Both strength and endurance training are complex matters. Anyone who just starts training without having a plan will probably not achieve their performance goal. Especially in endurance training, it is important to pay attention to so-called training zones or training areas. FITBOOK explains the training zones and why you should train in zone 2 in particular.
When it comes to endurance training, a lot revolves around the optimal heart rate. Depending on the goal, the workout should move in certain areas. Training in the so-called zone 2 is particularly important. FITBOOK asked the expert Enrico Zessin, sports physician and association doctor from the German Athletics Association, about this.
The five training zones and what they are good for
Training zones are specific heart rate ranges between resting and maximum physical exertion.
- Zone 1: Very light training, takes place at 50 to 60 percent of the maximum heart rate, serves general health, helps with regeneration
- Zone 2: Light exercise, done at 60 to 70 percent of your maximum heart rate, improves overall endurance and helps tap into body fat for energy
- Zone 3: Demanding training, carried out at 70 to 80 percent of the maximum heart rate, increases aerobic fitness
- Zone 4: Hard training, done at 80 to 90 percent of maximum heart rate, increases speed endurance while using carbohydrates for energy
- Zone 5: Very hard training, done at 90 to 100 percent of maximum heart rate, improves peak performance
This is how you determine the heart rate or pulse
Although heart rate, heartbeat, and pulse are technically different terms, they are often used interchangeably. The heart rate also corresponds to the pulse rate, which is measured with a heart rate monitor on the wrist, for example. Because the pounding of the blood on the vessel walls caused by the heartbeat is called the pulse.
The heart rate is very individual for each person and depends not only on genetics, gender and age, but also on the level of training. In untrained people, the resting heart rate can be between 60 and 100 beats per minute. In trained endurance athletes, the heart muscle is larger and stronger, pumping more blood per beat. This results in a lower heart rate, which can range from 40 to 50 beats per minute, even lower in elite marathoners, as our expert confirms.
4 methods to measure the heart rate
- Measure wrist pulse: For example, by pressing your right index finger against the artery on your left wrist, you can feel the pulse in the vein. You count the pulse beats within 15 seconds, multiply them by four and get the pulse value.
- Measure pulse on neck: Analogous to the wrist measurement, except that you count the beats on the carotid artery (below the lower jaw at the level of the ear).
- Measure heart rate: To do this, place your hand on your heart and count the beats in the same way as methods 1 and 2.
- Measurement with heart rate device: Heart rate monitors on the wrist or heart rate belts enable continuous measurement even during training. Chest straps are more precise than sensors in fitness trackers and smart watches that use light-sensitive photodiodes.
Also interesting: With sport, the resting heart rate can be lowered
How do you find out your maximum heart rate (HRmax)?
The maximum heart rate is reached with the greatest possible physical exertion. This value is also called HRmax, which is given in heartbeats per minute and corresponds to the pulse. Like the resting heart rate, the maximum heart rate also depends on age, gender, genetic predisposition and personal training status. In contrast to the resting heart rate, determining the maximum heart rate is somewhat more complex. There are various formulas that can be used to determine HRmax, but since these do not take personal predisposition into account, they only ever provide an estimated value. In this respect, the following two methods are much more accurate.
Also interesting: Can you specifically influence your heart rate?
Determine HRmax with a sports medicine examination
If you want to know exactly, it is best to do a performance diagnosis with a sports doctor. This is the only way to determine the HRmax value exactly, explains sports physician Enrico Zessin. Here not only the individual heart rate ranges are measured, but also the lactate values in the blood. For example, you know exactly at what heart rate the muscles become acidic. In addition, the test takes place under medical supervision, which is important for untrained people and people who are very overweight.
Also interesting: What the VO2max value can reveal about your endurance
Determine maximum heart rate by self-test
Anyone who has already trained and has already reached their performance limits without any health problems can also take the self-test. This is best done while running or on an exercise bike (ergometer) with a heart rate monitor on your wrist or with a chest strap (chest straps are usually more accurate). The test goes as follows:
- First, warm up for at least ten minutes at a relaxed pace.
- Then you increase your speed within three minutes: the first minute easy, the second minute already towards the performance limit and the third minute at the absolute maximum performance.
- Please do not stop immediately afterwards, but actively recover at a relaxed pace.
The heart rate determined at the limit corresponds to the maximum heart rate. If you want to be sure, repeat the three-minute test twice more.
Also interesting: How can I determine my maximum heart rate correctly?
Why Zone 2 training is so important
Hobby athletes in particular often don’t take easy «Zone 2» training seriously enough. They prefer to move in the strenuous training zones 3 and 4, because you have the feeling that you are demanding more from your body and therefore doing more for your performance. But if you push yourself to the limit too often, you risk exhausting your body too much. «The training effect is then only moderate, since the circulation and muscles always work in the slight overload and only a small adjustment or increase in performance is possible,» says the sports physician Zessin.
With «Zone 2» training, you move in the area of basic endurance (GA), i.e. with moderate cardiovascular stress over a longer period of time, explains the expert. This takes place in the area of aerobic metabolism, with the main purpose being to burn fat to generate energy. It serves as the basis for almost all sports, but is particularly important in endurance and ball sports. Because this training not only provides strength, but also increases cardiovascular performance. It also optimizes the (muscle) metabolism. You can even train your speed based on basic endurance through further intensive training units.
«The basic endurance forms the foundation, so you can say: only those who train slowly can also become faster,» says Enrico Zessin.
How Much Zone 2 Training Is Ideal?
Ultimately, it’s about making your training as varied as possible. Many athletes therefore follow the 80/20 rule, which means they spend 80 percent of their training in zone 2 and 20 percent in (highly) intensive units.
Experto Enrico Zessin recommends zone 2 training two to three times a week for at least 45 to 60 minutes (or longer).
Also interesting: Strength training or cardio – which is better for burning fat?
5 good reasons to train in zone 2 more often
- The low-intensity zone 2 training is ideal for preparing the body for or recovering from intensive training sessions.
- Zone 2 training increases endurance. Anyone who moves at 60 to 70 percent of their maximum heart rate can easily train for one to two hours and talk to a training partner, for example.
- In zone 2 you boost fat burning. In this way you not only get rid of your fat deposits, but also get your body used to activating the fat metabolism more often. This is very important for marathon runs, for example, in order to conserve carbohydrate stores, says Zessin.
- Zone 2 training is particularly good for your health and can even help you live longer. If you train more often for one to two hours at low intensity, you lower your blood pressure and resting heart rate, strengthen the blood vessels, have a healthier metabolism and a better immune system. In addition, the number of mitochondria and their effectiveness increases. These are the power plants in the cells of our body that serve to generate energy. The better they function, the better they protect against diabetes, for example. As Enrico Zessin confirms, zone 2 training can protect against obesity, high blood pressure, metabolic diseases such as diabetes, heart and lung diseases and even cancer.
- All the positive health effects ensure an increase in the general quality of life into old age.
Without a heart rate monitor, how do I know if I’m training in Zone 2?
Anyone who does not know their HRmax and cannot correctly classify where 60 to 70 percent of their maximum heart rate lies should pay attention to their body, the perceived exertion and, above all, their breathing. So you can feel, even without a heart rate monitor, whether you are in zone 2 or already above. For example, runners should be able to converse with a training partner without much effort. The effort is easy, you feel like you can go on for hours. You are in a kind of flow, in a flow of movement, where you hardly feel the muscle contraction.
Anyone who begins to breathe more deeply, finds it difficult to hold a conversation and feels their muscles at work is already in zone 3. However, those who feel underchallenged and find the training too easy are probably in zone 3 Zone 1. That means training in zone 2 feels like the sweet spot between exertion and relaxation – you just feel good about it.
Also interesting: No progress in training? The most common mistake
The problem with training by zones
Training based on heart rate or the corresponding training zones is subject to strong daily fluctuations of up to 15 beats per minute. «Various factors have an influence: sleep, stress, diet – for example, whether you do sports on an empty stomach – the time of day, a slight infection, the outside temperature, etc. This means that the personally defined training zones can easily shift,» explains Enrico Zessin.
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