote or explain the intensity or goal of each training session or each section of a training session.

 

While there is no scientific consensus as to the accuracy of these bands of training intensity, they are a very simple and reliable starting point for most athletes embarking on a training plan or program. These simple training zones make it very easy for the coach to communicate to their athletes what they would like to have performed in each session or in each section making up the session.

 

Of course, there are other methods of denoting the intensity like Power or Pace and these will be discussed in other blog posts. Each method has its advantages and disadvantages.

Table of Contents

Heart Rate based Training Zones
Different training zones. Threshold interval training session.

What are the 5 Basic Heart Rate Training Zones?

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The best watch for heart rate zone training

Knowing your Heart Rate based training zones is only useful if you can monitor and measure them in real-time, accurately. 
Using a heart rate monitor allows the athlete to regulate their effort while training or racing to stay within the intensity zones stipulated by the coach.

Wrist-based Heart Rate monitors have been around for over 40 years thanks to Polar Electro. 

We have used the Polar brand of Heart rate monitors since 1992.

How to calculate your Maximum Heart Rate

To calculate your Heart Rate Zones you first need to know your maximum heart rate.  

The Original 220-Age Method

The original 220- age formula was created by Fox et al after reviewing a handful of other papers. It is the speculative number to start with and there is no evidence that one’s maximum heart rate decrease exactly 1 beat annually on your birthday.

The formula is, however, a good starting point for novice athletes to use until they have developed enough fitness and strength to do a sport-specific maximum heart rate test.
It is moderately accurate for many but certainly not for all.

Heart Rate zones for different sports

Different sports place different stresses on the body and use different muscle groups. The higher the stress and the more muscle groups used, the higher your maximum heart rate will be. For a single sport athlete, this might not be relevant,  but for a Triathlete or Duathlete, this is very important to know. 

Your Running maximum will be higher than your Cycling maximum and your cycling maximum will be higher than your Swimming maximum. 

What this means is that you have to measure your maximum for each of the sports to calculate your sport-specific training zones.

Calculate your maximum Heart Rate for Running

To calculate the running heart rate zones for our road and trail runners as well as our triathletes and duathletes, we have them perform the 2 x 800m test on a running track. 

Heart Rate Zone training for Running
Heart Rate based Road Running Training Plans
Heart Rate based Trail Running Training Plans

Calculate your Maximum Heart Rate for Cycling

To calculate the cycling heart rate zones for our road cyclists and mountain bikers as well as our triathletes and duathletes, we have them perform the 2 x 1500m hill climb.

Heart Rate based Road Cycling Training Plans
Heart Rate based Mountain Biking Training Plans

Calculate your Maximum Heart Rate for Swimming

To calculate the swimming heart rate zones for our long distances swimmers as well as our triathletes, we have them perform the CSS test and record heart rates at the end of their 400m and 200m Time trials. 

Swimming Training Plans

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