In the Zone: How to Use Training Zones in the Prevayl App
When you train, are you working hard or hardly working? How can you even tell?
Training Zones in the Prevayl App are designed to help you keep track of how hard you’re training on the fly. Working at the right intensity can help you get the most out of your training and achieve your fitness goals in the safest and smartest way.
Keep reading to find out how training according to Training Zones can help maximise your cardio workout.
What Are Training Zones?
Training Zones are essentially your exercise heart rate zones, or training levels based on your top effort level (your maximum heart rate). For example, when you’re exercising at a level where you’re working at 70% of your max HR, you’re training in Training Zone 3.
The Training Zone in which you train will determine the effectiveness of this training for you. This is important since it enables you to achieve specific fitness goals, whether it’s to burn more fat or to build muscle.
While the zones are set ranges, they shift to fit the individual based on your maximum. These zones change depending on your age, gender and other variables, so no matter who you are and how fit you are, you can train according to your Training Zones.
To find the right zone to achieve your aim, you first need to work out your max HR – the most accurate way of doing this is using the FitnessCheck feature in the Prevayl App.
How to Use Training Zones
There are five Training Zones in the Prevayl App:
- Zone 1: 50-60% of max HR (Light effort)
- Zone 2: 60-70% of max HR (Moderate effort)
- Zone 3: 70-80% of max HR (Moderate to high effort)
- Zone 4: 80-90% of max HR (High effort)
- Zone 5: 90-100% of max HR (Very high effort)
To get the most accurate data out of Training Zones, make sure your personal max HR is kept up to date – to do so we recommend performing a FitnessCheck every four to six weeks. Having the wrong max HR could mean the difference between one Training Zone and the next, which results in inaccurate ratings of your workout intensity.
Exercising using this metric can help you hit specific intensity targets, which makes it the perfect workout companion whatever your fitness goal. Below are the four Training Zones that you want to work in to improve health.
What Training Zone(s) Should I Train In?
How often and how long you train in each zone depends on your fitness goals, current level of fitness, overall health and workout preferences. For example, many runners, cyclists, triathletes and other endurance athletes train in Zone 1 and 2 for the most part – where your body mostly relies on fat for fuel, and fat is a longer-lasting energy source, making longer workouts more sustainable.
Below is some guidance on what happens to your body when you train in each Training Zone:
Zone 1: When training in Zone 1, approximately 85% of the calories you burn are fat. Although you’re burning fewer calories than you would if you were exercising in a higher zone, you can generally sustain training in Zone 1 the longest.
Zone 2: In Zone 2, roughly 65% of the calories you burn are fat. This zone is where your body learns to better utilise oxygen, pump blood efficiently and use fat as fuel, making it the ideal zone for burning fat while re-energising your muscles with glycogen.
Zone 3: Zone 3 is where your body works to boost cardiovascular fitness. About 45% of the calories you burn in this zone are fat, but you’re burning a higher number of overall calories. In this zone, your body’s ability to carry oxygen to muscles and remove carbon dioxide enhances, which makes it a great way to increase overall muscle strength.
Zone 4: Training at 80% to 90% of your max HR puts you in Zone 4, where your body burns glycogen and produces lactic acid at a faster rate than it can be removed – known as your lactate threshold. Training in Zone 4 improves your lactate efficiency to help remove it at a higher rate in the future.
Zone 5: The final zone, Zone 5, is where your muscles are in oxygen debt. This zone is best for building speed and burning fat, but it can only be maintained for short bursts – even for the very fit! If you find that you're spending more than a few minutes in Zone 5 at once, it may be time to reevaluate your max HR using FitnessCheck.