I always had a good amount of zone 2 runs in my running training (I'm just a runner) as I saw these as important base miles without harming yourself too much. That was only based on feeling and experience though, didn't have that much information regarding "zone 2". The new "hype" backs that up with scientific information and makes me keep up that work. Fun fact: Due to being sick twice over the winter (plus another short covid stint) I was on the backfoot with preparation for the next competition and rushing things, thus rushing things a bit, not being ready, zone 2 became 3 and so on - resulted in tiredness, heavy legs, not enough recovery and not the fitness gains I was hoping for. It was stupid! :) No shortcuts from now on, back to building up in a sane way.
Jup, zone 2 for long-runs and long-rides. Shorter workouts I try to stick with 80/20. HIT sessions are all out. Closer to events more specific threshold training.
A different way to train? You mean to race competitively without working the aerobic motor? Better question: do you train seriously or not? Zone 2 isn't optional for athletes who want to perform. Science shows even weight lifters benefit from aerobic training. No it won't replace HIT workouts but Z2 time is the foundation on which everything else, including anaerobic, high intensity efforts, rests.
I’m glad you mention about Zone 2 being hard to stick to. I can do it when cycling easily enough, but when I’m running, I find it difficult to run as slowly as is required, so I just run at the slowest pace that’s comfortable. Sometimes that straddles slightly into zone 3, but I just keep a close eye to make sure it doesn’t creep too far.
It is funny that everyone was training in “zone 2” (base training) till 10-15yrs ago. Then came the “time crunched” or sweet spot training plans as a “cheat” to get kind of the same improvement on a shorter time. And now back to zone 2.
So true what you’re saying about run form in Zone 2. I recently bought the Garmin HRM Pro with running dynamics. My run form is much better on harder runs, seems sloppier in Z2..
This is something I neglected for a long time! I started running a year ago (after recovering from jumper's knee, lasting three years), and in the beginning I obviously saw some improvement. Eventually the improvements came to a halt, as I couldnt increase the amount or intensity of my training. In january, I started doing a lot more workouts on the elliptical and cycling in zone 2 and 3, making it much easier to have training weeks of at least 5 hours. I went from a 41.01 at the 10k in September, and a 20 minute 5k in November to a 18.45 5k at the end of january and a 37.59 10k now in the beginning of march! I did not run more than 3 hours in any week. Had I ran more, I would have probably gotten another injury.
Just to add that if using the 80/20 approach, HR Zones are calculated slightly differently, therefore Zone 2 tends to be a little higher than traditional methods.
Yes, "zone 2" for easy runs and "pure" long runs. 👍 Mixing it up with strides, hill sprints, tempo- and threshold runs, and short and long interval training. What to mix it up with depends on where I'm in the training block.
More zone 2 confusion: In the GTN video, "Everything you need to know about heart rate and power training zones", zone 2 is stated as 85-89% of lactate threshold HR. (both videos use 60-70% of max HR) Checking the internet, LTHR is the same as FTP HR. In this video, Heather says zone 2 is 68-85% of FTP HR. I think 68-85% of FTP HR overlaps with 60-70% of max HR much better than 85-89% of LTHR.
It is very tricky for slow runners, I ran a 10k at 1 hour but my HR always climbs above 150 if I do any running, even super slow. I try to run walk the easy runs, or do an incline walk.
Please show the science behind this: ie studies that show that running at zone 2 is better than running hard each run (with appropriate rest between runs)
Did you find any studies showing moderate Zone 2 more beneficial than HIIT? I am struggling to find any. But the argument I hear most is that if you are a serious athlete the only way you can get enough volume is to do mostly Zone 2 with just 1-2 days at high intensity. What is optimal for normal people seems still heavily debated.
@@bmp713 Not really… nothing super clear. There are lots of studies that claim to show how wonderful zone 2 training is, but the results never seem to be clearly compared to an alternative of fast training runs plus appropriate rest. If you look up Stephen Seilor’s books and articles… he seems to be focussed on the science of zone 2 training.
You are right. Very important this zone to be trained, it helps even in anaerobic exercise by charging back the phosphocreatine energetic system more rapidly and efficiently.
Am I the only one who thinks zone 2 is 70 - 80% of max HR and not 60 - 70%? Edit: Yeah, it's actually 60-70% of max heart rate. My bad. I must have been tired after a very long zone two session when I posted that. 😂.
Yes 60-70% by heartrate reserve. For example my true max is 199bpm. Resting pulse is 43. My Zone 2 60-70% heartrate reserve = 136-152bpm... which is about 69-77% of my true max. 80/20 Zone 2 is different as it runs based off lthr. I get to 163bpm via that method. Cheers
I’m always confused by the numbering. I only run and in my Garmin I use the aerobic zone which is 70-80% range and try and keep below 75% but that’s zone 3?! In RPE it definitely feels about 3-4. Below 70% I creep above almost immediately in my easy warm up. I’m pretty sure my max HR is reasonably accurate.
Hi Russel, From my understanding (please correct me all if I got this wrong) the garmin zones aren't the same as we are talking about here. Garmin (and similar devices) take your maximum heart rate and just take percentages of that to create the zones. In the big interview with Dr. Milan on GCN he explained that zone 2 has a slightly bigger range - as Heather mentioned: being able to have a conversation with slight(!) effort(!) doing so - ..I think in another video Si said another indication could be to keep breathing through your nose - that all should be the upper range of zone 2 wheras Garmin always tells me that this is zone 3. :) Hope I got this all right. Best regards.
@@1dree1 I got the same feeling and hope I'm not wrong there :D though it is a Polar...I am usually running my easy runs in Polar Zone 3, thats 70-79%. However I try to stay closer to the lower end. But even if its not totally accurate to what we all should be doing, I see a great improvement from not even a minute being able to stay there to now 15mins+ . Now I only need to keep up the regular training... 😅
Each and everyone of you saying you just cant.. you need to find max heart rate stick to the zones for a few months. You should then see its working. Stop wanting overnight success. Get a good watch that tracks splits/hr its encouraging
I don’t know if it’s because I’m new to running (1year in) but the zones don’t seem to match my effort. I did my first half marathon run (not a race just distance) on Thursday and was taking it easy yet pretty much all of the run was zone 4
You might just have a naturally higher HR. The age-based formulas don't work for everybody! I know they don't work for me; I can run for what feels like forever at a HR just ten beats below my alleged HRmax.
Zoning isn't the be all end all, Running Economy is. I used to struggle to stay in Zone 2, it was too slow, even on easy I was going out of it. I always thought it was because I wasn't fit enough but I was running 5ks easily everyday so my base fitness wasn't the problem until I found out what Running Economy was = Proper Running Form, I wasn't opening up enough, I had a 180 Cadence but a measly 64cm stride, which meant my feet were hitting the ground more so my body was subjected to more load which increased the intensity my body had to absorb which translates to a higher heartrate. I went back to square one, I worked on my stride for weeks and now when I run Zone 2 I'm 40% faster than my previous. I'm going faster and farther in Zone 2 because my running economy has improved thereby reducing my run load which translates to a lower intensity and a lower heartrate at a faster pace so for those that have been running for a long time and find Zone 2 hard to maintain, look at your Running Form, video yourself, look at your flaws and then start doing running drills, just focus on running drills especially Striding and I guarantee you Zone 2 will become your favorite zone.
❤❤❤❤ Just to add that if using the 80/20 approach, HR Zones are calculated slightly differently, therefore Zone 2 tends to be a little higher than traditional methods.💕💕💕💕
I started trying this in January, but I can't train in zone 2. After a warmup, I go from the high end of Z2 (134) to the high end of Z3 (158) in two to two and a half minutes. One minute to 1:15 of walking gets me back down to 134, and then it's back to running for another 2:00-:2:30. Rinse and repeat for 5 miles. I know everyone says low and slow training is supposed to be Z2, but Z3 is the best I can do. Doing that plus occasional intervals has gotten my VO2Max up to 41 from a post-COVID low of 32, but I have a long ways to go. Starting a week ago, I've made three separate training runs, to go along with three run days per week. The goal of muscle endurance is to gradually increase volume in the easy run portion, and intensity will up the distance and number of the sprints. I'm hoping the low-slow run gradually becomes more running and less walking. If anyone has criticisms, suggestions, or improvements, I'd really appreciate it. 1) Low-Slow Z3: 5 miles total: 0.5mi easy, 4.5mi Z3 run/walk 2) Muscle Endurance: 5 miles total: 0.5mi easy, 2mi Z3 run/walk, 0.5mi easy, 1.75mi Z3 run/walk, 0.25mi race pace (8:30) 3) Intensity: 5 miles total: 0.5mi easy, 4mi Z3 run/walk, 4x (0.12 sprint, 0.13 walk)
Zone 2 training has been getting a lot of attention because it's a great way to build endurance and improve aerobic fitness. By training in this zone, you can enhance your body's ability to utilize oxygen, increase your stamina, and improve your overall cardiovascular health. It's definitely worth incorporating into your training routine.
As much as the max HR test sucks, it is sooo worth doing to know these zones. Also! Heather. I’m watching your hair during the video and really really suggest you look into a Hairstrong hair tie. Never have to readjust your hair again during activities
Many ways to hit zone 2 and keep it there for as long as you need. One way that works for me usually is getting on a treadmill and slowly adjusting the speed and incline so it's a brisk walk "slightly uphill". Takes just under 10 minutes to get there, and then I keep at it for about 45 minutes (or the length of one episode of a show!) Repeat at least 5 days per week. And that does the trick for me, keeps my heart rate and perceived effort at exactly where I want it. And I have noticed that day to day, this speed and incline will slightly change. Just too many variables like recovery, inflammation, nutrition, and so on. So I don't go by the treadmill numbers, but with my heart rate. I realize that long term doing incline walks will have a poor outcome for my posture. So I also mix it up once a week by doing a jog outside. Unfortunately my heart rate and perceived level of effort is much more variable than the treadmill. But it's a price I am willing to pay, in the name of posture, joints, and balance!
That's interesting and sure looks like a great way to keep you HR controled in Z2. I'm curious about the results you've been getting since doing this. Fid you improve your PBs? Do you find that you can work harder and faster while staying in Z2?
@@antimatter2417 my only meaningful measure is a timed stair climb I do 2 times a week. It's a race to the top. Everything else unchanged (weight, diet, other exercise routine, stress), but only added daily zone 2. And my time up the stairs from floor 0 to 10 has been shortening. It could also be more efficient climbs over time. So take that for what you will. But I can tell you that my perceived endurance with breathing has dramatically improved for me. I am actually shocked by it. And I have tried many routines in the past 20+ years... your experience might vary. But worth trying.
