Reaping the benefits of zone 2 training

Zone 2 training consists of anything that can be done at a steady state, for example, swimming, jogging, indoor cycling, brisk walking etc.
Zone 2 training consists of anything that can be done at a steady state, for example, swimming, jogging, indoor cycling, brisk walking etc.
Image: Vladimir Cosic

Zone 2 training has been of great interest to me as of late. There’s still so much research I would like to do on this, but this is what I have learned so far.

Zone 2 training consists of anything that can be done at a steady state, for example, swimming, jogging, indoor cycling, brisk walking etc.

It is done at an intensity where you are still able to carry a conversation while sounding slightly out of breath, but can still maintain nasal breathing.

Zone 2 training is training at an intensity that maximises mitochondrial function.

At this intensity, you recruit mostly type 1 muscle fibres, mobilise the highest amount of fat as fuel, burn both fat and glucose in the mitochondria, and keep the glycolactic flux relatively low.

Zone 2 training improves VO2 max, increases fat combustion, increases lactate clearing, increases FTP, and increases the mitochondria.

These improvements occur because of the increase in mitochondrial functioning that zone 2 produces.

Research suggests getting 150-200 minutes a  week of zone 2 training to reap the benefits of cardiovascular health, cerebrovascular health and a number of other health aspects.

This zone 2 training can be done in one session or multiple sessions.

Most smart watches are able to measure your time spent in zone 2 during a workout.

For example, you do a 90-minute workout and your watch tells you that you spent 45 minutes in zone two.

Does that count as zone 2 training? Yes, and of course there is benefit to this; but not to the same extent as a session consistently spent in zone 2.

Training and passing in and out of zone 2 for a sub-total of 45 minutes is not the same as training in zone 2 consistently for 45 minutes straight.

The benefits of training consistently in zone 2 for an extended period of time far outweighs passing in and out throughout a session and chopping and changing between VO2max and zone 2.

VO2 max training consists of anything that gets your heart rate up and makes you tired.

It is interesting to note that zone 2 cardio does not impede, but rather, enhances other aspects of our fitness (hypertrophy, speed work, power, VO2 max and so much more).

Many people believe that if they want to increase their size they cannot do zone 2 training as it will ruin their progress.

The same goes for sprinters or people wanting to increase their power; often times these people only train that modality and rule out zone 2 training.

Its amazing to note how it can actually improve these other modalities of fitness.

This is ideal for athletes as it further encourages their progress while also being at low risk for injury.

Just like people have a mindset of 80/20 when it comes to diet —  80% of the time you should be eating whole and healthy foods, and 20% of the time you can eat foods that aren’t of great nutritional value but that you enjoy.

You can treat your training like this too —  80% of your training or cardio should be done in zone 2 and only 20% in your VO2 max. 

This is a very wide topic and there is a ton of avenues for discussion, but I hope this gives you a bit more clarity on what zone 2 training is, its benefits and how to potentially change up your training regime to yield the best results.


subscribe

Would you like to comment on this article?
Register (it's quick and free) or sign in now.

Speech Bubbles

Please read our Comment Policy before commenting.