Is Zone 3 Training A Waste Of Time?

[@gtn]

If you do track your zones when exercising, which do you spend the most in? 🤔

[@BeetTriGuy]

Zone 3 followed by Zone 4. Don't have a lot of time on my hands (Full time uni student and working) so get in what I can for best fitness returns

[@xGshikamaru]

The thing is, most of the group rides around me are at zone 3. I just tried to advise a friend coming out of a 2 week break to take it easy for riding 2 days in a row, but his point is just to ride with friends, he just doesn't care about it. Trying to get them to ride slower to ride much faster is a lost cause, so for me that means I basically have to ride alone most of the time. Trying to train smart makes me look like a sociopath. And because I reap benefits from that strict training regime, and because I only ride group rides being recovered some people have even implied that I'm doping smh. Am I the only one? It's hard to find people with that mindset, especially among cyclists

[@JackRea]

For the last month I've been doing zone 2, 3x a week, trying to build an endurance base. I will do this for another 2 months, then closer to race day I plan on adding tempo runs and hill sprints and hope that will improve my speed!

[@paultschommer]

Bulk of my training is Level 1 (~70-75%). Unpopular opinion amongst a lot of people, but majority of high level athletes I talk to are in this same range. Only variance may be how much level 2 training done, but still 70-75% of training done is level 1 & 2.

[@thedolenorway]

@@paultschommer I find that Zone 1 makes it easier to get more volume in at a lower cost than zone 2. A bonus is that if you measure volumen in Km you get some bonus volume as those km's will take you longer to complete as well! 😉

[@kerrynball2734]

Any zone is going to be better than the sitting on the lounge watching KZbin zone ;-)

[@azaz6951]

Haha KZbin zone

[@alphonsoelm5652]

Hey hey, I ran this morning already

[@siouxunit17]

But if you go from months of youtube zone straight to zone 3 you can blow your heart up

[@qwerty6789x]

Listening to youtube while doing anyzone is better 😂

[@nofadin]

true😄

[@andydt82]

As well as being useful to run at race pace, I also find that an hour’s run at zone 3 is best for clearing the mind

[@gtn]

Sometimes this is the most important thing 🙌

[@kpsig]

This is why cycle and exercise, really…

[@georgeabraham5672]

True.. Zone 2 is too slow that your mind starts wondering

[@luckyspurs]

Genuinely, have you ever seen anybody running at zone 2 in public. Like, the claim that 80% of all running needs to be zone 2 or it's completely useless, is truly barking to me. If that was the case there would literally be no good runners who weren't pros and nobody who jogged would be any fitter than anyone never did any exercise at all.

[@Tyrion-ks6rp]

​@@luckyspursZone 3 is better then nothing, i think its more about optimisng and hitting Plateau after time...

[@souldreamer9056]

I’ve just started running and only have two zones. The Run zone and the Walk zone. One make my heart go fast, the other slow. Coincidentally, these are also my two paces.

[@user-bs9zv4yw1h]

Me too! Maybe zone training is for intermediate runners?

[@runningdrew6654]

Rodger that!

[@scopie49]

@@user-bs9zv4yw1h More or less, yes. For a complete beginner zones don't really matter much. A light jog for someone who hasn't worked out in over a year could easily see their heart rate going to 190 or beyond after a half mile (if they can even run that far.) The key for a beginner would be consistency. Doing a little bit every day so that you don't get hurt. Regardless of zone, doing SOMETHING will increase your fitness. Frankly zone 2 training when running is also extremely difficult. I have over a year of mainly cardio semi-consistently like 4 days a week and my zone 2 when running is still almost impossible without a lot of walking. Even these last 3 months I've heavily gone into zone 2 training with my stationary bike where I can hold zone 2 indefinitely. 3-5 60-90 minute sessions per week plus strength training and the occasional run on off days. Despite all that, my casual jog is still like 170 BPM on flat ground. It's HARD to run any slower. For anyone that wants to do zone 2 should definitely get a bike. Not only will it make doing hours of zone 2 significantly easier it also provides crosstraining which is essential to avoiding injury.

[@funnyberries4017]

I've been running for 3 years now. He said Race Pace is Zone 3. for me, Race Pace is Zone 5. Easy run is zone 4. Super slow is zone 2. I have no idea how they can go race pace at zone 3. If I do a race at zone 3 I'll be doing a 5k in 45 mins

[@scopie49]

@@funnyberries4017 It's about building a cardio base. It's really difficult to do and also takes many months. For running you have to employ a run/walk cycle which honestly feels dumb because you'll hit zone 3 after like 5-10 seconds of running and spend most of the time walking. My recommendation is to use a bike. Not only is cross training a good idea but I found that on my stationary bike I can easily keep my heart rate at zone 2 for hours. And after 3-4 months of that I actually struggle to get to zone 3 on the bike at all. My heart rate during a normal run went from 188 to 178 after 3 months while also being like 20-30 seconds faster per mile.

[@zacbaleshenry]

As a lifelong runner who was coming into collegiate track/ cross right as "heart rate" training was becoming more prevalent-- I often think it's more important to get an understanding of where your body feels best. Most long-distance training is base miles. So building a strong foundation is key. This means some days; you're going to float in and out of zone 2 and 3. I think that after enough miles, you'll be able to get a decent understanding of what pace feels best (and where your heart rate falls). After years of running, I find that I hang out more in zone 3 (even on my longer runs), and it feels fine. Zone 2 is nice, but I often feel like I'm crawling along and basically walking.

[@georgelane6350]

+1, not much point training zone 2 if it's so slow that form goes out the window.

[@peterlee208]

I agree 100%. You train enough and you start to understand how your body is going to react and when you might be close to an injury. I think there's a ton of benefit to learning to listen to our bodies.

[@vikroy3777]

@Chris-zd7gw science

[@runningdrew6654]

Yes sir, truth.

[@jimjamthebananaman1]

@@vikroy3777science is shite though. The studies use a tiny percentage of the population and over a very short period of time.

[@benkeyte3986]

So well explained, thankyou! I personally really enjoy zone 3 training and most of the media is raving about zone 2 and 80/20 so its nice to hear that zone 3 has its place

[@gtn]

Do you think it's about finding the best training type for you? 👀

[@neoneherefrom5836]

The right training is found at the junction between time-availability, sport-specific needs and enjoyment. One person’s “plateau” is another’s pleasure.

[@neoneherefrom5836]

Safety is another huge consideration too!!!! Some would rather do slow work in the gym but high intensity on open roads definitely increases your risk of exposure!

[@chrisstrider]

Zone 3 is sustainable and long distance race pace for many

[@mn80swede]

An explainer that is very welcome 😊 It’s like it has become a battle between 80/20-training vs. high-intensive, when in reality it’s more about creating a good training setup with a mix of both zone 2 and zone 3 training, and some sessions in zone 4 (as Mark underscored in the video). Many thanks 🙏

[@gtn]

Balance is key when it comes to training 🙌 Great to hear you found our advice useful!

[@erichier6551]

You're absolutely right! I think that many videos in the area don't include that nuance and this makes for an unbalanced perspective... Thank you for the video!

[@NyxLevel]

Zone 2 running does not exist for me. Zone 2 is walking! Screw it I'm just gonna run in z3

[@zepho100]

exactly. Zone 2 is impossible.

[@harryv6752]

I've tried to run in Z2 many times. Just never happens. Even with hiking and with rucking, I'm more in Z3 than Z2. Taking my dogs out for a walk (just a lil over 3mph) is the only time I can consistently be in Z2. So, the walking ain't so bad for me. 🤘

[@DDG-Downfall]

Maybe zone3 is your zone2

[@Kayrunningandcoffeeaddict]

SAME!!!

[@scottharben2783]

I’m exactly the same mate, no matter how hard I try I can’t run that slow 😅

[@MrJohnno89]

I personally have gotten alot more from Z3 and tend to recovery very well from it. My long runs are usually high Z2 to low Z3

[@SHVideografie]

Same here.

[@eileencheng603]

Thank you so much for this video, GTN! I naturally train in zone 3, either when I just pop out for a run without looking at the data, or when I am doing boxing and kickboxing sessions. I race in zone 3 mostly, so I found that familiar effort comforting and helps me to calm my nerves. Saying all that, I do try to stick to 80/20 when I am on a running training program.

[@mrspoon6742]

As demoralising as this might sound for the beginner brisk walking is a better way of starting than running: it'll keep you in zone 2 although you'll need to put the hours in.

[@davidbaker5725]

One thing I have found is when I don’t have as much time to exercise, meaning longer breaks between sessions, I can use zone 3 a bit to get a little more out of each workout since I’ll have a longer recovery time anyway until I find time to do the next workout. It’s not ideal but it seems to build fitness a little more with workouts spaced out by 3-4 days.

[@PeterReefman]

As an old-ish bugger (54) who's been-there-done-enough with racing (including Kona), my priority these days is just... getting out there and having fun. And for me, Z3 is the most fun. So that's my go-to most days. This is a far cry from my competitive race training of 20 or 30 years ago, where every session had a strict purpose, and the bulk was either something like long Z1/2 sets, or Z3/4/5 muscular endurance build interval sets. Those days were also fun, but in a very different way. BTW, Happy with tonight's 15k run in 1.08. Almost all in that sweet (upper) Z3.

[@NathanMell]

im building my endurance with the MAF method, and my MAF zone heart rate is 142-152 which is exclusively zone 3. ive seen immense benefits from it in my last triathlon.

[@shirleysiu5958]

I train entirely in zone 3 5 times a week for over a year, no injury, no recovery problem. 5k 30+ minutes to 21 mins now. Half marathon at 5:00/km is easy for me. It works perfectly for me. I don't care what the "professionals" think.. Saying training in zone 3 is useless is far beyond stupid, if you gonna race in zone 3, the best training is in zone 3. If you are racing 100m, would you say training in 100m useless?

[@ascalt7868]

Yes, you won't be able to specifically develop the qualities you need for each stage. I am an 800m runner and don't train at 800 pace all the time.

[@doubledragon1978]

This video was so helpful. I am in week 6 of my first marathon programme. Doing my long run tomorrow and will make sure to do most, if not all the run in Zone 2.

[@peterlee208]

I started running via polarized training methodology - 90/10 split. 90% in zone 2, 10% in high-intensity interval training and never without my HR monitor. It's been about 4 years since I started seriously training, and I've graduated to running via feel. Sometimes my easy runs float into zone 3, sometimes, I maintain zone 2. What's important to me is how my body is feeling and how I am recovering (which is heavily influenced by diet and sleep). I still get a bit eggheaded with my tech, but I like this sense of hyper - connection with my body.

[@thejeffinvade]

People run easy run way too fast. My 5K is around 20 min, and just run a half marathon with a light fever for 1:34 two weeks ago. I run my easy miles at 6:00-6:40 per K,that’s 10 min mile pace. I see people passing me all the time, but I know I will pass them in a race. Running in zone 3 isn’t a waste of time, but that’s not the most efficient and effective way of training. Easy day easy, hard day hard.

[@alfredongos]

Wow! Nobody dears to talk about Zone 3 and you guys not only did it, but in a magnificent way!!!... that's why I will never stop following your channel.

[@gtn]

We're going to hold you to that! 😉

[@thepsychologist8159]

I run zone 3 on my Sunday run. Many people do a zone 2 long-run, but I break this up. For example, when training for a half-marathon I run 14km in zone 3, then 7-10km in zone 2. During the week, I'll do a hill session, a progressive session and 2x zone 2 long runs.

[@towhee7472]

There was a time in my life, when I had no idea of the concept of zones and I was constantly in zone 3 :D

[@Velko.Alexiev]

Hi GTN! I'm following you and your sister channels for quite some time now... But this one really, I mean really clicked in! I was always wondering why no matter what kind a sessions I do (run, bike, other...) I just can't follow up for longer periods. I was thinking I'm not strong enough and tried to push myself even more. But now I got it - my body just can't get the rest it needs after Zone 3 training before the next workout. I've hurd about the 80/20 rule but it never matched with the Zone 2/3/4, at least for me till now! Definitely I will train smarter than harder! Thank you so much! Cheers to you and the community !!!

[@7upox592]

Zone 3 has its benefits and they can depend on what type of runner you are. Zone 3 has been done by many elite distance runners and they spent most of their time in zone 3 during their mileage runs. A common mistake made by the American running society is that zone 3 is the grey zone when it is lower zone 2 that is the grey zone which is called jogging which is slow enough to increase aerobic capabilities and gain any benefits for stamina. Zone 3 is the training zone that will benefit a long distance runner/marathoner because it teacher their body to run with lactate without any massive accumulation which can help their bodies to set in the lactate later. Spending time in zone 2 will not make you faster BUT make u run longer at a slow pace this is why zone 2 is seen as the endurance zone because you are doing it for hours which in turn can build endurance but not the specific endurance to run at faster paces for long { Zone 3 is responsible for this}. The purpose of zone 2 is to increase your basic fitness but I will not teach your body to run faster this is why many distance runners do not advise people to do mileage runs because they won't get any speed endurance benefit. To adjust to zone 2 well and gain proper benefits I would readjust my training schedule and use zone 2 for recovery and zone 3 for endurance zone 4 for speed endurance and zone 5 for vo2 max.

[@chubbydinosaur9148]

Man that video was like a shoulder to cry on. When you're chronically ill, all doctors will give you crap for not being able to workout in zone 4 for multiple hours and needing days of recovery after it. Glad to hear that a well trained athlete can't do that either. I've came up with cycling on my home trainer for 20 minutes at an intensity that puts my heart rate at 120, with oxygen of course so I can do it for longer than just 5 minutes, without feeling like I'm dying and needing a 12 hour nap. Man did that get me a scolding 😂 The running and cycling community have helped me more with my heart condition than any doctor ever has. The maximum of my O² machine is a 9L flow and I've recently reduced to a 5L flow. My doctors say I'm not building true endurance, I'm just doping, but I'm feeling WAY better, have more energy, I sleep like a baby, my heart rate is stable and low and I'm decreasing the O² flow without noticing much.

[@charleypalacios8311]

great clarification and explanation. bottom line build up your base (slower intensity) so as to avoid injury. As the base grows add intensity to improve performance. heard one KZbinr comment that training in base or zone 2 is like "building a cake" and when actually competing or in higher intensity is like "eating your cake". your higher intensity performance should be a good indicator of improvements that are a result of consist base(zone 2) training.

[@dann5480]

As an Olympic marathoner, zone 3 is not useless. Its very beneficial.

[@Spartakus68]

A lot of zone 2 and a bit of zone 3 and 4 might be the secret sauce ? :)

[@rejickmukherjee9154]

Proper distribution is everything

[@runningdrew6654]

What year you participate Sir?

[@TheDas1888]

​@@Spartakus68 i.e - fartlek/intervals 😅

[@250txc]

U must be tops in the BS race ...

[@michite7435]

Most of my training is done in zone 3 according to my garmin watch ... i cant for the life of me stay steady at zone 2 .

[@dri1811ya]

In Garmin Connect, zone 2 is "Easy" and 3 is "Aerobic", and it's built in training plans include quite a bit of zone 3 runs

[@gtn]

Do you find that zone 3 is a good level to train at? 👀

[@torandi]

I'm not sure, but I've come to suspect Garmin's zone 3 is the zone 2 talked about in the video, my zone 3 in Garmin ends at 79% max HR.

[@dri1811ya]

@@gtn at my level of fitness (which is not much), any additional training should be good....

[@luqeckr]

@@gtn i think garmin zone 3 is good one, as long as i can recover before next training. My zone 2 run still too slow for a run. So, i think your zone 2 is zone 3 in garmin.

[@1994savvas]

@@torandi I had the same question and doubt. In the end, I calculated my own zones using the HR Reserve method, and now I have a real zone 2 based on my max and resting HR. Garmin uses the Age formula and this is really easy to give inaccurate results

[@plyzct]

The challenge for me as a beginner is understanding the difference between zone 2/3 as there’s so much conflicting info. My Apple Watch and training peaks and the GCN channel put my zone 2 ~135-145bpm. Zwift, GTN and omnicalculator put that as my zone 3. 🤷‍♂️

[@acasualviewer5861]

if it feels boring and too slow, it's zone 2 if it feels energizing and awesome it's zone 3

[@ccostantyt]

@plyzct, I have exactly the same challenge across TrainingPeaks and Zwift for z2 and 3. For the time being I trust more data from TrainingPeaks

[@mch0004]

Thanks for clearing that up. It never made sense to me to train for race pace without actually training at race pace.

[@JustinMulder1]

Thanks for explaining the nuance of Z3 training, super helpful indeed

[@gtn]

Glad you found this video useful to you! Is there anything you'd like to see from us in a future video? 🤔

[@danbenz6362]

Zone 2 doesn’t feel like exercise and takes a lot of time from my day. I try to make most my runs half zone 2 and then finishing just as I’m getting into zone 4. Only the day or two after a zone 4/5 workout will I stay in zone 2 the whole run.

[@askhatashimov7250]

Thanks Mark! Fully uncovered the topic as usual!! Great work! 👍🏻💪🏻✊🏻

[@bambinelas]

Very good video, clear and good information. Thanks! I tend to naturally gravitaty between the two zones during my training

[@jackatmensacosacoaching]

As a coach I suggest all my athletes to do some workouts at race pace. Most should be Z2 and some intervals but if you never do race pace or Z3 you forget what it is to race. You need that mental strength as well. As long as you recover well.

[@veganpotterthevegan]

It also depends on the racing you're doing. If you're doing Olympic distance, you'll ideally be able to do much of the bike in Z4

[@genesequence]

thanks, GTN! that for me was one of the best explanations I’ve ever heard for avoiding Z3! Super-helpful!!!

[@WillPower46]

Good video thanks and some nice camera turns too.

[@frederichenry3956]

I'm a beginner. 4 months experience 3X/week. My long runs/jogging are done in zone 3. No choice as my zone 2 is still difficult to achieve while running. But I feel good there at zone 3 anyway, nasal breathing, I can even talk a little bit. So zone 3 is my friend in the meantime. And later zone 2 will kick in and I will switch.

[@ginger1908]

I am in Z3 the majority of my efforts, long runs it's the entry point of Z3, long bike rides and swims more the mid point. There are times I go into Z4 but outside of warming up I'm never in Z2, it's too slow for me.

[@David-yz6kr]

As someone that has only time for 2 runs a week (I also do full body weight trainings on two other days, so four days of sport a week, more isn't realistically feasible) zone 3 is the sweet spot. I feel the work I have done and I have plenty of recovery time.

[@stu3232]

Also something that isn't pointed out very often and is worth keeping in mind for new athletes training by HR is that zone 2 or 3 for running equates to a higher heart rate than zone 2 or 3 cycling. Using myself as an example with a max HR of 198 or so I do zone 2 riding at 130-140 bpm whereas zone 2 running is at 140-150. I start to fall into zone 3 above 140bpm on the bike, and above 150-155bpm running. Important to keep in mind to avoid overdoing it on the bike all the time!

[@marxcanlas2845]

May I ask what's the reasoning behind the difference in values for zone 2? Thank you. I train on the same for run & bike, worried that I might be over reaching on the bike.

[@the318pop]

​@@marxcanlas2845 you should observe that your heart rate is higher in every zone when running vs cycling. It's mostly because more muscle groups are utilised, and the heart needs to work harder to supply them.

[@veganpotterthevegan]

​@Marx Canlas power meters are better than HR. But try holding your z4 HR on a run and the same HR on the bike and you'll see how much shorter of a time you can hold that same heart rate.

[@stu3232]

@@marxcanlas2845 More muscles are recruited when running so generally your HR is higher than on the bike. Your perceived effort at say 160bpm on the bike will be higher than 160bpm when running. Like was mentioned below it can be more helpful to train with power zones on the bike. Once you know your FTP you can start to get a hold on what wattages apply in each zone. Generally your Z2 riding will be capped at about 70-75% of your FTP, anything above that and you'll start to slip into more of a tempo effort. So for your Z2 riding, try do most of it at .65-.75 of FTP. If your doing big rides of 3 hours plus for example, you may want to bring the power down slightly just to keep the amount of overall fatigue accumulated in check, but this is dependent on your fitness. The fitter you get, the higher % of FTP you'll be able to hold for given durations. Understanding your power numbers at each zone on the bike is key to training effectively on the bike, so get your FTP and go from there!

[@erlendsteren9466]

I dont think the zones are different across different sports,but there are at least two different ways to figure it out. One way is percentage of max pulse, and another way is doing lactate test. My zone 3 calculated as percentage of heart rate is very similar to zone 2 after lactate and vo2 testing. My fysio said that my zone two after lactatetesting is high because of a 78% high treshold.

[@mariomontesdeoca7312]

Running on the road I cannot stay in zone 2. Thanks for this video. All the KZbin doctors are saying ‘ZONE2 for long life’. The recovery process makes more sense

[@IAmOHMSS]

Also important: how often do you do sports? If it's 5-7 times/week, then sure, you shouldn't go beyond Zone 2 too much. If you manage only 1-2 times/week, then Zone 2 is a bit wasteful of that precious time, IMHO. Also because such intermediate athletes, maybe with a few pounds extra, are extremely slow in Zone 2 (running at 8-9 min/km can be extremely boring).

[@automotive474]

When I first started, that was all I did, it's simple, it works, it gives your mind clarity and it's a great tool to sharpen the mental side of training too. Started doing 15 minutes, then 30, 50, 1h and more. Yes, recoveries are longer. But as the months roll on, the metabolism changes and they get shorter. I don't know about "being tired for the higher intensity workouts" because guess what? I didn't do them.

[@Mr80Miles]

As a runner focussing mainly on 5k-10k, I do my long run on the border of Z2 and Z3 (and not more than 75% max HR). A tempo run is mainly Z3, intervals are Z4 and race pace is mainly Z4 finishing in Z5.

[@Showmetheevidence-]

I think the problem is that people don’t run in “zone” 1/2 and 4/5… so they lack variability! I was one of those runners who kinda did zone 3 only & since really focussing on a *mix* of zones in my week I feel like I’m fitter + my runs are actually more interesting!

[@coherentpanda7115]

Understanding zones was a godsend. It really helps you understand how your body feels, and maintain a longer pace for a greater distance, without feeling completely drained at the end of it, and for days to come.

[@jnwano]

Thanks for the explanation. I didn’t know about zone 2 training until I got a coach. All my runs used to be at tempo or threshold which left me sore and fatigued. Now, I try to run in zone 2 as per my training plan but my heart rate creeps up into zone 3/4 quite quickly so I find I have to stop and walk…. Hence, I prefer zone 3 as I feel like I’ve had a workout.

[@gtn]

Do you still sprinkle in zone 2 workouts when you want something more chilled? 👀

[@YShiishening]

Lower zones during running can be a challenge to less than intermediate runners. Try hopping on a bike or a elliptical machine

[@Xrunning]

I'm four weeks out from my 70.3 and have been on an 80/20 training plan (through Training Peaks). Once a week I do - 5 minutes Z1, 5 minutes Z2, 4 x (8 minutes Z3/3 minutes Z1) 5 minutes Z2, 5 minutes Z1. I typically have 13 hours of structured training a week so Z3 running amounts to less than 10% of my total time.

[@deadidonnie7635]

thank you for this, very insightful

[@THEMAX00000]

Peter Attia should watch this video!!! Thank you for providing useful information, that is both comprehensive and easily understood.

[@CrumblingCube]

Training up for a marathon and did a 35k in zone 3 to get a feel for it. I'm a proponent of "train how you fight" and "nothing new on race day." I'm planning on tackling the full 42.2 in z3, so it only made sense to try it first. Last thing I wanted was to go into the race and conk out just short of the finish line. It felt great. I think it's the only time I've felt a proper runner's high, but the amount of recovery time was double of what it'd be if I took that run in zone 2, with a tiny bit of zone 3 towards the end. Perfectly good for a long race, but wouldn't want to train in it long-term.

[@BareFinn1986]

I'm comfortable when I'm running at zone 3. When I do my zone 2 runs it's a mental challenge to hold back. Sometimes I'm in the right zone and I start to daydream about that Strava segment I'm gonna attempt and *beep goes my garmin. I'm now in zone 3... 😅

[@majky358]

Also depends on personal goals. For a hobby biker/runner who goes out during the weekends, even zone 3 is not that bad. Personally, when I began biking, I ended up in 3/4 because of hills around and was tired after 2-3 days. Now I set the goal for every run/ride if I know I will be exercising for example 4x during that week. If I would be following everything 110%, it would not be so fun.

[@ryanmiskin8925]

I love staying in zone 3 the most, it puts me at a solid pace that feel smooth/natural but doesn't stress my body out like running threshold sessions. I basically stay 15-30sec/mile slower than my marathon pace and just lock it in. It puts me at a HR of around 165, which I can hold for as long as I want to so long as I stay properly fueled on long runs.

[@erlendsteren9466]

I am into listening to my body. Which means that if I like to go in zone two one day, I do it. One day I was roughly in zone two for three hours from 9 o clock to 12 and got tired.That evening i thought i should do a 46 minute zone 3,4,5 hard ride, I went on the bike but my tired body didnt want to push above zone 2. So I took it zone 2 easy. The next day it was easy training with a few short and fun fast sections. The day after that I was fresh and gave full power in zone 3,4,5. I believe listening to the body is a smart way to have fun and also some restitution. My training is in all zones, 0,1,2,3,4 and 5, probably most of the time in zone two, followed by 1,3, 4 and least time in 5.

[@zacsborntorunrunningadvent3441]

It can be good to accurately define zone2 & zone3 for the viewers also 😊. 40min of ze once a wk in an 8-10hr run training wk works great in base phase to keep the type IIa fibres active. Z3 I define as 88-95% of A.T/LT2 heartrate.

[@sustainf]

Best and most helpful video by GTN, thank you!

[@francisdelacruz6439]

Yes goal pace short to longer periods based on a training plan. Cheers.

[@lol-gb5vt]

respect that he actually reads the comments

[@JasonFarrell]

FWIW, Coros recently updated their software such that you don't earn "Running Fitness" for the junk/gray miles in the zone3 pace zone. e.g.: In my case, I must run slower than 9'39" to qualify for Base fitness, and then there's a big gray gap from there down to the 7'55-8'46" Endurance zone4 fitness (with Speed & Sprint fitness zone5 below that). I do try to stick to the 80/20 rule, but it's hard to stay in zone2 for anything other than the 3hr weekend long run.

[@PoppyJr11]

As someone who is a filthy casual when it comes to cycling, I found that aiming for my average HR to be at the upper end of Z2 works best for me. So I’ll spend the majority in actual Z2, but I’ll go into Z3 periodically for a bit. It helps keep the exertion level high enough, but is also still easy enough that the recovery time is still only a day or two. If anybody has any feedback please let me know, I’m still learning.

[@coherentpanda7115]

Important to note Garmin watches by default have a different algorithm, where Zone 3 is actually Zone 2. Zone 2 for most people would be a fast walk to catch the bus. Zone 3 is the Zone 2 in other algorithms.

[@graemeworland9759]

I have never heard this before. I did try to search Garmin previously to understand zones but came up a blank on this point. Do you have a source for this information please?

[@chaz4510]

I know from my own experience it’s all about recovery time and injury niggles. If I let my long runs stray too much into z3 I end up feeling it too much in the following days.

[@yolandacroes5491]

I live in the Caribbean and running in 90 degree weather is my daily bread. I often run in zone 3, no matter how slow I run. I won’t walk because I’m past that phase. It is what it is.

[@egorpiskunov680]

Thank you for the great explanation! It finally all makes sense.

[@Soarness]

I run 5km minimum everyday in zone 3. It’s improved my heart rate a lot, my pace and my distance. It’s not a grey zone unless you do more then 40 miles per week in my opinion.

[@SHVideografie]

My Garmin watch told me today that I had run on average 150HR, primarily aerobic zone 3 (according to the app). But it felt very easy, I could do nose breathing the entire time and I could have continued the run for another 30 minutes. Zo zone 3 doesn't seem very challenging to me. It does confuse me a bit though, whether I should slow down even more and follow the data or just run on perceived effort.

[@DrRKelly]

Great explanation! Thank you!

[@Michael-mo6gx]

Great explanation. My Apple Watch Workout app calculates my Zone 3 as Zone 2. I didn’t notice until I downloaded a different Zone training app and found my 60-70% to be much lower heart rate. I was wondering why I’ve been needing to sleep way more than I usually would. If I did an hour of the Apple Watch Workout app Zone 2 (Zone 3 in reality) as a 2nd workout after weight training, I’d need to sleep 11 hours.

[@giodc8599]

Interesting to see that most of my "easy" runs are actually in zone 3 rather than 2 with my recovery runs actually falling into zone 2 instead. No issues for me and honestly i'd probably get a bit too bored running in zone 2.

[@Nessunego]

The more you are next to a race, the better zone 3 becomes for your training: it will be your race pace and you need to try it.

[@ronaldjimenez6556]

I get you Mark. Thanks for clarifying that Z3 misconception when it comes to effective endurance training.

[@gtn]

Glad we could help clear some stuff up Ronald! Will you be using zone 3?

[@joshuareid3746]

On the bike I have really good 10sec power and I can also ride in zone 2 for 8+ hours. But I really struggle to keep up with people on those 1-4 hour rides. Hoping some controlled zone 3 training will get me some improvement in the middle

[@zakalanhybrid]

For running, it’s easy for me to stay in Zone 2, but for swimming it’s nearly impossible even though I swim regularly. Do others have to same experience? Any tips on how to stay in Zone 2 while swimming?

[@ZwiftDude]

I've given up with swimming in Zone 2 and just use it for swashbuckling all out intensity swims. Zone 2 I can maintain easier in running/cycling which coincindentally gives me the fitness for swimming further in those high intensity sessions.

[@jasonhilton_1]

Louisiana. 83 degrees 100% humidity. I'm in zone 4 at half mile. 12:50 mile

[@derrywalker7835]

I’m using tridot and I always have a z3 race rehearsal before a race. Today I’ve got 3:10 one the bike followed by 40mins off the bike run all at z3 in pre for the Mallorca 1/2 Ironman

[@nickkapatais]

Zone 2 mostly but I do intervals. I do say 4 minutes of zone 2 and then 2 minutes of zone 3-4 then back to 2 for four minutes. I do this for about 30 minutes. I think it's helping a lot doing this instead of a 30 minute streak in z2.

[@joecoleman288]

1 day per week (in my hilly neighborhood) I run zone 3 up hills and zone 1.5 down hills, and for about 25 minutes. Dramatically helps my long zone 2 runs.

[@douglasbooth6836]

Any excercise is good. Zone 2 is great for getting you fit without injuries, zone 4/5 for strectching your capabilities and your ability to suffer. Zone 3 if you are calling it race pace is the best one you should train at. In my mind, loads of zone 2, some harder than race pace and and race pace is where your body is going to need to feel comfortable. You need to train there.

[@aimson]

My take is that Z3 is not ideal for overall efficiency, which is why I personally don't. I just don't do a lot of cardio since I prefer weight lifting. But that doesn't mean you don't get a specific benefit from Z3 that you may not get from other zones. I imagine that doing a mix of all zones is really the best for athletes or those who are really trying to push performance or get into racing shape.

[@SimonMathews]

I'm an unfit, heavier middle aged guy who loves running, and am coming back from injury (bad shin splints) - the lack of fitness means a comfortably easy run has me in zone 3 anyway, and to get down to zone 2, I need to do a less comfortable stride, which I fear may be putting strain on my shins again due to a less natural feeling movement. Is it better to go for the natural, comfortable stride, and ignore zones until my fitness builds up enough again to lower my heart rate, or get some zone 2 in now also to hopefully lose weight a bit faster, easing the stress on my legs? Probably more a #GTNCoachesCorner question?

[@Kurio71]

Just run comfortably

[@jc10747]

If z3 is going to take an athlete longer to reach full recovery, and the program will go boom if the athlete misses that point, the video surely must explain a sure fire method of determining when the athlete has recovered. So what is it? How do we determine when we’re in fact recovered from the previous workout?

[@pegleggiraffe8238]

Recently I've run 5 miles a day for 7 days straight, and over I think 13 days with 2 days off all at zone 3 (one 7 mile long run also at zone 3), my fitness was right around the top of average (vo2 max) by age, I don't have muscle, I don't eat enough, and I have weak knees but I've had 0 problems ever recovering. I'm about to train for a marathon so I guess I'll see if zone 3 is as you say. (basically I just wasn't fit, ran a lot at zone 3 and I've been fine) I also trained brutally hard over ~2 months for a half marathon when I was 18, I didn't do zones but I basically always used to run in what would be top of zone 3 or zone 4 six days a week and was mostly fine. Did get a slight issue with my foot but I fixed it very quickly. this video is probably correct, but from my experience (only running) your body can probably tough it out while you're under idk like 35 years old maybe, and you're working less than 1.5 hrs a day

[@DMGC529]

I avoided zone 3 for a long time because of everything I kept reading about zone 2 and could not get back to where I used to be prior to injuries. Started doing more "zone 3" training and not worrying about keeping my HR super low on every run and guess what, I got faster and fitter again.

[@minipwn0422]

I just started running and I am so out of shape I have 2 options walk in zone one or light jog in zone 4

[@miguelalonsoperez5609]

The issue of zones based on heart rate is how unpredictable may be related to true metabolic zones. As an example, Garmin watches “consider” 70-80% MHR as zone 3 and tell they are “aerobic zone” for easy runs. Whereas other authors use 60-70 % MHR to endurance resistance training. Personally I use MAS (maximum aerobic speed) as a more trustable method, which zones can be obtained as fractions of the maximum sustained speed of an individual for 5 minutes. The 65-75% of MAS is the equivalent to zone 2, and the heart rate is used as a co-factor to help regulate the hardness as well as the perceived effort. Those 3 parameters should be taken into account, specially in structured training POST EDITING: I see, you use fractions of the heart rate at lactate threshold. Interesting, I will try to correlate with MAS. Nevertheless I still think that a global vision of training parameters including perception should be taken into account

[@johnshandle777]

I hate the term Grey training. I'm trying to switch to training which covers the whole spectrum of HR zones. Like you say if your in a training block need to be careful when and how to use zone 3. However out of training block, a decent zone 3 effort is great fun and you can gain a load of benefit both physically and mentally from it.

[@Pappamea81]

I’m constantly in zone 3-4 after 5 min warmup 😊 I will have to walk a lot at first if I’m gonna stay in zone 2.

[@AdrianTregoning]

Most peoples' long runs with creep into zone 3 anyway as a result of cardiac drift. And if you look at ultras, for the average Joe on the street their average will be zone 3. In the end, variety is needed.

[@Larsschmidt14]

Zone 3 or 4 works best for me. With a small kid on my hands I need to get a lot of out of the 3 hours i got per week, and hence I got lots of recovery time, so the recovery problem is not really an issue.

[@mugs132]

Started doing this 7 weeks ago. I do my weekly 10 mile long run at the high end of my Garmin Green Zone 3. Averaged 4.6mph week one and this improved each week to 5.5mph week seven. Crazy, but I swear it actually heals pain and injury from weightlifting, shin splints, etc. I’m very consistent with this workout, running on an empty stomach at the exact same time each Saturday morning around the same high school track. Boring, but great way to measure results imo. Ironically I had no idea I was doing the wrong zone until I saw this video. Turns out I made an awesome mistake, lol. One last thing, I think this actually trained my body and heart to be extremely efficient with oxygen at this zone because my HR during 5k races somehow stays low (in this zone), even though my race pace is wayyyyy faster at 8.0mph. Crazy, but true. Before doing this low heart rate zone workout my HR would max out during a 5k race.

[@vikroy3777]

A bit late to the party. I only run 4 times a week and with that I always take the day off after my long run so overtraining isn't really much of an issue. I always feel so much better doing a zone 3 long run rather than more zone 2 which is great for midweek recovery

[@ckirkwalsh]

Run on feel, baby!

[@anonimouse8918]

Thank you!! That makes so much more sense than a lot of things I've heard on zone 2 training.

[@Andrew650913]

My Garmin coach kept telling me to run more base runs (zone 3). Now I see why someday I can run and some days I can’t.

[@khj5582]

It seems people are not talking on the same page regarding zones. 99% of people watching this video will be casual runners who run maybe once a week. In that case, zone 3 is perfect as it gives them a whole week to recover. This is the problem with KZbin fitness videos. They pretend to cater to elites, but are watched by the average Joe's, causing serious misunderstandings.

[@jgm113]

I'm not an athlete but I am trying to train as often as possible and I didn't know until now why my recovery times were all over the place once I picked up more miles. So yeah this is super helpful.

[@eltribun]

I don`'t do Z3 at all... since in my view training is all about biological adaption, and for that you need to go beyond a certein threshold,which forces the body to adapt...Z3 the system can manage with the given fitnesslevel, just using more carbs than in Z2, but it does not require adaptions that much.... so when you go Z4 and Z5 on a weekly basis, it enables you to go Z3 for longer anyway...

[@bz1190]

I'm always confused with those zones as a casual runner with no real ambitions. My Garmin gives me 5 Zones, Zone 1 - Warm up, Zone 2 - easy, Zone 3 - aerob, Zone 4 - intensiv, Zone 5 - Maximum. It often suggests workouts in "Zone 3". I think this is supposed to be the famous zone 2?!

[@souljaboi62121]

I am 44 years of age (6’1/260lbs) and just started running again and my Z3 (HR~150-165) LOOKS like Z2 (pace: ~13:15 min mile)… when running, if I don’t stay in Z3 I will basically be walking 🥴