You are probably familiar with the concept of heart rate training. It is based on the idea that you can improve your training program by matching your cycling intensity with the goals of a particular workout. To do this, determine your heart rate training zones and then pedal in the zone that matches your goal for a particular workout. For example, if you want to work at a fairly high intensity, you can pedal in zone 3, which is 70 to 80 percent of your maximum heart rate (MHR). Conversely, some days you may want to recover from a hard workout, so you should ride in zone 1 (50 to 60 percent of maximum heart rate).
Heart rate training works by letting you know how hard you are working during a given workout and by giving you the feedback you need to change the intensity of your workout if you find that you are pedaling too much or not enough. It offers an easy way to continuously monitor your cycling intensity and keep it at your desired level. To successfully train with heart rate, you must first understand the 5 heart rate training zones. The zones are generally based on a percentage of your maximum heart rate and are divided into percentages as follows:
Zone 1 = 50-60% MHR
Zone 2 = 60-70% MHR
Zone 3 = 70-80% MHR
Zone 4 = 80-90% MHR
Zone 5 = 90-100% MHR
Each zone has a specific purpose in its physical development. Zone 1 is known as active recovery zone. Workouts in this zone will feel very easy. You can speak in complete sentences as you breathe effortlessly. This is a good intensity to recover from a hard workout. It is also a good place to start if you are new to cycling. Although zone 1 involves low intensity exertion, training provides many health benefits, such as lower blood pressure, lower cholesterol, and reduced body fat. If your main cycling goal is to improve health, this is the area for you!
Zone 2 is the hardiness zone. You’re working harder than zone 1, so breathing is more laborious. However, you can still speak quite easily. If you are a competitive cyclist, you will spend more time in this area than in any other because it helps you develop your aerobic endurance. In a periodized training program, your base building The phase will consist of many long zone 2 wrinkles. These walks will enhance your ability to metabolize fat for energy and increase your ability to carry oxygen.
Zone 3 is the threshold zone where breathing becomes difficult and speaking becomes more difficult. It is also the place where you can significantly improve your cycling performance. Training here will improve your ability to burn carbohydrates efficiently and increase your lactate threshold (the highest intensity you can maintain for 60 minutes).
Zone 4, known as lactate zone, it’s where your workouts get tough. You won’t be talking! Competitive cyclists will spend a significant amount of time in this zone because it increases their lactate threshold and their ability to ride faster for longer periods of time. For most cyclists, at some point in this zone they will switch from primarily aerobic to anaerobic exercise.
Finally, zone 5 is all about pain! Known as the anaerobic zone, is not sustainable for long periods of time because it uses the body’s anaerobic energy systems that only last from a few seconds to a maximum of a few minutes. Training intervals in this zone will increase your speed on the bike. They can also increase your VO2 max. (The maximum amount of oxygen the body can consume during high intensity exercise.) However, unless you are a serious cyclist preparing for a high level competition, you will not spend much time in zone 5.