Heart rate zone training is a method of measuring your exercise intensity.
As you exercise, your heart rate will increase as the intensity of the workout increases.
This can be categorised into 5 zones as a % of your maximum heart rate.
Training across all 5 zones is essential for a well-rounded fitness program because each zone targets different aspects of physical performance, endurance, and overall health.
Here’s a breakdown of the heart rate zones and how each is beneficial:
Zone 1 (50–60% of max HR): Recovery and Basic Endurance
- Purpose: Improves overall cardiovascular health and promotes recovery.
- Benefits:
- Builds a strong aerobic foundation.
- Enhances blood flow and helps clear metabolic waste (byproducts of the body’s metabolic processes that must be eliminated to prevent harmful buildup and maintain health).
- Reduces the risk of overtraining by allowing the body to recover between intense sessions.
- Primary fuel source: fat.
Zone 2 (60–70% of max HR): Fat-Burning and Aerobic Efficiency
- Purpose: Optimises fat metabolism and increases endurance.
- Benefits:
- Develops the body’s ability to use fat as a primary energy source.
- The body learns to conserve glycogen (carbohydrate stores) for higher-intensity efforts by burning fat.
- Enhances base aerobic capacity, crucial for stamina.
- Primary fuel source: fat.
Zone 3 (70–80% of max HR): Aerobic Power and Endurance
- Purpose: Bridges aerobic (produces energy with oxygen) and anaerobic (produces energy without oxygen) energy systems.
- Benefits:
- Strengthens the heart and lungs.
- Improves the ability to sustain moderate-to-high intensity over longer periods.
- Prepares the body for more intense efforts.
- Primary fuel source: fat, carbohydrate & protein.
Zone 4 (80–90% of max HR): Threshold Training
- Purpose: Pushes the limits of lactate tolerance (a by-product of an anaerobic energy system) and improves performance.
- Benefits:
- Increases the lactate threshold, delaying fatigue during high-intensity efforts.
- Enhances speed and power.
- Essential for improving performance in sports requiring bursts of effort.
- Primary fuel source: carbohydrate & protein.
Zone 5 (90–100% of max HR): Maximal Effort
- Purpose: Develops peak performance and anaerobic capacity.
- Benefits:
- Builds explosive power and speed.
- Maximises calorie burn in shorter sessions (afterburn effect).
- Challenges mental toughness and physical limits.
- Primary fuel source: carbohydrate & protein.
By calculating our target heart rate zones, we can optimise our workouts to match our goals and avoid over- or under-training.
Calculate Your Target Heart Rate Zones using the Karvonen formula
The Karvonen Formula is a method used to calculate your target heart rate (THR) for exercise based on your resting heart rate (RHR), your maximum heart rate (MHR), and your desired exercise intensity.
The Karvonen Formula is more accurate than simply using a percentage of your maximum heart rate because it takes your resting heart rate into account, reflecting your fitness level more precisely.
Target Heart Rate (THR)=(MHR−RHR)×Intensity Percentage+RHR
For example, if you’re 40 years old:
- Max HR = 220 – 40 = 180 bpm
- Zone 1 (50-60%): 90-108 bpm
- Zone 2 (60-70%): 108-126 bpm
- And so on.
Benefits of Heart Rate Zone Training
- Goal-Oriented: Use different zones to train for specific fitness health and fitness goals.
- Efficiency: Get the most out of your workouts by training at the right intensity.
- Safety: Helps avoid overexertion and reduces the risk of injury.
- Progress Tracking: As you get fitter, your heart rate in each zone may change, showing improvement over time.
Incorporating zone training into your routine can help you train smarter, improve performance, and achieve fitness goals more effectively.
