Is Zone 3 Training A Waste Of Time?

Рет қаралды 287,937

Жыл бұрын

A lot has been made of the importance of the heart rate zone you train in. Mostly that zone 2 is good & that zone 3 is bad! A grey zone, which should be avoided. But why? What’s the reason for this? And should you avoid the grey zone when trying to improve your fitness levels? Mark is here to investigate!
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Пікірлер: 306

@gtn Жыл бұрын

If you do track your zones when exercising, which do you spend the most in? 🤔

@BeetTriGuy Жыл бұрын

Zone 3 followed by Zone 4. Don't have a lot of time on my hands (Full time uni student and working) so get in what I can for best fitness returns

@xGshikamaru Жыл бұрын

The thing is, most of the group rides around me are at zone 3. I just tried to advise a friend coming out of a 2 week break to take it easy for riding 2 days in a row, but his point is just to ride with friends, he just doesn't care about it. Trying to get them to ride slower to ride much faster is a lost cause, so for me that means I basically have to ride alone most of the time. Trying to train smart makes me look like a sociopath. And because I reap benefits from that strict training regime, and because I only ride group rides being recovered some people have even implied that I'm doping smh. Am I the only one? It's hard to find people with that mindset, especially among cyclists

@JackRea Жыл бұрын

For the last month I've been doing zone 2, 3x a week, trying to build an endurance base. I will do this for another 2 months, then closer to race day I plan on adding tempo runs and hill sprints and hope that will improve my speed!

@paultschommer Жыл бұрын

Bulk of my training is Level 1 (~70-75%). Unpopular opinion amongst a lot of people, but majority of high level athletes I talk to are in this same range. Only variance may be how much level 2 training done, but still 70-75% of training done is level 1 & 2.

@thedolenorway Жыл бұрын

@@paultschommer I find that Zone 1 makes it easier to get more volume in at a lower cost than zone 2. A bonus is that if you measure volumen in Km you get some bonus volume as those km's will take you longer to complete as well! 😉

@kerrynball2734 Жыл бұрын

Any zone is going to be better than the sitting on the lounge watching KZfaq zone ;-)

@azaz6951 10 ай бұрын

Haha KZfaq zone

@alphonsoelm5652 8 ай бұрын

Hey hey, I ran this morning already

@siouxunit17 7 ай бұрын

But if you go from months of youtube zone straight to zone 3 you can blow your heart up

@qwerty6789x 7 ай бұрын

Listening to youtube while doing anyzone is better 😂

@nofadin 6 ай бұрын

true😄

@souldreamer9056 10 ай бұрын

I’ve just started running and only have two zones. The Run zone and the Walk zone. One make my heart go fast, the other slow. Coincidentally, these are also my two paces.

@user-bs9zv4yw1h 5 ай бұрын

Me too! Maybe zone training is for intermediate runners?

@runningdrew6654 2 ай бұрын

Rodger that!

@scopie49 Ай бұрын

@@user-bs9zv4yw1h More or less, yes. For a complete beginner zones don't really matter much. A light jog for someone who hasn't worked out in over a year could easily see their heart rate going to 190 or beyond after a half mile (if they can even run that far.) The key for a beginner would be consistency. Doing a little bit every day so that you don't get hurt. Regardless of zone, doing SOMETHING will increase your fitness. Frankly zone 2 training when running is also extremely difficult. I have over a year of mainly cardio semi-consistently like 4 days a week and my zone 2 when running is still almost impossible without a lot of walking. Even these last 3 months I've heavily gone into zone 2 training with my stationary bike where I can hold zone 2 indefinitely. 3-5 60-90 minute sessions per week plus strength training and the occasional run on off days. Despite all that, my casual jog is still like 170 BPM on flat ground. It's HARD to run any slower. For anyone that wants to do zone 2 should definitely get a bike. Not only will it make doing hours of zone 2 significantly easier it also provides crosstraining which is essential to avoiding injury.

@funnyberries4017 21 күн бұрын

I've been running for 3 years now. He said Race Pace is Zone 3. for me, Race Pace is Zone 5. Easy run is zone 4. Super slow is zone 2. I have no idea how they can go race pace at zone 3. If I do a race at zone 3 I'll be doing a 5k in 45 mins

@scopie49 21 күн бұрын

@@funnyberries4017 It's about building a cardio base. It's really difficult to do and also takes many months. For running you have to employ a run/walk cycle which honestly feels dumb because you'll hit zone 3 after like 5-10 seconds of running and spend most of the time walking. My recommendation is to use a bike. Not only is cross training a good idea but I found that on my stationary bike I can easily keep my heart rate at zone 2 for hours. And after 3-4 months of that I actually struggle to get to zone 3 on the bike at all. My heart rate during a normal run went from 188 to 178 after 3 months while also being like 20-30 seconds faster per mile.

@andydt82 Жыл бұрын

As well as being useful to run at race pace, I also find that an hour’s run at zone 3 is best for clearing the mind

@gtn Жыл бұрын

Sometimes this is the most important thing 🙌

@kpsig Жыл бұрын

This is why cycle and exercise, really…

@georgeabraham5672 8 ай бұрын

True.. Zone 2 is too slow that your mind starts wondering

@luckyspurs 4 ай бұрын

Genuinely, have you ever seen anybody running at zone 2 in public. Like, the claim that 80% of all running needs to be zone 2 or it's completely useless, is truly barking to me. If that was the case there would literally be no good runners who weren't pros and nobody who jogged would be any fitter than anyone never did any exercise at all.

@Tyrion-ks6rp 3 ай бұрын

@@luckyspursZone 3 is better then nothing, i think its more about optimisng and hitting Plateau after time...

@zacbaleshenry Жыл бұрын

As a lifelong runner who was coming into collegiate track/ cross right as "heart rate" training was becoming more prevalent-- I often think it's more important to get an understanding of where your body feels best. Most long-distance training is base miles. So building a strong foundation is key. This means some days; you're going to float in and out of zone 2 and 3. I think that after enough miles, you'll be able to get a decent understanding of what pace feels best (and where your heart rate falls). After years of running, I find that I hang out more in zone 3 (even on my longer runs), and it feels fine. Zone 2 is nice, but I often feel like I'm crawling along and basically walking.

@georgelane6350 11 ай бұрын

+1, not much point training zone 2 if it's so slow that form goes out the window.

@peterlee208 9 ай бұрын

I agree 100%. You train enough and you start to understand how your body is going to react and when you might be close to an injury. I think there's a ton of benefit to learning to listen to our bodies.

@Chris-zd7gw 8 ай бұрын

Yes, aren't these "zones" also rather arbitrary? Who decides what percentage of your hr max that they start and end at? What's magical about zone 2 where you'd get benefits and then the second you entered the arbitrarily defined zone 3 you'd get no benefits?

@vikroy3777 7 ай бұрын

@@Chris-zd7gw science

@runningdrew6654 2 ай бұрын

Yes sir, truth.

@thejeffinvade Жыл бұрын

People run easy run way too fast. My 5K is around 20 min, and just run a half marathon with a light fever for 1:34 two weeks ago. I run my easy miles at 6:00-6:40 per K,that’s 10 min mile pace. I see people passing me all the time, but I know I will pass them in a race. Running in zone 3 isn’t a waste of time, but that’s not the most efficient and effective way of training. Easy day easy, hard day hard.

@eileencheng603 Жыл бұрын

Thank you so much for this video, GTN! I naturally train in zone 3, either when I just pop out for a run without looking at the data, or when I am doing boxing and kickboxing sessions. I race in zone 3 mostly, so I found that familiar effort comforting and helps me to calm my nerves. Saying all that, I do try to stick to 80/20 when I am on a running training program.

@askhatashimov7250 Жыл бұрын

Thanks Mark! Fully uncovered the topic as usual!! Great work! 👍🏻💪🏻✊🏻

@genesequence Жыл бұрын

thanks, GTN! that for me was one of the best explanations I’ve ever heard for avoiding Z3! Super-helpful!!!

@anonimouse8918 Ай бұрын

Thank you!! That makes so much more sense than a lot of things I've heard on zone 2 training.

@benkeyte3986 Жыл бұрын

So well explained, thankyou! I personally really enjoy zone 3 training and most of the media is raving about zone 2 and 80/20 so its nice to hear that zone 3 has its place

@gtn Жыл бұрын

Do you think it's about finding the best training type for you? 👀

@neoneherefrom5836 Жыл бұрын

The right training is found at the junction between time-availability, sport-specific needs and enjoyment. One person’s “plateau” is another’s pleasure.

@neoneherefrom5836 11 ай бұрын

Safety is another huge consideration too!!!! Some would rather do slow work in the gym but high intensity on open roads definitely increases your risk of exposure!

@doubledragon1978 10 ай бұрын

This video was so helpful. I am in week 6 of my first marathon programme. Doing my long run tomorrow and will make sure to do most, if not all the run in Zone 2.

@mn80swede Жыл бұрын

An explainer that is very welcome 😊 It’s like it has become a battle between 80/20-training vs. high-intensive, when in reality it’s more about creating a good training setup with a mix of both zone 2 and zone 3 training, and some sessions in zone 4 (as Mark underscored in the video). Many thanks 🙏

@gtn Жыл бұрын

Balance is key when it comes to training 🙌 Great to hear you found our advice useful!

@erichier6551 8 ай бұрын

You're absolutely right! I think that many videos in the area don't include that nuance and this makes for an unbalanced perspective... Thank you for the video!

@Velko.Alexiev 11 ай бұрын

Hi GTN! I'm following you and your sister channels for quite some time now... But this one really, I mean really clicked in! I was always wondering why no matter what kind a sessions I do (run, bike, other...) I just can't follow up for longer periods. I was thinking I'm not strong enough and tried to push myself even more. But now I got it - my body just can't get the rest it needs after Zone 3 training before the next workout. I've hurd about the 80/20 rule but it never matched with the Zone 2/3/4, at least for me till now! Definitely I will train smarter than harder! Thank you so much! Cheers to you and the community !!!

@davidbaker5725 8 ай бұрын

One thing I have found is when I don’t have as much time to exercise, meaning longer breaks between sessions, I can use zone 3 a bit to get a little more out of each workout since I’ll have a longer recovery time anyway until I find time to do the next workout. It’s not ideal but it seems to build fitness a little more with workouts spaced out by 3-4 days.

@MrJohnno89 Жыл бұрын

I personally have gotten alot more from Z3 and tend to recovery very well from it. My long runs are usually high Z2 to low Z3

@chrisstrider Жыл бұрын

Zone 3 is sustainable and long distance race pace for many

@sustainf Жыл бұрын

Best and most helpful video by GTN, thank you!

@runspace Жыл бұрын

One the best explanations of Z3 training on yt to date;) I very much advocate for the 80/20 rule, doing most of my running in Z2, and sprinkle in some tempo sessions in Z4 for good measure. Usually in my build phase I only do long slow distance, and when I have my base fitness sorted, I start doing some tempo stuff. In the peaking end, I usually incorporate tempo segments at the end of my long runs, to simulate the fatigue of running at race pace:) Thanks!

@gtn Жыл бұрын

Sounds like great training! 🙌 What goals are you aiming for this year?

@DrRKelly Жыл бұрын

Great explanation! Thank you!

@user-tq3ud9zi7w Жыл бұрын

Good video thanks and some nice camera turns too.

@Zoominguy007 6 ай бұрын

Helpful and concise thank you!

@thepsychologist8159 Жыл бұрын

I run zone 3 on my Sunday run. Many people do a zone 2 long-run, but I break this up. For example, when training for a half-marathon I run 14km in zone 3, then 7-10km in zone 2. During the week, I'll do a hill session, a progressive session and 2x zone 2 long runs.

@deadidonnie7635 10 ай бұрын

thank you for this, very insightful

@peterlee208 9 ай бұрын

I started running via polarized training methodology - 90/10 split. 90% in zone 2, 10% in high-intensity interval training and never without my HR monitor. It's been about 4 years since I started seriously training, and I've graduated to running via feel. Sometimes my easy runs float into zone 3, sometimes, I maintain zone 2. What's important to me is how my body is feeling and how I am recovering (which is heavily influenced by diet and sleep). I still get a bit eggheaded with my tech, but I like this sense of hyper - connection with my body.

@egorpiskunov680 Жыл бұрын

Thank you for the great explanation! It finally all makes sense.

@NathanMell 11 ай бұрын

im building my endurance with the MAF method, and my MAF zone heart rate is 142-152 which is exclusively zone 3. ive seen immense benefits from it in my last triathlon.

@jackdebokx4566 Жыл бұрын

As a coach I suggest all my athletes to do some workouts at race pace. Most should be Z2 and some intervals but if you never do race pace or Z3 you forget what it is to race. You need that mental strength as well. As long as you recover well.

@veganpotterthevegan Жыл бұрын

It also depends on the racing you're doing. If you're doing Olympic distance, you'll ideally be able to do much of the bike in Z4

@Xrunning Жыл бұрын

I'm four weeks out from my 70.3 and have been on an 80/20 training plan (through Training Peaks). Once a week I do - 5 minutes Z1, 5 minutes Z2, 4 x (8 minutes Z3/3 minutes Z1) 5 minutes Z2, 5 minutes Z1. I typically have 13 hours of structured training a week so Z3 running amounts to less than 10% of my total time.

@THEMAX00000 9 ай бұрын

Peter Attia should watch this video!!! Thank you for providing useful information, that is both comprehensive and easily understood.

@michaelchu7114 Жыл бұрын

Thanks for clearing that up. It never made sense to me to train for race pace without actually training at race pace.

@charleypalacios8311 6 күн бұрын

great clarification and explanation. bottom line build up your base (slower intensity) so as to avoid injury. As the base grows add intensity to improve performance. heard one KZfaqr comment that training in base or zone 2 is like "building a cake" and when actually competing or in higher intensity is like "eating your cake". your higher intensity performance should be a good indicator of improvements that are a result of consist base(zone 2) training.

@JustinMulder1 Жыл бұрын

Thanks for explaining the nuance of Z3 training, super helpful indeed

@gtn Жыл бұрын

Glad you found this video useful to you! Is there anything you'd like to see from us in a future video? 🤔

@Showmetheevidence- 11 ай бұрын

I think the problem is that people don’t run in “zone” 1/2 and 4/5… so they lack variability! I was one of those runners who kinda did zone 3 only & since really focussing on a *mix* of zones in my week I feel like I’m fitter + my runs are actually more interesting!

@majky358 10 ай бұрын

Also depends on personal goals. For a hobby biker/runner who goes out during the weekends, even zone 3 is not that bad. Personally, when I began biking, I ended up in 3/4 because of hills around and was tired after 2-3 days. Now I set the goal for every run/ride if I know I will be exercising for example 4x during that week. If I would be following everything 110%, it would not be so fun.

@ronaldjimenez6556 Жыл бұрын

I get you Mark. Thanks for clarifying that Z3 misconception when it comes to effective endurance training.

@gtn Жыл бұрын

Glad we could help clear some stuff up Ronald! Will you be using zone 3?

@dann5480 8 ай бұрын

As an Olympic marathoner, zone 3 is not useless. Its very beneficial.

@Spartakus68 3 ай бұрын

A lot of zone 2 and a bit of zone 3 and 4 might be the secret sauce ? :)

@rejickmukherjee9154 2 ай бұрын

Proper distribution is everything

@runningdrew6654 2 ай бұрын

What year you participate Sir?

@TheDas1888 Ай бұрын

@@Spartakus68 i.e - fartlek/intervals 😅

@250txc Ай бұрын

U must be tops in the BS race ...

@towhee7472 11 ай бұрын

There was a time in my life, when I had no idea of the concept of zones and I was constantly in zone 3 :D

@alfredongos Жыл бұрын

Wow! Nobody dears to talk about Zone 3 and you guys not only did it, but in a magnificent way!!!... that's why I will never stop following your channel.

@gtn Жыл бұрын

We're going to hold you to that! 😉

@JasonFarrell Жыл бұрын

FWIW, Coros recently updated their software such that you don't earn "Running Fitness" for the junk/gray miles in the zone3 pace zone. e.g.: In my case, I must run slower than 9'39" to qualify for Base fitness, and then there's a big gray gap from there down to the 7'55-8'46" Endurance zone4 fitness (with Speed & Sprint fitness zone5 below that). I do try to stick to the 80/20 rule, but it's hard to stay in zone2 for anything other than the 3hr weekend long run.

@Michael-mo6gx 10 ай бұрын

Great explanation. My Apple Watch Workout app calculates my Zone 3 as Zone 2. I didn’t notice until I downloaded a different Zone training app and found my 60-70% to be much lower heart rate. I was wondering why I’ve been needing to sleep way more than I usually would. If I did an hour of the Apple Watch Workout app Zone 2 (Zone 3 in reality) as a 2nd workout after weight training, I’d need to sleep 11 hours.

@Mr80Miles 7 ай бұрын

As a runner focussing mainly on 5k-10k, I do my long run on the border of Z2 and Z3 (and not more than 75% max HR). A tempo run is mainly Z3, intervals are Z4 and race pace is mainly Z4 finishing in Z5.

@erlendsteren9466 Жыл бұрын

I am into listening to my body. Which means that if I like to go in zone two one day, I do it. One day I was roughly in zone two for three hours from 9 o clock to 12 and got tired.That evening i thought i should do a 46 minute zone 3,4,5 hard ride, I went on the bike but my tired body didnt want to push above zone 2. So I took it zone 2 easy. The next day it was easy training with a few short and fun fast sections. The day after that I was fresh and gave full power in zone 3,4,5. I believe listening to the body is a smart way to have fun and also some restitution. My training is in all zones, 0,1,2,3,4 and 5, probably most of the time in zone two, followed by 1,3, 4 and least time in 5.

@PeterReefman Ай бұрын

As an old-ish bugger (54) who's been-there-done-enough with racing (including Kona), my priority these days is just... getting out there and having fun. And for me, Z3 is the most fun. So that's my go-to most days. This is a far cry from my competitive race training of 20 or 30 years ago, where every session had a strict purpose, and the bulk was either something like long Z1/2 sets, or Z3/4/5 muscular endurance build interval sets. Those days were also fun, but in a very different way. BTW, Happy with tonight's 15k run in 1.08. Almost all in that sweet (upper) Z3.

@jnwano Жыл бұрын

Thanks for the explanation. I didn’t know about zone 2 training until I got a coach. All my runs used to be at tempo or threshold which left me sore and fatigued. Now, I try to run in zone 2 as per my training plan but my heart rate creeps up into zone 3/4 quite quickly so I find I have to stop and walk…. Hence, I prefer zone 3 as I feel like I’ve had a workout.

@gtn Жыл бұрын

Do you still sprinkle in zone 2 workouts when you want something more chilled? 👀

@Sheeshening 10 ай бұрын

Lower zones during running can be a challenge to less than intermediate runners. Try hopping on a bike or a elliptical machine

@dri1811ya Жыл бұрын

In Garmin Connect, zone 2 is "Easy" and 3 is "Aerobic", and it's built in training plans include quite a bit of zone 3 runs

@gtn Жыл бұрын

Do you find that zone 3 is a good level to train at? 👀

@torandi Жыл бұрын

I'm not sure, but I've come to suspect Garmin's zone 3 is the zone 2 talked about in the video, my zone 3 in Garmin ends at 79% max HR.

@dri1811ya Жыл бұрын

@@gtn at my level of fitness (which is not much), any additional training should be good....

@luqeckr Жыл бұрын

@@gtn i think garmin zone 3 is good one, as long as i can recover before next training. My zone 2 run still too slow for a run. So, i think your zone 2 is zone 3 in garmin.

@1994savvas 11 ай бұрын

@@torandi I had the same question and doubt. In the end, I calculated my own zones using the HR Reserve method, and now I have a real zone 2 based on my max and resting HR. Garmin uses the Age formula and this is really easy to give inaccurate results

@BareFinn1986 11 ай бұрын

I'm comfortable when I'm running at zone 3. When I do my zone 2 runs it's a mental challenge to hold back. Sometimes I'm in the right zone and I start to daydream about that Strava segment I'm gonna attempt and *beep goes my garmin. I'm now in zone 3... 😅

@David-yz6kr 2 ай бұрын

As someone that has only time for 2 runs a week (I also do full body weight trainings on two other days, so four days of sport a week, more isn't realistically feasible) zone 3 is the sweet spot. I feel the work I have done and I have plenty of recovery time.

@automotive474 Жыл бұрын

When I first started, that was all I did, it's simple, it works, it gives your mind clarity and it's a great tool to sharpen the mental side of training too. Started doing 15 minutes, then 30, 50, 1h and more. Yes, recoveries are longer. But as the months roll on, the metabolism changes and they get shorter. I don't know about "being tired for the higher intensity workouts" because guess what? I didn't do them.

@zacsborntorunrunningadvent3441 3 ай бұрын

It can be good to accurately define zone2 & zone3 for the viewers also 😊. 40min of ze once a wk in an 8-10hr run training wk works great in base phase to keep the type IIa fibres active. Z3 I define as 88-95% of A.T/LT2 heartrate.

@mrspoon6742 2 ай бұрын

As demoralising as this might sound for the beginner brisk walking is a better way of starting than running: it'll keep you in zone 2 although you'll need to put the hours in.

@chubbydinosaur9148 11 күн бұрын

Man that video was like a shoulder to cry on. When you're chronically ill, all doctors will give you crap for not being able to workout in zone 4 for multiple hours and needing days of recovery after it. Glad to hear that a well trained athlete can't do that either. I've came up with cycling on my home trainer for 20 minutes at an intensity that puts my heart rate at 120, with oxygen of course so I can do it for longer than just 5 minutes, without feeling like I'm dying and needing a 12 hour nap. Man did that get me a scolding 😂 The running and cycling community have helped me more with my heart condition than any doctor ever has. The maximum of my O² machine is a 9L flow and I've recently reduced to a 5L flow. My doctors say I'm not building true endurance, I'm just doping, but I'm feeling WAY better, have more energy, I sleep like a baby, my heart rate is stable and low and I'm decreasing the O² flow without noticing much.

@pegleggiraffe8238 Жыл бұрын

Recently I've run 5 miles a day for 7 days straight, and over I think 13 days with 2 days off all at zone 3 (one 7 mile long run also at zone 3), my fitness was right around the top of average (vo2 max) by age, I don't have muscle, I don't eat enough, and I have weak knees but I've had 0 problems ever recovering. I'm about to train for a marathon so I guess I'll see if zone 3 is as you say. (basically I just wasn't fit, ran a lot at zone 3 and I've been fine) I also trained brutally hard over ~2 months for a half marathon when I was 18, I didn't do zones but I basically always used to run in what would be top of zone 3 or zone 4 six days a week and was mostly fine. Did get a slight issue with my foot but I fixed it very quickly. this video is probably correct, but from my experience (only running) your body can probably tough it out while you're under idk like 35 years old maybe, and you're working less than 1.5 hrs a day

@stu3232 Жыл бұрын

Also something that isn't pointed out very often and is worth keeping in mind for new athletes training by HR is that zone 2 or 3 for running equates to a higher heart rate than zone 2 or 3 cycling. Using myself as an example with a max HR of 198 or so I do zone 2 riding at 130-140 bpm whereas zone 2 running is at 140-150. I start to fall into zone 3 above 140bpm on the bike, and above 150-155bpm running. Important to keep in mind to avoid overdoing it on the bike all the time!

@marxcanlas2845 Жыл бұрын

May I ask what's the reasoning behind the difference in values for zone 2? Thank you. I train on the same for run & bike, worried that I might be over reaching on the bike.

@the318pop Жыл бұрын

@@marxcanlas2845 you should observe that your heart rate is higher in every zone when running vs cycling. It's mostly because more muscle groups are utilised, and the heart needs to work harder to supply them.

@veganpotterthevegan Жыл бұрын

@Marx Canlas power meters are better than HR. But try holding your z4 HR on a run and the same HR on the bike and you'll see how much shorter of a time you can hold that same heart rate.

@stu3232 Жыл бұрын

@@marxcanlas2845 More muscles are recruited when running so generally your HR is higher than on the bike. Your perceived effort at say 160bpm on the bike will be higher than 160bpm when running. Like was mentioned below it can be more helpful to train with power zones on the bike. Once you know your FTP you can start to get a hold on what wattages apply in each zone. Generally your Z2 riding will be capped at about 70-75% of your FTP, anything above that and you'll start to slip into more of a tempo effort. So for your Z2 riding, try do most of it at .65-.75 of FTP. If your doing big rides of 3 hours plus for example, you may want to bring the power down slightly just to keep the amount of overall fatigue accumulated in check, but this is dependent on your fitness. The fitter you get, the higher % of FTP you'll be able to hold for given durations. Understanding your power numbers at each zone on the bike is key to training effectively on the bike, so get your FTP and go from there!

@erlendsteren9466 Жыл бұрын

I dont think the zones are different across different sports,but there are at least two different ways to figure it out. One way is percentage of max pulse, and another way is doing lactate test. My zone 3 calculated as percentage of heart rate is very similar to zone 2 after lactate and vo2 testing. My fysio said that my zone two after lactatetesting is high because of a 78% high treshold.

@joshuareid3746 10 ай бұрын

On the bike I have really good 10sec power and I can also ride in zone 2 for 8+ hours. But I really struggle to keep up with people on those 1-4 hour rides. Hoping some controlled zone 3 training will get me some improvement in the middle

@plyzct Жыл бұрын

The challenge for me as a beginner is understanding the difference between zone 2/3 as there’s so much conflicting info. My Apple Watch and training peaks and the GCN channel put my zone 2 ~135-145bpm. Zwift, GTN and omnicalculator put that as my zone 3. 🤷‍♂️

@acasualviewer5861 Жыл бұрын

if it feels boring and too slow, it's zone 2 if it feels energizing and awesome it's zone 3

@ccostantyt 8 ай бұрын

@plyzct, I have exactly the same challenge across TrainingPeaks and Zwift for z2 and 3. For the time being I trust more data from TrainingPeaks

@ginger1908 Жыл бұрын

I am in Z3 the majority of my efforts, long runs it's the entry point of Z3, long bike rides and swims more the mid point. There are times I go into Z4 but outside of warming up I'm never in Z2, it's too slow for me.

@danbenz6362 4 ай бұрын

Zone 2 doesn’t feel like exercise and takes a lot of time from my day. I try to make most my runs half zone 2 and then finishing just as I’m getting into zone 4. Only the day or two after a zone 4/5 workout will I stay in zone 2 the whole run.

@giodc8599 11 ай бұрын

Interesting to see that most of my "easy" runs are actually in zone 3 rather than 2 with my recovery runs actually falling into zone 2 instead. No issues for me and honestly i'd probably get a bit too bored running in zone 2.

@chaz4510 Жыл бұрын

I know from my own experience it’s all about recovery time and injury niggles. If I let my long runs stray too much into z3 I end up feeling it too much in the following days.

@mariomontesdeoca7312 3 ай бұрын

Running on the road I cannot stay in zone 2. Thanks for this video. All the KZfaq doctors are saying ‘ZONE2 for long life’. The recovery process makes more sense

@shirleysiu5958 7 ай бұрын

I train entirely in zone 3 5 times a week for over a year, no injury, no recovery problem. 5k 30+ minutes to 21 mins now. Half marathon at 5:00/km is easy for me. It works perfectly for me. I don't care what the "professionals" think.. Saying training in zone 3 is useless is far beyond stupid, if you gonna race in zone 3, the best training is in zone 3. If you are racing 100m, would you say training in 100m useless?

@SimonMathews Жыл бұрын

I'm an unfit, heavier middle aged guy who loves running, and am coming back from injury (bad shin splints) - the lack of fitness means a comfortably easy run has me in zone 3 anyway, and to get down to zone 2, I need to do a less comfortable stride, which I fear may be putting strain on my shins again due to a less natural feeling movement. Is it better to go for the natural, comfortable stride, and ignore zones until my fitness builds up enough again to lower my heart rate, or get some zone 2 in now also to hopefully lose weight a bit faster, easing the stress on my legs? Probably more a #GTNCoachesCorner question?

@Kurio71 8 ай бұрын

Just run comfortably

@johnshandle777 Жыл бұрын

I hate the term Grey training. I'm trying to switch to training which covers the whole spectrum of HR zones. Like you say if your in a training block need to be careful when and how to use zone 3. However out of training block, a decent zone 3 effort is great fun and you can gain a load of benefit both physically and mentally from it.

@ckirkwalsh Жыл бұрын

Run on feel, baby!

@user-ss1yl3bs6z 3 ай бұрын

Thanks for the video! What do you consider a "good" base, to include zone 3 training. Is running 10km with avg 150 bpm under 1 hour "good" enough? I hope you see my comment! And how many km would you advise me at that level to run in zone 3 ? Greetings from Germany

@bz1190 Жыл бұрын

I'm always confused with those zones as a casual runner with no real ambitions. My Garmin gives me 5 Zones, Zone 1 - Warm up, Zone 2 - easy, Zone 3 - aerob, Zone 4 - intensiv, Zone 5 - Maximum. It often suggests workouts in "Zone 3". I think this is supposed to be the famous zone 2?!

@yolandacroes5491 Ай бұрын

I live in the Caribbean and running in 90 degree weather is my daily bread. I often run in zone 3, no matter how slow I run. I won’t walk because I’m past that phase. It is what it is.

@someguyusa 10 ай бұрын

I'm a 34 year old male, regular strength training, lately restarted cardio training. What does it mean that my brisk walking pace is 120-130 bpm, and my slowest possible jogging pace results in like 184 bpm? I literally can't jog any slower without just briskly walking. I'm hoping it's just an indicator that I need to continue building my aerobic fitness which is pretty poor currently. My nighttime resting heart rate is 55-60 average.

@minipwn0422 9 ай бұрын

I just started running and I am so out of shape I have 2 options walk in zone one or light jog in zone 4

@michite7435 Жыл бұрын

Most of my training is done in zone 3 according to my garmin watch ... i cant for the life of me stay steady at zone 2 .

@jc10747 Жыл бұрын

If z3 is going to take an athlete longer to reach full recovery, and the program will go boom if the athlete misses that point, the video surely must explain a sure fire method of determining when the athlete has recovered. So what is it? How do we determine when we’re in fact recovered from the previous workout?

@derrywalker7835 Ай бұрын

I’m using tridot and I always have a z3 race rehearsal before a race. Today I’ve got 3:10 one the bike followed by 40mins off the bike run all at z3 in pre for the Mallorca 1/2 Ironman

@nickkapatais 6 күн бұрын

Zone 2 mostly but I do intervals. I do say 4 minutes of zone 2 and then 2 minutes of zone 3-4 then back to 2 for four minutes. I do this for about 30 minutes. I think it's helping a lot doing this instead of a 30 minute streak in z2.

@ryanmiskin8925 20 күн бұрын

I love staying in zone 3 the most, it puts me at a solid pace that feel smooth/natural but doesn't stress my body out like running threshold sessions. I basically stay 15-30sec/mile slower than my marathon pace and just lock it in. It puts me at a HR of around 165, which I can hold for as long as I want to so long as I stay properly fueled on long runs.

@CrumblingCube Ай бұрын

Training up for a marathon and did a 35k in zone 3 to get a feel for it. I'm a proponent of "train how you fight" and "nothing new on race day." I'm planning on tackling the full 42.2 in z3, so it only made sense to try it first. Last thing I wanted was to go into the race and conk out just short of the finish line. It felt great. I think it's the only time I've felt a proper runner's high, but the amount of recovery time was double of what it'd be if I took that run in zone 2, with a tiny bit of zone 3 towards the end. Perfectly good for a long race, but wouldn't want to train in it long-term.

@kimbellakurniawan7269 5 ай бұрын

i'm just gonna run and enjoy myself. screw this zone 2 and 3.

@Jumpingstarpony 11 ай бұрын

Well I can't even run in Zone 3 for a long time because my heart rate goes up very fast. So most of my running is in Zone 4, sometimes even in Zone 5. And I'm not a very fast runner (6 min/km). If I run a 7 min pace, I may manage to fall into a low Zone 4 but running like this is somewhat unnatural and is heavy on my knees. I run about 3 times per week around 30-50 minutes each, but still I don't get my heart rate lower. Any tips?

@kyleroode5217 Ай бұрын

I used to run all the time, but took 10 years off and am now getting back into it. I used to exclusively run 5ks, but want to try a 10k once I have gotten the 5k down again. I seem to have a lot of success training in zone five. For me zone 2 would basically be fast walking since I’m out of shape, and that seems like it won’t help me at all. My last run was 4.25mi and I spent almost 40 minutes of that run in zone five. Is this bad for me or something? I always feel great after, and in the last month I’ve gone from about a 10:45 pace for 4 miles down to 10:15. It seems like zone five is working for me.

@stevemcq75 Жыл бұрын

I'm a casual runner, I run 5km 2-3 times per week, with at least two of those runs in Zone 3. When I do this my Garmin tells me I've focused on my Base, which I would normally associate with Zone 2. Is this good, bad or indifferent?

@frederichenry3956 Ай бұрын

I'm a beginner. 4 months experience 3X/week. My long runs/jogging are done in zone 3. No choice as my zone 2 is still difficult to achieve while running. But I feel good there at zone 3 anyway, nasal breathing, I can even talk a little bit. So zone 3 is my friend in the meantime. And later zone 2 will kick in and I will switch.

@jasonhilton-ft3iz Ай бұрын

Louisiana. 83 degrees 100% humidity. I'm in zone 4 at half mile. 12:50 mile

@Larsschmidt14 11 ай бұрын

Zone 3 or 4 works best for me. With a small kid on my hands I need to get a lot of out of the 3 hours i got per week, and hence I got lots of recovery time, so the recovery problem is not really an issue.

@foldinghome8593 Жыл бұрын

I frankly still don't understand. Maybe I understand for an athlete with unlimited time available --> "to get their volume". But what's right for someone who's only 3 to 4 hours per week time available inlcuding group/fun rides?

@Scarl37 11 ай бұрын

What's confusing is some heart rate charts depict Z2 as 60-70% and others 70-80%. I use the Maffetone Method and that puts me in a range that is 70-80%

@douglasbooth6836 Ай бұрын

Any excercise is good. Zone 2 is great for getting you fit without injuries, zone 4/5 for strectching your capabilities and your ability to suffer. Zone 3 if you are calling it race pace is the best one you should train at. In my mind, loads of zone 2, some harder than race pace and and race pace is where your body is going to need to feel comfortable. You need to train there.

@insertrandomnamehere764 5 ай бұрын

I always train at zone 3 for marathon and ultra racing. Zone 2 just feels so slow and feels like I'm working harder to go the same distance. (Not lungs just legs)

@lol-gb5vt Жыл бұрын

respect that he actually reads the comments

@vikroy3777 7 ай бұрын

A bit late to the party. I only run 4 times a week and with that I always take the day off after my long run so overtraining isn't really much of an issue. I always feel so much better doing a zone 3 long run rather than more zone 2 which is great for midweek recovery

@aimson Ай бұрын

My take is that Z3 is not ideal for overall efficiency, which is why I personally don't. I just don't do a lot of cardio since I prefer weight lifting. But that doesn't mean you don't get a specific benefit from Z3 that you may not get from other zones. I imagine that doing a mix of all zones is really the best for athletes or those who are really trying to push performance or get into racing shape.

@hervevazeilles3790 2 ай бұрын

I am 52 never did any sport in my life before ladt year. I now run everyday for 30 to 35 minutes a +-100 elevation 4k circuit at a heart rate between 160 and 170 (I ll walk to get back below 170 if I stay above for too long). Base on your graph that would be a full 30min zone 5. I don't have more than those 30ish minutes a day to workout. Am I pushing too hard? I sustained this for the last 6 month mostly, but moving around those 100kg up and down hill, I would be in zone 3 just walking.

@marcoc2706 11 ай бұрын

I guess my fitness app (Zepp) is a bit wacky. It calls zone 3 "aerobic" and zone 2 "intensive" (zone 1 "light", 4 "anaerobic", and 5 "vo2 max"). I'm relatively new to running. Heard good things about zone 2 training just recently and started trying it. But, no success so far. Just fast walking would get me to zone 2 heart rate. Once I started running (6-7min/km speed), it would jump to zone 4 & 5 pretty quick...

@Tassaczek Жыл бұрын

I just clicked create a program in polar flow and I stopped thinking about which zone it should be. I just follow training program :D

@eltribun 11 ай бұрын

I don`'t do Z3 at all... since in my view training is all about biological adaption, and for that you need to go beyond a certein threshold,which forces the body to adapt...Z3 the system can manage with the given fitnesslevel, just using more carbs than in Z2, but it does not require adaptions that much.... so when you go Z4 and Z5 on a weekly basis, it enables you to go Z3 for longer anyway...

@AdrianTregoning Ай бұрын

Most peoples' long runs with creep into zone 3 anyway as a result of cardiac drift. And if you look at ultras, for the average Joe on the street their average will be zone 3. In the end, variety is needed.

@rogerjanczak4110 10 ай бұрын

For running, it’s easy for me to stay in Zone 2, but for swimming it’s nearly impossible even though I swim regularly. Do others have to same experience? Any tips on how to stay in Zone 2 while swimming?

@escostar6331 7 ай бұрын

I've given up with swimming in Zone 2 and just use it for swashbuckling all out intensity swims. Zone 2 I can maintain easier in running/cycling which coincindentally gives me the fitness for swimming further in those high intensity sessions.

@tomq9644 Жыл бұрын

I'm confused. How does this explanation fit with the Norwegian approach to Lactate Threshold training? A high volume of LT sessions per week with zone 1-2 filing in the rest, but it seems like Z3 is too slow for LT effects, but also too fast for recovery? Maybe Z3 is still only useful for Ironman?

@markthrelfall3577 11 ай бұрын

Good question. I can’t say for sure, without seeing their programmes, but lactate testing does not mean they are necessarily doing a LT session. They may be checking locate to make sure they are in fact in Z3 for instance. I do suspect they do a lot of LT work too though.

@MurhsiziJessica Жыл бұрын

Great now i understand

@user-bm6mf1ei7h 10 ай бұрын

I still don’t get the zone thing. Zone 2 for me is walking up a hill. Zone 3 is what I try to stay in during my runs. Zone 4 is where I seem to sit when I run without looking at my watch. And zone 5 is race pace. I did my last half almost exclusively in zone 5 and felt great. Heart Rate was a worry at one point 175 bpm for about 6 miles. So do I need to manually edit the zone on my watch or is there a definition of zone training that’s clearer? For instance in your video I think you say zone 5 people can do for about 20 minutes, I’ve been in it for over 2 hours before.

@theunknown21329 2 ай бұрын

Nobody on this planet can do 2 hours of zone 5. It's metabolically impossible. Recalculate your zones. What you did must be zone 2-3.

@neilwillis4694 Жыл бұрын

I can do zone 2 runs easy, but on a bike it's impossible as there are too many hills which will always put me into zone 3 or 4 and then there's the 20% hills which will put me in to zone 5