Ultimate Guide to Zone 2 Training (Low Heart Rate)

[@ShervinShares]

Timeline Mitopure (50% off samples Discount Code "SHERVIN" & 10% off full-size Discount Code: "SHERVIN10"): ss.discount/timeline ** Watch More Videos ** I Tried Zone 2 Training for 3 Months. This Happened: kzbin.info/www/bejne/jHLWioeZd8mnhck My First 20-Mile Long Run | Marathon Prep: kzbin.info/www/bejne/fH3Vk4Kgl7x5aMk I Ran My First Marathon. It Changed My Life: kzbin.info/www/bejne/m4GudGd3bKZ-aac

[@coatax]

started running 4 months ago. i run 6x a week. 5 of them are zone 2 45min-1hr. at first i need to walk even i run very very slow. after a month i can already run 30 minutes non-stop. after 2 months, i can run 1hr non stop in zone 2. after 3 months to now, my pace in zone 2 just keeps on increasing like it's just amazing how the body works lol. i remember my first zone 2 was 9:46/km and i had to walk. now my zone 2 running non-stop for 1 hr is around 8:35/km. background: 27M, zero amount of aerobic base, never been an athlete, a sloth since a kid.

[@mackiechang]

"Don't obsess over the data", -shows clip of himself wearing like 5 different wearables capturing his health data xD

[@ShervinShares]

OOPS

[@Ajsof10]

This is my life as a fitness snob and Data Analyst 😂😂

[@JamesIsTalking]

This is the Shervin content that slaps! Kudos

[@ShervinShares]

THANK YOU

[@krabn]

zones for garmin should be set to %HRR or %LTHR. then click reset zones, then return to "BPM" just to view the numbers and do not reset anymore and just go back to %HRR / %LTHR after viewing the numbers. apple and garmin are very close in my case after going to a lab (i only have these 2 devices). the difference are just around 2-3 BPMs

[@arneltn]

Hey can you explain for a running noob? Thanks :)

[@nicklashamilton3098]

Crazy that I was just reading an article on the science behind ZONE 2, and then this popped up in my feed. The content we need! Subscribed.

[@ShervinShares]

what are the odds!

[@trippinbillies41]

I'm only a few weeks into training for a 10k using Garmin coaching. Historically I've spent way more time on a bike, so running, especially on a plan and focusing on improvement, is pretty new to me. It was interesting to see how very different Garmin and Strava estimated my zones. But someone below commented on how to adjust Garmin based on HRR. Doing that brought them much more in line. Thanks for this video!

[@LuckbeaSladey]

I’ve landed on using the Karvonen formula after so much confusion. The most common “formula” I hear is 60-70% of max heart rate which would be 109-127bpm. Under the Karvonen formula it is 136-152bmp. This is two completely different definitions of zone 2. Listening to Dr Attia’s conversation with the cycling trainer that invented zone 2 training (pretty sure he is considered as inventing it), the litmus test is whether you can not just hold a conversation, but that if you were on the phone with someone, they could tell you were exercising even though you can hold the conversation. For me the Karvonen formula and this litmus test are very closely aligned.

[@UnfittedNoise]

Great vid, I did a energy expenditure test at a local centre recently and outcome was to keep my heart rate around 110 to maximize fat burn over carb burn. Much lower then I thought it would be.

[@nikitaw1982]

Get a second opinion.

[@mjbarber771]

I am shifting focus from running 5/6 times per week to 3 runs, 3 gym - would love a video on balancing the both to be a hybrid athlete, rather than either a sub 3 marathon or benching 350.

[@МихаилРусак-п2й]

Shervin! This video is a beautiful tutorial for use MAF method or something like that for improving health and make slow running a lifestyle!!! Thank you.

[@theswerunner]

Funny that this video came out now 😅 i booked a lab test yesterday, doing it tomorrow 😊

[@ShervinShares]

LMK your results!

[@theswerunner]

@ sure 😀 I’m 35 years old, 174 cm , 76 kg 😅 Test results: Max hr: 193 bpm LT 1: 153 bpm, pace 5:10/km or 8:19/mile LT 2: 178 bpm pace 4:10/km or 6:43/mile Zone 1: 130 bpm or lower Zone 2: 130-152 bpm Zone 3: 170-178 bpm Zone 4: 178-182 bpm Zone 5: 182-193 bpm Littlebit suprised with the results only running for 3 years 😊 the feedback was that i Run my easy runs a the right level already around 140 bpm but i could push harder on my threshold workout, i have done it on the lower end of zon 3 😅

[@nikitaw1982]

@@theswerunner did they sad how should vary target heart rate if feeling good vs feel fatigued? I thought if fatigued u keep same heart rate zones, someone else said lower it.

[@theswerunner]

@ yes I got some advice. But mostly i try to stay around 140 on my easy runs, they agreed that’s good to aim for that, but some days 140 feels heavier and some days easy. The other zones they recommended me to push a littlebit harder because i have done my threshold training easier than i tought it should feel. So i can go littlebit harder in zone 3/4 but maybe shorten the intervals in the beginning to get use to the pace. My go to threshold workout is 6 x 6 min at my old treshold pace 4:35/km. So i guess i rated my feeling higher than it was on the test. Hope I answered you? Otherwise I can try one more time if I miss understod? 😅

[@nikitaw1982]

@ thank you for your reply. if u r tired did they say u should raise the 4:35/km time? Raise the target heart rate from 140?

[@cgflexx8394]

I was happy when i found Zone 2. It wasnt there when i started training. Now I can even ride my bike in Zone 1 !!!! :D

[@pedrammohamadipour5267]

Right on time! As I'm starting to train in zone 2 again

[@8man117]

Great work. Always thought the whoop came in a bit low. Talk test it is!

[@PatrickRambles]

Loved this 👌

[@ShervinShares]

Thanks king

[@noahdavidperry]

great video bro! well put together and great info 🙏

[@kurthanson7522]

best tips for zone 2 without any devices: 1.) train it on your own. it’s specific to your fitness level & experience & training zone 2 with others will inadvertently add competition / ego 2.) talk test is great but not very practical - for consistency I find just only breathing through your nose for the entirety of the session is an easy way to make sure you’re not overdoing it. 3.) keeping in the back of your mind that it’s a workout pace that you could hold for hours if you had to - the session might go for 45 minutes but if the survival of the world required you to continue for another 45 minutes you could do it. 4.) lastly as an addition to drive home that fat fuelled pathway i’d recommend training zone 2 fasted preferably first thing upon waking up.

[@jaxwar5763]

Really appreciate your content brother!

[@adammoriwaki]

Great video! Thank you for this!

[@johnvalles5273]

Shervin rockin’ with the much maligned Fenix 8. Almost got me wanting to get one, but that price tag, geesh.

[@bubuliiii]

Some people are afraid to lose their fitness because they are going lower than usual but it just takes some time to adapt

[@LashanR]

My fave method for calculating Zone 2 on my Garmin is HRR%. That's the calc that takes max HR and resting HR into account - I found Lactate Threshold calcs were more geared for the higher zones like zone 4 and 5 and my Zone 2 was way too high. I noticed the results kicking in after a few months by sticking with the HRR Zone 2.

[@Igor-ys2ky]

How to combine all of this with gym, it’s becoming overwhelming. 3 times a week cardio + 4 times a week strength training - all to maintain your health for longevity, when to live and where to get energy for all of this?

[@thedylang]

That lab looks sick!!!

[@ShervinShares]

@@thedylang highly recommend checking out!

[@pablo147videoadicto]

Hello Shervin, I don't know if you're familiar with this but...there is a tool by Suunto called "Zonesense" and they say it's Pretty accurate to measure your aerobic, anaerobic and VO2 MAX in real time.

[@caesarbravo]

Good information, sub-par presentation.

[@ShervinShares]

How could the presentation be better?

[@reidosaki5676]

Very helpful!!!

[@jtfoo68]

I have my own way to determine my LT1 pace. i.e when I do steady state pace runs that are more than 1.5 hours long, I do a post run analysis to see if for that run my HR is also steady state. Another day, I will run at a faster steady state pace of the same or longer duration and if this time my HR is not longer steady state and keeps climbing up, I treat that run as exceeding my LT1. Hence the previous slower run would be my LT1 threshold pace.

[@fredgrejda4610]

Great content. Thank you.

[@Mekawiii]

Top notch content 🔥

[@villacurtricias]

Started Zone 2 training a couple of months ago. Running and cycling. And only Zone 2 training. And it felt good. Especially the fact that I'm was completely wasted and trained even more. Then I saw my resting Hr dropping and at first, I was very happy. Because it gave me confidence that I was doing good. But then it switched to anxiety.... I was too much busy with the numbers. I slept worse because of it. Now I try not to look too much at the data. Hopefully this crap mind of mine will calm down at some point.

[@nikitaw1982]

A hard weights session is only thing that gives me good sleep. Or a hill sprint workout.

[@ShinSuperSaiyajin]

5:47 I came back here coz you actually ran a Sub 4, Shervin

[@madokakaname5895]

Zone 4 and 5 is where the actual magic happens even Iñigo confirmed it in his channel.

[@JuanCarlos06]

My zone two is very similar using the Karvoven Formula and the Garmin % Lactate Threshold Heart Rate (LTHR) setting with a heart rate monitor. My last Marathon was 3 hours 31 min earlier this October 2024. Lets see if I can run faster next year running in zone 2 using Garmin %LTHR along with some interval and threshold training.

[@bricemenaugh4828]

Slow deep diaphragmatic breaths help me. Can't use heart rate due to massive anxiety. Tried it and can't do it. So, working on my breathing, maybe 6 in and 6 out is a good one for me.

[@ZameerHJ]

Testing lactate is not particularly helpful if you’re obese or metabolically unhealthy. My lactate is close to 2mmol at rest. If you know you’re actually max heart rate and resting heart rate the heart rate reserve method works great. From there you can use the talk text to refine further. Recently I’ve being using HRV to refine my zone further on any particular day.

[@arvindhr.a2315]

This one video answered most of my questions reg Zone 2 , Excellent stuff man ❤ Thanks !

[@ShervinShares]

of course!

[@Mateusz-jl1sv]

I recognize the end of „Base” zone when im unable to breath via the nose anymore. It matches exactly with metrics that garmin provides.

[@iain5668]

If running a steady pace it takes about 10-12mins before my heart rate increases to my zone 2 level. Would you still include this first 10mins within your overall zone 2 training time or do you consider this a warm up period and only count the time after this?

[@dinohachari]

WTF I just finished a run was researching into h2 came across ur video. I follow you on strava too quite a motivation for me to get into this myself.

[@ShervinShares]

thank you! let's gooo

[@AceMonkey-son]

Are your zones calculated in garmin based on MaxHR? If you base your zones on LTHR it is more accurate

[@iSveninho]

Dear Shervin, Oura added Zones recently. Would you be willing to share these here too?

[@pavelkoudelka]

Hi, what is the difference between the heart rate zone ranges in the Garmin app for the fields labeled ‘Zones’ and ‘Sport heart rate’? In my case, it shows a range of 104-120 bpm for Zone 2 and 123-136 bpm for running in Zone 2, which is a bit confusing. Shouldn't these numbers be the same for walking, running, and cycling?

[@RonnyC98]

I realized my zones are wrong when my 1h52m HM had an average heart rate of 184

[@platosbeard3476]

So, your HR max is somewhere between 220 and 230? Or you weren't using a chest strap and there was some cadence syncing going on 🤔

[@apostolis_23]

I think this would your max HR 🙄

[@PaulJennings123]

Use your garmin watch to calculate your lactate threshold heart rate and set your zones based on this instead of max heart rate.

[@illiakhudiakov8376]

Morpheus m7 will give you your exact Zone 2 heart rate daily through an HRV measurement. Attia confirmed it's spot on when compared to the lactate meter. My zone 2 can be as low as 134bpm and as high as 156bpm depending on HRV. It fluctuates daily depending on recovery. The lab only gives you a snapshot.

[@ShervinShares]

do you have a link to where Attia mentions this? I def have to try this out

[@illiakhudiakov8376]

@@ShervinShares the drive podcast by Peter Attia. June 10 episode - Heart rate variability | Joel Jamieson. Timestamp 56:27 or listen to the whole episode. This thing replaced ALL fitness trackers for me.

[@PaulJennings123]

I got the Morpheus M7 a couple weeks ago so I don’t have it long enough to know how useful it is yet. I have an old garmin watch that isn’t capable of measuring HRV so initially I was planning on updating it for the Fenix 8 but was a bit underwhelmed by the updates in it compared to previous generation so decided to wait for next one instead. I wasn’t going to get an Oura ring or Whoop band due to their low level accuracy and subscription model. A chest heart rate monitor strap is obviously much more accurate at calculating HRV. Joel believes that the best way to get an accurate HRV is to test it once a day immediately after you wake up instead of having it constantly monitored during the night. You can sync your sleep data and workouts from garmin connect to the Morpheus app to calculate the recovery score.

[@marc2223]

I’ve never been that performant than when I stopped focusing on heart zones.

[@oslonafo]

Inigo‘s Chart at 02:30 shows absolutely no fat burning at higher intensity, while the sport labs graph at 10:00 shows more or less constant fat burning at different pace. Seems contradictory, which one is it?

[@jektarr]

Fat burning rate is highly individual and can change with training. Trained athletes can burn fat up to 80-85% maxhr while deconditioned people may only burn fat up to say 60%. The peak fat burning rates can also vary and change with training.

[@Bazingahhhh]

Do you need 3 zone-2 sessions to see progress even for a totally untrained individual?

[@charlesalbertrobinson]

Where can you get this test done? A hospital or what?

[@kekkerfink]

I was looking into the zone settings in the Garmin app and I can see that there is a significant difference in the zones depending whether they are based on BPM or HHR. For me the ranges are lower using BPM. What would be the most optimal to use?

[@ShervinShares]

Most optimal is a sports lab. So it’s tough to say which formula might be the closest to a lab for you because we’re all different

[@rashidalameeri2560]

Is it better to train in the beginning of zone 2 or the end of it ? .. or it doesn’t matter ?

[@joost3732]

Do you wear your apple watch at night? It calculates the resting heart rate while you sleep. 72 is a pretty hight reading.

[@v1ce21]

How do you maintain Zone 2, and have a decent pace when its hot outside while running?

[@Mateusz-jl1sv]

Try to force lower HR by breathing slower, but most of the time just slow down a little bit

[@quengmingmeow]

Let’s say my zone 2 ceiling is 127BPM measured in a lab….that is…..I’m getting my blood lactate measured every 5 minutes after a 30 minute run and get the lactate dialed in to 1.99999 when I am at 127 BPM. So if then train for the next 3 months doing nothing but Z2 between 118 bpm and 123 bpm, is that measurably better or worse than if I had trained between 121 and 127? I ask because I have seen exactly zero studies that have asserted that being right around your Zone 2 ceiling is optimal compared to 3-8 beats below….or even 5 beats above the Z2 floor. With that being said, why should we get so bent out of shape trying to nail it perfectly? Get on a treadmill, make sure you have on a chest strap, and start running ensuring that you can breathe in with 5 strides and breathe out with 5 strides. I guarantee you are in Z2, and that’s the place where you just pile on the distance and get those Z2 gains.

[@Vroomvroom09804]

Does a heart rate above zone 2 make you not burn as much fat? Why do ppl some for zone 2 over more intense zones?

[@cospinan]

basically, the only very very expert is that major topic is Inigo S.M. link to his videos...

[@grantev]

1) I wish my apple watch vibrated when i went above zone 2. 2) i felt like my breathing controlled my heart rate more than my running effort… i know they are linked, but do you try to keep steady breathing to control your heart rate, or focus only on increasing/decreasing effort?

[@maybe.julius]

@@grantev you can totally set it up where it notifies you if you go above Zone 2. Before you start your workout, scroll all the way down to preference and select heart zones under alert!

[@grantev]

@@maybe.julius oh wow, thanks for the tip. Gonna try this out!

[@61651092]

"You're not literally burning fat, you're just using it as a fuel source" Well, that's the same thing. 😘

[@PeteMatheson]

There's a Zone 6!? 😅

[@lorenzogaleano5267]

🔥

[@christopherYecoYoung]

Do the lactate test at home 😊

[@ShervinShares]

IM SO SCARED

[@frankrebelo]

The mitochondria is the power house of the cell 💪🏼

[@Mackahroney]

Ive been stabbed, shot and im still deathly afraid of needles and pricking my fingers. Btw ive never been stabbed or shot but i think thats how id feel haha

[@z4m01]

In the Garmin zone 3 is actually "zone 2". That's why they call it "aerobic zone". If you shift Garmin zones left in the spreadsheet they coincide more.

[@l_dlx3909]

@@z4m01 garmin zone 2 is 60-70% so same as they talking about

[@m4tt12]

Garmin zone 1-2 is low aerobic (recovery-easy efforts), zone 3-4 is high aerobic (tempo-threshold efforts)

[@keze1558]

If you dont want to talk to strangers, just sing or even hum whilst running.

[@itsPhill]

@@keze1558 omg i sing all the time. I will say sometimes ppl look at ya weird cuz ur some rando singing at the gym

[@ShaunRGardner]

Is it safe to be in a zone 4-5 for over 2 hours? For a run

[@dariocanas7704]

Imagine an engine reving close to red line for the exact same time .

[@ShaunRGardner]

@ thanks. I’m discovering now that my Apple Watch is wrong about my heart rates while running. Said I did 1:40 of zone 5 in a half marathon. That’s not correct

[@thebard20]

most people aren't fit enough to have distinct zones imo

[@ToadStool125]

Pretty much. Experienced athletes and coaches with high levels of fitness who dabble in science are the ones who come up with these zones and various other methods of exercise. However, the people they're pedalling these methods to are usually so unfit that even running around the block will get them puffed out, or they're still doing some completely beginner plan like couch to 5k. I'd go as far as saying that for most people below the age of 35, if they can't run a 5k in less then about 24-25 minutes give or take (lower for guys, higher for women as well), running is too intense to even allow them to be in zone 2 for a prolonged time. They'd do better walking for a few miles on a route that included decent stretches of hills, or walking on a treadmill with like a decent incline or something for 3 times a week and then just doing a few fast and hard but short runs of about 1-2 miles 2 times a week for a few months until they actually gain some level of fitness.

[@jonnyschaff7068]

I just do keto then everything I do uses fat as a fuel source

[@KeyOn_M6]

Pac-Man 😎

[@a_geologist]

The breath-through-the-nose and talk tests allow much too high a max heart rate, in my experience.

[@Raucherbeinknacker]

Sometimes i can literally smell that burning fat 🤢🤣

[@ACs946]

Take a look at Dr Will O'Connor who uses a (simple) 30min threshold run to determine zones with free online calcs. The results matched a VO2 max/lactate lab test I did, except a whole lot cheaper... imo Take little notice of the 220minus, 180 minus formulas. I'm 52 and with a Polar chest strap and Apple watch 9 got a maxHR of 190 during the lab test- I'm not a trained athlete. And my blood lactate got to 13.5mmol/L (At rest my lactate sits over 2mmol) As for training, Klaus Lok's Easy Interval Method is fascinating. why? in part the "MAF method" teaches us to efficiently run Slow. read that last sentence again ;)

[@ruechel]

"let me know in the comments below" - Shervin doesn't give a flying fuck what you think. -> Commenting on a KZbin video is generally beneficial for the video’s author in terms of engagement and how the KZbin algorithm evaluates the content. Here’s how it helps: 1. Increased Engagement: Comments contribute to overall engagement, which includes likes, shares, and watch time. KZbin’s algorithm values engagement highly and tends to promote videos that generate more interaction. 2. Signals Popularity: The more interaction a video has, the more KZbin sees it as relevant and engaging to viewers. This can help boost the video’s visibility in search results and recommendations. 3. Audience Interaction: Comments show that the content is resonating with viewers and fostering a conversation. When viewers engage with videos, it can increase the likelihood of them subscribing or returning for more content. 4. Algorithm Boost: Engagement metrics like comments tell KZbin that the video is worth promoting to a broader audience, thus increasing its reach and potentially driving more views.

[@ShervinShares]

woah let me put my kevlar vest on first!! i do care - i read almost all my comments, i dont reply to all of them, but i use that to take into account for future content

[@eurekaflows]

You know views are going down when you have to remake your most popular one hit wonder video.

[@ShervinShares]

thanks for washing

[@hassbrow]

Nope, still not the ultimate guide. I've yet to see anyone define where zone 2 starts. It's math, but math is hard roight? so we have an 'ooh numbers' graphic instead of a useful formulation for where zone 1 ends and zone 2 begins. Every content creator dealing with this subject ignores where the range begins, or wets a finger to test the wind and guesses. How do you know if you're going too easy? With this and many other ultimate guides, you don't, you just have to trust me bro.