How to train your cardiovascular fitness | Peter Attia

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This clip is from episode #261 of The Drive - Training for The Centenarian Decathlon: zone 2, VO2 max, stability, and strength
In this special episode filmed live in front of readers of Outlive, Peter answers questions revolving around his concept of the centenarian decathlon.
In this clip, we discuss:
- The pyramid of cardiorespiratory training
- Peter’s zone 2 training and recommendations
- Peter’s VO2 max training and recommendations
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About:
The Peter Attia Drive is a deep-dive podcast focusing on maximizing longevity, and all that goes into that from physical to cognitive to emotional health. With over 60 million episodes downloaded, it features topics including exercise, nutritional biochemistry, cardiovascular disease, Alzheimer’s disease, cancer, mental health, and much more.
Peter Attia is the founder of Early Medical, a medical practice that applies the principles of Medicine 3.0 to patients with the goal of lengthening their lifespan and simultaneously improving their healthspan.
Learn more: peterattiamd.com
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Disclaimer: This podcast is for general informational purposes only and does not constitute the practice of medicine, nursing, or other professional healthcare services, including the giving of medical advice. No doctor-patient relationship is formed. The use of this information and the materials linked to this podcast is at the user's own risk. The content on this podcast is not intended to be a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Users should not disregard or delay in obtaining medical advice for any medical condition they have, and they should seek the assistance of their healthcare professionals for any such conditions. I take conflicts of interest very seriously. For all of my disclosures and the companies I invest in or advise, please visit my website where I keep an up-to-date and active list of such companies. For a full list of our registered and unregistered trademarks, trade names, and service marks, please review our Terms of Use: peterattiamd.com/terms-of-use/

[@Apice.]

Listening to Attia talking about VO2 max is a joy

[@swing8]

If the speaker is Peter Attia and the subject is Zone 2 you can bet I'll be watching.

[@sponkmcdonk3898]

it’s mental masturbation

[@cynicalmonk870]

it takes too long for him to say what he needs to say try to stay between 65 and 75% of your max heart rate for around 45 to 1 hour…🔁😅

[@tf-ok]

Get a room

[@creektopfarms5217]

Y’all are lucky to have normal hearts, I have half a heart, my vo2 is 27(very poor) Spo2 90% and I still manage to hike regularly and rock climb. I just did a 900 rock face called Tahquitz twice in 2 weeks. Take care of yourselves and be thankful for being normal if you are.

[@H0A0B123]

What's the name of your condition?

[@DeafSeattleGuy36]

mine is 22 for vo2 and I have a normal heart :(

[@redwoodtrees7068]

you are a legend man!

[@mikevaldez7684]

@creektopfarms5217, What do you mean, "half a heart"? What exactly is your condition? Just be happy you don't have, "half a brain." Hopefully 😁👌

[@mikevaldez7684]

@@DeafSeattleGuy36 sad😭

[@Gref75]

I hated moving for 31 years p, my whole life. 7 months ago I saw dr Attia at Rogan’s and Huberman’s and I was hooked. Noone can talk about this and make you want to excercise just for the sake of it, for your health and joy. And believe me, I tried to start training since I was a kid. This man is like a missionary making people believe just by preaching.

[@sedrickrichardson6141]

😊

[@sedrickrichardson6141]

😊

[@sedrickrichardson6141]

😊😊😊

[@sedrickrichardson6141]

O

[@Gref75]

@@GuacamoleyNacho Hi, sure. here they are: kzbin.info/www/bejne/oH-ToYV3ps6IgLc kzbin.info/www/bejne/b2POineMn71jfZI&pp=ygUbZHIgYXR0aWEgZXhlcmNpc2Ugam9lIHJvZ2Fu

[@deedee2455]

🎯 Key Takeaways for quick navigation: 00:00 🏃‍♂️ Cardiovascular fitness training aims to maximize the area between Zone 2 (base) and VO2 max (peak) to achieve the best results. 00:38 🚴 The 80/20 rule suggests that around 80% of training volume should focus on Zone 2, and 20% on VO2 max for most athletes, including elite ones like Tadej Pogacar. 01:47 🕰️ Time commitment plays a crucial role in designing a cardio workout routine, and it varies for individuals based on their schedules. 02:59 🔄 It's generally recommended to spread out Zone 2 workouts rather than doing them all at once, even if you can handle a longer session. 03:52 💪 The weekly training schedule typically involves strength training, Zone 2 workouts, stability training, and VO2 max sessions, with different days dedicated to each. 05:29 🏃‍♀️ Zone 2 workouts should ideally last at least 30 minutes per session to be effective. 08:53 🏋️‍♂️ VO2 max training modalities can include cycling (outdoors or on a stationary bike), stair climber, treadmill running, swimming, and rowing. 11:34 ⏱️ VO2 max workouts often involve intervals of 3-8 minutes, such as four minutes on and four minutes off, with the goal of maintaining a high intensity. Made with HARPA AI

[@MarkMetternichPhotographyLLC]

What a waste. The whole thing is a take away.

[@esc1614]

I appreciate you going above and beyond for this, yo!💯

[@baconinvader]

@@esc1614 just an AI generated summary, they didn't even paste the entire thing

[@NatashaRaisorGlam]

Thank you

[@Trackrdesigns]

8:53 should say Zone 2 training instead of vo2max FYI

[@gefloigle]

“What we’re looking for is the harnessing of mitochondrial efficiency, and to do that you have to be able to push oxidative phosphorylation right to its limit before you trip into glycolysis.” _-Dr. Peter Attia_ I’m going to have this mounted on my wall.

[@mikevaldez7684]

Why? Because you're gay?

[@PeacePresencePower]

I loved this guys questions... he gave clarity on all the subtle aspects of it that the average dude(me) did not understand. I gained more clarity from this video than watching 10 other similar videos.

[@nithin1477]

I really liked the way thr interviwer asked the question. Asked every detail.

[@Yowzoe]

agreed… the nitty-gritty is where it's at

[@Maritime007]

I compete in Ironman's at age 56 so do a lot of research on how to maximize my fitness. Dr. Attia's information is very consistent with the best information I have found. I like his explanations as they're very clear and succinct. Some sources of information can get quite technical and difficult to turn into real world action items.

[@Dggb2345]

Thank you for the weekly schedule breakdown. Hugely helpful

[@viq234]

Thanks I totally forgot about vo2 Max training. I was so focused on zone 2.

[@helibladerunner74]

Great video , thanks for sharing You're an inspirational speaker and now I not only watch your videos , I also share them with my wife who has also found your videos a great encouragement. Thanks again, keep us the good work.

[@mottohorn]

7:58 best description of how I messed up training in past. I’ve been focused on steady state Z2 like you’re describing the correct way recently, and have noticed so much change in my RHR, my workout HRs, and my ability to recovery from hard efforts.

[@Joblessnerdo]

kzbin.infoA1KlGqTIMbQ?si=t-2eG3HOxjiOBMw9

[@tg2003]

Can you explain how I would know that I am in zone 2? He said it's not your heart rate? It's your lactic acid???? What??

[@mottohorn]

@@tg2003 lactic acid is created a by product of muscle contractions. There is a point of lactic acid concentration where type I muscle fibers can use lactic acid as a form of energy somewhat and shuttle excess lactic acid away so an excess build up is not felt as “burning sensation” in the muscles. Your HR responds to these demands by increasingly pumping my oxygenated blood to your muscles to help keep them working effectively at higher levels of energy use which produce more lactic acid. But your HR responds secondarily to the lactic acid production in your muscles and as a separate albeit necessary system. When you cross certain thresholds of lactic acid concentration, your body metabolically needs to find a quicker source of fuel and energy (carbohydrates and sugars) as you go higher up the energy spectrum. You also accumulate more lactic acid build up as you are now unable to clear that lactic acid from your muscles as effectively anymore causing it to leak into the blood stream. So it is your HR, but your HR can also be affected by so many other things. Sleep, food, stress, temperature, etc. and lactic acid testing is really the BEST way of knowing where your real training zones are. Simply bc your HR can change too slowly especially for the highest training zones, and bc your metabolic Z2 HR might be different each day based on your body’s ability to perform on that day This is how I understand it.

[@kylegooner96]

⁠​⁠@@tg2003I believe it’s working out you’re lactate threshold (Joe Friel test) then zone 2 would be 80-85% of this number

[@schrafn]

I'm 32 years old and training for the hardest 1-day mountain bike race in America. I came to the conclusion recently that my training was not focused nearly enough on zone 2. As my muscular endurance is currently much higher than my cardio endurance. Thank you for the valuable insight to improve my training and race experience

[@JAREDGRAF8181]

What race is that? sounds cool

[@schrafn]

@JAREDGRAF8181 The race is called the marji gesick it's 100 miles in marquette michigan

[@HkFinn83]

That’s a good problem to have as it’s a pretty easy thing to improve

[@jeg569]

When Peter mentioned archery, thats a strange one but since 💡I am half way thought his book Outlive. Love reading your book, so very well written and keeps the reader engaged.

[@lisatowe778]

So good to hear a man younger than me by close to a decade say he can’t do some things anymore. I get frustrated because of what I used to do. I simply don’t have the time to do it all and some body parts just don’t handle quite the intensity

[@wolfthequarrelsome504]

What we lose in ability we gain in technique.

[@zouhangashan1661]

Huge fan of Dr. Attia!

[@marcjov8149]

He mentioned Tadej Pogačar as example and he is from a small country of Slovenia, that is where I come from. Really surprised. Nice for Tadej.

[@chriscruciat2469]

This is very useful. So then in my case, in addition to weight training, I can do 3 times per week Zone 2 and 1 time per week HIIT to achieve my Vo2 Max

[@paulwg9659]

Love Dr Attia I do my VO2 Max on rower. 4 minutes on 4 minutes rest.

[@99cya]

Do you just try to go all out during the 4mins? And how often do you repeat that?

[@ketle369]

Don't underestimate the power of walking. Just by hopping of the buss two stops earlier every day, to and from work, I get 30-40 minutes of walking every day and it isn't even noticeable.

[@Shelly-cp7gj]

Love it, good job

[@johnsharpnack4983]

Great info, lots to ponder. Thanks!

[@YoursTruly78887]

Love you guys took the time to explain Zone 2 and VO2 max before going into the nitty gritty. Really appreciate that 🙏

[@marttyd]

I’m still waiting for them to tell me what zone 2 is. Oh and what vo2 max is.

[@milossavic6642]

Rowing on the erg is the best! You can do both zone2 and vo2 max

[@santoshsebastien3689]

Great questions. Very specific and things us mortals wanted to really know.

[@Nick_Henri]

I've been looking for more info on Peter's perspective of Zone 2 and VO2 Max, particularly given how his "zone 2" is different from the traditional use of that term. This clip was very helpful!

[@valherd.o.o.-pelasertec254]

Sd

[@ibnunadzir223]

How is his zone 2 different from others?

[@brannmacfinnchad9056]

Thank you! I've been trying to figure out whether the Zone 2 80/20 should be by time, training load, or what for a while, even after watching every GCN and similar video. It seems obvious, but you never know. The section about keeping it steady state is also helpful to know, although probably far less enjoyable to put into practice.

[@noej2591]

Inigo interviewed by Peter says the 80/20 split should be by time (I asked myself the same question and dug for this specific answer recently)

[@timholmes3621]

I hit and stick the zone 2 with power walking wearing a 25 lb vest 4 days a week every other day.

[@msschiaffino]

Peter provides us, in my opinion, with the best content (and in the best format) on longevity I have ever come across. It is truly a joy and a privilege to have access to all of that. Personally, as a fellow Engineer myself, I profoundly relate to his work. Here is a humble suggestion on the "triangle" metaphor for cardiorespiratory health: why not add another dimension and make it a pyramid? x axis is the result of Zone 2 work (efficiency), y axis is the result of VOmax work (peak). The z axis would be plotted as a combination of both strength and stability. The base of the pyramid would be the area produced by this rectangle (cardiorespiratory efficiency and strength + stability) and the height would be the cardiorespiratory peak. If someone is insanely fit from a cardio perspective (large 2D triangle area) but does not work on the 3rd dimension (strength and stability), the pyramid could potentially fall (e.g. stress injuries on runners, etc...) Function to me maximized here would not just be the area of the triangle, but rather the volume of the pyramid.

[@msschiaffino]

Values of x, y and z would be plotted depending on the patient's goals. If the patient wants to be able to do a lot of cardio work at 90 (e.g. long hilly walks), scoring high on x and y axis would should be harder. If the patient wants to be able to play with grandkids and not panic when a 15 kg child runs towards him/her asking for a hug, scoring high on the z axis should be harder. (x,y,z) should be normalized by the patient's goals.

[@DKFX1]

Yes, his way of packaging the information really sticks in the brain. Especially that cardio pyramid of zone 2 and VO2 max was incredibly useful.

[@shobisyd5762]

@@msschiaffinoas another engineer, this is a great analogy! In fact, it could become a more accurate 3D “biomarker” of health/longevity than any one number. How to compute/standardize the x and z axis units will be tricky though (since for y axis we have vO2 max, a single computable score). Potentially x could be hours of zone 2 per week performed, and z could be powerlifting total and some composite plyometrics/yoga score lol

[@noosphericaltarzan]

It would make more sense for a z axis to represent some combined score for HRV and resting HR. Even dismissing that, one could argue lactate threshold serves as a better z axis. If we are talking about the sport of running, then running economy definitely has a place there, since you can have a super high VO2Max and lose to a competitor with a much lower VO2Max than you but much better running economy. That would integrate threshold by itself, since running around threshold and just above it is how you can best improve economy. I would keep the pyramid apropos to cardio-respiratory health and energy systems.

[@mrp973]

I like the engineer perspective. Structural engineer here hehe

[@fryertuck6496]

I do my zone 2 and finish with a VO2 max on the punchbag using hands and feet.

[@Itadakiman]

Love the chemistry!

[@AntonisZacharopoulos]

Very Insightful!❤ 09:30 a Future Research topic passed through the Mind of Dr. Attia!😊

[@ThePathOfEudaimonia]

For once I am glad I live in the flat country of The Netherlands, where cycling in zone 2 is pretty convenient to do!

[@c.c.2763]

Currently watching as I do Z2 on my Echo bike.

[@rdbm-uo5zt]

Dr Attia, you mentioned in another video that MaxVO2 is the most important marker for fitness. Some individuals with a high percentage of type II x (where x > a) muscles won't be able to recruit a large enough mass of mitochondria to maximally tax their cardiovascular system - even if they use an Assault Bike. Such people might have the cardiovascular capacity to perform at a high level if only they could replace some of their white meat with more red meat. Also, in some cases, some bodies show a very strong adherence to specificity. At a rehab facility, they tested me on a steep uphill walk (i.e., a modified Bruce Protocol) and I only made it to eleven minutes. Yet, I can comfortably run 9 mi/hr. (> 14 km/hr.) on long runs, and on Zwift, I've pushed over 400 watts for half an hour (although I weigh almost 200 pounds). An exercise physiology grad student said that he sometimes tests distance runners on the Bruce Test who occasionally even flunk. But, after a few months of using their treadmill, I made it to level 16 without measurable improvement in my running and cycling. After rehab, I went out and purchased a treadmill and an Assault Bike to fill in some holes in my training.

[@angad10]

dr attia says muscle mass, but more importantly strength, grip strength and leg strength, mobility etc plus VO2 max are the main parameters he uses to gauge longitivity.

[@Wantthosedaysback]

Been attempting to increase vo2 on ebike commutes . I think the weight of ebikes, gears and power assists can make it somewhat ideal compared to a normal ebike imho ,yet keep from being late to work

[@campfiresolutions]

If Heart rate monitor (Garmin/Apple Watch) is not a good indicator of Zone 2 for a given modality then how do I measure/know I'm in Zone 2?

[@simonstucki]

there's a few videos on GCN and other channels on Zone to and how to find it, apparently a good indicator is, that you should b able to have pretty normal conversation (full sentences but not needing breaks to catch your breath) but if your let's say on a phone call and the other party doesn't know that you are exercising they should be able to tell from how you speak, that you are exercising, that's how Iñigo San Millán put it.

[@uncountedvoter9449]

Peter, can one do gasser rounds of 5 minutes of Jiu Jitsu for V02 max training and is it possible to do light BJJ for 45 minutes if I stay at in my Zone 2 heart rate? No one talks about this modality. Thanks

[@digitalnomadhealth]

Interesting topic especially because many patients who first come to our practice spend the majority of their time in zone 3-5 and little in zone 2. Their first few sessions with a personal trainer is intense enough to cause a sense of nausea due to high intensity. This not only has caused blood pressure aberrancy and blood sugar problems but it leads to injury and the sense of wanting to give up due to the difficulty level. Thank you for highlighting the differences here.

[@jakegjorloff421]

They spend most time in zone 3-5 and get nauseated during zone 2? Zone 5 is 100% max heart rate. They spend most of their time in higher zones? Are your patients Olympians?

[@mikevaldez7684]

@@jakegjorloff421 🤣 I know, makes no sense..how do you get "nauseated" from zone 2 when you're highly trained in zones 3-5? 😁

[@timothy961]

Have you guys never heard of using the rebounder I've used the one that I have for the last 40 years and it has kept me in shape greatly improving timing balance and coordination greatly improving endurance as well as dropping my resting pulse rate more than 20 beats per minute it has been the best cardio exercise equipment that I have ever used

[@juliegathman2923]

Is that one of those small trampolines? Can you explain more about what you do on it?

[@monikawashington1305]

Please tell me more about it :)

[@douglasbooth6836]

You also need a good threshold. It all depends on how good your vo2 is V your zone.

[@manuelherrera5615]

Is there a site where you can get a copy of Dr. Attia's workout sessions/per exercise? or if there is a book anyone recommends I would appreciate it.

[@cheliospanama9786]

Thanks 😊

[@paulblake3166]

Excellent video

[@nigelterrancehordatt-reece6577]

Could you please show the day by day listing of your workouts showing example to all thank you

[@jaderanderson]

Dr Attia, what about elliptical machines ? I use them for cardio to reduce impact on knee joints and my back but haven't see you cite them as a possibility. Anything i'm missing ? Currently my Z2 workout is based on HR only and the concept of "i could talk but prefer not to" kind of exaustion

[@gabeduran8321]

Brilliant!!!!!!!!

[@wss327]

I used to do structured training in sweet spot and over trained. Then I changed to polarized training, did less effort but ended up just as fast and better endurance. Zone 2, RPE, VO2 Max and body weight functional training.

[@mikevaldez7684]

How sad.

[@philiplacey5430]

Me too, I used to be faster in June than I was in October because I wore myself out from chronic over training all summer. It is really hard for me to go slow though.

[@thesneakypeeker1982]

how can you include strenght training into this split.? let's say I do resistance training 4 days a week Do any of these workouts counts as zone 2 or I need to include 5 more sessions or cardio oon top of my gym routine?

[@JohnIn2SonAZ]

I ride 8 hours a week on my bike and I am 61 years old. Up until I was 52 years old I rode 21 hours a week on the bike. From 31 years old till I was 50 I rode 1,000 hours of cardio a year every year. I was a long distance Competitive Time Trial Cyclist. My over-all miles of riding since I was 30 years old is currently 560,000 miles. For the past 25 years I had a resting heart rate of 30 BPM at 5-6% body fat.

[@anandramalingam9240]

How much Zone 2 went into your 560000 miles. Great feet and envy your workouts

[@RareAries323]

I am so impressed! I've accumulated 2,160 miles this year and 1500 of em were long distance cycling

[@RareAries323]

I meant I am impressed with your comment and stats

[@alanjohnson6169]

You are not 5-6% bf ever, 99% of men are on their death bed sub 8%

[@LoVeELekR0]

Thank you Attia for mentioning the heart rate for zone 2. I was recently hiking with a friend (very steep), still holding a conversation but my hr was close to max (188). Seems like zone 2 but not. Still a bit confusing but will ignore Garmin zones for now.

[@-Plot-]

Yeah I’m not really impressed with Garmin’s stuff

[@mannysanchez5001]

nose breathing works better for me as far as staying in zone 2

[@burarum1]

You don't have to ignore garmin zones but set them to the correct values.

[@Journeymanlive]

the MAF 180 formula is not too bad for finding Zone 2. 180 minus your age. lactate meter is better but despite ALL the measurement tools, Attia said with the EXACT wattage on his bike, one day he was in Zone 2, another day he was not ( probably tired etc) it's very hard to track. it's basically the high form of exercice BEFORE you produce lactate. SO for me ( and Attia said it a lot) you have to rely on how it feels. my 180- my age formula is a good average, I can feel when I'm in Zone 2, you sort of get a sense of it.

[@-Plot-]

My thing is that my heart rate is always on the higher end

[@ccunningham8295]

How would you determine ZII/Threshold for an afib patient? 6'3", 181lbs, 70 yo male. very active

[@99cya]

For vo2max i do some zwift cycling workouts (roghly 50min session) and in running i like to do 6x1km temp run with 2min rest in between or hill runs.

[@angad10]

im recovering from two herniated disc and pinched nerves in my back , and i cannot wait to train again

[@jvoz6379]

This was helpful!

[@georgealessi1191]

Is this true no matter the training volume? For example, it seems unlikely to me to me that if you train 2 hours a week, 90 mins should be zone 2? What about 1 hour a week? From my expierience the intensity is better when really cramped for time.

[@ryanivan4806]

Is zone 2 sports specific or does it have effect cross modality? does zone 2 running help cycling or vice versa

[@prep1989]

thanks for the great content and insight. Just getting into the 80/20 after years of continuous hard training rides. When you're doing your zone 2 days, do you avoid hills completely. I'm in a hilly area and can only avoid them following one route. I'm getting tired of this one route, but other directions put me on hills that are going to put me well into Z3-4 for several min. several times a ride.

[@cantflipforship]

I would think generally avoiding hills is the way to go because they change your lactate level then you won’t necessarily be in zone 2

[@mikevaldez7684]

@@cantflipforship duh

[@chrishill1774]

If you are on a watt bike in ERG, it's erelevant flat or uphill, it will be the same 😂👍

[@trinichinee6426]

Is there a plateau for how much training you can do to increase lactate clearance capacity or will it keep getting better with more time in zone 2 If u notice, sorry for asking this question often . But I really wanna know

[@user-nb1xm5bu7t]

What is zone 2 training ? What app can I use on my iPhone to communicate to my Apple Watch to monitor my VO2 and zone 2? Can somebody help

[@benjaminwesercreative]

very curious about his stability routine now 😀

[@Gameboob]

7:58 - 9:29, Peter attia explains what zone 2 is in technical detail 11:32, Attia's preferred vo2 mac workout. 4 mins on, 4 mins off. And what it should feel like.

[@cristobal.palmero4919]

Thanks

[@goatlinkcyclingchannel263]

Taking Zone 2 and Vo2 Max training is the formula to get your sweetest spot.

[@kajsilee]

i like how Peter doesnt even wait for the quetion to finish. he just knows and answers. cool.

[@dianed5193]

Just wondering how many intervals to do? I am starting out. 3 mi nutes on 3 off how many times?

[@joelquidort6527]

Does it matter if you do your VO two max consecutively or can you break it up during your 30 minute cardio session or do you do it for the six minutes straight?

[@dad102]

fascinating. informative.

[@phqnomenon]

is zone 2 rowing worse than zone 2 on a bike trainer? if I'm primarily looking to improve my cycling capacities how much would it hurt to do one zone 2 session a week on something else.

[@benoitsigwald6383]

@PeterAttiaMD how about using an ebike to keep in zone 2 for a longer period? have to tested an ebike for that?

[@na-dk9vm]

Ok, so he says at the 4 minute mark of his v02 max session, hes feeling very uncomfortable. So after i do my 4 mins, how much of a recovery should i take before i go for another 4 mins??

[@beastmode1]

Mark Sissan has been onto this idea for quite some time. My over trained athlete friends would hear nothing of it. But now it’s beginning to become a bit more mainstream. But they are still over training and fueling with carbs.

[@Combat556]

I’m in San Diego, and Fiesta Island at Mission Bay, is a great place to ride 12:56 laps without having to deal with traffic. Highly recommended if you’re coming to San Diego with a bike and you’re looking for a place to workout.

[@na-dk9vm]

How do i know the effort im running at is definatly V02 max?? Is it based on the amount of minutes i can hold that pace at??

[@cz451]

Monday - Strength training 90min - 2hrs inc stability training Tuesday - Zone 2 followed by 1hr stability Wednesday - Upper body 90min - 2hrs Thursday - Zone 2 followed by 1hr stability training Friday - Strength training 90min - 2hrs inc stability training Saturday - Zone 2 in the morning, Upper body 90min - 2hrs in the afternoon Sunday - Zone 2 followed by V02 max

[@johnhawkins4908]

Thank you for your excellent videos and your book, Outlive, Dr. Attia. I'm enjoying training in Z2 a about 90% of the time and Z6 about 10% of the time. Like most people, I don't have access to a lab to determine my max HR nor an expensive lactate meter to determine that I've been in Z2 during my training in order to get optimum mitochondria development and fat burn. Thus, I'm gauging Z2 training by going at a pace where I don't get out of breath, can carry on a conversation without much difficulty, and have a perceived exertion level whereby I can go 45 minutes or longer on the stationary bike or treadmill without getting tired or sore legs afterwards. Interestingly, my Z2 seems to correlate with being in the 60-70% of max HR range using 220 minus my age or the MAF calculator. But am I really in Z2? Am I developing my mitrochondria? Do I need to purchase a lactate meter as you and Dr Iñigo San Millán have suggested? Or does it even matter? I'm not an elite athlete, just an older guy trying to stay in shape and live a long, vibrant life. As I watch videos and read about Z2 training, I feel pressure to be nearly perfect to get the long-term benefits of Z2.

[@PerryScanlon]

Talk test. And max HR varies wildly with people the same age.

[@cubitusclaudius]

You're right. I did one 3 years ago, and my my max HR was 174. I was 67. Of course, each year, I'm going to loose...

[@fantasy7432]

MAF and 220-age are bullshit. You can do HRmax and LT2 tests somewhat accurately, and base your zones off of that. Ultimately you want to learn the feeling of that intensity and go from there, which those test help you accomplish. I wouldn't really worry that much about not going above Z2 if you're doing it for longevity purposes, you're not trying to cram as much training as possible after all. There's no need to do any lab tests or to measure your lactate unless you're elite or sub-elite at your sport and trying to optimize your training (like with double-threshold days).

[@gerrysecure5874]

You should be able to barely talk a full sentence at once, but not more. Assume a conversation where both speak one sentence alternating. If you can speak 2 or more it's too easy. HRmax as 220-age is a statistical average that has no meaning to the individual. Get yourself a HR strap and step up power or speed over 4-6min until final sprint. Try it several times on different days. You'll get better at it. The peak is your HRmax. *Upper Z2 HR* is (HRmax-HRrest)*0.65 + HRrest. Example (165-65)*0.65 + 65 = 130. So stay between 115 - 130. Start low, e.g. 115, so it stays below 130 even when drifting up with time.

[@joe1071]

I came to the comments to note the same stuff. I like Dr attias message and his efforts to spread knowledge regarding longevity and exercise. My biggest knock with him is he makes everything WAYYYY too complicated. He gets so stuck in the weeds with the specifics of data that he comes out with protocols that are nearly impossible without specialized testing, equipment, etc. I wish he could boil things down into protocols that people who go a job all day, have children they are caregivers for, etc where they don’t have 2 hours in the morning and afternoon to exercise with specialized equipment. What also bothers me with dr Attia is let’s actually look at human outcomes. There are a lot of people who live over 100 and 110 years old, and I guarantee they never get close to Attias RDA protein, they don’t exercise for zone 2, vo2 max, or grip strength, yet they have high quality lives over 100 years. I realize these people stay active with meaningful activities that keep up their strength and cardiovascular, and maybe that’s the answer. Meaningful, long duration and low impact physical activities across the lifespan

[@natew4489]

I like this but it’s very specific to cycling. Would an 80 / 20 approach work for crossfit ?

[@Junker_1]

Has he ever heard of overtraining? I also see very little on his youtube about recovery. This is a super super important topic and he seems to basically ignore it. He is doing a ton of training here and maybe he is genetically gifted that he can take it but many many will suffer from overtraining doing this. And trust me it is not a pretty sight. I also see little warning to people to become obsessed by all this and go into overtraining or eating disorders and such. So I hope he addresses these things in the future.

[@myzenlifeinnature]

Exactly. Did higher weights this week, first 6 weeks in gym for years, other than own body weight training, next day striding up and down bleacher steps hiit & 45 min zone 2 and came down crook. Unsure if virus as well but I definitely overtrained. Muscles still recovering 4 days later. Here I am bedridden instead of skiing today.

[@jasonbrown5014]

How do you use lactate to know if you're not in zone 2? and how do you use RPE?

[@brandonwon9257]

This led me to do some research on how this is good for your health: Zone 2 exercise leads to increased ROS production as mitochondrial activity (the type of energy output derived from Zone 2 exercise) increases. ROS can be damaging to cellular homeostasis at high levels (this can lead to diseases and health issues). However, through this moderate form of exercising you essentially train your cells on how to remove ROS more effectively and prepare it for situations when it needs to get rid of ROS in the body. Therefore your cells are stronger and better at battling free radicals which contribute to major health issues. I'm not a health professional so please correct me if I'm wrong.

[@brandonwon9257]

ROS in moderate amounts also serve as signaling molecules which lead to a number of health benefits.

[@bhagathkumar5367]

But while doing 90min run if you are able stay in Z1 & Z2 for 30-60min from the start before going into Z3. Is that okay?

[@dsha2006]

what's V02 Max? And what counts as zone 2? I have a fitbit. Is Zone 2 the "Vigorous" category (134-165 bpm)

[@SJ__Daily_Dose]

I do cardio 3 times a week which is for 60 minutes, in that 60 minutes I use to split first 48 minutes for zone 2 and the last 12 minutes for vo2 max which I am doing regularly, is this correct. Can anyone confirm on this please.

[@francesstager997]

You sure love talking about YOURSELF!!

[@varun9366]

Can jump rope be used for both zone 2 and vo2 max training ? s Slow alternative skips for zone 2 and maybe fast skipping and double unders for vo2 max.

[@poulind69]

Depends on your fitness level and jump roping skills.

[@raghav_c]

I'd like to understand the following When i am doing my intervals for vo2 max 4 minutes on 4 minutes off A- how long should it take during the 4 minutes, for my heart rate to get to within 98-99 percent of my max? In other words, what should be the intensity? Am i supposed to go all out and try to survive 4 minutes and adjsut the intensity henceforth? B - the 4 minutes of recovery, how low should my heart rate go? Should i wait for it to reach a certain heart rate before i start the nect interval or let it fall to whenever it goes in the 4 minutes regardless? So if i max is 190 and wait for 3 minutes and it gets down to 120, with one more minute to go, should i wait or start another interval?

[@meatmotorendurance]

On recovery, you can do it by HR but in several randomized studies, athletes were asked to start up when they were ready again for the next VO2max interval. Most of them randomly selected between 3-4 minutes. As to HR climbing, it will ease towards highest. In a 4 minute interval you'll probably hit 93% of heartrate at about 3 minutes and be hanging on the last minute where it will continue to drift up slightly more.

[@ashhopteach2939]

How does one measure lactate within a workout to make sure one stays in zone 2? I've always done it by heart rate. I didn't know you could measure lactate buildup within a workout. Or did I understand you wrong?

[@imhassane]

Today I understood the importance of zone 2. I hadn’t done MMA and BJJ for like five months now and only trained zone 2 for my cardio the last three months and stopped the last month, today I went sparring and expecting that I’d gas out in like one round but to my surprise I was able to spar as hard as I could and ended the training with three rounds of MMA, if you know MMA you know that it’s not easy to do that if you haven’t been active and all I did for cardio was zone 2 for 2-3 months and stopped a month ago, I’m gonna start it back.

[@nicolotiraboschi]

I wanna try the same thing for boxing, let's see.

[@travv88]

I'm convinced by your anecdote. I lost a bit of body fat and improved my diet (mostly meat with some berries and coffee) and I hadn't done cardio/jump rope in ages. I expected to be really tired but I did better than expected. Shows how dangerous body fat is, and how beneficial it is to lose it in a natural manner.

[@benhallo1553]

I’m gunna start doing zone 2 for this reason

[@jdewolfe5]

One thing I didn't quite catch was whether the resting part of the v02 interval training gets counted as training when calculating the 80/20 split between zone 2 and v02.

[@richardmarzec9136]

No, it is based on training sessions. 2 days would be VO2 and 8 days would be Zone 2 and rest days. Time at VO2 is important for adaptation so keep track of that.

[@gambonelaw]

90 mins to 2 hours on upper body and same with lower body. How many sets and rep range?

[@stumpywigmaker]

Thank you for the video! I still have this question: How can I effectively measure if I’m in “zone 2”? HR is out, I don’t have the means for the proper measuring equipment, so what’s the best way to get into and stay in Zone 2?

[@aching4382]

He eluded to it, which is to utilize an indoor trainer (e.g., Wahoo) or treadmill at an incline of choice with the very rudimentary Zone 2 measurement guide of “can I hold a causal conversation.” Poor man’s way to go about it, but it gets you started. Couple that with a HR monitor and you’ll have a rough estimate.

[@juliegathman2923]

We used to measure our heart rate by putting our two fingers on an artery and counting the beats for a minute (or half a minute; multiply by 2).

[@ketle369]

In the beginning you should aim for not going over zone 2, ie you should rather go too low than too high. The training should be so easy you can easily talk and maybe don't even brake a sweat. If you go for a brisk walk for an hour or two and wake up the next morning and have the feeling you could easily do the same thing all over again, you are in the right place. Zone 2 is hard to get because most people think training have to be hard. Zone 2 isn't hard, its very easy. Something you can do almost every day and feel fresh the morning after. But, it takes months to get results, so be patient.

[@walterwood3229]

Because of my heart having an aortic valve replacement the heart rate monitor is not very effective, but using the old “talk test” from the 1970’s gives me a very good standard based on respiration.

[@thomasdavis5230]

Can walking be zone 2 training? I work 7:30 to 4:30 as IT support in a factory, I’m trying to walk 12-15k steps each day

[@devingoldsby5414]

Hey Peter, maybe you mentioned this in the full length version but, what exactly are the benefits of "making that triangle" as broad or as much surface area as possible?

[@QazJer]

He’s saying the Zone 2 training is the base of the triangle i.e. the majority of your training and V02 max is the height aka your peak effort - 80/20 paradigm

[@King_Lewyy]

The benefit is longevity, via cardiovascular fitness (health)

[@mattystewart8]

The question id like to raise is that if youre not using your heart rate as a guide for zone 2 then how do you tell if youre in zone 2? Because i dont know my glycolosis levels or anything like that so….. how…?

[@santiagomartinez4579]

I would love to hear Peter comment Tour de France, Vuelta a España, and Giro D' Italia

[@innogravel]

I would argue with the power based Vo2max intervals towards the end of this clip. Some say it’s more about getting close to max heart rate and to really push the limits of your hearts stroke volume. An indicator I use is a maxed out feeling of gasping for air. One should listen to Kolie Moore of Emperical Cycling for more info on this type of approach.

[@ryans1623]

How long should you push yourself at VO2 max, and how much cardio a day if you have the time should you do alltogether?

[@meatmotorendurance]

@@ryans1623 Typical intervals are 4-8 minutes. Example 4x 8 minutes with about a 4-minute recovery between each, but if you can't start that start a 2 and work your way up. Doing them at a high enough intensity to elicit the VO2 max response is more important than doing the set times at too low of an intensity (aka like Dr. Attia said, "You should barely think you'll survive at the very end of the interval/aka looking forward to the timer beeping). You want to do 2 of these sessions for every 8 you do at easier z2 levels. Of course, spread those out in that 10-session total block. For time at Zone2, it's really what does your schedule allow. The more you do, granted avoiding injury, the more fit you'll become. Pro cyclists will sometimes put in several days of 5-6 hours per day. Runners have to do less b/c of injury risks from impact. Swimmers are famous for doing lots of time at Z2, as well.

[@justinf1343]

Interested to understand how zone 2 and vo2 max can be better training for a 60 minute TT rather than lots of threshold training?

[@cjvs22]

How does having asthma effect vo2 max? I suffer from asthma but am a cyclist. I have not yet check vo2.

[@KJSvitko]

Can the deep breathing techniques taught by Wim Hof increase VO2 max

[@lifeisgood070]

How do you train if you have heart defects? If I do normal things i go well above zone2.... 1.8mph treadmill walks are 135-140bpm

[@virtualathlete]

It would be very helpful if Peter could talk about a perceived exertion scale we use in the fitness world. Zone 2 & V02 max is a tad vague. PE can be used up & down the fitness ladder. From 1-10. 1 being on sofa. 10 all out. I think it would be easier to grasp how hard (or not) we need to go based on PE. Just an idea.

[@sparkside217]

He says often on other stuff that zone 2 should be barely conversational - you can talk, but slowly and with lots of pauses

[@InfiniteQuest86]

I get what you are saying and asking for, but it's a bit hilarious. Since Zone 2 and VO2 max have exact real biological and measurable definitions. And PE is completely subjective and varies from person to person, but you are literally asking for something vague to help you understand something precise and claiming the complete opposite.

[@JackJensenTrader]

kzbin.info/www/bejne/d6ClY3SDitZrjcksi=GuJWBoktgjie99vf&t=22

[@jaderanderson]

He talks about this in the huberman podcast, in summary Z2 would be something you could do for a really long time and able to talk but really prefering not to. In my personal experience is a state where you feel tired, but able to proceed

[@virtualathlete]

@@jaderanderson Thanks. So, if you're a runner, maybe he is saying it's like LSD training- long, slow distance. I think a tempo pace would be much harder to talk.

[@fpoester]

I was gonna go back a minute on the video to see again the weekly training day by day, and then the timeline shows me "most replayed" tag lol. can't imagine why :)