- Training well isn't always about training hard.
It's about training smart.
Using heart rate zones is a great way
to tailor your training programme.
In this video, we're going to explain when
and how to train with heart rate,
and the benefits it can give you.
A lot of athletes are guilty of spending too much time
in what I call the moderate grey zone.
Working moderately hard most of the time
in a limited range of effort.
Train to heart rate and using the correct zones
will prevent that dreaded performance plateau
and enable you to take your running to the next level.
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Running to heart rate also allows you to run
at a more continuous effort compared to trying to run
of a set pace.
For example, if you hit an incline like this and you try
and maintain that pace you had on a flat,
then your heart rate will increase and you'll probably find
you're training in a different zone to what
your session required.
And then the opposite goes for running downhill.
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First, you need to work out your heart rate zone.
So it's important to note that these will be
specific to running.
So you'll need to do a separate test
and calculate specifically for cycling as well.
So we've already made a video on how to find
your heart rate and calculate your zones.
If you do need help with this, the video is in
the description below.
Now I personally used a 25 minute cross country race where
I was running as hard as I could to my average heart rate
from that to work out my lactic threshold heart rate
and then I used an online calculator to work out my zones,
and that's the most accurate way of doing it.
So for the purpose of today we're gonna use a more simple
calculation when you take your resting heart rate
and your maximum heart rate and, to keep things
really straightforward, we're gonna use the heart rate
maximum of 200 for today's calculations.
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Okay, before we get started, it's worth noting that
there are a few factors that can cause your heart rate
to differ from the normal.
For example, an increase in temperature,
something that's more, that's five degrees centigrade,
can cause your heart rate to rise by as much as
10 beats per minute.
Now dehydration can also cause your heart rate to rise,
as can altitude, as well as caffeine, whereas fatigue can
sometimes cause your heart rate to be lower.
Therefore, it's worth being aware of your perceived effort
in combination and not being a slave to your heart rate
if the conditions have changed.
Finally note that there'll be a lag in the time
for your heart rate to react to the change in efforts.
So if you're wanting to run at zone four pace,
start with your need to use perceived effort as
your heart rate will take a minute or two to reflect this.
Another way of doing it, if you're running on the flat
and you've got GPS, you can run to pace.
There are five zones and they all have a different purpose
and a different training effect.
Zone one is 100 to 120 beats per minute and that's about
50 to 60 percent of your maximum effort.
This is super easy and you should feel that
you're hardly working at all.
You might even wonder why it's worth running at this pace.
You can make it social, so go out with friends and it
shouldn't feel like a training session.
It's all about recovery and just flushing out your legs.
And zone one is so often overlooked but it's important
that you recover if you're going to actually
get any stronger.
Another option is to swap it for a bike or a run,
but whatever you do do, just make sure that your effort
level is only at about four out of 10.
Zone two is working at about 120 to 140 beats per minute,
60 to 70 percent of your maximum heart rate.
We're staying in the aerobic zone here, so it's moderately
light training, but it is a step up from zone one.
So your effort levels will be around a five or
a six out of 10.
Now you'll spend the majority of your running training
in this zone if you're training for a triathalon.
An example would be your one hour long run and to know
that you're on the right track with perceived effort
being able to hold a conversation very comfortably.
Now a lot of athletes will use this for preseason training
and also for fat loss as it is low level aerobic miles.
Zone three is 140 to 160 beats per minute, or 70 to 80%
of your maximum heart rate.
This zone is used less commonly when you're training
to heart rate as it can be labelled that grey area that
athletes will slip into where you're not working hard enough
to push up your lactic threshold but you're working too hard
to be purely developing your aerobic base and as a result
you'll still need adequate levels of recovery from this
type of training but you might not receive the
same levels of gains.
That said, your coach might set zone three work early on
in your base training as it does help to build muscular
endurance and can also make your body more efficient.
So for example, if you're training for a half marathon
than a good session would be two lots of 15 minutes
holding zone three and to give you an idea, that would be
around a seven out of 10 effort wise and you should be able
to only hold short sentences when talking.
Zone four is 160 to 180 beats per minute, or 80 to 90%
of your maximum heart rate.
This is where the hard work happens.
You're gonna be working at around an eight out of 10
and it's not gonna feel comfortable but you will be
improving your lactic threshold and your speed endurance
as you'll be staying in your threshold.
Now, it is uncomfortable and I promise you you'll be
counting down the minutes 'til the end of each rep,
but a good set to try this out would be four lots
of five minutes with a three minute recovery between each.
Zone four is essential if you want to get any faster.
Now, if you are training for a sprint or an Olympic
distance race, then you'll find yourself training
pretty close to your race pace with this type of session.
However, if you are aiming at a longer race, then this
will be quicker than your race pace.
Zone five is 180 beats plus per minute, or 90 to 100%
of your maximum heart rate.
You're not gonna be able to stay here long,
nor will you need to.
It's basically a 10 out of 10 effort so well above
your lactic threshold and it is all out.
The lactic acid will soon catch up with you and it will
prevent your muscles from working very soon.
This type of training is only really needed if you're
expecting to have a sprint finish or you're entering
pure running races where you might require a real kick
at the end and it's worth noting that by the time your
heart rate shows your max your legs will have probably
already failed you.
On the plus side, you might be pleased to hear that the
majority of triathletes don't need to train in this zone,
but you might find yourself just dipping into it
if you're doing some warm up strides or some
pre-race lengtheners.
Just always make sure that your legs are 100% warmed up
before running at maximum effort.
Incorporating heart rate as a measure of your training
will help keep your effort specific to each
particular training session.
However, if you are still loyal to pace, why not try
combining the two and then you've got double
the amount of feedback.
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Now if you're new to heart rate running and you want
a little bit more of an explainer of how to find
your heart rate and how to use a heart rate monitor,
then we've made a video just here, and if you wanted
to lose some weight and combine it with your training
for triathlon, then there's a great video
for that just here.