Do you check your heart rate on your smart watch or activity tracker during workouts?  Do you know what it means or where it should be?  Heart Rate Training Zones are based on percentages of your maximum heart rate.  To figure out your Zones, you’ll need to find your maximum heart rate and your corresponding heart rate for the percentages described below. Enter your age and your resting heart rate in this calculator and take a screen shot of your results.

The Zones:

Zone 1: Aerobic (using oxygen). Burning mostly fat for fuel. 

65% Warm up/Cool down for 5 minutes each before and after every interval or steady state workout. Breathing in and out through the nose.

70% Endurance. Low Intensity Steady State. Can hold a conversation.

75% Endurance. Medium Intensity Steady State. Getting difficult to talk.

Zone 2: Aerobic (using oxygen) Burning Fat/Carbohydrates for fuel.

76% Intervals. Can’t hold a conversation.

80% Intervals. Can’t hold a conversation. Lactic Threshold (LT) a.k.a. Anaerobic Threshold

Zone 3: Anaerobic (w/o oxygen). Burning mostly Carbohydrates for fuel.

85% Sprint/HIIT (High Intensity Interval Training)/Metabolic Conditioning (MetCon). Can hold for about 2 minutes.

92% MAX EFFORT. ALL OUT SPRINT. Can hold for only 30 sec or less.

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Which Zone should you be in? The goal of every workout is not to elevate the heart rate as high as possible.  Spending too much time in Zone 3, working anaerobically, increases the likelihood of overtraining.  With overtraining comes greater risk of injury, decreased immunity, fatigue, burn-out, and forget about making progress or reaching your goals.

Have a plan for the week based on the Zones.

• We need at least one day per week of Steady State Zone 1 cardio. Aim for 30 minutes on the bike or the elliptical keeping the heart rate around 70%.  This is great the day after a really tough workout.

• If you have time in your schedule for a second day of Steady State cardio, work at the upper end of Zone 1, 75%, for 20 minutes. Do this on the elliptical, cycling, jogging, rowing, or any activity that allows you to monitor and maintain your heart rate.

• For higher intensity workouts in Zones 2 and 3, include intervals and MetCon’s no more than two days per week.

• To successfully reach your health and fitness goals, it’s important to incorporate cardio and strength training into your routine. Plan cardio around two days of strength training. You can do cardio after weights if you’re planning on doing both on the same day.

Now that you know your Heart Rate Training Zones, make a plan to reach your goals faster and safer.  Need help programming? Email me!

Alicia Cross is a Certified Personal Trainer, Wellness Coach, and Yoga Instructor with more than 15 years’ experience working with clients in classes and one-on-one.  She is a yogi, meditator, vegan, and lifter of heavy things. If you’re ready to discover the strength and peace that comes from within, email Alicia@AliciaCrossTraining.com.