Doing 9 hours of zone 2 a week at the moment. Lactate testing is the best. Power is not a good method but hr is. Your body doesn’t know what power you are putting out it does know how hard your training. I’m doing all my zone 2 at 2700 meters altitude. Heart rate still the same but power well down. If you have no idea a good guess is 180 minus your age. Not perfect but without testing it’s the best. If you are on a ketogenic diet it will put the tests all wrong. Lactate should be below 1.9.
Great video! Yes and yes, respectively. The mistake I was doing for quite a while was doing my Z2 a bit easier than I should; training in Z2 when I'm well rested is maintaining about 200W at around 130 bpm, at which I can breathe through the nose and hold a conversation but you could tell I'm training if you tried which is about right. I used to do my easy training rides at about 170-180W average which is a bit on the easier side for me. One or sometimes two hard sessions per week and the rest strictly Z2 is really working well - did all my races better and stronger this year than last.
We used chewing gum as a cruise control. If you are able to chew normally all fine, if you want to spit it out because it feels like it blocks your breathing you are too fast. Always used it on my own because lack of proper conversation testers ;)
Thank you so much for this video and all the research you put into it! I have a mitochondrial mutation and zone 2 riding every day is really helping. I started out as a study participant for research to see if zone 2 training would help people with mito mutations and it has been so good that I just kept going and am now planning to ride from Rostock to Salzburg to help raise awareness for mito diseases.
Really interesting Rebekah, so does this condition negatively affect your energy production? Presumably zone2 helps to mitigate the effects of your illness and stabilise your energy levels?
@@Astraeus73 great question! yes it does quite significantly impact my energy production. The study was looking at whether zone 2 would help stabilise this and allow for regular exercise to improve fitness. The idea being that it would prevent further degeneration. It seems to be working so it might eventually lead to a replicable program for people with mito disease.
@@RebekahWegener What a great way to use your particular circumstances to help improve the lives of others as well. Well done to be in that study, and keep putting in the work!
Back in the 90's I used to be a Triathlete and one of the big names in training at the time was a guy called Dr Phillip Maffatone. His method was used by many of the big names of the time, like Mark Allan, 5 times Ironman Hawaii winner, Mike Pigg and many more. At the time almost all training was HR based and Maffatone had a simple method to work out your aerobic maximum zone, essentially Z2. This was 180-your age with a couple of qualifiers to add or subtract 5 heart beats to your zone depending on your fitness/health at that time. I found this to be pretty accurate in subsequent years compared to testing with modern methods. He also promoted 80% training time in Z2 or Maximum Aerobic Function (MAF) and 20% of training being dedicated to intervals and higher intensities. The stated aim of this training method was to increase mitocondria and red blood count. Sounds very much like Inego San Milans method only 30yrs earlier.
Thanks , a nice and simple method. 180-52 = 128 plus minus 5 is similar to what I've just started out for 1hr cycle low intensity of around 115 to 120bpm . So I can kinda like this one will check it out for more detail cheers
Doesn't sound that great. I mean if he was training elite athletes most of them would be around the same age - not a lot of 50+ running in the olympics, and have more or less the same level of fitness and health. Implying he told them all z2 was the same HR. I'd suggest they either probably already knew better methods in the 1990s of establishing and defining z2, and, if not, we certainly do now as the video attests. If you lack a lab test it's probably best not to base it on power (because, after all you're hoping to increase the power you do at z2 but if you always ride along at 220 watts you'll always be doing 220 watts won't you?) And HR is affected by so many different factors, especially indoors vs outdoors - it can be slow to react to changes in intensity - we mostly abandoned HR training and bought power meters for these reasons. No, I'd suggest the RPE methods are probably the best and then your HR and Power are things you study afterwards - so you can say "I was averaging 140 watts on my z2 rides at first, now I'm doing 180w"
After listening to Dr. San-Millan on two favourite sources - GCN & Peter Attia - I'm sold, for both general health and bike fitness. Excellent video on zone 2 - well done.
I have been searching for my zone 2, and last week I went all the way to the fysiotherapist with Vo2 test and lactate-test. The answer was that zone 2 was a lot harder than I had calculated based on persentage of pulse. This test put zone two so high that I realized i had much more zone2 riding than I had imagined. The week before I was performing the talk-test which also implicated that zone 2 was on relatively high pulse. I was able to sing "Nobody knows (Paul Robson)" riding a 5% steep 1 kilometer climb when the pulsewatch was roughly 140-145. I am 61 years old, with max pulse 178, zone 2 from 129-147. Treshold pulse 156-160. VO2-using 78%. The fysiotherapist asked if I had did very much treshold-riding because 78% VO2 is very high. Maybe I have. Going to work in 48 minutes is maybe in zone 2 for almost half an hour, and escalates to threshold and beyond in the final climb, the last 15 minutes. Conclusion, if you really want to pinpoint zone 2 this lactate test gives good answers.
I’ve been practicing like that for a while and it is very effective. I don’t know if you mentioned this in the video, I do not recall it; it one of the other benefits of practicing in that zone is the fact that you are always on aerobic breathing. Since you are aerobic the muscles don’t have to strain themselves and the athlete does not get injured much if ever. Also, since the by product of anaerobic respiration is lactic acidosis then you are not in pain after training and recover very fast. For this reason you can train almost on a daily basis. Consistency is what makes great athletes not going hard today and then you don’t train for days because you are in pain or injured
I echo much of the comment already posted. I have been trying to get to grips with "zone 2" for a while and a while ago concluded that I was wasting my time keeping to my HR based Z2 level having spotted information about relative perceived exertion. This video brilliantly gets over what you need to do to work out your metabolic Zone 2 and is backed up by proper scientific data. Excellent!
Yes, this is very interesting! What I'm finding out through these vids is that proper Zone 2 is quite a lot higher than just my "Zone 2 HR Chart reading". I can breathe through my nose into my lower Zone 4 HR reading... I haven't tried the conversation test yet...
I've watched all Simon's Zone 2 GCN RUclips videos. I've also watched other Dr. San Millan videos on Zone 2 and the health benefits. I'm 74 and have been following these talk procedure for 7 months. I feel great and my fellow cyclist can't believe how fast I am. I also like Simon's video on Zone 4 and Anaerobic Capacity
Thanks so much for this. I'm almost 57yrs old and on my ride yesterday I could still have a conversation at 165bpm. I was wondering how on earth that could be zone2, but now I know! BTW my max hr is around 187bpm and my resting hr is around 50bpm sometimes lower.
Just please… more… of … this … stuff !!! So so helpful and would love to see an analysis of how to create a working plan given your targets. E.g. should I be doing under overs; vo2 4 minute sets; sprints etc)
I just finished the podcasts with Peter Attia and Inigo last night. Watching this vid is the perfect finish to that because you showed an example of low zone 2 convo. Something I've been looking for is actual examples of a zone 2 talk test. Right about what I thought it was too. Great vid GCN.
This was super helpful. I’ve been struggling to find my “Zone 2” for quite a while in training, with my heart rate being higher than I feel it should be for how the perceived effort is feeling. But knowing that it can fluctuate from person to person and that it isn’t just a simple % of your max HR is really good to know!
@@thisandthat1233 Yeah, it definitely varies from day to day, depending on last night's sleep and who knows what else. Without all the tests available to me, I still use % of HR max as a reference point, and vary between 70% and 80% of HR max, averaging around 75%. I just make sure that I'm breathing through my nose consistently, and can talk normally/sing. I notice that I seem to be in Zone 2 at a higher HR lately, and I attribute that to my 1x weekly HIIT session. Peter Attia trains in Zone 2 at >80% of max HR.
I REALLY think it would be helpful to spend a decent amount of time showing a rider talking while riding below Zone 2, at low/mid zone 2, at Upper Zone 2, and then how there talking changes as they move to Zone 3. Zone 2 may be the most important training tool we have so giving regular people the most specific videos on how to find it is critical imo. Great video But just thi k they needed to specifically show the different examples pkes of what talking is like in different zones
It would be quite hard to show. Past zone 2, riders can no longer hold these zones indefinitely and thus, they get more tired in them the longer they are in these zones. Thus, talk8ng in zone 3 earlyon would be differentfrom talking in zone 3 later. It also takes a bit of time within a zone before you're really in a new zone. If you're simply dipping your heart rate into zone 3 on super short climbs, your body is really sticking within it's zone 2 limits. A short spike in HR is fine. It's the sustained HRs in these zones that change things. In the vast majority of GCN videos, these guys are in zone 2 which can be seen by how well they talk to the cameras while riding.
Quite simply one of the best and most useful videos I've seen on YT. Would be great to see you build from this with science backed advice for those of us who want to lose weight or improve riding performance through cycling. Probably 2 different approaches needed, bit would be great to see.
GCN is great for some science, but if I am allowed to advertise a different channel as well, look at Dylan Johnson in the USA for science based stuff around polarised training and a lot more besides. www.youtube.com/@DylanJohnsonCycling
I’m glad this is all coming to light again.. when I was a junior it was ALL about base miles to build up aerobic base and it seemed I / we all forgot that - I was guilty of being the time crunched cyclist mentioned in your videos and going nowhere fast and getting demoralised. Even when I ran I followed the 80:20 rule but never seemed to use it in cycling.. I’m glad these videos have emerged again as it’s opened up the nugget of information my brain had somehow forgotten/thought was irrelevant..!!
Thanks for the video. I am not an athlete but rather a 49 year old male who is about 40 to 50 pounds overweight. I just recently learned about Zone 2 training and have been trying to find Zone 2 on a treadmill that has a power meter and heart rate monitor. I was considering switching to an elliptical machine to help preserve my joints but I think now I will begin working on a stationary bike. It would be nice to be able to monitor lactate to insure that I am remaining in Zone 2. Best wishes.
Something to bear in mind for those using a heart rate monitor and breathing effort: I'm a runner and a cyclist and while I'm rubbish at both but I've been recording my heart rate data for nearly 20 years. I've found that when I'm on the bike I can record much higher heart rates while being able to carry on a conversation than I can when running. I'm not sure if this means that my running Zone 2 and my cycling Zone 2 are therefore different with respect to my heart rate but I need to gauge my effort by different means on a bike than when I run.
@@NILSZWARTDOEK I don't, nor do I particularly care so haven't looked into it. My suggestion is to have a look at the MAF Method by Phil Maffetone who (I believe) pioneered this idea.
Great presentation, Si. One small fact to make this topic more easily digested (pun intended): oxygen is required in the mitochondria to convert fat into energy (ATP). Zone 2 to Zone 3 simply means that your exertion is exceeding your respiratory system's ability to take in oxygen, which is why the conversation metric works. If you can't talk you are going too hard to bring in enough oxygen to metabolize fat as fuel. Lactate then becomes the metabolic byproduct, and if you don't keep consuming carbs in that state you will bonk.
@@ozrobmit The whole process of converting fuel to energy in animals is called cellular respiration. Carbs come in many forms (saccharides), but all contain glucose which is the primary fuel for all cells. Glucose can be metabolized in muscle cells with oxygen (aerobic: CO2 + H2O byproduct) or without (anaerobic: lactic acid byproduct). Fats easily become metabolized when glucose runs low (after glycogen stores have been depleted), but only in the presence of oxygen. This means zone 2 (abundant oxygen through breathing) can be maintained for long periods, and the more you train in zone 2, the more you build that capacity. Therefore if you are going zone 3 and up for too long you must keep eating carb rich foods or you bonk. Proteins can even be converted to energy in this process, and this needs oxygen too, but I think this only occurs in starvation. Look up cellular respiration at khan academy if you want a deep dive.
At 04:18 you make a lot of sense. I do a lot of low heart rate training and I ran track in college. My watch has all of my information and says that my zone 2 is 118 - 147, but I can hold a somewhat comfortable conversation at 155-165 and I run marathons at 165-175 bpm
I have been implementing more and more Z2 training in my yearly riding plan. Your video was excellent, Si, especially your summary comments. This is a well done video, thank you!
It's my 4th week of Z2 training and I can say, I love it. I do "feel" my legs after 45-60 minutes in Z2 and I noticed that with every workout I need to push one extra W to stay in the zone. I use my HR Z3 (137-157bpm) given by my Garmin devices and I can say that that's the zone by using conversation method.
Delivering food on a bicycle is also Z2 training. Just cycling along for a few hours, knowing how to pace yourself so you won't burn out. Using my hardtail for the extra resistance, quite fun!
This is great info. This year I have pushed hard almost every ride (setting route pb’s) of my 1500 miles and was wondering why the fat isn’t burning off as it has in the past. Long slow winter rides with occasional sprints it is!
I was not aware that the top of zone 2 goes up as you get fitter. Also, I didn't know that if you get above zone 2 that it would take 30 minutes to get back into the correct metabolic state! Very good to know!
well, if your Z2 goes to 150BPM and you ride 5 minutes at 151 BPM, it's not like you're on carb power now. but once you shift to 160 bpm, it might take a while. if you wanted to ride 180bpm, you're having a problem now. also, metabolic shift not to forget. ride 4 hours in Z2 and it becomes diffiult to not be above 150bpm for your Z2 power ;-)
"Zone 2" is sub ventilatory threshold workloads. That's quite a broad definition and I appreciate your taking the time to explain that it's the upper limits of that sub-vt pace that riders should be targeting in these sessions. Imo, many riders understand Z2 to mean "super easy" and they don't t see positive training benefits in the time they have. With that in mind it might be helpful for many athletes to understand these metrics relative to commonly used training metrics like FTP (even if imprecise).
Absolutely love this content! More Si the Scientist! I'm not a racer, but I AM interested in fitness on the bike. This confirms what I have always suspected. I used to use the talk test for running. Great that it works/translates to cycling! Si is right also that you can't forget the other 20%. You have to do some HIIT too and I do. Glad the science confirms my intuition! Mitochondria Rule!
I read Breathe by James Nestor earlier this year. Stick with the nose breathing, the longer you do it, the better you get at it. There are said to be many advantages, including improving the efficiency of your oxygen uptake, and even expanding your lung capacity. Great book, well worth a read.
If we think about it rationally; 1) both nose and mouths leads the air down to the lungs via the same route. The nose can take a smaller amount of air/minute and the path is hindered via nose hair which works as a filter for particules. The mouth on the other hand has a much clearer path down to the lungs. 2) Life is efficient. If there would be advantages as to get better oxygen uptake, humans would breath through the nose when things get tough. But we don't, because it isnt as effective. 3) lung capacity doesnt decrease or increase depending on which way your air takes. Based on this, I wouldn't consider the book as great, nor that it would be worth reading.
Extremely useful and something I suspected all along that you can't use the age old HRZ estimate method based off age/max HR. I always rode harder than the calculated Z2 but always felt like it did more good that way and critically still sustainable for 4-5 hours. Reassuring and also useful for me to go and refine it. Cheers.
Haven't finished the vid yet, but a different zone calc is (%(maxbpm-resting bpm)+restingbpm). So for example if Z2 is 60-65%, and your max is 190, resting is 45bpm, the lower end of the zone would be 0.60*(190-45)+45=132bpm and the higher end would be 139bpm. I've felt this to be more accurate personally :)
@@philbond87 that's great to hear! I've stumbled upon it last week, bought a book about HR-based training in a secondhand store and came across it. Immediately after sharing my discovery, my girlfriend told me she knew about it for years, but never bothered to tell me hahaha I'm going to try both methods as well, to see if they also match for myself!
@@philbond87 apparantly it's called 'heart rate reserve', which I guess means something like 'usable heartrate range'.. My garmin device has the option to use that instead, so I turned that on just now :)
I wish I would hear this information back in 2017. At that time all I do was smashed all my soul on every ride. I changed from HIIT to another HIIT..., just a year, my performance went stagnant.
Great video. GCN at its non commercial best. I know - “if we didn’t have a commercial model we couldn’t do this”!! But this is why I started watching GCN all those years ago. Thanks Si.
Very interesting, thanks. Issue I personally see is the hills around here mean I'm usually either puffing my way up or taking it easy-ish on the way down. A lengthy 'zone 2' section would be bliss :)
i really enjoy these videos when gcn uses science to help teach us. I got my bachelors in kinesiology and and its nice to just re confirm what i've learned.
4:00 - tweak your settings on GPS Unit: just raise your max heart rate value in Garmin/ Wahoo as you get fitter. According to my age my max HR is 173. If u use that the unit's zone2 is my physical zone 1. So I tweak it, then increase maxHR. then the zone2 I get tallies with perceived exertion and I can have a light conversation and ride
Great video. I used to think that most group rides or organized zwift events could be done in Zone 2. However, it seems that Z2 training is much more intentional due to the fact you can not leave the zone and come back to it instantaneously.
Another cracking video. Clear, clinical and easier to absorb than an SiS gel. Worked out that I am probably training at Zone minus 2. Ground breaking. Keep making the classy vids: love ‘em.
This video helped me more than any other to understand what zone 2 is and how to find it. Really excellent explanation regarding RPE...it was so clear to see how accurate the RPE was to all of the scientific testing.
Good video, another way of measuring Zone 2 with the conversation method - if you are talking to someone on the phone they should be able to tell that you are exercising, without being totally out of breath 👍
Awesome video! I was pleasantly surprised to find that the upper end of zone 2 is probably a little higher than what I had originally researched. This makes my commute that much more important to my waistline!
@@bradley5431 If you have a Garmin, and probably any other make, you can set an alert based on heart rate zones. so set it to go off as you go into zone 3 and it will beep!!
@@MrTedJourney I do, and it does... LOL!! After about 3 hours, zone 2 starts to feel a little more like work though so I'm good. Just have to keep an eye on it when i'm fresh.
Since I started my cycling again and have began incorporating a commute to work, I try to be in a conversational zone specifically to be in zone 2, but to also not be as sweaty for when I get to work. I just talk out loud to myself while riding to make sure I'm still roughly at the same intensity. I also wear a HR monitor, and my zone 2 seems to be from 139-151 bpm.
Also what age group are you? My zone 2 when using the conversation method is 123-128. I'm 59 and tap out at 157 ish. Resting is mid 50's. Just for comparison.
@@gcn I do tend slip and find myself in lvl 3 intensity at hills..., but it seems to be a simple machismo thing, I just tell myself to stick to casual. So far, it's been effective.
@@alkeeling614 I'm 45, 214 lbs and very out of shape. My Garmin HR monitor puts me at a 189 max HR, when I go full gas, and calculates my zone 2 within the same range as my conversational testing has put me at as well. I'm not sure my resting HR. I guess I'd have to check it when I first wake up for the day right?
@@R.W.Wiley77 Take your resting HR anytime, it doesn't vary much so long as you have been resting for several minutes and not watching a thriller and having a cuppa.
This is really helpful, I'm a bit old ( 67 ) and my max HR should be about 155, but I regularly hit 180 going around the South Surrey Hills, I changed my Z2 on Strava to match HR 140, which seems to fit. Now I know a lot more to help me stay in Z2 indoors 😀, as it is impossible out on my roads ( without a lot of walking😢 ) Thank you so much.
I have heard a claim that people have massively varying max heart rates and can vary by dozens of beats per minute. As a teen athlete I once got to 220 running sprinting up a short steep hill without air in my lungs in the middle of a run being already taxed. It felt horrible and I had to sit down. Your mileage may vary. Interestingly my sport watch now puts me roughly at the old rule of 180-age for zone 2. I am a few beats above it, but unlike Si said in the video, i am not trained at the moment but seem to have a faster beating heart than average. So thereabouts.
I'm 56, and at about 178 these days I start to see stars and feel "a sense of doom" as such, so I consider my max 176. But I will *never* hit those numbers cycling, only running or nordic skiing. Cycling my max is more like 168, same with swimming. My RHR is in the 40s, sometimes is as low as 38 when I'm really rested. I come from a cross country running background.
Your max heartrate "shouldn't" be anything, it just is what it is: The fastest your heart can beat. All those are related formulas (220-age and the like) are just averages of that over a big population, but the spread from individual to individual is massive. Especially for active older people, those formulas are highly inaccurate. The proper way to find your actual max heartrate is to warm up and do some sort of a ramp test where you hit your maximum effort (increasing power by about 20W every minute is one that I have seen). Take the number at the end of that is your max heartrate (or a few BPM less at most). I did one with running, where it was: Warmup - 4 minutes medium, 3 minutes hard, 1 minute all out.
This video was perfect for me. I watched the previous interview and read a bit online, but couldn't quite make sense of the differences. My heart rate monitor said zone 2, my power meter said zone 1, and my effort felt like I was being lazy. The explanation around 4 minutes really cleared stuff up for me. Thanks Si!
Very well done. I live in a hilly area , usually do 1K feet of climbing for every 10 miles. so its very difficult to stay in zone 2. I could go on the trainer but the reason I bike is because i like to be outdoors as much as possible , that is the fun part. Any recommendations on how to stay in zone 2 outdoors would be great.
your heart rate is a lot higher than I expected. my garmin watch told me zone two for me is between 101-128bpm or something like that, but that just felt to easy. this encourages me to experiment a bit more. thanks!
Been Low heart traning (MAF Maffatone) for a year now to run marathons and its lowered my resting heat rate significantly and I have so much more endurance when I run fast. Also I can now run faster with lower heart rate. Its great way to train as you can do it more often without fatigue. If you use the MAF Calculation you can get an idea for your ideal Heart rate which has worked for me.
But MAF is in the same function class as 220-age for your max HR. My max HR is ~200 (held for 5 seconds) and I am 47 which is 27BPM off. Therefore MAF for me as 180-age (133BPM) would be horribly off for me as well. So while the basis of MAF is correct (e.g. run a lot with a low HR) the equation is flawed (he has never released the data and his method for calculating that equation).
@@trepidati0n533 I guess this works for the majority. You have to also add or subtract depending on your health condition. If you are and athlete then you need to add 5-10bpm while if you are on medication to subtract 5bpm. 200 at 47 is exceptional and definitely not the norm.
Thank for another great video! Just recently started attempting training at ZONE 2 (actually after a GCN video!). Trying to nail down optimum heart rate range. I generally train alone in my Pain Cave so holding a conversation might be creepy!!
Very very interesting. If there is a second interview with Dr. San Millán, I would be interested how long you have to go above Z2 to be out of the right state for 30 min. If you just accelerate away from a stop or go through a mud pit for 2 crank revolutions, is this already too much even though it has no effect on the HR at all?
@@gcn Yes, please. I learned quit a bit from the last videos. For me, the best way to do it is on the XC MTB. Gives a bit of resistance on the rough surface and you don‘t get crazy fast or have to freewheel. However the mud pits or roots made me think of the question above.
Thankx Si now I have a better understanding of "Zone 2". I like the conversation method but, I ride alone, I also like the "Breathing method" but, I practice yoga everyday so my breathing is better then most. I'll try the "conversation method" I just hope no one calls the cops about some old guy talking to himself riding a bicycle.
Great segment,my issue is Im a mouth breather,dont know why.Also my HR is very low,been tested all good.Max HR is mid 130, my z2 numbers are 106-115.Are these numbers a hindrance to me?Im 67
For me doing an all out ride for 20 mins and then take the avg HR, of the last 10-15 min of that effort, as the Lactate Threshold HR. Then let Garmin do the calculations based on it. Zone 2 is 80-89% of LTHR. Also, % of Max HR achieved till date works, but then the HRs are higher by 4-8 bpm.
I’d be interested to know if your fat burning zone shifts with fatigue over the duration of long 5-6hr rides. If I was burning fat at say 220w at the start of a ride, is it likely that after 6 hours at 220w I’d then be burning carbs instead due to fatigue?
This might be a reason for using heart rate zones instead of watts. I notice quite commonly on the indoor trainer that my hr rises while doing the same effort on longer rides.
Depends on your conditioning. Ultra-endurance athletes (aka Mark Beaumont) can stay in zone 2 for days. But there is no question that fatigue means more exertion for the same wattage (i.e. higher heart bpm for same watts as fatigue increases).
@@elmichaelz I reckon it’s safe to assume that the number of watts required to stay in Zone 2 will drop over the course of a really long ride due to fatigue. Obviously the fitter you are the longer you can go without fatiguing.
Great science Si... Don’t sell yourself short, it looks like you still have plenty of performance to lose as you get older! LoL 😅 I’m 54 and have been working hard to slow my regression. It’s inevitable and once you accept it it’s quite fun to work on slowing it down actually, new inspirations and motivations! So maybe I missed it but I thought you said we cannot use our FTP Z2 power range? If that is the case I’m just wondering what your FTP Z2 power range is, compared to what this test identified your Z2 as. I am a long time viewer, around 5 yrs, GCN+ subscriber and major fan of what you and so many others have built this channel into, keep up the amazing work! Respectfully, Kirk from Wa. USA
I love the fact that Si and GCN are finally focusing on what is commonly called polarized training. I've been doing it for years and it's really the only way to train in my opinion, and for several reasons: First, let me point out that polarized training has only 3 zones. Zone 1 is for base training, zone 2 is sweet spot, and zone 3 is vo2. So now spending 80-90% of your training in zone 1 allows you to actually enjoy your ride while building an incredible base of aerobic fitness. It also keeps you from burning out, which so many cyclists do from time to time. And lastly, it allows you to accumulate a lot of miles/time in the saddle. Now for the down sides: Try finding someone who will ride with you at your zone 1 pace, agrees not to smash it up the hills, and can put their testosterone in check and understand that all those slower miles are actually making them faster. Also, group rides are usually garbage miles, so I stay away from those for the most part. They tend to be at zone 2, which, while a little bit of your training can be in this zone, they tend to go harder than zone 1, but not nearly hard enough for zone 3. And even if you do find someone who agrees with the polarized training method, their zone 1 and your zone 1 are probably not going to be the same. If I were riding with Si, his zone 1 would be my high zone 2 into zone 3, so you see the problem. In any case, if you've never tried polarized training and you're the kind of cyclist who pretty much smashes it every time you get on your bike (most cyclists), give this a try. You'll make much better gains, you'll enjoy your miles, and you won't burn out. Be safe out there!
Interesting video. Would like to know what Si's FTP is. Si's blood lactate level was 1.3 to 1.7 at 230-260 watts. This blood lactate is lower than San Milan's definition of Zone 2 (1.7-2)? This would suggest that Si is still a sugar burner at low intensities and is not fat-adaptive. Keep in mind that this was a one-off test and that other variables could have had an effect on the outcome. The more often you do a lactate test, the more data you have, which can lead you to use your power and HR to guide you while on the road. Best to do multiple tests on a stationary bike, then trying to do them outside.
Having been sick for the best part of three weeks I will def be using zone 1 and 2 to get fit again.I find zone 2 easier on the indoor trainer as outdoors it can be hard to stay in zone 2
with an 11-32T and 50-34T at the front, i can usually do most climbs in Z2. Impossible with a smaller cassette. Now most 11 speed systems can handle 11-34T. More than that and it's a gravel build. 34-34T should let you get over most climbs in Z2, especially with good tyres, as 5-10W can be the difference between Z2 & 3. That's going to be a function of your FTP and weight, obviously, but it is possible, even in the mountains, and i'm not that special / strong, unfortunately :)
Totally fab video. Again-just what I needed. Just btw-do you know what % lactate threshold heart rate that came out at? I realise from this video and that amazing interview you did that I’ve spent about five years in zone one thinking it was zone two so I really want to get it right this time! Going to try the steady ramp today. Ps the nose breathing thing really only works for running because the impact makes it quite different (I think-anyway I’ve had r the same experience as you and put it down to that as have other runners I know)
@@gcn yes totally and have shifted my zone two up accordingly. Was just wondering about the LTHR thing because my garmin wants me to pick that or the %max HR thing (which clearly doesn’t work) and I found the LTHR one put it up about 20bpm. Was just interested to see what your zone coincided with that’s all. Doesn’t matter. Anyway just an all round excellent video. Thanks.
The Sweet spot training video was effectively an ad for online training programs that work on the assumption that you can skip long-slow rides with their sweet spot-based training programs, offering you ‘ more bang for your buck’, which is not true. When one can train for more than, say, 5 hours a week, zone 2-rides are a beneficial part of one’s training program: 2 Hiits + a 3 hour zone 2 ride, e.g.
fantastic video! it was very helpful that you compared inigos conversation test to a metabolic test, as i've just started learning about zone 2 polarized training. more like this please!
Hi, in my opinion during Z2 training athlete should primarily monitor heart rate and traying to maintain pulse in that HR zone. Power should be just an indication. Hear rate is something what affects metabolic regime (fats vs carbohydrates) not the power output. After successful training period athlete would be able to maintain same power output with lover HR, which can be bellow zone 2 of HR range. Second point, which I found interesting, reading tons of articles regarding zone 2 and fat max oxidation zone, that nobody take in consideration nutrition in pre workout and workout period. I am very curious to know how high carb meal affect range of fat max zone or does gel consumption interlocks fat oxidation regardless intensity level? Does Z2 training only have a sense if you do in on empty stomach and with very low glycogen level? @GCN, what you think?
Very good video. But always better if you clarify in what type of training zone model you based your z2. Is it in a 5 zones model or 3 zones model. Zone 2 in 5 zones model correspond to Z1 in a 3 zone model. Just before LT1. The clarification is really needed and people needs to understand it. I also beleive that heart rate is correlated to the zone you train on. Power is an output but heart rate is a physiological limit where chemical reaction changes at different values of heart rate.
I think one interesting thing to note @8:17 or so is that Si used more glucose than fat at every power from 160w to 300w. i.e don't think that you won't need to eat carbs if you do a long z2 ride, or that this efficient use of fat stores means you don't burn glycogen. It's just the rate that is very different, e.g in Si's case around 50/50 fat to carbs at 220w, at 280w he's burning over 2.3x the carbs to fat. And although fat usage did peak between 220w-260w it's a pretty flat line, i.e most of the extra energy he needs to cycle at 240w rather than 160w was from carbs - and it's really all about how much glycogen you're burning - because the fat you burn is pretty much the same at every effort level - with a bit of peak at z2 and drop off below and above. But the carb line is like starting at the same level as the fat one and it just goes up higher and higher the more effort you do.
Surly heart rate is far more valuable at determining staying in zone 2 as opposed to power simply due to fatigue etc (and another reason not to spend a fortune on power meters) 😊
Yes and no. Your HR for a particular effort can vary quite a bit (+/-10BPM) on any given day or even time of day (my HR will be 10BPM lower in the afternoon vs morning for the same effort). What does not change a lot on any given day is the oxygen required to produce X watts; basic chemistry. This why the "talk test" is a good test because you have to change your breathing/talking in order to handle that needed O2 when switching to more of a glycogen burn. However, if you are thoughtful you can then calibrate your breathing to your HR pretty quickly to know which way you have skewed.
@@trepidati0n533 It's your heart rate that determines your body's metabolic rate on any given day not your power. If your body starts to use glycogen as its energy source then your zone 2 training session isn't effective. I believe power is great for threshold and above, heart rate for anything lower
definitely agree with your last comment, I commute mostly zone 2 work I guess, but zwift racing has started and hared efforts for 45 mins are killing me!!!
Have you used zone 2 in your training, and has it been effective? Let us know down below!👇
i usually train 2/3 in zone 2 and 1/3 in higher zones!
Doing 9 hours of zone 2 a week at the moment. Lactate testing is the best. Power is not a good method but hr is. Your body doesn’t know what power you are putting out it does know how hard your training. I’m doing all my zone 2 at 2700 meters altitude. Heart rate still the same but power well down.
If you have no idea a good guess is 180 minus your age. Not perfect but without testing it’s the best.
If you are on a ketogenic diet it will put the tests all wrong.
Lactate should be below 1.9.
What is Simon's FTP currently? So we can kind of set the graph at 8:30 in a relation to ourselves.
@@yuckz0ne Yes, please! Also resting HR and Max HR. Great vid, lots of useful info, can't wait to put it into practice.
Great video! Yes and yes, respectively.
The mistake I was doing for quite a while was doing my Z2 a bit easier than I should; training in Z2 when I'm well rested is maintaining about 200W at around 130 bpm, at which I can breathe through the nose and hold a conversation but you could tell I'm training if you tried which is about right. I used to do my easy training rides at about 170-180W average which is a bit on the easier side for me.
One or sometimes two hard sessions per week and the rest strictly Z2 is really working well - did all my races better and stronger this year than last.
We used chewing gum as a cruise control. If you are able to chew normally all fine, if you want to spit it out because it feels like it blocks your breathing you are too fast.
Always used it on my own because lack of proper conversation testers ;)
Cool 😎
Thank you so much for this video and all the research you put into it! I have a mitochondrial mutation and zone 2 riding every day is really helping. I started out as a study participant for research to see if zone 2 training would help people with mito mutations and it has been so good that I just kept going and am now planning to ride from Rostock to Salzburg to help raise awareness for mito diseases.
Great stuff Rebekah! That's really great, good luck with the ride 🙌
Really interesting Rebekah, so does this condition negatively affect your energy production? Presumably zone2 helps to mitigate the effects of your illness and stabilise your energy levels?
@@Astraeus73 great question! yes it does quite significantly impact my energy production. The study was looking at whether zone 2 would help stabilise this and allow for regular exercise to improve fitness. The idea being that it would prevent further degeneration. It seems to be working so it might eventually lead to a replicable program for people with mito disease.
@@RebekahWegener What a great way to use your particular circumstances to help improve the lives of others as well. Well done to be in that study, and keep putting in the work!
Viel glueck mit fahren Rebekah!
Back in the 90's I used to be a Triathlete and one of the big names in training at the time was a guy called Dr Phillip Maffatone. His method was used by many of the big names of the time, like Mark Allan, 5 times Ironman Hawaii winner, Mike Pigg and many more. At the time almost all training was HR based and Maffatone had a simple method to work out your aerobic maximum zone, essentially Z2. This was 180-your age with a couple of qualifiers to add or subtract 5 heart beats to your zone depending on your fitness/health at that time. I found this to be pretty accurate in subsequent years compared to testing with modern methods. He also promoted 80% training time in Z2 or Maximum Aerobic Function (MAF) and 20% of training being dedicated to intervals and higher intensities. The stated aim of this training method was to increase mitocondria and red blood count. Sounds very much like Inego San Milans method only 30yrs earlier.
Thanks , a nice and simple method. 180-52 = 128 plus minus 5 is similar to what I've just started out for 1hr cycle low intensity of around 115 to 120bpm . So I can kinda like this one will check it out for more detail cheers
Doesn't sound that great. I mean if he was training elite athletes most of them would be around the same age - not a lot of 50+ running in the olympics, and have more or less the same level of fitness and health. Implying he told them all z2 was the same HR. I'd suggest they either probably already knew better methods in the 1990s of establishing and defining z2, and, if not, we certainly do now as the video attests. If you lack a lab test it's probably best not to base it on power (because, after all you're hoping to increase the power you do at z2 but if you always ride along at 220 watts you'll always be doing 220 watts won't you?) And HR is affected by so many different factors, especially indoors vs outdoors - it can be slow to react to changes in intensity - we mostly abandoned HR training and bought power meters for these reasons. No, I'd suggest the RPE methods are probably the best and then your HR and Power are things you study afterwards - so you can say "I was averaging 140 watts on my z2 rides at first, now I'm doing 180w"
when Si´s zone 2 is your FTP 💀😅
Hahaha he's a fit chap 🙌
I was thinking the same thing. Hahahaha this fat man sweats chocolate milk while he’s talking at an output twice my ftp
My thoughts exactly hahaha
I was thinking the same thing... 250watts ☠️
I know right!! 🫣😂
After listening to Dr. San-Millan on two favourite sources - GCN & Peter Attia - I'm sold, for both general health and bike fitness. Excellent video on zone 2 - well done.
Jonathan is an absolute legend! Its fantastic you're doing these science videos with him again
I have been searching for my zone 2, and last week I went all the way to the fysiotherapist with Vo2 test and lactate-test. The answer was that zone 2 was a lot harder than I had calculated based on persentage of pulse. This test put zone two so high that I realized i had much more zone2 riding than I had imagined. The week before I was performing the talk-test which also implicated that zone 2 was on relatively high pulse. I was able to sing "Nobody knows (Paul Robson)" riding a 5% steep 1 kilometer climb when the pulsewatch was roughly 140-145. I am 61 years old, with max pulse 178, zone 2 from 129-147. Treshold pulse 156-160. VO2-using 78%. The fysiotherapist asked if I had did very much treshold-riding because 78% VO2 is very high. Maybe I have. Going to work in 48 minutes is maybe in zone 2 for almost half an hour, and escalates to threshold and beyond in the final climb, the last 15 minutes. Conclusion, if you really want to pinpoint zone 2 this lactate test gives good answers.
I’ve been practicing like that for a while and it is very effective. I don’t know if you mentioned this in the video, I do not recall it; it one of the other benefits of practicing in that zone is the fact that you are always on aerobic breathing. Since you are aerobic the muscles don’t have to strain themselves and the athlete does not get injured much if ever. Also, since the by product of anaerobic respiration is lactic acidosis then you are not in pain after training and recover very fast. For this reason you can train almost on a daily basis. Consistency is what makes great athletes not going hard today and then you don’t train for days because you are in pain or injured
I echo much of the comment already posted. I have been trying to get to grips with "zone 2" for a while and a while ago concluded that I was wasting my time keeping to my HR based Z2 level having spotted information about relative perceived exertion. This video brilliantly gets over what you need to do to work out your metabolic Zone 2 and is backed up by proper scientific data. Excellent!
Yes, this is very interesting! What I'm finding out through these vids is that proper Zone 2 is quite a lot higher than just my "Zone 2 HR Chart reading". I can breathe through my nose into my lower Zone 4 HR reading... I haven't tried the conversation test yet...
U can breath through your nose in zone 4?
I've watched all Simon's Zone 2 GCN RUclips videos. I've also watched other Dr. San Millan videos on Zone 2 and the health benefits. I'm 74 and have been following these talk procedure for 7 months. I feel great and my fellow cyclist can't believe how fast I am. I also like Simon's video on Zone 4 and Anaerobic Capacity
Thanks so much for this. I'm almost 57yrs old and on my ride yesterday I could still have a conversation at 165bpm. I was wondering how on earth that could be zone2, but now I know! BTW my max hr is around 187bpm and my resting hr is around 50bpm sometimes lower.
Just please… more… of … this … stuff !!! So so helpful and would love to see an analysis of how to create a working plan given your targets. E.g. should I be doing under overs; vo2 4 minute sets; sprints etc)
Tested my zone 2 level. I hit zone 2 when I'm sitting at my desk watching GCN videos. I should be awesome next season!!
I just finished the podcasts with Peter Attia and Inigo last night. Watching this vid is the perfect finish to that because you showed an example of low zone 2 convo. Something I've been looking for is actual examples of a zone 2 talk test. Right about what I thought it was too. Great vid GCN.
Ha! I just finished the same podcast and then found this video for more guidance.
This was super helpful. I’ve been struggling to find my “Zone 2” for quite a while in training, with my heart rate being higher than I feel it should be for how the perceived effort is feeling. But knowing that it can fluctuate from person to person and that it isn’t just a simple % of your max HR is really good to know!
The heartrate can also change over time because of training. Perhaps even some daily variation. It's not set in stone.
@@thisandthat1233 Yeah, it definitely varies from day to day, depending on last night's sleep and who knows what else. Without all the tests available to me, I still use % of HR max as a reference point, and vary between 70% and 80% of HR max, averaging around 75%. I just make sure that I'm breathing through my nose consistently, and can talk normally/sing. I notice that I seem to be in Zone 2 at a higher HR lately, and I attribute that to my 1x weekly HIIT session.
Peter Attia trains in Zone 2 at >80% of max HR.
I REALLY think it would be helpful to spend a decent amount of time showing a rider talking while riding below Zone 2, at low/mid zone 2, at Upper Zone 2, and then how there talking changes as they move to Zone 3.
Zone 2 may be the most important training tool we have so giving regular people the most specific videos on how to find it is critical imo.
Great video But just thi k they needed to specifically show the different examples pkes of what talking is like in different zones
It would be quite hard to show. Past zone 2, riders can no longer hold these zones indefinitely and thus, they get more tired in them the longer they are in these zones. Thus, talk8ng in zone 3 earlyon would be differentfrom talking in zone 3 later. It also takes a bit of time within a zone before you're really in a new zone. If you're simply dipping your heart rate into zone 3 on super short climbs, your body is really sticking within it's zone 2 limits. A short spike in HR is fine. It's the sustained HRs in these zones that change things.
In the vast majority of GCN videos, these guys are in zone 2 which can be seen by how well they talk to the cameras while riding.
Quite simply one of the best and most useful videos I've seen on YT. Would be great to see you build from this with science backed advice for those of us who want to lose weight or improve riding performance through cycling. Probably 2 different approaches needed, bit would be great to see.
Great suggestion! Glad to see you enjoyed this video 🙌
GCN is great for some science, but if I am allowed to advertise a different channel as well, look at Dylan Johnson in the USA for science based stuff around polarised training and a lot more besides. www.youtube.com/@DylanJohnsonCycling
I’m glad this is all coming to light again.. when I was a junior it was ALL about base miles to build up aerobic base and it seemed I / we all forgot that - I was guilty of being the time crunched cyclist mentioned in your videos and going nowhere fast and getting demoralised. Even when I ran I followed the 80:20 rule but never seemed to use it in cycling..
I’m glad these videos have emerged again as it’s opened up the nugget of information my brain had somehow forgotten/thought was irrelevant..!!
Thanks for the video. I am not an athlete but rather a 49 year old male who is about 40 to 50 pounds overweight. I just recently learned about Zone 2 training and have been trying to find Zone 2 on a treadmill that has a power meter and heart rate monitor. I was considering switching to an elliptical machine to help preserve my joints but I think now I will begin working on a stationary bike. It would be nice to be able to monitor lactate to insure that I am remaining in Zone 2. Best wishes.
Something to bear in mind for those using a heart rate monitor and breathing effort: I'm a runner and a cyclist and while I'm rubbish at both but I've been recording my heart rate data for nearly 20 years. I've found that when I'm on the bike I can record much higher heart rates while being able to carry on a conversation than I can when running. I'm not sure if this means that my running Zone 2 and my cycling Zone 2 are therefore different with respect to my heart rate but I need to gauge my effort by different means on a bike than when I run.
Do you have an answer for this? I have the same problem to find my Z2 for running.
@@NILSZWARTDOEK I don't, nor do I particularly care so haven't looked into it. My suggestion is to have a look at the MAF Method by Phil Maffetone who (I believe) pioneered this idea.
Running is a weight-bearing sport unlike cycling.
@@georgibg I'm not quite sure of the point you are making in relation to heart rate zones? Could you please elaborate? Thank you. 🙂
different zones for each activity , will vary over time as sports specific fitness / adaptions occur
Great presentation, Si. One small fact to make this topic more easily digested (pun intended): oxygen is required in the mitochondria to convert fat into energy (ATP). Zone 2 to Zone 3 simply means that your exertion is exceeding your respiratory system's ability to take in oxygen, which is why the conversation metric works. If you can't talk you are going too hard to bring in enough oxygen to metabolize fat as fuel. Lactate then becomes the metabolic byproduct, and if you don't keep consuming carbs in that state you will bonk.
Don't you also need oxygen to me convert carbs to energy too?
@@ozrobmit The whole process of converting fuel to energy in animals is called cellular respiration. Carbs come in many forms (saccharides), but all contain glucose which is the primary fuel for all cells. Glucose can be metabolized in muscle cells with oxygen (aerobic: CO2 + H2O byproduct) or without (anaerobic: lactic acid byproduct).
Fats easily become metabolized when glucose runs low (after glycogen stores have been depleted), but only in the presence of oxygen. This means zone 2 (abundant oxygen through breathing) can be maintained for long periods, and the more you train in zone 2, the more you build that capacity. Therefore if you are going zone 3 and up for too long you must keep eating carb rich foods or you bonk. Proteins can even be converted to energy in this process, and this needs oxygen too, but I think this only occurs in starvation. Look up cellular respiration at khan academy if you want a deep dive.
At 04:18 you make a lot of sense. I do a lot of low heart rate training and I ran track in college. My watch has all of my information and says that my zone 2 is 118 - 147, but I can hold a somewhat comfortable conversation at 155-165 and I run marathons at 165-175 bpm
I have been implementing more and more Z2 training in my yearly riding plan. Your video was excellent, Si, especially your summary comments. This is a well done video, thank you!
Possibly one of the most informative cycling videos I've watched, great stuff GCN 👍
It's my 4th week of Z2 training and I can say, I love it. I do "feel" my legs after 45-60 minutes in Z2 and I noticed that with every workout I need to push one extra W to stay in the zone. I use my HR Z3 (137-157bpm) given by my Garmin devices and I can say that that's the zone by using conversation method.
for me its mid z3 hr or 73-78% maxhr
@@onzeit1822 nope. Here is where I can have a conversation but I don't really want to. And that's how it's described
Excellent practical simple recommendations about zone 2 training
Delivering food on a bicycle is also Z2 training. Just cycling along for a few hours, knowing how to pace yourself so you won't burn out. Using my hardtail for the extra resistance, quite fun!
Sounds like fun 🙌 Just getting out an riding is going to do you a world of good!
This is great info. This year I have pushed hard almost every ride (setting route pb’s) of my 1500 miles and was wondering why the fat isn’t burning off as it has in the past. Long slow winter rides with occasional sprints it is!
Winter miles and summer smiles! 🙌
Save the sprints for the end. It takes 20-30 minutes to get back to zone 2.
@@soysanto9939 This seems to be the most useful takeway and the way on how to find your z2 :) Next summer, everyone will smile :)
I was not aware that the top of zone 2 goes up as you get fitter. Also, I didn't know that if you get above zone 2 that it would take 30 minutes to get back into the correct metabolic state! Very good to know!
well, if your Z2 goes to 150BPM and you ride 5 minutes at 151 BPM, it's not like you're on carb power now. but once you shift to 160 bpm, it might take a while. if you wanted to ride 180bpm, you're having a problem now.
also, metabolic shift not to forget. ride 4 hours in Z2 and it becomes diffiult to not be above 150bpm for your Z2 power ;-)
@@timvanmonero2720 exactly. First hour of work is not the same stress as hour 4 at the same work.
There is no correct metabolic state. You'll still burn more fat in the higher zone.
"Zone 2" is sub ventilatory threshold workloads. That's quite a broad definition and I appreciate your taking the time to explain that it's the upper limits of that sub-vt pace that riders should be targeting in these sessions. Imo, many riders understand Z2 to mean "super easy" and they don't t see positive training benefits in the time they have. With that in mind it might be helpful for many athletes to understand these metrics relative to commonly used training metrics like FTP (even if imprecise).
Absolutely love this content! More Si the Scientist! I'm not a racer, but I AM interested in fitness on the bike. This confirms what I have always suspected. I used to use the talk test for running. Great that it works/translates to cycling! Si is right also that you can't forget the other 20%. You have to do some HIIT too and I do. Glad the science confirms my intuition! Mitochondria Rule!
After watching a bunch of youtube videos on Zone 2 training I think that this video is the best one by far. Thank you for the video GCN!
I read Breathe by James Nestor earlier this year.
Stick with the nose breathing, the longer you do it, the better you get at it.
There are said to be many advantages, including improving the efficiency of your oxygen uptake, and even expanding your lung capacity.
Great book, well worth a read.
I was a mouth breather, started swimming, had to learn how to breathe through my nose. It helped in every sport.
If we think about it rationally; 1) both nose and mouths leads the air down to the lungs via the same route. The nose can take a smaller amount of air/minute and the path is hindered via nose hair which works as a filter for particules. The mouth on the other hand has a much clearer path down to the lungs. 2) Life is efficient. If there would be advantages as to get better oxygen uptake, humans would breath through the nose when things get tough. But we don't, because it isnt as effective. 3) lung capacity doesnt decrease or increase depending on which way your air takes. Based on this, I wouldn't consider the book as great, nor that it would be worth reading.
@@rickardwinblad5613 Ever heard the word "Efficiency"? Getting more output with the same amount of Input. Wonder how your body learns it?
Zone 2 has improved my fitness, massively! I feel strong and fit - My recovery is so much better than before 👍
A great video Simon. I am curious about applying it to cyclists of advanced years (I am 83).
Great video, self estimate, and closing statement! One of the best GCN videos I've seen.
Very informative. Thank you. I’m really chuffed to see that Z2 training helps to build my endurance. I’ll keep at it.
Extremely useful and something I suspected all along that you can't use the age old HRZ estimate method based off age/max HR. I always rode harder than the calculated Z2 but always felt like it did more good that way and critically still sustainable for 4-5 hours. Reassuring and also useful for me to go and refine it. Cheers.
Haven't finished the vid yet, but a different zone calc is (%(maxbpm-resting bpm)+restingbpm). So for example if Z2 is 60-65%, and your max is 190, resting is 45bpm, the lower end of the zone would be 0.60*(190-45)+45=132bpm and the higher end would be 139bpm. I've felt this to be more accurate personally :)
Glad we could help you refine your training a bit more Scott! 🙌
@@philbond87 that's great to hear! I've stumbled upon it last week, bought a book about HR-based training in a secondhand store and came across it. Immediately after sharing my discovery, my girlfriend told me she knew about it for years, but never bothered to tell me hahaha
I'm going to try both methods as well, to see if they also match for myself!
@@philbond87 apparantly it's called 'heart rate reserve', which I guess means something like 'usable heartrate range'.. My garmin device has the option to use that instead, so I turned that on just now :)
@Wouter, Dylan Johnson has a video with Stephen Seiler on Zone 2 (or Zone 1 in a three zone model) training, and he also quotes that formula.
I wish I would hear this information back in 2017. At that time all I do was smashed all my soul on every ride. I changed from HIIT to another HIIT..., just a year, my performance went stagnant.
Time to chill it out and enjoy the ride 🙌
Thanks GCN, a very informative video. Now, possibly a video on the Zone 5, 20 percent of training. Again thanks.
Great video. GCN at its non commercial best.
I know - “if we didn’t have a commercial model we couldn’t do this”!!
But this is why I started watching GCN all those years ago. Thanks Si.
Very interesting, thanks. Issue I personally see is the hills around here mean I'm usually either puffing my way up or taking it easy-ish on the way down. A lengthy 'zone 2' section would be bliss :)
Good point! Hills really but a blocker in zone 2, you might have to slow right down and spin up to stay in the zone 🤔
You can with the right gearing. 34-34 should get you up most hills without falling to slow motion cadences.
@@gcn Definitely something to think about - spinning away instead. Some horrid sections though... Probably just my lack of fitness 🥵
i really enjoy these videos when gcn uses science to help teach us. I got my bachelors in kinesiology and and its nice to just re confirm what i've learned.
Great to hear! Good to have the backing from a scientist, thanks Julian 🙌
4:00 - tweak your settings on GPS Unit: just raise your max heart rate value in Garmin/ Wahoo as you get fitter. According to my age my max HR is 173. If u use that the unit's zone2 is my physical zone 1. So I tweak it, then increase maxHR. then the zone2 I get tallies with perceived exertion and I can have a light conversation and ride
Great video. I used to think that most group rides or organized zwift events could be done in Zone 2. However, it seems that Z2 training is much more intentional due to the fact you can not leave the zone and come back to it instantaneously.
Another cracking video. Clear, clinical and easier to absorb than an SiS gel. Worked out that I am probably training at Zone minus 2. Ground breaking. Keep making the classy vids: love ‘em.
I think the main question that needs to be answered Si, is does that 230w - 260w relate to your Z2 from your FTP?
Any answer to this? Seems like a simple answer to get
This video helped me more than any other to understand what zone 2 is and how to find it. Really excellent explanation regarding RPE...it was so clear to see how accurate the RPE was to all of the scientific testing.
Good video, another way of measuring Zone 2 with the conversation method - if you are talking to someone on the phone they should be able to tell that you are exercising, without being totally out of breath 👍
Great little idea to have in your head whilst out on the bike.
@@gcn ...but terrible idea to have in your hand whilst out on the bike.
Thanks for this follow up to your interview with Inigo. The application of that conversation is great!
Awesome video! I was pleasantly surprised to find that the upper end of zone 2 is probably a little higher than what I had originally researched. This makes my commute that much more important to my waistline!
The final remarks at the end were just as helpful as the rest of the video. Really great job and thanks!
Great video and really good insight. My problem is trying to stay in zone 2. It's just too damn easy to drift up into zone 3 without realizing it...
Ride longer, that will draw the line and teach you self control ;)
@@BogotaEnglish thanks man i have the same issue. It is about we can't be patience lol.
@@bradley5431 If you have a Garmin, and probably any other make, you can set an alert based on heart rate zones. so set it to go off as you go into zone 3 and it will beep!!
@@MrTedJourney wow good idea bro thanks!
@@MrTedJourney I do, and it does... LOL!! After about 3 hours, zone 2 starts to feel a little more like work though so I'm good. Just have to keep an eye on it when i'm fresh.
Great to see concepts in TFTNA crossing over to cycling!
Since I started my cycling again and have began incorporating a commute to work, I try to be in a conversational zone specifically to be in zone 2, but to also not be as sweaty for when I get to work. I just talk out loud to myself while riding to make sure I'm still roughly at the same intensity. I also wear a HR monitor, and my zone 2 seems to be from 139-151 bpm.
Great stuff Bobby! Do you find it easy to sit at zone 2 or are you always trying to push it? 🔎
Also what age group are you? My zone 2 when using the conversation method is 123-128. I'm 59 and tap out at 157 ish. Resting is mid 50's. Just for comparison.
@@gcn I do tend slip and find myself in lvl 3 intensity at hills..., but it seems to be a simple machismo thing, I just tell myself to stick to casual. So far, it's been effective.
@@alkeeling614 I'm 45, 214 lbs and very out of shape. My Garmin HR monitor puts me at a 189 max HR, when I go full gas, and calculates my zone 2 within the same range as my conversational testing has put me at as well. I'm not sure my resting HR. I guess I'd have to check it when I first wake up for the day right?
@@R.W.Wiley77 Take your resting HR anytime, it doesn't vary much so long as you have been resting for several minutes and not watching a thriller and having a cuppa.
This is really helpful, I'm a bit old ( 67 ) and my max HR should be about 155, but I regularly hit 180 going around the South Surrey Hills,
I changed my Z2 on Strava to match HR 140, which seems to fit. Now I know a lot more to help me stay in Z2 indoors 😀, as it is impossible out on my roads ( without a lot of walking😢 ) Thank you so much.
I have heard a claim that people have massively varying max heart rates and can vary by dozens of beats per minute. As a teen athlete I once got to 220 running sprinting up a short steep hill without air in my lungs in the middle of a run being already taxed. It felt horrible and I had to sit down. Your mileage may vary. Interestingly my sport watch now puts me roughly at the old rule of 180-age for zone 2. I am a few beats above it, but unlike Si said in the video, i am not trained at the moment but seem to have a faster beating heart than average. So thereabouts.
I'm 56, and at about 178 these days I start to see stars and feel "a sense of doom" as such, so I consider my max 176. But I will *never* hit those numbers cycling, only running or nordic skiing. Cycling my max is more like 168, same with swimming. My RHR is in the 40s, sometimes is as low as 38 when I'm really rested. I come from a cross country running background.
Your max heartrate "shouldn't" be anything, it just is what it is: The fastest your heart can beat. All those are related formulas (220-age and the like) are just averages of that over a big population, but the spread from individual to individual is massive. Especially for active older people, those formulas are highly inaccurate.
The proper way to find your actual max heartrate is to warm up and do some sort of a ramp test where you hit your maximum effort (increasing power by about 20W every minute is one that I have seen). Take the number at the end of that is your max heartrate (or a few BPM less at most). I did one with running, where it was: Warmup - 4 minutes medium, 3 minutes hard, 1 minute all out.
This was great content thanks Si. Really informative and delivered with gravitas 😊 Zone 2 here I come 😅
This video was perfect for me.
I watched the previous interview and read a bit online, but couldn't quite make sense of the differences.
My heart rate monitor said zone 2, my power meter said zone 1, and my effort felt like I was being lazy.
The explanation around 4 minutes really cleared stuff up for me.
Thanks Si!
Very well done. I live in a hilly area , usually do 1K feet of climbing for every 10 miles. so its very difficult to stay in zone 2. I could go on the trainer but the reason I bike is because i like to be outdoors as much as possible , that is the fun part. Any recommendations on how to stay in zone 2 outdoors would be great.
Go slower up hill, keep on power downhill best you can and chug along at z2 on the flats
Yeah, you need to take it real slow up those hills
Those uphill rides will make you stronger overtime even if you don’t hit the zone 2
You might need bigger gears - 11-34 or even 11-40 in a very hilly area.
try an ebike
Great content!
Awesome video. Science now proving/describing empirical age-old knowledge. As a cycling enthusiast (and massive nerd) I really enjoyed. Thanks!
Cycling nerds unite 🙌
Now that is good cycling content. Thanks Si and team.
Great thing about zone 2 is that you can train nearly forever in it and not plateau for months.
Brilliant video. Easy to follow bit really informative, without being at all patronising. Thank You……
Si, is there any guidance related to duration? For example, is there no benefit to be gained if you do zone 2 for less than an hour? Thank you.
See other interviews with Inigo - seems to say an hour to an hour and a half 3 x week could be enough to improve, twice a week to maintain.
ruclips.net/video/z82GCNXdLAA/видео.html
your heart rate is a lot higher than I expected. my garmin watch told me zone two for me is between 101-128bpm or something like that, but that just felt to easy. this encourages me to experiment a bit more. thanks!
Been Low heart traning (MAF Maffatone) for a year now to run marathons and its lowered my resting heat rate significantly and I have so much more endurance when I run fast. Also I can now run faster with lower heart rate. Its great way to train as you can do it more often without fatigue. If you use the MAF Calculation you can get an idea for your ideal Heart rate which has worked for me.
Thats great! thanks for the comment 🙌
But MAF is in the same function class as 220-age for your max HR. My max HR is ~200 (held for 5 seconds) and I am 47 which is 27BPM off. Therefore MAF for me as 180-age (133BPM) would be horribly off for me as well. So while the basis of MAF is correct (e.g. run a lot with a low HR) the equation is flawed (he has never released the data and his method for calculating that equation).
@@trepidati0n533 I guess this works for the majority. You have to also add or subtract depending on your health condition. If you are and athlete then you need to add 5-10bpm while if you are on medication to subtract 5bpm. 200 at 47 is exceptional and definitely not the norm.
All great points at the end of the video.
Thank for another great video! Just recently started attempting training at ZONE 2 (actually after a GCN video!). Trying to nail down optimum heart rate range. I generally train alone in my Pain Cave so holding a conversation might be creepy!!
I generally ride on my own - I try to sing the words of a simple song from time to time to check if I'm in the right place.
Great timing I was mulling over zone 2 whilst sitting on the throne this morning !
😂👌
Very very interesting. If there is a second interview with Dr. San Millán, I would be interested how long you have to go above Z2 to be out of the right state for 30 min. If you just accelerate away from a stop or go through a mud pit for 2 crank revolutions, is this already too much even though it has no effect on the HR at all?
Perhaps we'll come back to some more zone 2 training. 🙌
@@gcn Yes, please. I learned quit a bit from the last videos. For me, the best way to do it is on the XC MTB. Gives a bit of resistance on the rough surface and you don‘t get crazy fast or have to freewheel. However the mud pits or roots made me think of the question above.
Thankx Si now I have a better understanding of "Zone 2". I like the conversation method but, I ride alone, I also like the "Breathing method" but, I practice yoga everyday so my breathing is better then most. I'll try the "conversation method" I just hope no one calls the cops about some old guy talking to himself riding a bicycle.
Great vid! thx. Whats Si's ftp btw just so we can get his Z2 in context?
His FTP used to be 370 W iirc. If it didn't change much that would result in a Zone 2 of 207 - 277 W.
This guys has the best videos! Tks a lot. Very helpful!
Great segment,my issue is Im a mouth breather,dont know why.Also my HR is very low,been tested all good.Max HR is mid 130, my z2 numbers are 106-115.Are these numbers a hindrance to me?Im 67
For me doing an all out ride for 20 mins and then take the avg HR, of the last 10-15 min of that effort, as the Lactate Threshold HR. Then let Garmin do the calculations based on it. Zone 2 is 80-89% of LTHR.
Also, % of Max HR achieved till date works, but then the HRs are higher by 4-8 bpm.
I’d be interested to know if your fat burning zone shifts with fatigue over the duration of long 5-6hr rides. If I was burning fat at say 220w at the start of a ride, is it likely that after 6 hours at 220w I’d then be burning carbs instead due to fatigue?
Interesting question! Maybe we need to revisit this one
This might be a reason for using heart rate zones instead of watts. I notice quite commonly on the indoor trainer that my hr rises while doing the same effort on longer rides.
@@daghorin Yep I agree, as useful as power is I still think HR data is equally as valuable in certain situations.
Depends on your conditioning. Ultra-endurance athletes (aka Mark Beaumont) can stay in zone 2 for days. But there is no question that fatigue means more exertion for the same wattage (i.e. higher heart bpm for same watts as fatigue increases).
@@elmichaelz I reckon it’s safe to assume that the number of watts required to stay in Zone 2 will drop over the course of a really long ride due to fatigue. Obviously the fitter you are the longer you can go without fatiguing.
Massive Flex by Si, leaving those awesome VO2 numbers out there (especially considering not a max piece)!!!
Great video guys. Just wondering what Si’s FTP is? I’m wondering what % of his FTP is Zone 2 👍🏼
Zone 2 is the G-point of training. Feels good and things are happening.
Very nice video!!! Just for the context, what's the %FTP for Si when he's cycling in around 230-260W?
he ftp like 347 73kg
Great science Si... Don’t sell yourself short, it looks like you still have plenty of performance to lose as you get older! LoL 😅 I’m 54 and have been working hard to slow my regression. It’s inevitable and once you accept it it’s quite fun to work on slowing it down actually, new inspirations and motivations! So maybe I missed it but I thought you said we cannot use our FTP Z2 power range? If that is the case I’m just wondering what your FTP Z2 power range is, compared to what this test identified your Z2 as. I am a long time viewer, around 5 yrs, GCN+ subscriber and major fan of what you and so many others have built this channel into, keep up the amazing work!
Respectfully, Kirk from Wa. USA
Si's Zone 2 is the equivalent of most rider's FTP. :-)
Great video Si, thanks.👍
W/kg is more important.he is around 75 kg i think
@@mikicastan that's still super strong for 75kg
@@mikicastan I live in Holland so I dont care about w/kg :)
Thankyou Si! Best video I've seen from GCN yet! Congrats!
Ollie was riding in this one, although we're sure Si would love to take some of the credit 🤣 Great to hear you loved the video 🙌
I love the fact that Si and GCN are finally focusing on what is commonly called polarized training. I've been doing it for years and it's really the only way to train in my opinion, and for several reasons: First, let me point out that polarized training has only 3 zones. Zone 1 is for base training, zone 2 is sweet spot, and zone 3 is vo2. So now spending 80-90% of your training in zone 1 allows you to actually enjoy your ride while building an incredible base of aerobic fitness. It also keeps you from burning out, which so many cyclists do from time to time. And lastly, it allows you to accumulate a lot of miles/time in the saddle. Now for the down sides: Try finding someone who will ride with you at your zone 1 pace, agrees not to smash it up the hills, and can put their testosterone in check and understand that all those slower miles are actually making them faster. Also, group rides are usually garbage miles, so I stay away from those for the most part. They tend to be at zone 2, which, while a little bit of your training can be in this zone, they tend to go harder than zone 1, but not nearly hard enough for zone 3. And even if you do find someone who agrees with the polarized training method, their zone 1 and your zone 1 are probably not going to be the same. If I were riding with Si, his zone 1 would be my high zone 2 into zone 3, so you see the problem. In any case, if you've never tried polarized training and you're the kind of cyclist who pretty much smashes it every time you get on your bike (most cyclists), give this a try. You'll make much better gains, you'll enjoy your miles, and you won't burn out. Be safe out there!
Interesting video. Would like to know what Si's FTP is. Si's blood lactate level was 1.3 to 1.7 at 230-260 watts. This blood lactate is lower than San Milan's definition of Zone 2 (1.7-2)? This would suggest that Si is still a sugar burner at low intensities and is not fat-adaptive. Keep in mind that this was a one-off test and that other variables could have had an effect on the outcome. The more often you do a lactate test, the more data you have, which can lead you to use your power and HR to guide you while on the road. Best to do multiple tests on a stationary bike, then trying to do them outside.
Having been sick for the best part of three weeks I will def be using zone 1 and 2 to get fit again.I find zone 2 easier on the indoor trainer as outdoors it can be hard to stay in zone 2
with an 11-32T and 50-34T at the front, i can usually do most climbs in Z2. Impossible with a smaller cassette. Now most 11 speed systems can handle 11-34T. More than that and it's a gravel build. 34-34T should let you get over most climbs in Z2, especially with good tyres, as 5-10W can be the difference between Z2 & 3. That's going to be a function of your FTP and weight, obviously, but it is possible, even in the mountains, and i'm not that special / strong, unfortunately :)
Love these kind of videos!
Thanks! Glad you enjoyed it 🙌
Totally fab video. Again-just what I needed. Just btw-do you know what % lactate threshold heart rate that came out at? I realise from this video and that amazing interview you did that I’ve spent about five years in zone one thinking it was zone two so I really want to get it right this time! Going to try the steady ramp today.
Ps the nose breathing thing really only works for running because the impact makes it quite different (I think-anyway I’ve had r the same experience as you and put it down to that as have other runners I know)
Have you tried the conversation method?
@@gcn yes totally and have shifted my zone two up accordingly. Was just wondering about the LTHR thing because my garmin wants me to pick that or the %max HR thing (which clearly doesn’t work) and I found the LTHR one put it up about 20bpm. Was just interested to see what your zone coincided with that’s all. Doesn’t matter. Anyway just an all round excellent video. Thanks.
Very useful and practical information!
About ten years ago they wanted to sell us on "sweet spot training" with almost the same rationale, especially the effect on mitochondria. 😉
Wasn’t it called steady state before that?
@pcdtreeman Agreed. But I have the impression that these concepts actually aren't that different. More like new wine in old bottles.
The Sweet spot training video was effectively an ad for online training programs that work on the assumption that you can skip long-slow rides with their sweet spot-based training programs, offering you ‘ more bang for your buck’, which is not true. When one can train for more than, say, 5 hours a week, zone 2-rides are a beneficial part of one’s training program: 2 Hiits + a 3 hour zone 2 ride, e.g.
fantastic video! it was very helpful that you compared inigos conversation test to a metabolic test, as i've just started learning about zone 2 polarized training. more like this please!
Hi, in my opinion during Z2 training athlete should primarily monitor heart rate and traying to maintain pulse in that HR zone. Power should be just an indication. Hear rate is something what affects metabolic regime (fats vs carbohydrates) not the power output. After successful training period athlete would be able to maintain same power output with lover HR, which can be bellow zone 2 of HR range.
Second point, which I found interesting, reading tons of articles regarding zone 2 and fat max oxidation zone, that nobody take in consideration nutrition in pre workout and workout period. I am very curious to know how high carb meal affect range of fat max zone or does gel consumption interlocks fat oxidation regardless intensity level? Does Z2 training only have a sense if you do in on empty stomach and with very low glycogen level?
@GCN, what you think?
I appreciate GCN, because the management invests into the presenters’ cycling performance and knowledge.
So cool.
Very good video. But always better if you clarify in what type of training zone model you based your z2. Is it in a 5 zones model or 3 zones model.
Zone 2 in 5 zones model correspond to Z1 in a 3 zone model. Just before LT1. The clarification is really needed and people needs to understand it. I also beleive that heart rate is correlated to the zone you train on. Power is an output but heart rate is a physiological limit where chemical reaction changes at different values of heart rate.
I think one interesting thing to note @8:17 or so is that Si used more glucose than fat at every power from 160w to 300w. i.e don't think that you won't need to eat carbs if you do a long z2 ride, or that this efficient use of fat stores means you don't burn glycogen. It's just the rate that is very different, e.g in Si's case around 50/50 fat to carbs at 220w, at 280w he's burning over 2.3x the carbs to fat. And although fat usage did peak between 220w-260w it's a pretty flat line, i.e most of the extra energy he needs to cycle at 240w rather than 160w was from carbs - and it's really all about how much glycogen you're burning - because the fat you burn is pretty much the same at every effort level - with a bit of peak at z2 and drop off below and above. But the carb line is like starting at the same level as the fat one and it just goes up higher and higher the more effort you do.
Surly heart rate is far more valuable at determining staying in zone 2 as opposed to power simply due to fatigue etc (and another reason not to spend a fortune on power meters) 😊
my thought exactly wow HAHAHA
Yes and no. Your HR for a particular effort can vary quite a bit (+/-10BPM) on any given day or even time of day (my HR will be 10BPM lower in the afternoon vs morning for the same effort). What does not change a lot on any given day is the oxygen required to produce X watts; basic chemistry. This why the "talk test" is a good test because you have to change your breathing/talking in order to handle that needed O2 when switching to more of a glycogen burn. However, if you are thoughtful you can then calibrate your breathing to your HR pretty quickly to know which way you have skewed.
@@trepidati0n533 It's your heart rate that determines your body's metabolic rate on any given day not your power. If your body starts to use glycogen as its energy source then your zone 2 training session isn't effective.
I believe power is great for threshold and above, heart rate for anything lower
Excellent topic, thanks for the video.
definitely agree with your last comment, I commute mostly zone 2 work I guess, but zwift racing has started and hared efforts for 45 mins are killing me!!!
Thank you so much for this Simon.