Section Two – WTF!? Why do I need to know this stuff?

Now that we have that all figured out, you might be wondering why this is important. Physical activity/exertion can be broken generally up into three categories:
Beginner 50-60%
Intermediate 60-70%
Advanced 75-85%

Most of you triathletes are in the advanced. ;) No slacking here!

There is debate in terms of percentages. However, as a triathlete it is safe to train on a regular/daily basis in between the intermediate and advanced categories around 70-75%. This area is great for pre-season especially, as it helps your body buildup for the coming season. An active rest day workout would consist of not exceeding 65-70%. When doing speedwork or running a race for PR you will probably at least reach 90% if not exceed it.

Now I have been asked this question MANY times when I talk about HR and THR zones. Yes, it is true that you burn more fat when you work out at a lower intensity. However, if you want to lose weight, you should be working out at a higher intensity because it causes more overall calorie loss, which results in more weight loss. Before we go on to types of training, I want to show the sample zones. If you use my info for reference this is how it looks for my zones:

Beginner 128-141
Intermediate 141-154
Advanced 161-174

As for types of training, there are three major types of training that HR and THR zones are helpful.

Burning calories/Weight Loss: This activity focuses on shorter more intense workouts. So working out for 20-30 mins in 70% for example.

Endurance: This activity focuses on low to medium intensity for longer periods of time. Working out for 90 mins in 40-55% for example.

Interval Training: This consists of a mix of low and high to help build endurance AND burn calories. Here there are endless possibilities but for example if you were running on the treadmill and a light workout would be 2% incline at 4.5mph you would walk/jog there for 5 mins and then do 3 mins at 2% 6.5mph and then go back to 2% at 4.5mph. This allows you to have active rests in between your cardio bursts, which in turn helps you build endurance. Just be careful when you are doing interval training not to push too hard; there is build required just like in endurance.

For the triathletes here are more zones to work in and what you can accomplish by working in different zones.

65% to 70% This is an effort level considered appropriate for very easy run training and recovery days after tough training or race efforts.

70% to 75% This is the range for maximum aerobic training benefit, and moderate "base" training that is not especially stressful to the body. This range is also the best to develop your metabolism’s fat burning capability for distance races like half to full Ironman distance. The majority of your training should be done in this range.

75% to 80% This is mild tempo training that helps to build your muscular/skeletal foundation for the rigors of racing. This range is especially valuable during the early pre-season phase when you need to 'toughen-up' in preparation for higher intensity training and racing.

85% This is considered fast tempo training. It’s not quite race pace (except for very long races) but it simulates race efforts without the need for as much recovery afterwards. This intensity should be performed as late pre-season training, and as a substitute for races when there are none available.

85% to 95% This is the race effort range. During a PR 5k race effort, you may find yourself holding 95% for the second half of the race. For a fast 10k you’ll probably be in the 90% to 95% range for your best effort. Also, when you do speedwork on the track you should expect to see a heart rate at or above 90% of max for much of the workout.

***the above zones were taken from Coach Steve’s training write up on tri-ecoach.com

The biggest thing to remember when looking at THR zones is individuality. Based on age and fitness level, the zones are going to vary greatly person to person. It is possible for one person to have a zone of 120-135 at 85%; that doesn’t mean that s/he isn’t working just as hard as someone who has a zone of 168-176 at 85%.