There are 7 common training bands used in cycling. This article will go over the first 4 training classes and what they do for you. I will compare the normal classes to what I use and explain the difference to allow you to decide which training guidelines to implement. Make sure you read what is an FTP test and how to perform an FTP test.
The first four most common training categories are as follows; Zone 1 is called Active Recovery, Zone 2 is called Basic Endurance, Zone 3 is called Tempo, and Zone 4 is called Lactate Threshold. I’ll also touch on the ranges I have in the same categories, as I break these 4 areas into 6 areas.
Zone 1 is just what its name suggests, active recovery. In this category, you can exercise at a lower intensity to allow your body to recover from more intense training sessions and loads on and off the bike. When a rider says he’s going to go out for an easy turn, or pedal lightly, he usually means he’s going to be in the range. Absolutely no heavy breathing, no physiological adaptations going on in this area, you can carry on a conversation for days, non-stop with yourself. That’s how easy this range is, there’s no stopping to catch your breath, the pace isn’t hard or fast. Remember that this frequency is less than 55% of the average FTP test power. Active recovery is very important after hard training sessions because it can speed up recovery, reduce soreness, and help rebuild muscles by getting blood to flow better in the body. Keep in mind that there are other methods of active recovery, such as yoga and hiking.
Zone 2 is endurance or basic endurance. The intensity is obviously higher than it does in Zone 1. This class still allows for continued conversations unless you’re nearing the higher end of the range or climbing a hill. This category is referred to as the area where you can ride all day. Back when I ran cross country and trail running days, my coach would call this LSD, or Long Slow Distance. This training class is between 55-75% of the average strength of the FTP test. Most of your training time should be in this training area. Zone 2 should allow recovery even after several consecutive days 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. Getting fit in Zone 2 helps improve your aerobic base, which is what you can do with oxygen. Spending time in this area increases your endurance to ride for longer in steps below your minimum. Threshold is your bodies ability to deal with acid buildup. Once you cross the limit, the acid starts to build up, and your legs start to feel burning. Eventually you have to slow down because that’s the limiting factor for everyone. The goal is to build this Zone 2 endurance to help you last longer during sub-threshold efforts.
Basic Endurance, Zone 2 has its benefits which are; Adaptation of muscle glycogen, adaptation of mitochondrial enzymes, and change of fast-twitch muscle fibers from type 2b to type 2a.
The common 3 zone is the TEMPO zone, which is above the completely aerobic zone and also below the threshold level. Towards the upper end of this area I consider it a sweet spot and I’ll get to it in a minute. Like the endurance zone, you can exercise in this zone many days in a row if you recover properly with diet, rest, and massage. This area has more difficult breathing and interrupts ongoing conversation. Riders generally ride cadence near the end of the season outside of the base building. Like Zone 2, adaptations to muscle glycogen, mitochondrial enzymes, and the change of fast muscle fibers from type 2b to type 2a are some of the benefits of Tempo. You may also raise the lactate threshold in this area. Tempo is 76-90% of the average FTP test strength.
In Zone 4 is most common, and this is your lactate threshold where the intensity is obviously higher than you would in Zone 3. This zone is what some refer to as just below the effort of the time trial, something you can maintain for a good amount of time. The breathing is louder and the talking has definitely stopped because of the breathing. This area is usually prescribed for more periods of exercise and during these periods you may feel discomfort in the leg. The more time you spend in this area on one activity, the stronger your mental game needs to be. In this area, you are switching to using carbohydrates as your main fuel source, and if you maintain this pace without replenishing, your carbohydrate stores will be depleted and as a result you will either have to slow down or you will. This training area has a range of 90-105% of the average FTP test strength.
The lactate threshold zone begins to push the limit as many days in a row are in this zone. It is possible to do several consecutive days in this area, but it is best to do it with recovery in between. Along with some of the improvements we see in the previous areas, this area also increases your plasma volume, increases the efficiency of your hearts, increases your VO2, and increases your aerobic power, which is the energy with oxygen.
My Area 1 is exactly the same as Shared Active Recovery Area 1, including the name.
My Zone 2, Base Endurance is a bit different than the normal Endurance Zone 2. I usually only prescribe this specific Zone when HRV athletes indicate they need to ride at a lower level to recover, or after hard workouts for athletes who handle training loads better. For the athlete who may need a less intense ride, but not Active Recovery or the Magic Zone, I would describe my Zone 2, Base Endurance, as it is a combination of the upper end of the Active Recovery Zone plus the more popular Endurance Zone 2. For the athlete who can handle a higher training load, they will have this Zone instead of an Active Recovery Day in some cases.
My Zone 3, the Magic Zone, is basically the same thing as the Common Zone 2. I call it Magic because that is where you should spend most of your time training, laying the foundation of your fitness in order to build a stronger and faster you. Magic happens here baby, so when your coach tells you to stay in this area, you gotta stay in this area!
My Zone 4, the Tempo Zone (common Zone 3), is a bit different than what everyone seems to be using as far as Zone 3 goes. The My Tempo Zone is a smaller zone that ranges from 76-85% of the average FTP test power. This leaves a small window of what I call the steady state region, which is my region 5.
My steady state zone, Zone 5, uses the upper part of the Normal Tempo Zone (Joint Zone 3) as well as part of the Lactate Threshold Zone (Joint Zone 4). I truly believe this is the perfect place to get better results while increasing your plasma volume, increasing the efficiency of your hearts, increasing your VO2 and increasing your aerobic power.
My Zone 6 is the same as my Zone 4, the only difference is that I call them limit periods instead of lactate threshold.
Look for the following article while I finish the rest of the training areas, I hope you get something from these articles to help you become a faster cyclist!
