Three Most Common Zone Two Training Mistakes

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In this video we will be discussing common zone two / base training, training mistakes. Mistakes, that if rectified, should see you boost your endurance and build more robust aerobic adaptations internally. These adaptations can be noted through tracking power and heart rate (at a zone two level) which we'll be discussing in this video.
#zone2 #basefitness

[@Loekie-de-leeuw]

As a cyclist I do not often like living in a 100% flat country like the Netherlands, but when doing Z2 training it is a blessing being able to do 100km+ rides with less than 30m elevation. Quite handy being 2m, 100kg…

[@diederikwyffels6831]

Exactly the opposite is true for me. I'm very close to the Netherlands, but there is no flat spot around here (the Tour of Flanders region). If I want to do a Z2 ride outside, I have to plan it carefully (and to the small roads next to the rivers). And it takes a lot of concentration and willpower to stay in Z2 while getting there :-) We recently bought a holiday home in the South of France, and there it's even "worse". Z2 is literally not possible there. Well, at least not for me. So I bought a trainer to be able to do Z2 there as well. It's not as nice as being outdoors, but it depends on the goals you try to achieve...

[@DustyMoth.]

Zone 2 for me is exclusively on the trainer. Also makes keeping constant pressure on the pedals a must

[@roadcyclingacademy6476]

Yes, thats a good play Dusty. Whatever works for your practically is best.

[@87togabito]

I went from buying a trainer to focus on z2, to literally only riding indoors now all the time 😂. Somehow I live the efficiency and precision of the training prescription that the trainer offers, regardless of the training zones or target

[@veganpotterthevegan]

The trainer is for recovery, or short, hard rides for me. I'm miserable doing z2 for more than 90min indoors but totally happy doing z2 for +5-7yrs outside

[@aarondcmedia9585]

@@veganpotterthevegan +5-7yrs Z2 is pretty hardcore, well done.

[@mf0u3021]

Z2 ERG mode TfD: Unchained binge watch challenge.

[@alexp247365]

12 years ago, I didn't have power. So to start the indoor-riding base season in Minnesota, I set a heart rate of 140. I'd ride that heart rate until I noticed drift and make note of the speed I was going. At first, I could only hold 13mph on the trainer for a 2 hour session without drift. Every couple of weeks, this average went up. After about 4 months, I was able to do 20mph on the trainer for 2 hours without any heart rate drift. This translated to doing the hard group rides at a much easier effort.

[@richardmiddleton7770]

The best way to describe how to do a zone 2 ride for those who always stray into z3-4 is an extended recovery ride with minimal coasting.

[@jamilcostley1]

It’s strange how power is always talked about when discussing zone 2 riding. Zone 2 being the “aerobic” zone, your HR should be the focus and not your power.

[@rejickmukherjee9154]

I really always thought this but HR is goes bonkers with temperature. And aligns less with the talk text than power. If in doing z2 indoor( in a air conditioned room) because here I'm india temp In summer is 40-45 °c at times. My HR won't go past z1 until 2 hrs. And If I go harder, power z3, HR would rise to z2 but I would be breathing hard and not being able to make a conversation which inigo said is the best indicator of z2.. ( my HR zones are based on LTHR field test done outdoors when temperature was moderate)

[@jamilcostley1]

@@rejickmukherjee9154 HR indoor and outdoor are completely different metrics. I can do a 23+ mph ride on Zwift and stay in HR zone 2 for the entire ride while sweating a whole lot more than I do on outdoor rides in the heat. So I wouldn’t necessarily say that constitutes your heart rate going “bonkers” it just means that indoor vs outdoor rides don’t require nearly the same amount of effort.

[@ds6914]

Has there been any studies comparing athletes who stay in zone 2 for pretty much the whole ride and those who average zone 2 but go over fairly regularly? I don't believe so, yet these guys are so sure about it. A more honest/objective approach would say that theory suggests there may be some benefit, but we don't know how big a difference it makes. We recommend trying to stick in zone 2 as much as you can, but don't beat your self up about not doing so.

[@user-qx4bp5rf3n]

AFAIR, there has been studies on it, and the effect is that there is a shift toward carbohydrate metabolism for a period - which is detrimental to increasing fat oxidation and thus efficiency.

[@ds6914]

@@user-qx4bp5rf3n there's final step missing to actual effect on fitness

[@michellehummel9805]

​@user-qx4bp5rf3n could you give some references, please?

[@ryanthomasRCA]

I am unsure of specific research comparing sporadic zone 2 vs exclusive zone 2 but that would be great study. Some of the time, the last point you make is definitely valid! But from our experience, we see people who always ride too hard everyday. I guess it really depends on your goal and what you're doing on the other days outside of that zone 2. If you are doing a few of those rides where you go in and out of zone 2 and group ride here or there for enjoyment, then that works perfectly fine! I think the issues becomes when you need to go really hard in a high intensity session which we should have clarified in the video for sure!

[@ds6914]

@@ryanthomasRCA sure but the video is giving the impression that the science is clear that it definitely matters for your fitness in a significant way...

[@richardmiddleton7770]

Biggest issue riding z2 outside is you'll go through about 3 rear mech cables a year! It's amazing how much gear changing you need to do! I'm pretty good at riding z2 in the hills as I've been doing it for around 8 years now! I've put a 36 inner ring on my DA 54/40 chainset and have an 11-32 rear cassette, this allows me to keep constant presssure downhill without spinning out too much and also go up 20% grades albeit at a low cadence of around 50 rpm.

[@Chazza..]

4th most common mistake for myself is getting hammered drunk afterwards. Been doing it for years

[@jansprij2858]

After having Corona and the Flu in a period of 3 months, staying in my heart rate zone 2 is difficult, It is fluctuating a lot. It's only now (5 months later) it is getting more steady as it should be

[@roadcyclingacademy6476]

Thanks for sharing Jans. What you describe has been very common.

[@starlitshadows]

I'd probably keep it on the low end of Z2 till it stabilizes.

[@jamesmckenzie3532]

I've been following several training products and this is very common for 'Rona folks. One of the things is that your CV system needs to heal. Best that you look at what your heart rate is and when it returns to previous values, start training.

[@jfreck]

Don’t do z2 rides with ya mates, no matter how hard you try. It just never works 😂

[@roadcyclingacademy6476]

That is very true.

[@87togabito]

It does lol. You just have to dare to let them drop you lol.

[@jfreck]

@@87togabito right..

[@jnstroik]

I find it's useful to use the power graph feature on Garmin edge computers. Zone 2 is blue, so you can very simply try to keep pedaling to keep the graph blue.

[@starlitshadows]

I often do my zone 2 on local bike paths. I go off heart rate outdoors for now. But the path I ride on dips under overpasses and has drops and rises. For a long time I was riding about 5 bpm below the top of my zone 2. Those small undulations I'd end up a few beats over on most of them. Could be 20-30 times in 60-90 min. I switched to riding about 5-10bpm lower which is about %65-70 FTP. I don't leave Zone 2 at all. It feels different towards the end of the ride and afterwards. Less stress on the body and fatigue. I prefer this after a hard day of intervals or on longer endurance rides.

[@mattsmith3315]

I use an e-mtb for zone 2. It really helps staying in the zone.

[@albertdee1139]

I try to make zone 2 training fun outdoors. Warm up using zone 2 power until heart rate hits zone 2 then try to maintain a cadence of 100 rpm while getting your heart rate into the upper end of zone 2, then find a gear to bring your HR back down to the low end of Zone 2 but still maintaining 100 RPM (My power usually says in zone 2 maybe low zone 3 during these efforts). Can also do the same but use 60 rpm cadence instead of 100 (using the lower cadence though, although HR stays in zone 2, power can reach into zone 3 maybe even zone 4. On the other hand, can ride in zone 2 power at low zone 2 HR then increase your power to high zone 2 until your HR reaches high zone 2 and then drop power back to low zone 2, let HR drop back to low zone 2 and repeat. The cadence you hold does not matter. For me anyway, these rides can go for 2-4 hrs and this makes zone 2 riding much more interesting

[@n22pdf]

Only way I can easily do zone 2 is indoor on my kickr.. even then I always want to increase the power lol if I go outdoor I really struggle to stay in the zone. 😊 Pete 🚴🏻👍

[@roadcyclingacademy6476]

Thanks for sharing Pete, you gotta end up doing what works for you. It's practicality & enjoyment first.

[@troycollett8540]

On the road I pick a flat route and do zone 1 but then do zone 2 efforts

[@zwiftingwithdemonhunter]

Ride with the pacer bot that keeps you in zone 2.

[@wfrx4783]

#1 is probably the hardest for me. I got pretty much no flat roads around here (on most rides I average 10-15m of climbing per km ridden) and I'm neither the lightest nor the strongest, so even with a 35x36 granny gear at 65RPM, I can't help but cross into Z3 on some of the hills. #2 I pretty much do unconciously already (not only for Z2), that becomes pretty obvious when I ride with others and they immediately start freewheeling across the top of hills.

[@cornishalps9870]

I've developed the strength where I can ride 40rpm out of the saddle and 55rpm seated on my 34-28 and on minimal z2 power the strain isn't as much as you think. Does take a lot of upper body strength and extra load there to ride that slowly. Just above walking pace at 3.8mph but that covers me up to a 18% gradient at the top end of my z2

[@iancarson8614]

play the game of av power vs normalised power. keep them close together to make that constant pressure work!

[@jesseschenendorf2896]

You discuss the detriments of going over zone 2, how bad is it to hover in zone 1? For example zone 2 up a hill but then constant but less pressure on the downhill dropping into zone 1

[@ryanthomasRCA]

This is another good point and part of the 'rabbit hole' that you can get stuck when going into the specifics haha. But I would say dipping into top end zone 1 is completely fine when needed for downhills and cornering etc.There is a limit but I am not sure what it would be. There should really be a 'zone 0' from 0-50w for example and 'zone 1' from 50- 100w and so on to show the parts where you're not working at all for example.

[@michellehummel9805]

Inigo says that once an athlete hits lactate threshold metabolic shifts occur and it takes 20-30 mins to get back to baseline. He doesn't specify if that's LT1 or LT2, but typically when people say lactate threshold without clarification they mean LT2 which is typically considered mid zone 4. Which means there is all of zone 3 and part of zone 4 as a buffer between zone 2 and this metabolic shift, no? Will the Road Cycling Academy please clarify?

[@michellehummel9805]

References would also be appreciated because I see a lot of discussion from very smart people on both sides of the fence, but no references!

[@ryanthomasRCA]

HI, I am unsure of references to be honest sorry but if we think about it practically from a lactate perspective. Anything up to LT1 is a 'resting state' of lactate (you're using as much as you're producing). Anything above LT1, you start to accumulate lactate in the blood slowly, above LT2 the accumulation is rapid and unsustainable to a certain limit. So, from that perspective as soon as you go over LT1, things are changing metabolically. Yes this asks more questions and opens up a huge can of worms in regards to length of time at spiked power etc and every person is different. But the point we are trying to make is- what are you actually gaining from those short spikes and are they hurting your overall training? Every instance is different but generally speaking I hope that answers your question.

[@michellehummel9805]

​@@ryanthomasRCA thank you for your thorough response! You make good points. It makes me think there could be a continuum of "badness" above Z2. That one can get back to baseline after a short period in Z3 (by necessity to get up a short hill, say) a lot faster than a 5 min v02 effort, for example. Because the lactate produced in each effort is quite different.

[@derekhobbs1102]

Good to see some local southern Adelaide footage.

[@robp3431]

Next week...... add some zone 5 at then end of your zone 2 ride, for max results.

[@matlindell5022]

I usually do 90 minutes zone 2 session indoor way more efficient than outdoor.

[@cornishalps9870]

Before having a power meter I was absolutely terrible and for the first year of owning one. Where I live all the hills are 20% out of the saddle affairs (blame the topography and british road engineers). Surging into threshold every hill, I'd average zone 3 hr on a ride. Since owning a power meter I have learnt to ride excruciatingly slow up the hills which has damaged my average speeds although I recover a bit by doing z2 on the downhills.

[@Aeroskiii]

2:50 nah, this is because of rising core body temperature. ESPECIALLY while training inside you're core body temp rises and your heart has to work extra hard to move blood around and cool off. Also higher co2 in the room increases heart rate but im not that confident on the co2 point.

[@jeffk433]

Living in Kansas, I find rail trails are perfect for Zone 2. Riding several miles of steady 1-2% inclines steadily in Zone 2 on gravel will make 1 feel more fatigued than expected.

[@zwiftingwithdemonhunter]

The easiest way I've found to stay in zone 2 is ride with the D Taylor pace bot on Zwift. My heart rate never gets more than halfway through my HR Sone 2 range and I can ride at that pace all day. Then, after an hour or so, I finish the ride off with 2-3 Zone 4-5 15 second sprints. Then I call it a day.

[@userunknown2771]

6:54 does anybody else get really excited about that clean and crisp signing?

[@christianemeiners9224]

Love your conversations 😃

[@diogonascimento243]

Biggest mistake in zone 2 trainning was not discussed on this video, that is not have fun on the bike.If you think you’re going to be in TDF go for it

[@rejeancomeau]

There’s debate on letting HR go above z2 in zone 2 riding vs keeping z2 HR, I don’t think it’s a clear recommendation yet to use power only

[@ryanthomasRCA]

Yes hard to know exactly, but in my opinion, better to be slightly easier then too hard! There is a big debate. I guess the main point is that if you're always drifting to a higher HR then needed, that micro fatigue adds up and it may have an impact of future sessions and your ability to train consistently and hard when it comes time to do proper high intensity workouts.

[@fLowKnows]

You can programme your Garmin to alert you if you go out of zone, btw.

[@cyc00000]

Posting this before watching the video - number 4) thinking zone two is the be all and end all. Drinking the zone two kool aid. Loosing friends because you bang on about zone 2 for entire 6 hour rides instead of, well anything else except lo carb.

[@JulAlxAU]

Zone 2 best achieved on the trainer. Specially if you live in hilly areas like Sydney.

[@99cya]

another question: if i see that my heart rate and my power output stays leveled for the whole trianing session (e.g. 1 hour), does that mean that i can increase a little bit my power output?

[@ryanthomasRCA]

Good question- this really depends on a lot of factors but I would say no for the short term- after a few months, do another threshold test and your zone will most likely increase if yo're doing the right training. Zone 2 is meant to easy and maintain conversational pace. Going too hard can be a lot worse than going too easy in this situation in regards to impacting consistency and quality of training.

[@EverythingWasGreat]

I'm so confused by this. Why is W more important than HR. Isnt the HR activating the metabolic system? Is it the other way around? Is HR only reactive not active? My watch has 5 HR zones and 7 powerzones, Z2 in those doesnt align, Z2 HR gives 130W but Z2 power is 100W which is barely taking me out or resting heart rate. My HR zones also differ depending on method, if its based on %MaxHR, %HRR or %threshold.

[@DJMSydney]

Another great video. I will now definitely also monitor HR along with power; thanks! Q. Does high Z1 give the same benefits as low Z2? Cheers.

[@Henry-gv8gj]

Yes, the only difference will be the amount of work you will be able to accumulate in a given amount of time. As you are staying below the first lactate turning point in both zone 2 and high zone 1 in a standard 5 zone model, you are not getting too much fatigue either way. If you have extra time riding in high zone one should give you similar benefits to riding in low zone 2. In the end, it isn't just about getting the work done. If you find it more enjoyable to do say 3 hours at 140 watts than doing 2.5 at 165 then there really is no reason to have a bad time just to get what you body should in theory see as a VERY similar stimulus

[@starlitshadows]

Question for you Cam. I do the Half Monty for my zones. Using heart rate outdoors till I get a powermeter. Why does the Half Monty put me at roughly %81 of HR Max whereas the example you have here is up to %83 of Threshold HR? For me that is 8 bpm less. Which one is more accurate?

[@marcus_velo_9970]

good discussion, for me z2 is really smart trainer only; no red lights, no chasing wheels, hr based, a smart trainer is the way to go for the fully controlled environment, question is why are we doing this and what's the outcome? less fatigue is one reason - so more frequency of training, able to push zones up from bottom by building a bigger z2 engine. where does this land performance wise? well great base, however we're really focusing on building a conditioned and efficient heart muscle and stroke volume to cope with the rigors of a sporting life and competition in general. must be holistic and not let the ego get in the way.

[@MultiSausack]

Does a drift or jump of heartrate impact my training goals of Z2 when it´s cause is related to external factors? For example when I watch a crit race in FPV, my heartrate will instantly jump up +20bpm only from watching a sprint. My power output stays constant at endurance Z2, but my heartrate says Z4 threshhold.... I tend to say, na, it has no impact on my Z2, because there is no load and therefore lactate from muscle work. Its just my triggered stoneage instincts that want me to go in beast mode. What are your thoughts on this? Thanks! Greetings from Germany! realy

[@foodstartup]

The exact thing happens to me! 😂

[@ryanthomasRCA]

Good question and this is a very interesting scenario! I have seen this before but never 20bpm increase and unsure of the direct impact. I would say it would shift something physiologically as the rise in HR is most likely due to adrenaline which can shift a few other metabolic processes but I would worry too much if this is a one off situation in a ride here and there.

[@oOoACFREEMANoOo]

I bike to Zone out

[@pierrex3226]

What's the source of the table at the start? The HR zone as a function of LTHR is new to me, and gives a very different range from the usual formula that uses max HR (8bps difference for me)

[@roadcyclingacademy6476]

www.trainingpeaks.com/blog/power-training-levels/ there are many but this is what we use at the RCA

[@robvtec]

How much issue is caused by a coffee stop? I tend to get off the turbo/erg after every 120mins for an in house cafe stop - am i leaving gains on the table?

[@ryanthomasRCA]

This is probably a necessity on the home trainer! You're doing well to get 120mins in before the stop. If you're looking that deep into it, I wouldn't worry, sounds like you're getting good training in doing more than 2hrs in z2 on the trainer so well done

[@MTBfixHQ]

Is it ok to put some hard efforts in at the end of the ride or will that somehow hurt the zone 2 training?

[@ryanthomasRCA]

It really depends what your goal is and what the context is for that training session. If you have a rest day tomorrow and you're just looking to test yourself- get stuck in if that is what you want to do! But if you have a high intensity session the next day just think- will that effort/s hurt my workout tomorrow?

[@rocco5466]

You talk about when going above zone 2 it then taking 20 or so minutes to get back there, but if I'm going over by 30 watts for 20 seconds, is it still going to take that long to get back into zone 2 or does it vary depending on how high and long you go out of zone 2 for etc?

[@roadcyclingacademy6476]

Hey Rocco, good question and this really opens up a can of worms as it will depend on many variables, such as how hard did you go in relation to your threshold, for how long, how fit are you, how old are you...etc. The key is to try and avoid it as much as possible and where practical.

[@87togabito]

It’s less the zones, but the energy system used. 20 seconds for 30w isn’t much tbh. As long as your heart rate doesn’t go up too much, it’s fine tbh. But the key is that this is far and few between, and not every time someone gets itchy and decides to punch it every minute or two

[@pierrex3226]

There's content elsewhere that says zone 2 adherence shouldn't induce anxiety either. If you're alone, then you can play strict, but if in a group, doesn't make sense to become a pest for everybody else, these zones aren't purely set in stone, adhering to the general principle is what matters most.

[@richardmiddleton7770]

You really need to do a CPET test to really determine where your LT1 is. Over is over, 30w for 20 seconds is enough to dip into the glycolitic pathway, which then takes time at much lower intensity to get back out of.

[@davyfong]

Question - is it ok to tack some hard intervals onto the end of a Z2 session? Does it affect the adaptation?

[@philstang1054]

Yes it's ok and effective training. Try to find the GCN video with Ingnio San Millan.

[@carstenhufnagel7254]

For constant pressure go for a Fixie😉

[@adamlucina]

That makes 0 sense, you will have to modulate your cadence shit ton to have the same output if route is not completely flat

[@99cya]

how do i find out my zone 2? i know my max heart rate. im quite sure about my FTP, but not 100% sure (not done a lab test). should i derive my zone 2 from my max heart rate (65% of that) or should i use my +- exact FTP value and derive from that?

[@FPA33]

I think using your exact ftp is essential, as your heart rate is always influenced by a plethora of reasons. While your power always shows what external effort you are always doing regardless of what's going on internally.

[@99cya]

@@FPA33 hmm i see. I did quite a few of group rides and events on zwift. As a result zwift gave me a FTP value and updated the value a couple times. Is that exact enough?

[@ryanthomasRCA]

Using your max HR can be effective as long as you have done a test to get your maximum HR. Similarly with your threshold HR- you need to do an all out test to make sure that is accurate. Can be done on the road and heaps or resources online to find out those numbers!

[@99cya]

@@ryanthomasRCA zwift offers these ramp tests. I read that they tend to give you a too high ftp value. Do you know something about that?

[@JFomo]

Any tips on how to stay in Z2 when going up a climb? Hell, how do you even stay in constant pressure when coming down a climb?

[@pierrex3226]

Gearing. If you can't do z2 with a 34 front 36 rear (has become standard range on modern groups), you may need to get a bit exotic with gearing. Downhill, depends, if it's steep, then ofc you freewheel. The general point they make is to granny gear up, and keep pedaling on the crest and down as much as possible.

[@87togabito]

You upshift and keep pedaling downhill? Usually it means letting your mates drop you on the climb, then you pedal past them on the downs while they coast down.

[@starlitshadows]

Lower gearing and go easy. Keep in mind it depends on your power to weight as well. If the climb is too steep for your power to weight you may not be able to stay Z2. And if it's too steep that you can't maintain constant pressure. Then you probably aren't in the right place for zone 2. Flat or mellow climbs and descents are better.

[@niklasbirksted8175]

I am struggling to find a better word than disingenuous, so I apologize in advance for how this may come across. If you can refute any of this, I obv very much welcome it, I recognize that you must know more than me (although google.scholar has been my bestie for many years). Anyway, to the point: Inigo has also said that a few spikes above z2 when you start from a traffic light or go up a hill (obv not an actual climb) is not enough to remove you from your lactate threshold. I believe it is in the same interview, but I do not recall accurately. Having HR as correlation here is obv beneficial Furthermore, and this is from John Wakefield, a good amount of athletes will actually have a higher HRZ than PZ, so their PZ2 is rather HRZ3. From what I understood from Wakefield, an athlete should then focus on PZ2 and the HR will gradually come down with training. I am especially interested in how that correlates with the P150/P180 point you're making, which also contradicts something Inigo has previously said: You would rather go slightly above z2 than too low. Anyway, thoroughly enjoyed the video, keep up the good work! All the best from Denmark, Niklas

[@pierrex3226]

Agreed, there's plenty of content elsewhere saying that it doesn't make sense to be so strict about z2 that you start getting anxious about it. The general principle is what matters: granny gear up to avoid spikes, keep pedaling on crests and down whenever possible, and don't be afraid to ride easy.

[@nicosq]

100%. I'm pretty sure in that same interview Iñigo says that super small spikes of a few seconds (traffic light start) are not enough to shift your body into the metabolic state above Z2. You have to maintain that for a bit for the lactate to start flooding and ruin your Z2 training. ie: You're on a Z2 ride but you smash up a hill for a minute or two with your mates. It will take a long time for your body to come back down to Z2 after that.

[@swites]

I don't think that's what they were meaning. Its not about going over a few watts here or there for a few seconds. It's more like you know, when a cyclist passes you up a hill, because you're riding at 180watts and your ego gets the better of you, and you chase him for a few minutes at 300watts. You're breathing hard etc until you remember you're meant to be on a Z2 ride! So you slow down to 180watts, but your HR is still elevated for quite awhile before it comes back down. In this case your body has switched to a different fuel source. Which is the Z2 mistake they are referring to.

[@ryanthomasRCA]

HI Niklas, there are a lot of different scenarios and you bring up a good one. With any of this, it all comes down to individual context so there is no cut and dry answer to be honest. Our hope with the video was to address the general rules and some mistakes we see often. To your point- the PZ2 and HRZ2/3 is a hard one. In my experience coaching and riding, pushing too hard is often a lot more risky then going a bit easier for the amateur cyclist. If you push a bit too hard into zone 3 maybe even zone 4 HR when you're meant to be in zone 2, you may add some extra fatigue over a few weeks or months and can often lead to sickness or just general fatigue and reduce or quality of training which would have a much larger impact on overall fitness then keeping your HR slightly lower in a Z2 ride. So for that scenario, our suggestion is to go a bit easier and keep the conversational pace. The lactate rising point- everyone is different and a few second increase in power here and there is fine, but if you're doing it every other minute for 1-2hrs- this is wrong which is what we often see and were referring to. Hope that helps clarify it a bit.

[@ColoCX]

3:50 so "constant pressure" is a mistake? Don't you mean NOT applyimg constant pressure.

[@shimona500]

1:51 - in the gcn video, inigo responds to accelerating away from a stop sign @ 500W for 10sec as not leaving zone 2, your lactate levels must rise and you must feel it kzbin.info/www/bejne/mnPFfGBmq81gmpom44s

[@chrisridesbicycles]

For me, the problem is that I live in a hilly area where every little rise has a 10%+ bit and it is simply not possible to ride up every hill with 180W. Doing it all on the trainer would take all the fun of cycling away from me. How long outside of Z2 is too long? You will most likely go over the limit when you accelerate away from traffic lights.

[@Shadowboost]

Might need to change gearing

[@chrisridesbicycles]

@@Shadowboost Already on 34/34.

[@chrisridesbicycles]

@@Shadowboost 34/34 with a (for me) slow cadence of 80 is 10.5 kph. On a grade of 10% that is still over 220W for a 60kg rider. The whole story if „do not leave Z2“ only works for pros, not for normal people.

[@Shadowboost]

@@chrisridesbicycles time to go 34/42. At 60 rpm

[@ryanthomasRCA]

That is fine to if you need to go hard up the hill or occasionally do it out of a set of lights- you're not doing anything wrong when you do that. Just don't go out and do that every single ride (well you can if that is what you want to do!!), find a balance if you want to keep improving other areas. You need to enjoy your riding right so do what you enjoy and try to get in some riding at a Z2 level when you can. I don't think there is a limit on outside Z2 riding- it really depends on your fitness levels and what you have done previously.

[@haririod1139]

some say 60-70% heart rate and other say 70-80% so 65-75% and I will be fine? who knows

[@lrh8197]

The zone two that they are talking about in this video isn’t even the same zone 2 that ISM has defined. So even this video is just wrong.

[@sjoerdeggenkamp4004]

To be honest....this all sounds like dogma. For us amateurs we must make sure we recover from training . Zone two is a usefull tool to mange the stress on the body.

[@MrBennyrick77]

This is stupid then... it is imposible to train zone 2 on a bike because traffic dictates you always have to occasionally ride faster. I give up worrying about this stupid training. No one in the last 100 years of training cared.

[@alexanderansalone]

Minimise the brain damage zone 2 on the neo quality plus :)