Zone 3
Zone 3 is where things start to get a bit more serious. This is your moderate intensity zone, where you’re starting to work harder and your breathing is more labored. You can still hold a conversation, but it’s getting tougher. This is often referred to as your tempo or threshold zone.
When training in Zone 3, you’re working at the point where your body is starting to produce more lactate than it can clear. This leads to a build-up of lactate in the blood, which can make your muscles feel heavy and fatigued. Training in Zone 3 helps to raise your lactate threshold – the point at which your body can no longer clear lactate quickly enough and fatigue sets in.
BENEFITS OF ZONE 3 TRAINING
Working in Zone 3 helps to improve your lactate threshold and tolerance to high-intensity efforts. This means you’ll be able to work at higher intensities for longer periods of time without fatiguing as quickly. It also helps to improve your aerobic capacity and efficiency, making you a more efficient endurance athlete overall.
Zone 4
Zone 4 is where things really start to hurt. This is your high-intensity zone, where you’re working at a level that is sustainable for shorter periods of time. Your breathing is heavy, and it’s difficult to hold a conversation. This is often referred to as your VO2 max zone.
Training in Zone 4 helps to improve your VO2 max – the maximum amount of oxygen your body can utilize during exercise. By working at this intensity, you’re pushing your body to its limits and forcing it to adapt and become more efficient at using oxygen to produce energy.
BENEFITS OF ZONE 4 TRAINING
Working in Zone 4 helps to improve your aerobic capacity and efficiency, as well as your anaerobic capacity and power. This means you’ll be able to sustain high-intensity efforts for longer periods of time, and recover more quickly between hard efforts. It also helps to improve your overall fitness and performance in races and events.
Zone 5
Zone 5 is your maximal effort zone. This is where you’re working at your absolute maximum intensity, and can only sustain the effort for a very short period of time. Your breathing is extremely heavy, and it’s impossible to hold a conversation. This is often referred to as your sprint or neuromuscular power zone.
Training in Zone 5 helps to improve your neuromuscular power, speed, and explosiveness. By working at this intensity, you’re pushing your body to its limits and forcing it to adapt and become more explosive and powerful. This can be beneficial for sprinters, track cyclists, and other athletes who require short, intense efforts.
BENEFITS OF ZONE 5 TRAINING
Working in Zone 5 helps to improve your sprinting ability, power, speed, and explosiveness. This means you’ll be able to generate more power and speed in short, intense efforts, and improve your overall performance in races and events that require explosive efforts.
Zone 6
Zone 6 is your maximal effort zone. This is where you’re working at your absolute maximum intensity, and can only sustain the effort for a very short period of time. Your breathing is extremely heavy, and it’s impossible to hold a conversation. This is often referred to as your anaerobic capacity zone.
Training in Zone 6 helps to improve your anaerobic capacity and power. By working at this intensity, you’re pushing your body to its limits and forcing it to adapt and become more powerful and explosive. This can be beneficial for athletes who require short, intense efforts and bursts of speed.
BENEFITS OF ZONE 6 TRAINING
Working in Zone 6 helps to improve your anaerobic capacity, power, and explosiveness. This means you’ll be able to generate more power and speed in short, intense efforts, and improve your overall performance in races and events that require explosive efforts.
How to determine your training zones
There are a few different methods for determining your training zones, depending on the sport and the data you have available. The most common methods are:
1. Maximal Heart Rate (MHR) – This method uses your maximum heart rate to calculate your training zones. Your maximum heart rate is the highest number of heart beats per minute that you can achieve during maximum effort exercise. You can estimate your MHR by subtracting your age from 220, but the most accurate way to determine it is through a maximal effort exercise test.
2. Functional Threshold Power (FTP) – This method uses your functional threshold power to calculate your training zones for cycling. Your FTP is the highest average power output you can sustain for one hour. You can determine your FTP through a 20-minute functional threshold power test.
3. Perceived Exertion – This method uses your subjective feeling of effort to determine your training zones. You can use a scale of 1-10, with 1 being very easy and 10 being maximal effort, to determine which zone you’re working in.
4. Rate of Perceived Exertion (RPE) – This method uses your subjective feeling of effort to determine your training zones. You can use a scale of 1-10, with 1 being very easy and 10 being maximal effort, to determine which zone you’re working in.
Once you’ve determined your training zones, you can use them to structure your workouts and monitor your progress over time. By working in the appropriate training zones for each workout, you can maximize the effectiveness of your training and improve your fitness and performance.
Remember, training zones are just a tool to help guide your training – they’re not set in stone. It’s important to listen to your body and adjust your training zones as needed based on how you’re feeling on any given day. If you’re feeling tired or fatigued, it’s okay to dial back the intensity and focus on recovery. On the other hand, if you’re feeling strong and fresh, you can push yourself a bit harder and work in a higher training zone. The key is to find the right balance that works for you and helps you achieve your goals.
So next time you’re planning your workouts, take a moment to consider which training zone you want to target and why. By understanding the purpose of each zone and how it can benefit your training, you can make the most of your time and effort – and get one step closer to achieving your goals.
These shorter, high intensity efforts are great for building speed and power, as well as increasing your VO2 max – the maximum amount of oxygen your body can use during exercise. Training in Zone 5 will help to push your limits and improve your ability to sustain high intensity efforts for longer periods of time. This type of training is crucial for improving your overall performance in races, especially in shorter distance events where speed and power are key factors.
Overall, incorporating a variety of training zones into your routine is essential for improving your fitness and performance as an endurance athlete. Each zone targets different energy systems and physiological adaptations, helping you to become a well-rounded and efficient athlete. By understanding the benefits of each zone and how to properly incorporate them into your training plan, you can optimize your performance and reach your full potential on race day.
En la mayoría de los casos, estarás por encima de tu segundo umbral de lactato (LT2) trabajando a esta intensidad. Esto te ayudará a aumentar tu velocidad máxima, pero también a mejorar tu ritmo de resistencia constante. En el ciclismo, los esfuerzos en la Zona 5 también son una gran herramienta para ayudarte a fortalecerte en la escalada de colinas.
Zona 6
Si la Zona 6 estuviera en el menú de un restaurante, probablemente vendría con una advertencia de picante y un vaso de leche al lado. ¡Prepárate para sentir el ardor! Este es tu esfuerzo máximo que puedes sostener entre 40 segundos y 1 o 2 minutos (dependiendo de tu nivel de condición física). Los entrenamientos con esfuerzos en la Zona 6 se sentirán realmente difíciles, así que asegúrate de calentar adecuadamente y programar una sesión más fácil al día siguiente para darle a tu cuerpo la oportunidad de recuperarse y adaptarse.
BENEFICIOS DEL ENTRENAMIENTO EN ZONA 6
El entrenamiento en Zona 6 puede ayudar a mejorar tu VO2 max, lo que a su vez te dará más ‘techo’ para elevar tus umbrales. Tener un alto VO2 max te brinda una mayor capacidad de rendimiento. Los entrenamientos con esfuerzos en la Zona 6 te ayudarán a potenciar tu condición física. También son una herramienta útil para construir resistencia mental y tenacidad: tendrás que acostumbrarte a superar el malestar y enfrentarte a sesiones que pueden sonar aterradoras en papel. Esa experiencia será valiosa el día de la carrera, porque habrás desbloqueado una mayor capacidad para seguir empujando cuando las cosas se pongan difíciles.
Las pruebas de laboratorio utilizando una máscara, como hicimos en el Laboratorio de Rendimiento de Loughborough, proporcionan una indicación precisa de la absorción máxima de oxígeno, aunque muchos relojes de fitness también ofrecen una estimación de tu VO2 max.
¿QUÉ ES EL VO2 MAX? conocimiento experto
“El VO2 max es el volumen máximo de oxígeno que eres capaz de tomar y utilizar. Esto puede utilizarse como indicador del potencial de rendimiento de resistencia, aunque los umbrales de lactato son predictores más relevantes de tu capacidad de rendimiento actual”. – Lucija Petrovic, Fisióloga
Ahora que tienes una mejor comprensión de qué son las zonas de entrenamiento y cómo trabajar en las diferentes zonas puede beneficiar tu condición física, dirígete a nuestras secciones de Ciclismo Indoor y Running Indoor, donde encontrarás algunas de nuestras recomendaciones para varios entrenamientos que te ayudarán a hacer desde mejorar tu ritmo de maratón hasta potenciar tus habilidades de escalada de colinas en bicicleta.