Heart Rate Zone Training!

Happy Friday friends! You’ve made it! It’s been a crazy week but we made it and that’s what matters. Lately I’ve been experimenting on different training types since I’m not quite training for a race at the moment. I’ve tried a couple of Heart Rate Zone classes and I wanted to share a bit about them today!

What exactly is Heart Rate Zone training? I’ve taken Heart Rate Zone cycling and running classes. The main idea behind the training is to tailor each class to the participant. I’ve used the chest strap and my Garmin, which reads my heart rate as well. I’ve found both are pretty close and will often swap between the two.

There are four heart rate zones: Endurance, Power, Threshold, and Max Capacity. Each zone has a specific feeling so even if you don’t have your numbers set in stone, there’s a good chance you know the effort you’re exerting. Heart Rate Zone Training can truly be applied to every workout if you know what your zones are and what results you want.

What I like about heart rate zone training is that you are letting your body give you feedback as the workout is happening. It’s interesting to me when I’m running to see my heart rate. Obviously there are many things that can impact your heart rate during a workout. It’s way too hot here in the summer for me to train by heart rate zones but it’s fun to do bootcamp classes and monitor my progress. I often find myself pulling back to stay in the endurance zone because I tend to get excited and go too hard. Not every workout needs to be max capacity and being aware of how my body is responding while the workout is happening is great.

By using heart rate zone training you will begin to see that your heart is getting stronger. You’ll be able to run or cycle in your Threshold zone and drop to your Endurance zone in less time. You may also notice certain workouts or series of training days leave you more fatigued than others requiring you to pull back and stay in your Endurance zone longer. That’s the great thing about Heart Rate Zone training. You can still run three miles but the level of effort is personalized for your needs!

If you’ve never given Heart Rate Zone training, I’d recommend giving it a try! Whether you use a heart rate monitor that straps across your chest or one of your wrist, as long as you have your zones you’re good to go! Experiment with a few workouts and see how your body reacts. If anything, it gives you a good idea of your fitness level.

Have you ever done Heart Rate Zone training?