If you are a casual observer or obsessed with fashion trends, suitabilitysurely you’ve heard of it Zone 2 Training a thousand webs etc. podcast trusted. It has become a buzzword among professional resistance trainers and personal improvement experts. CEO of giant company software of security PalantirAlex Karp announced axios Which followed a regime of Norwegian influence centered in Zone 2.
can make words This type of training seems too complicated, and its most ardent defenders are the specific people dedicated to controlling (and tweeting about) the number of hours you spend at the gym with pointer watches, chest belts and underwear that only need to measure your blood pressure . But really it only involves implementing low intensity exercise for a long time. Experts consulted by GQ have explained in detail the mechanisms behind this type of training and how anyone can really benefit from incorporating it into their workout routine. suitability,
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doctor Benjamin Levinsports cardiologist UT Southwestern Medical CenterDr., who has worked with the US Olympic Committee and USA Track & Field, explains that exercise is often divided into five “zones” Perceived intensity, denoted by the percentage interval of maximum heart rate. Although trainers often have their own system, zone 5 is at 90–100% of maximum heart rate (achieved by intense exercise such as running), while zone 1 is at about 50–60% of maximum (light jogging). zone 2 is a bit more loudly: An easy jog or a comfortable bike ride, although this varies from athlete to athlete.
At low intensity, from rest to zone 2, the body relies mainly on fat to get energy. Fat is an efficient fuel source, but it requires a lot of oxygen to metabolize. As intensity increases, carbohydrates, in the form of stored glycogen (basically a .zip file of glucose), become the primary fuel source. Zone 2 is the zone in which the maximum level of effort is exerted without exceeding the limit. “crossing point” From aerobic (“with oxygen”) to anaerobic (“without oxygen”), where carbohydrates become the preferred energy source over fat, and lactate (a byproduct of glucose metabolism) begins to accumulate.
Zones not clearly defined, as stated jeff crystalStanford Clinical Exercise Physiologists: They’re percentage gap Maximum heart rate, with “soft boundaries” between zones. If your heart rate is above 70% of your maximum heart rate, nothing magical happens.
But prolonged efforts in Zone 2 seem to be having some effect unique features Which helps in improving general fitness. about three decades ago, inigo st milanexercise physiologist and professor at the University of Colorado School of Medicine became interested mitochondrial function As “centers of performance” (you may remember these high school cell structures as the “powerhouses” of the cell). A former competitive cyclist, he wanted to find an exercise intensity that would improve mitochondrial function.
What is Zone 2 Training and what are its benefits?
Measuring the athlete’s lactate through blood samples, they found that training in zone 2 is the best way to boost mitochondrial function and build a cardiovascular foundation that both professional cyclists and weekend athletes can benefit from. As Performance Head of the UAE Team Emirates Cycling Team and personal trainer to the 2020-2021 Tour de France winner, Tadej Pogasar Mostly works with ex. He explains that Zone 2 training is one way to ensure that athletes can perform fast for long periods of time.
expert Welcome Adoption of training in zone 2. Christel points out that, in general, it is more secure and more durable Compared to the earlier high intensity interval training craze. After all, the best exercise is the one you can keep doing.
According to Christel, for those interested in resistance work in zone 2, a high volume: 1 hour of exercise, 3-4 times a week, for up to 12 weeks, time needed to change exercise behavior. also need Endurance: Many athletes are bored with low-intensity work, and spending an entire Saturday can be a blow to their ego. run,
and although there is a wide variety of technologies Heart rate measurement, the data-obsessed athlete may have a hard time finding his personal Zone 2 on his fitness tracker. San Milan, without naming any specific brands, confirms that some devices may be capable Capture Refined Data or detailed refined graphicsBut that doesn’t mean they represent reality.
Dr. Levin goes even further: “If you haven’t done an intense exercise test measuring your heart rate and breathing, you can skip everything else.” These tests usually involve running on a treadmill or bicycle while breathing through a tube, and monitoring oxygen intake, carbon dioxide emissions, heart rate, and other data. If you don’t do this test, he explains, heart rate zones are generated algorithmically. considering that heart rate Maximum Real can belong to a person Varies up to 20 beats per minute Compared to more common calculation methods, this makes these measurements “complete and utter nonsense”.
Doctor San Milan has similar doubts about meters suitability and his Zone 2 calculations. “After 30 years of research, I still can’t tell you where your zone 2 is without testing.”
Athletes who focus too much on equipment may be forced to change your behavior To satisfy your apps and trackers: Take another walk around the block to finish a race with a good round number, or add a rowing session to a weightlifting workout to max out a certain metric. Posts on the Garmin, Polar and Apple Watch forums suggest that users are having difficulty locating and staying in Zone 2. And while maximum effort is rewarded, prolonged low-intensity exercise This is not always well perceived by machines. For example, Garmin users find their low, slow training marked as “unproductive”.
How to Calculate If You’re in Zone 2 (And Why You Shouldn’t Always Rely on Instruments)
But even if you don’t test your blood during training to measure lactate, there is a non-invasive way to know more or less if you’re training in zone 2: talk test,
“You must be able to talkbut a little forced,” explains Christel, “but at that rate with full sentences.” This area, which is around 70% As for max heart rate, this should be tolerable for almost everyone. Of course, this has been conventional wisdom for endurance athletes for decades; In many ways, the Zone 2 craze merely provides a framework for what many athletes already know.
despite all the attention Zone 2 TrainingIt’s important to remember that this is only a piece of the cake. suitability Big. More specifically, it should be about 80% of that cake, with the remaining 20% being made at a higher intensity. San Millán points out that elite athletes do very low-intensity training, but even athletes like Pogacar undergo training that would be “intolerable for most humans”.
For more intense work, Levin chooses old training team ski Norwegian: 4×4 aerobic interval consisting of 4 minutes at 95% of max heart rate, followed by three minutes of rest, repeated four times. “It’s the best workout for building aerobic power in a short amount of time.”
Because fat is burned in zone 2, it is sometimes considered a magical tool for weight loss. Elliptical machines and treadmills that indicate when you’re in “fat burn” mode probably don’t help. But according to Christel, people looking for Zone 2 training for weight loss are “knocking on the wrong door”. “This is not weight loss technology. And exercise only has never been and never will be. It’s math.” pretty simple,
Rather than thinking of Zone 2 as a weight loss resource, it is more accurate to view it as a way make your internal engine more efficient, instead of imagining six packImagine a beautiful mitochondria inside a cell, working at maximum efficiency.
All three experts only recommend listen to the body, There’s no “magic” to any particular number, and that should inspire you. Spend most of your time exercising in low heat, with short, high-intensity sessions, and you can rest assured knowing that you’re training like a high-performance athlete, regardless of what your partner may say. smart watch,
This article was originally published on GQ.com.
