In this video, I’m going to explain how we will define training intensity and talk about the zones we will use.
Before we can fully understand training zones, we need to understand exercise domains. Exercise intensity domains describe how our body reacts to physical activity.
There are three main domains: moderate, heavy, and severe.
In each domain, the body has different physiological responses, like changes in how much oxygen it uses and how much lactate is in the blood.
The domains are not the same as training zones. They help us understand how our body responds to different levels of intensity during exercise.
There are two main thresholds that separate the domains: the aerobic threshold and the anaerobic threshold. FYI, while there is some evidence to support the validity of thresholds like LT1, GET, and VT to delineate the moderate and heavy domains of exercise, there is little evidence to support the validity of most commonly used methods, with the exception of Critical Power, to delineate the heavy and severe domains of exercise domains (Jamnick, 2020).
But to get back to exercise intensity domains, they are basically a way to show the underlying changes that are happening to our bodies when we change intensity, and you can think of training zones as a layer on top of these for a more practical way of planning training sessions. There are more training zone systems than I can cover; I will only discuss the ones we use. There are other systems, including TrainingPeaks' own, that I think are too complicated and don't deserve to be talked about or recommended here.
Training intensity zones are a well-known method of prescribing training, but they are not without controversy. There is little consensus on the best methods for determining exercise intensity. Some of the disagreement comes from the fact that there isn't a single agreed-upon way to judge how well different methods work.
This is not to say that we shouldn't use training zones because there is a link between training intensity and certain adaptations that are important for performance. Besides, we need the ability to plan workouts using a shared intensity-based language and system, as well as track the time spent in each zone, which can help bring important structure to training plans and sessions (Jamnick, 2020).
The most important decision when choosing training zones is knowing they are correct and aimed at the right intensities so that we don't waste time and make sure our training is as optimised as possible.
For example, even though training zone systems that use a fixed percentage of maximal anchors are used a lot, research shows that they don't work. Andrew Coggan's training zones, for example, are based on a single parameter, a percentage of FTP. However, while this model might hold true on average, using a single parameter to set training zones has the disadvantage of not being appropriate for everyone. Individualising your training zones is therefore the best way to optimise your training.
In order to bring about specific training adaptations, training intensities need to be in the correct zone.
These are the zones and definitions of each zone you will be using. Note that we use a percentage of Critical Power to make training prescriptions easier.
Recovery (Light Aerobic): Less than 55% CP
The lowest intensity zone is used mostly for easy training, rest days, and in between intervals.
Endurance (Light Aerobic): 56-75% CP
This is a light aerobic intensity zone. Zone 2 is the zone in which most endurance training is to be completed.
Tempo (Moderate and Heavy Aerobic): 76-90% CP
A moderate aerobic intensity zone that can be used in a longer interval and lower cadence prescription to improve muscular endurance and Type IIa (fast twitch aerobic) muscle fiber oxidative ability.
Critical Power (Threshold): 91-105% CP
There is a separate explainer video on CP but find your CP from the line of best fit from various CP models.
MAP (Maximal Aerobic Power): 106-120% CP
This is the maximum power that our body can develop in an aerobic state, measured in watts.
As for heart rate, we still use it as a measure of strain and find it useful for analysis and real-time feedback. The HR zones we use are standardised across the same number of zones as our power zones. These are simple to generate within TrainingPeaks and we have instructions in the help centre on how to do this.
Your zones are set after your tests and are attached to your Performance Test Report. Transfer these zones to your TrainingPeaks account. We have instructions in the help centre on how to do this.
