There are 7 common training ranges used in cycling. This article will go over the first 4 categories of training and what they do for you. I will compare the normal categories with the ones I use and explain the difference to allow you to make a decision about which training guideline you will implement. Make sure you have read about what an FTP test is and how to perform an FTP test.
The first 4 most common training categories are as follows; zone one is called Active Recovery, zone two is called Base Stamina, zone 3 is called Tempo, and zone 4 is called Lactate Threshold. I will also review the ranges that I have in the same categories, since I divide these 4 zones into 6 zones.
Zone 1 is as the name implies, Active Recovery. In this category, you can exercise at a low intensity to allow your body to recover from more intense training sessions and loads on and off the bike. When a rider says they are going to take a smooth turn, or a light pedal, they generally imply that they will be in this range. There is definitely no heavy breathing, there are no physiological adaptations in this area, you could carry on a conversation for days, without stopping with yourself. That’s how easy this range should be, no pauses to catch your breath, the pace is neither hard nor fast. Remember that this rate is less than 55% of the average FTP test power. Active recovery is very important after tough training sessions, as it can speed recovery, decrease pain, and help muscle rebuild by making blood flow better in the body. Be aware that there are other forms of active recovery, such as yoga and hiking.
Zone 2 is Stamina or Base Stamina. The intensity is obviously higher than what you are doing in zone 1. This category still allows for constant conversations unless you are approaching the upper end of the range or going up a hill. This category is known as the zone in which you can travel all day. When I was running cross country and track and field in my running days, my coach called this LSD, or slow long distance. This category of training has a range of 55-75% of your average FTP test power. Most of your training time should be in this training zone. Zone 2 should allow recovery even after several days in a row of training in this zone, unless the duration of training in this zone is really long. In this case, you may need more than 24 hours to recover. Improving your fitness in zone 2 helps improve your aerobic base, here’s what you can do with oxygen. Spending time in this zone increases your stamina to ride longer at beats below the threshold. Threshold is your body’s ability to deal with acid buildup. Once you hit the limit, the acid starts to build up and your legs start to get that burning sensation. Eventually you have to slow down as this is a limiting factor for everyone. The goal is to build that endurance in zone 2 to help you last longer during below-threshold efforts.
Base Endurance, Zone 2 has its benefits and they are; adaptations with muscle glycogen, adaptations to mitochondrial enzymes, and shift of fast-twitch muscle fibers from type 2b to type 2a.
Common Zone 3 is the TEMPO zone, and it is above your strictly aerobic zone and also below your threshold level. Towards the upper end of this zone I consider it a sweet spot and I’ll get to that in a minute. Like the endurance zone, you can exercise in this zone for several days in a row if you are recovering properly with diet, rest, and massage. This area has more difficulty breathing and interrupts constant conversation. Cyclists generally do tempo rides near the end of the offseason when exiting the base building. Like Zone 2, adaptations with muscle glycogen, mitochondrial enzymes, and changing fast-twitch muscle fibers from type 2b to type 2a are some of the benefits of Tempo. You can also increase your lactate threshold in this area. The tempo is 76-90% of the average FTP test power.
In the most common zone 4, and this is the Lactate Threshold where the intensity is obviously higher than what you are doing in zone 3. This zone is what some call just below a time trial effort, something you could hold for a good amount of time. Breathing is louder and conversation definitely stops due to breathing. This zone is usually where the most training intervals are prescribed and during these intervals you may experience discomfort in your legs. The more time you spend in this zone in a single activity, the stronger your mental game needs to be. In this zone, you switch to using carbohydrates as your main fuel source, and if you maintain this rate without refueling, you will deplete your carbohydrate stores and as a result, you will be forced to slow down or sink. This training zone has a range of 90-105% of your average FTP test power.
The lactate threshold zone begins to push the limit in terms of continuous days in a row in this zone. It is possible to do several consecutive days in this area, but it is better to do it with recovery between them. Along with some of the improvements we see in the previous zones, this zone also increases plasma volume, increases the efficiency of your heart, increases your VO2 and increases your aerobic power, which is power with oxygen.
My zone 1 is exactly the same as common active recovery zone 1, including the name.
My zone 2, Base Endurance is a bit different than normal endurance zone 2. I generally only prescribe this specific zone when an athlete’s HRV indicates they need to pedal at a lower level to recover, or after hard workouts for athletes who better handle training loads. For the athlete who may need a lower intensity run, but not active recovery or the magic zone, I will prescribe my zone 2, Base Endurance, as it is a mix of the higher end of the active recovery zone and the more complete zone. Common Endurance Zone 2. For the athlete who can handle a higher training load, he will get this zone instead of an active recovery day in some cases.
My zone 3, the magic zone, is basically the same as common zone 2. I call it magic because this is where you spend most of your time training, laying the foundations of your physical condition to build a stronger body. faster you. Magic happens here baby, so when your coach tells you to stay in this zone, you must stay in this zone!
My zone 4, the tempo zone (common zone 3), is slightly different from what everyone else seems to use when it comes to zone 3. My tempo zone is a smaller zone ranging from 76 to 85% of average FTP test power. This leaves a small window for what I call the steady state zone, which is my Zone 5.
My steady state zone, zone 5, uses the upper part of the normal tempo zone (common zone 3) as well as a stripe from the lactate threshold zone (common zone 4). I truly believe this is the sweet spot for even better results by increasing your plasma volume, increasing your heart efficiency, increasing your VO2, and increasing your aerobic power.
My zone 6 is the same as common zone 4, the only difference is that I call them Limit Intervals instead of Lactate Threshold.
Look for the following article while I finish the rest of the training zones, hopefully you will get some of these articles to help you become a faster rider!