Zone 2 on Echo bike

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lovejustice

New member
Hello, I've only got access to an Echo bike and tried to get do a Zone 2 workout. See screenshot of HR monitor. Max HR is 183 bpm (Based on age and I've hit 173 bpm max before on a Crossfit WOD, so assume that's a decent estimate). It was done at a fairly consistent power output, and perception-wise barely able to have a conversation at this effort level.

Not sure why I have a big spike at around 14:00min but after I got to 135 bpm I had to reduce power to not go above 140 bpm. HR is on a Polar Ignite wrist-based watch (heard its not super accurate).

From what I've read, Zone 2 is tough to get right on a Echo bike relative to a C2 bike for e.g. but does this session look like a Zone 2?

I assumed if I hit the perception based effort goal without going over 140 bpm for 50 min I should be good for a Zone 2 workout?

Any comments or training advice for doing Zone 2 would be appreciated, thanks!

EDIT : I know the graph indicates Z3. I don't know why Polar Fitness do this. For my 183 bpm max and 54 bpm resting, most online calculators seem to indicate Z2 around 130-145 bpm. So numbers-wise I thought this was Z2.

https://preview.redd.it/tjq6t0t6y5i...bp&s=35ebe2e11acd0f8091879f526509c15d191a1240
 
@drounak I saw that, I think its the Polar Flow site that's doing the calculation wrong? For a 183 bpm max and 54 bpm resting, most online calculators seem to indicate Z2 around 130-145 bpm. So numbers-wise I thought this was Z2. Otherwise Z2 would be a super light workout.
 
@lovejustice TLDR: Zone 2 is light / low intensity.

The biggest problem CrossFitters have with Zone 2 is staying slow enough. CrossFitters with a little bit of experience tolerate intensity reasonably well because we do so much of it; most CrossFitters can manage in Zone 3 pretty easily (as your chart shows). For many CrossFitters, Zone 2 feels like a crawl. That's OK!

The purpose of Zone 2 is to improve oxygen delivery, so that means slow twitch fibers, low intensity, and long duration. Those slow twitch fibers' need for oxygen is what delivers the adaptations you're after. Over time you'll be able to oxidize fat at higher intensities, and you'll use oxygen more efficiently, pump more blood per heartbeat, etc. and it won't be such a crawl anymore.

But t's important to "live by the Zone" no matter how slow it feels. If you ramp up the intensity too high and incorporate excessive glycolytic power, you'll undermine some of the benefits you're after.
 
@buckswordbearer A simpler way to put it is zone 2 is a great way to build aerobic volume with minimal fatigue. You get all the benefits of intensity without having to take the time to recover from it or affecting your next session negatively. The trade off is the time commitment
 
@buckswordbearer I should have been more clear. I’m talking aerobic intensity. VO2 max and threshold. You could probably do something like 30/30s that would initially hit the fast twitch fibers but not enough to really stimulate them like heavy sets of squats or :15 all out sprints with full recoveries.

Zone 2 will give you most of the adaptations that VO2 and threshold does with a significantly less fatigue cost. But like you said, better put on a movie because it takes a while

And just to go off on a slight tangent that’s what I love about CF. Gotta have all the aerobic things and all the strength/power things to be good. It’s a never ending journey of figuring out how to best train in order to fully express them at high levels
 
@lovejustice Zone 2 is a super light workout, most places suggest it should be at a level where you are able to hold a conversation. If you use that as a metric it may be a more instinctive way to maintain that heart rate. Im not advocating you sit on the bike and talk to yourself throughout but hey, it might work
 
@lovejustice Maybe I'm missing your question, but the chart you provided shows you were in Zone 3 68% of the time, so no it wasn't a good Zone 2 workout.
 
@jyne I saw that, I think its the Polar Flow site that's doing the calculation wrong? For a 183 bpm max and 54 bpm resting, most online calculators seem to indicate Z2 around 130-145 bpm. So numbers-wise I thought this was Z2. Otherwise Z2 would be a super light workout.
 
@lovejustice I was always told Z1 was 50-59%, Z2 60-69%, Z3 70-79%, Z4 80-89%, Z5 90-100%. That would put your Z2 around 109-126.

If you can't hold a conversation without losing your breath while doing Zone 2, you aren't in Zone 2 is also a good measure.
 
@jyne OP uses Karvonen's formula, where Z2=60-70% of heart rate reserve. In Karvonen's formula, the aerobic threshold is at 0.7*(max HR-resting HR)+resting HR. With OP's numbers, that results in 131.4-144.3 for Z2, with the caveat that this is an estimate, not an exact range.

You are using a different, incompatible zones model, where the aerobic threshold is between zone 3 and zone 4,
and the resting heart rate is ignored. While some sports watches use this zones model, it is not the zones model underlying zone 2 training, and thus should not be used in this context.
 
@shanelg94 The Concept2 app also calculates it using the method I used, which is what I typically use. Guess all that Z2 training I thought I was doing was for naught.
 
@jyne It isn't for naught. 60-70% of your maxHR is still useful cardio. It just isn't the same as zone 2 in the sense of zone 2 training, but slightly easier than that, and thus a slightly different stimulus.

The whole zones approach is a simplification. The aerobic threshold depends on exercise as well as on temperature and humidity, for example because blood circulation not only provides oxygen to your muscles, but also is involved in keeping body temperature down in warm weather. Illness can drive up the heart rate without any exercise being involved.

The concept that zone 3 should be avoided is questionable. For starters, it was only ever meant for endurance athletes. It originated in cross country skiing and makes perfect sense for elite distance runners, as running too hard too often is likely to cause overuse injuries. But swimmers and cyclists can do intervals much more often than runners.
 
@lovejustice Heya, I just wanted to comment that you can't trust the devices to decide your zones. I use Garmin and it calls my "zone 2" work zone 3. The heart rate zones have developed over many years and there's lots of different standards so it's confusing.

I think the able to have a conversation is the best unless you're going to start doing lactate testing. You said you were barely able to have a conversation, which is a bit too much. Think of zone 2 like your friend is next to you and you could chat with them most of the time but it'd be a bit breathy.

I think you did well maybe pull back a bit on the intensity.
 
@lovejustice I wouldn’t go off heart rate. It’s a good metric to look at in retrospect or over multiple seasons but it’s too variable from day to day.

RPE is the way. Zone 2 (in a 5+ zone model) should be the hardest you can go but still feel easy. I should be able to come up to you and have a convo about how your week has been going. It’s not soft pedaling but it’s not pushing either. You absolutely should not be breathing hard
 
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