Can riding in Zone 2 REALLY get you fit?? 

I love riding in zone 2. That's where I feel most like a kid again. It's a celebration of fun 🎉🎉🎉where I'm not fretting about my FTP or how I stack up to other riders.

As a football coach and also doing fitness training over 40 years now I have known for many years how beneficial Z2 is to 1. Gain fitness … 2. Maintain fitness … 3. Prevent unnecessary injury by not overdoing things … 4. Experiencing a much more enjoyable training sesh … and finally … 5. Keeping my enthusiasm up to come back for more … … … … I thoroughly recommend Z2 to all levels of competitors and general fitness enthusiasts … cycling is definitely well suited to this zone … especially on a good quality home trainer … … … totally agree, however, that to achieve Z2 on the road would need good route planning to avoid taxing hill climbs and also poor weather which could increase heart rate due to the need to be safe

Very good and interesting video Leonard, by coincidence eight weeks ago I started doing strict Zone 2 HR sessions on my trainer combined with two short but hard interval sessions a week. I set the trainer to ERG mode and adjust the power with the companion app so that I’m always near the top of my Zone 2 heart rate. I do between four and seven hours a week at this intensity and have at least one rest day. I feel much better now, always enjoy the sessions and my resting heart rate is consistently between 51 and 54 bpm whereas before it was all anything between 58-73. I have also noticed my power has increased for the same avg HR. I shall be following this method through the indoor months. Will be interesting to note the difference when I get back out on the road. Hoping they sort the roads out around here as they are like a Lunar landscape!

It's working for me I was struggling at 13mph on average speed a year ago, and Then I started watching you to learn how to do this gave me inspiration You don't quote 'me you used to cycle at around 15mph average speed then. I noticed polarized training 80% zone 2 and 20% high-intensity and today I hit 16mph average speed.

I used to commute to work by bike, averaged about 100KM per week, I used to then do weekend cycles from Apr-Sep , I could build to to 125km mountain rides by July, great base during the year and kept my weight down.

Nice to see you back out on the bike nice to get out riding on the bike see a bit of the countryside and enjoying it stay safe and stay healthy one life enjoy blessed be

Swimming and speedskating indoors was great in the winters I remember. (not in the same hall)

Enjoy South Affrica Leonard looking forward to the videos of your adventures.

nice to see one of your videos again! thanks for sharing!

As a younger rider I did a lot of cyclo-cross then Road races was average had a couple of wins but that's a long time ago .Now I've found I love the gravel rides more because you see more. Still ride my road bike and enjoy it but I feel like I nothing to prove just enjoy the ride.

I certainly did a zone 2 ride today. It was 90kms, 25 of which was spent struggling with a punishing headwind. Enjoyable though. 😊

You must be looking forward to Italy , slate grey skies for months in Oxfordshire. I always run in zone 2 , then a hard run once a week for park run .

I find it difficult to ride in Zone 2 for very long and naturally tend to push harder. Based on the formula, my computed max heart rate is 157, and I often exceed that for periods of several minutes. As warm weather begins to return, I'm working on staying in Zone 2, but for me, 70% of computed max is ~110 BPM, which I can reach just walking. So I'm using last summer's "observed max" of ~180 BPM as my starting point, which means my Zone 2 is ~126-140BPM. That's more realistic for me, but keeping my BPM in that range still feels very slow and boring. I'm going to try vlogging on the bike as a way to keep my pace in check.

Always an interesting discussion or perspective from Leonard. Ok, this is kinda what I have been saying to the roadie brigade I talk to for years. I'm just a commuting and utilitarian cyclist. I wear my normal everyday clothes to reach my destination to go shopping or work or go to the cinema, visit friends or whatever. I don't own any lycra. I'm 120 kg. My bike plus serious locks and some luggage another 30 kg. Make it 50 kg if I have a lot of luggage. We'll ignore having up to 80 kg behind me with a trailer. So let's say a moderate 150 kg with a relatively slow heavy bike. I have said for years that if I do a 40-50km round trip going about my business to get stuff done averaging 20 kph with hills without pushing myself because I don't want to arrive at my destination soaked in sweat, I am still putting in as much effort as someone on a road bike in head to toe lycra going 50% faster than me. I'm not trying to be athletic and I'm not chasing performance but every time I get on my bike, and especially for shorter commutes, I am getting a long term health and fitness benefit. I literally have to work harder to cover those miles. I watched a video earlier where a guy weighed a rear bike light and it was "only" just something over 40 grammes. (I mean, Jeebus give me strength!) I love telling roadies about having almost a quarter of a tonne on the road with my bike. (And yes I know, I've just done it again! 😅) But absolutely, regular cycling at moderate levels of exertion can only be good for you. And for someone like me in my latter 50's, perhaps a lot safer than pushing myself to my limits?

I find zone 2 rides a valuable part of my exercise (I am a few years older than you). I have done 2 local road rides yesterday and today which are way out of zone 2 (total 70 km and 1650m of ascent), just can't do zone 2 outdoors unless you are somewhere flat. It looks like rain tomorrow so it will be a steady hour of zone 2 on the turbo trainer, active recovery for Thursday and a rest day Friday before a 100k / 2000m ride at the weekend

It's fascinating to me that this is a new concept? It must be decades old, at least for general cardio, like running, it's even called the so called fat burning zone. It has been challenged as people say there's more effective ways to burn fat, like lift weights, or do intervals, but it still remained a thing. I run since 8 years and always did most of my training in zone 2 ish. Even for marathon training as a rule of thumb about a good 50% of training is supposed to be easy running which is basically just that. Of course, it's more pleasent than higher zones, question is whether it's just as effective or not for fitness and fat loss. My rationale is that in my experience higher intensities result in increased chance for injuries for me, and the most efficient fat burning I can do is to stay healthy and do large quantities of easy training. It also helps with general fitness, like being able to hike, or walk. Another benefit is that it's supposed to be so called base training, which means if you're not really fit you an do this for months, or even more, until your HR starts to go down for the same intensity, so essentially it gives you great endurance. So it's something you need a TON either way if you do long distance running. I read about the different types of running training in a book by Jack Daniels and he explaines the different physiological changes that happen in your body at the different intensity trainings, and wh you need a mix at the end of the da if you want to be as good as possible. I mean ok, I don't know much about cycling, yeah it's different, but it's still just cardio innit?

It most defenitly works. Zone 2 training allows you to ride more often, because you don't need much recory time after such a ride. And like you said, as you progress you will notice your average speed will get higher while your heartrate stays the same. Defenitly do try to combine it with a bit of higher intensity training for optimal results ;)

While "sweet spot" or higher intensities are more time-efficient, there's only so much you can do until it becomes to much. The main benefits of lower intensity training is that the recovery cost is much, much lower. (the main disadvantage is that the minimum effective dose is higher, too). You can build up ridiculous amounts of training volume in zone 1 and 2 without killing yourself. The other benefit is that zone 2 training increases mitochondrial density. Not only does a higher amount of calories burned come from fat (which in itself is next to irrelevant for weight loss, only energy balance matters), but it increases mitochondrial density, and thus the ability to metabolize fat. What this does is it will, over time, allow for greater intensities to be fueled by burning fat. That is what all the "base training" is about. The faster you can go fueling on fat only, the less you are relying on constant feeding of carbs, which makes you more resilient should things not go to plan during a longer ride or a race event. (You can go faster and further before "bonking", and you won't bonk so hard.) The faster you can go anaerobically, the less lactate you will build up during fast-ish efforts. You still need some high intensities, to learn to tolerate lactate buildup and to build mental toughness (learn to love the pain), but these are the icing on the cake, not the bulk of the entire meal.

Sorry, nothing related to zone 2 training, but one thing that I just discovered and which blew my mind: Crank length. I saw some bike fitters telling heavy/less flexible riders to use shorter cranks and so I switched from 175 to 165mm and it blew my mind. Less saddle soreness, 10rpm cadence increase, faster, less fatigue.

I realise how lucky I am that I commute 2-3 days per week on the bike, 10 miles each way. Can use as ‘Zone 2’ or interval training with traffic light blasts. Just embedded in my schedule now as productive time, rain or shine (prefer shine) for cycling, work & health. To add: I’m not a competitive cyclist or fit & slim. Just enjoy it as it comes.

I had a nice zone 2 cycle today. Weather turned warm again so I just wandered around various streets on the fat bike and went onto the lake along the shoreline for a bit if the traction looked good. After the rain and then flash freeze the past three days parts of the lake are like a skating rink. I've gone down hard a few times on the ice when the bike slipped out from under me so wasn't chancing that today.

I love my Z2 riding now I’ve come to learn how useful it is, the benefit being you don’t come home wrecked either. A word of warning in using the 225-age for establishing HR zones etc, using myself as an example I’m 46 so I would be looking at 60-70% of 179bpm which is 107-125 bpm. My Z2 is actually 137-157bpm as tested in a sports university via a blood lactate test. In short, the method will work for some people but not others, for me I would be working way too easily. I find in Z2 I would describe it as working but well within myself, I wouldn t call it easy.

Good video - I have a hard time riding in zone 2, a lot of times because I’m riding with others and Z2 is not really an option. I like the idea and wil look into it further, thanks for the inspiritation!

I've changed my priorities to riding longer distances. Way lower gearing on bike so zone 2 is possible on hills. Weather tomorrow is predicted to be great. You know where I'll be!

Good luck in South Africa Leonard, hope it goes well.

Strava doesnt like Zone 2 - harder is always better there... others norwegian made Apps give same answer. But the experienced athletes say 80% should be "easy" meaning S2. If we train 4-5 times pr. week you cant always train hard - at least if you are 55+... and its the mental part - if you have 2-3 easy - it easier to manage 2 really hard ones - and that in total give a better result...and are easier to maintain bec you get variation. Its also different things going on in the body - fat burn and developing better distribution of O2 in the muscles.

cheers Leonard, interesting talk, I find it hard to stay in Z2 HR throughout a ride as everytime a gradient comes then I'm VO2maxed!! I don't think the 220-age really works for me either as I think I would pass out before I hit the theoretical max HR!! enjoy SA, well done getting the base training and mileage in with all the cr*p weather this year, fingers crossed for sunshine, blue skies and no wind in SA :)

Anecdotally speaking: After puttering about on a hybrid/fitness bike the last couple of years, I treated myself to a road bike over Boxing Day and noticed that, while my overall route times only dropped by like 5 min at the most, my average heart rate dropped out of Z3/Z4 almost entirely down to Z2 while on my rides. (Which I guess makes sense, less overall rolling resistance/more energy efficiency and all that.) What was surprising, however, was how when I hopped back on said hybrid bike after spending a lot of time with my road bike, all of a sudden I had watts to spare and was punching up my local hills like I was on an e-bike! Even looking at my heart rate data on my fitness tracker showed that my usual routes weren't burning me out; I felt myself fighting wind resistance more than the bike itself! So I guess there's _something_ to this Z2 training stuff, lol!

I believe it should be 80% zone 2 with 20% hard training. They say 'train slow to ride fast'. The science is about zone 2 working the leg slow twitch muscle fibres that are the ones that you need working really well to clear lactate effectively. When you push it hard for speed, you work the long twitch fibres that cannot clear that much lactate themselves. Or I may have it the wrong way around! Big day today; Strade Bianchi!!! Then tomorrow start of Paris-Nice, yaay. I rode through la Colle sur Loup yesterday (Fridays leg) and they have flags out already. May go and watch. Enjoy SA and look forward to seeing that soon.

I agree based on heart rate it is a challenge to stay in Zone 2. Even small hills of 1-2% gradients for any length will tend to push you up into Zone 3. I find it easier to ride in Zone 2 on the indoor trainer where you can maintain a much more consistent heart rate.

Hey Leonard, I used to calculate HR zones with MaxHR but recently I’m using lactose threshold (estimated) and I found it more acurated

Here’s where a power meter is important. Maintaining zone 2 heart rate could be done with bursts and rests. Maintaining Z2 power means always turning the pedals with moderate power. You end up creeping up hills and screaming down them. Many people use power meters without purpose, or it becomes an ego thing. Don’t bother. But for zone 2 training, power meters are excellent! Z2 helps train the body to use fat as a fuel source, but I don’t generally lose weight, even doing it for months. “Fat burn” means burning fat for fuel, not losing fat, because we can easily replenish it when we eat. (I tend to lose more weight when I mix in weight training mixed with endurance work.) A great thing about Z2 training is that it can prepare us for big, epic rides. Set an upper limit on the power meter, and you can go all day. That’s how I used my PM for the 200+ mile STP ride, and it worked great!

Running for 40 minutes, lots of core work and stretches work wonders... 👌🏻

i would always invest into a powermeter and work with my ftp. Thats a game changer on long rides. You can also do some workouts to increase your ftp... if your ftp is higher you can stay in zone 2 a lot more easier. Pacing and Eating during a ride makes a huge difference.

I’ve lost the love for the indoor trainer since Christmas. Just stick to riding outside twice a week if I can (weather dependent & no big mileage) and replaced the indoor trainer for indoor rowing & kettlebells. I’m usually still sticking to zone 2 riding at this time of year with it being cold so I don’t sweat and get cold, though I’m not training for any events or cycling holidays so I’m not worrying.

Len mate as a fellow 51 year old bloke and avid cyclist. I have dropped 5 and half stone in only 8 months. I came down from 19 stone 4 to now being 13 stone 12. Please consider looking into the ketogenic lifestyle. I admire your work ethic and your attitude. You are not doing anything wrong regarding your cycling training. You may need to fix your insulin resistance. It's easier than you may think. I had to confront my sugar and carb addictions. The first few weeks are hell. Then, it was a new life for me. I can not believe the health benefits dropping this weight has afforded me. Carnivore keto is a game changer and has saved my life.

Slow and keeping the same pace while the same pressure on the pedals. Joe Friel said if you don't have your base in a race you'll be stuffed.

I understand zone2 to be the point just before you are going too hard to speak steadily. Well it’s worked for me. Since Christmas, my effort level has been limited by waiting for an operation on an inguinal hernia. Unlike previous years, my post-Christmas podge has slipped away. Similar mileage and routes but not all out efforts, just steady steady chatting with my cycling pals. We’re all converts as it leaves us fit, slimmed and ready for another ride the next day. We’re all past 58 and ride between 30 to 75 miles at a time, the life period when good recovery is key but tricky.

The fact that you can maintain a level dialogue while pedaling is remarkable to me. I’m convinced that our minds and emotions are terrific at deceiving us. If I complete a 20-mile ride, in a given time, and maintain my heart rate within prescribed levels, my fitness will improve … regardless of my thoughts or emotions. No?

most Sunday rides naturally are going to be 90% zone 2 and 10% zone 3

My max HR is 163. I thought that i'd try and take it easy going up a very steep hill in Weardale. For much of it my HR was 162! Z2 is impossible for much of my riding, unless going downhill or waiting at traffic lights!

I have the same issue with staying in Zone 2. Right outside my house between me and the cycleway is a hill that's only 60m tall but its 10-15%, so I'm in zone 4 before I even get warmed up. I just never seem to be able to get my heartrate back down after that as its kind of hilly all around here (Auckland) but not as steep. My bike has 1:1 gearing and I'm 73kg so not huge or anything, but that hill just seems to mess up my zone 2 every time.

Ok when you take out the numbering in all of this, or gadget feedback, or theory, unless a guy is a total slacker on his road bike, if it's a fitness endeavor, if there's enough minutes or miles of riding in a week on average, wouldn't the average riding enthusiast type of chap get in what needs to be done to get in better condition based on the various conditions he runs into as weather and terrain changes? For me just having an actual road bike as the mainstay exercise bike, is exactly what elevated things for what I needed and wanted. For some reason using a non-road bike type of bike, albeit a decent one I liked riding, limited me on the distance and my mindset on the riding, at least most of the time. Frankly for me that's 80% of the picture. The road bike being an agile, graceful, speed machine in comparison, just made all the difference in the world. Especially for being much fitter and leaner as opposed to simply healthier and not too heavy.

If you keep the body right then the head will be OK thanks lenard

I try to ride an old school zone 2 from time to time but then I hit an incline and exceed the thresholds. And, as the ride goes on, I seem to get bored at the slower speed and start to naturally speed up and lose the zone.

Tend to do Zone 2 on a trainer

What is zone 2

I'm looking at Vo2 MAX stuff. Quite interesting. According to a leading UK medical consultant inspired with a few weeks ago, the 220-age is BS! It was created by the authorities to stop people having heart issues! I know my max is 184! I'm 63. Still, base training/zone 2 is great! Are you still planning on South Africa in a few weeks?

Zone 2 is a legit, but it is inexact due to it being such a wide band.

👌

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Zone 2. Quick. Before it’s Ulez’d. 😂

According to a preeminent Olympic and TDF trainer.. Z2 is king. But you have to calculate your MxHr.. dont use the 220-age. Thats very inaccurate. Even w/out HR monitors or power meter.. peddling at a speed fast enough to where you can easily carry on conversation and breath through nose only. I think you are using too low a mx HR. Also.. here and there do some sprint intervals. Maybe once a week. It’s all about building and repairing mitochondria. 99 prct of my training is z2.

The 220-formel is almost useless! My max rate is almost 20 lower the 220-formel gives. And you don't know if the calculated max rate is your max rate or not.

Is it me or does your seat look abit high. When you pedal your hips go up & down, should you be just using legs? I'm a novice so perhaps some pro's can chip in. It just looks wrong.

Why would you cycle in zone 3 or 4? Zone2 should be at least 80% of each training regime

Winds. We've had plenty of that around here lately. If the forecast is correct for tomorrow, with the wind speeds, it's going to be a total wash. What's worse than just the winds, but as a consequence of the winds, are these twats riding child height stunt bikes getting off and walking erratically because they are staring at their stupid cell phones, and being a hazard for it!

The biggest problem with mental health is the cost to the British taxpayer,Take responsibility do something different