Cycling Training Zones - A Detailed Guide - High North Performance

29/7/22, 15:34 Cycling Training Zones: A Detailed Guide — High North Performance
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Cycling Training Zones: A

Detailed Guide
The use of training intensity zones is a well-established method of planning cycling training.
Since there’s a relationship between the intensity of training and certain adaptations that are important
for performance, the ability to plan workouts using a common intensity-based language and system, as well as
to track the time spent in each zone can help bring important structure to a training program.
In this guide, we’ll lay out the most commonly used and “logical” methods of delineating training
intensities and discuss the associated benefits and potential drawbacks for each method. Along the way,
we’ll also introduce and explain some new but helpful metrics and other terminology that can improve the
planning and tracking of training.
Whilst there are more training zone systems in existence than are covered in this guide, we have
tried to include those which we as coaches feel are most intuitive and effective for cyclists.
There are numerous systems (even within popular programs like TrainingPeaks) that we believe are
needlessly confusing and thus are not worth discussing or recommending here.
The zoning systems we’ve chosen to talk about are:

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1. Models based on FTP or heart rate
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2. The polarised model
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3. Zones derived from modelling software such as WKO5 or INSCYD

We’ll go through these in turn, provide a summary of thoughts on each system, and wrap up our global
thoughts on training intensity zones at the end.
1. Threshold and HR Zones
Perhaps the most widely-used training intensity zones are those based on a threshold metric, including both
power-based threshold like Functional Threshold Power (FTP) or Critical Power (CP) and heart rate (measured
in beats per minute - BPM). The latter can be anchored to either maximum heart rate or threshold heart rate.
There are numerous heart rate and threshold-based zoning systems, but we’ve presented a common one below,
which is adapted from Dr Andrew Coggan’s seven-zone system. We have selected this system because the zones
are somewhat physiologically meaningful, and each has a specific purpose in terms of the adaptations they
are trying to elicit. You’ll also find the perceived exertion values are also included:
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*Rating of Perceived Exertion (ascending intensity scale of 1-10)
Note that there isn’t a 1:1 correspondence between these heart rate and FTP zones. We often find that the
heart rate zones come out a bit higher than the FTP zones, so riding at zone 2 power, might only result in
Zone 1 heart rate. For this reason, we tend to err on the lower end of the heart rate zones, especially if
the goal of the session is recovery.
Below, we’ll explain a little more about the purpose of each zone, and then go on to discussing methods for
establishing FTP, Max HR and Threshold HR. If you are already familiar with this, you can just skip through
to the next section on the Polarised Model.
Zone 1
This is the active recovery zone and is used for regenerative purposes more so than for inducing a training
stress, though very long durations spent in Zone 1 will indeed promote peripheral (i.e. muscular)
adaptations like increases in mitochondrial content and capillary density around the slow twitch (Type I)
muscle fibres, in turn improving the body’s capacity for aerobic metabolism and use of fat as the primary
substrate at greater and greater intensities (more on this in Zone 2 below). Typical applications of Zone 1
are during active recovery rides of 30 minutes to 2 hours in duration, and between work intervals in higher
intensity interval workouts to aid in the clearance of lactate.
Zone 2
This is the zone you’d ideally be aiming to accumulate the most training time in. It’s an intensity that’s
sustainable for hours at a time, and is also optimal for stimulating those peripheral adaptations mentioned
above (e.g. increased mitochondrial density). Zone 2 is also specifically at an intensity that trains the
muscles to become better at using fats rather than carbohydrates for fuel. This is important, because when
carbohydrates are used for fuel, this produces lactate and associated fatiguing metabolites, which can
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exercise lasting ~1.5 hours.
Zone 3
The ‘Intensive Aerobic’ zone is still an intensity that promotes aerobic adaptations. However, the intensity
is slightly higher than Zone 2 and should therefore generally be used sparingly as it can cause
substantially more fatigue. The main purpose of this zone is to recruit additional muscle fibres that are
not usually recruited in a Zone 2 ride until the latter stages of a long ride, and to stimulate aerobic
adaptations within these lesser recruited fibres, which are predominantly of Type IIa. In endurance events,
these Type IIa fibres become important later on in a race, as the more aerobically efficient Type I fibres
fatigue and pass over work to the Type IIa fibres. Zone 3 training can therefore help with muscular
endurance (i.e. ability to sustain power below threshold without a concurrent increase in heart rate/oxygen
demand), by making the Type IIa fibres more aerobically efficient. Zone 3 training can also help increase
the lactate threshold by reducing lactate production within Type IIa fibres. Zone 3 can be structured into
intervals or used for the duration of a full ride, depending on ability level.
Zone 4
Training around the lactate threshold is somewhat controversial, with potentially as many advocates as there
are opponents. This zone sits right at the point where the rate of lactate production begins to exceed the
rate of lactate clearance, meaning the concentration of lactate and associated fatiguing metabolites
increases rapidly beyond this zone. The purpose of working in Zone 4 is often to improve the muscle’s
ability to ‘shuttle’ (i.e. move) lactate away from the working muscles and to other parts of the body where
it can be oxidised to produce energy. This in turn contributes to an improvement in lactate threshold power,
or FTP. Zone 4 can also be used to improve your tolerance to riding at a moderately hard intensity for
extended periods of time. Intervals in this zone will typically last between 6-minutes to 40-minutes (or
even longer if oscillating power is used).
Zone 5
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Zone 5 is designed to be at an intensity that elicits ‘VO2max’ - or in other words the maximal rate of
oxygen uptake and utilisation - thereby developing this ability.
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factors (see here), the main adaptation that Zone 5 training elicits is an increase in the heart’s ‘stroke
volume’. Or in other words, an increase in the amount of blood (and thus oxygen) the heart can pump per
beat. Zone 5 training probably also contributes to an improvement in mitochondrial efficiency; another
factor influencing VO2max. Intervals in this zone will typically last between 2 to 6 minutes, although they
may last longer if oscillating/adjustable power is used. An example of this would be intervals where power
is adjusted to keep heart rate within 5-10% of maximum, where power may intermittently fall to Zone 4, and
then increase again as heart rate begins to drop. We have an article on VO2max training here, if you want to
learn more.
Zone 6
Training in Zone 6 can be used to increase the anaerobic power by improving the rate of glycolysis. This
means a greater amount of power can be produced over short (~10-120 second) efforts. Depending on the
structuring of intervals, Zone 6 training can also be used to improve anaerobic stamina - which is the
length of time an anaerobic effort can be sustained. We have written in detail about anaerobic training
here. In general, for many disciplines, Zone 6 training should be used sparingly, as the increased rate of
glycolysis can result in a decreased lactate threshold, which may be undesirable.
Zone 7
Zone 7 or the neuromuscular zone includes very short efforts (<10-15 seconds), which are designed to
activate all (or nearly all) muscle fibres. Rather than training a specific energy system, these sessions
help forge neural connections to muscle fibres so that you become better able to activate them in subsequent
training or racing. In practice, Zone 7 training contributes to improved anaerobic power, particularly over
very short durations (e.g. 10-seconds or less).
Testing Protocols
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In order to set the training zones, a test needs to be undertaken to determine FTP, max heart rate or
threshold heart rate (whichever you choose to use). We’ll ABOUT
describeSERVICES
some of the testing options
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However, if you are already familiar with this, you might want to skip straight to section 2, on the
polarised model.
To ensure accurate intensity targets, testing should be routinely repeated to adjust the training zones for
changes in fitness (for max heart rate this is less critical, although it will reduce with age, so should
still be repeated e.g. once per year). When a power meter is used, it’s also possible to assess rate of
progression in certain areas of performance by measuring improvements in wattage for a given duration.
Let’s firstly look at how to test with a power meter…
FTP Tests
Functional threshold power (FTP) has several definitions, but typically aims to reflect the maximal steady-
state power an athlete can produce for a sustained period (e.g. 40-60 minutes), with 1 hour being the most
common duration. It’s intended to align closely with the lactate threshold - which is the maximal power that
can be sustained while lactate levels remain constant. There are several FTP test protocols that can be
chosen in order to estimate the FTP, including:
20 minute test
A maximal 20 minute effort, where a certain % of the result is taken as the FTP (we would recommend 92-93%
for most athletes based on our experience with how the numbers relate to measured lactate threshold). This
20 minute effort may or may not be preceded by a shorter but nearly maximal effort of 3-5 minutes, which is
designed to induce fatigue to offset the anaerobic energy system’s contribution to the 20 minute effort
(given that this would be a minor contributor to the longer ~60-minute power being estimated):
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2x 8 minute test
This test features a set of 2x 8 minute efforts, where each is performed at the highest power output that is
sustainable across both (i.e. the first effort would be paced sub-maximally in view of the second effort).
The average power of the two efforts is then taken and a % of this average is again taken as the FTP
(typically ~90%):
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Ramp/step test
A ramp or step test design, where a calculation is made based on the step that the athlete reaches and how
far into the step they were able to get before complete exhaustion. These steps typically start very easily
(<50% of expected FTP) and increase in intensity in 1 minute increments (typically 20-25 watts each time).
This will produce a power file which looks very similar to this, showing the gradual step-wise increase in
power output until total exhaustion and the end of the test:
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The test is used firstly to establish maximal aerobic power (i.e. power at VO2max, or MAP), which can be
calculated as:
Maximal Aerobic Power (MAP) = Power at last completed stage + (Power increment for incomplete
stage multiplied by the percentage of the stage completed).
For example, if an athlete completed a full stage at 400W, and then terminated the test at 30-seconds into
the 420W stage (i.e. half way through), the MAP would be 400W + 50% of 20W (where 20W is the increment of
the incomplete stage, which increased from 400W to 420W). In other words MAP would be 410W.
Typically FTP is then estimated to be 75% of MAP.
So in our example above, FTP would be 75% of 410W, or 307.5W.
Note that some sources use a higher FTP estimate of 82.5% MAP. Ultimately, the correct percentage will
depend on where your lactate threshold sits relative to your aerobic capacity, which is why ramp tests can
be so inaccurate for FTP determination.
The concepts above were originally developed by and are © CycleCoach & Ric Stern.
Critical Power Testing

An alternative approach to an FTP test is the critical power test. This test has the benefit that it will
also provide information on the size of your anaerobic capacity and for this and other reasons, this is our
preferred field testing method.
The basic premise of this test is that power output above a certain ‘critical power’ follows a hyperbolic
power-duration curve as shown below.
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The curve can be defined by two parameters: the critical power (CP) and W’ (pronounced as ‘W prime’).
CP is the power output that you’ll fall towards when riding at a high intensity as exercise duration is
increased ‘indefinitely’ (‘indefinitely’ is a mathematical construct, and not actually true in practice,
which is why this power-duration model fails to hold at or below CP). In practice, people can typically only
sustain power outputs at CP for around 30-minutes (Vanhatalo et al., 2011).
CP occurs at around the maximal lactate steady state (Poole et al., 2016), and can therefore be used in
place of FTP to set training zones, and track changes in the lactate threshold.
W’ (measured in kJ – i.e. units of energy) is the amount of work that can be done above the CP, and is a
marker of anaerobic capacity.
By performing a series of maximal tests (we recommend doing 3-4 maximal efforts, each lasting between 3-20
minutes), it is possible to determine CP and W’ from the power-duration relationship. The maths behind these
calculations are beyond the scope of this article, but you can read more about critical power and download
our critical power calculator here.
Maximum Heart Rate Test

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To get an accurate gauge of your maximum heart rate, you can perform a simple test like riding intensively
for ~10 minutes, following this with a maximal 1 minute effort,
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Cool down gradually for a further 10-15 minutes after this maximal effort is complete and ideally repeat the
test a few times to improve the accuracy of the results, ensuring ample rest between the tests.
You can also review recent race files to see what heart rate you were able to hit - if you raced really hard
for several minutes at the end of a race, for example, it’s likely that you hit something close to your max
heart rate. Although be wary of erroneous heart rate data, as this can be quite prone to error. Ideally,
you’d use a max heart rate value that you’ve seen a few times in the past, and can be confident with.
Threshold Heart Rate Test

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To approximate your threshold heart rate, a similar effort to the 20 minute FTP test is performed.
Begin by warming up for 10-15 minutes, building up from 70-90% of predicted Threshold HR. If you’re unsure
what this might be, use a figure that's roughly 90% of Maximum Heart Rate.
Then, perform 30M all-out but evenly paced effort, making sure to record the effort so the final 20 minutes
of the effort can be isolated after completion. Your average heart rate for this final 20 minutes should be
a good approximation of your threshold heart rate. Cool down with a steady 10 minutes of easy spinning to
gradually lower the heart rate:
Again, repeating this test several times will help to ensure an accurate approximation of threshold heart
rate.
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2. Polarised Model ABOUT SERVICES RESOURCES PRODUCTS CONTACT
Perhaps the simplest yet one of the most scientifically grounded training intensity zone systems is what’s
commonly called the “polarised” model, or the “3-zone” system.
This system is used by several national federations and coaches, and is well supported in the scientific
literature. Unlike the previous model, which is anchored around one physiological variable (either FTP,
threshold heart rate, or max heart rate), the polarised model is based on two physiological cut-points,
defining specific metabolic conditions within the body. These cut-points are either the first and second
ventilatory thresholds or the first and second lactate threshold or turnpoints, depending on the specific
testing protocol used.
Here’s what this model looks like, including the “VT” (ventilatory thresholds) and “LT” (lactate thresholds
or turnpoints), which define the boundaries of each zone:
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These cut-points can be established from lab testing (by measuring expired air or taking lactate samples
during one or more exercise tests), or using more rudimentary “feel” of what is easy, medium and hard
intensity (corresponding to zones 1, 2 and 3 respectively). The specific locations of the cut-points depend
on the testing protocol used (there are lots!).
In general, the lower cut-point is intended to capture the workload at which lactate levels become
substantively elevated above resting levels, and the ratio of expired gas to oxygen consumption swings
upwards, reflecting an increased contribution to power production from glycolysis. Above LT1/VT1, but below
LT2/VT2, blood lactate levels can still be maintained in a steady state, but are higher than they would be
when resting.
The upper cut point (LT2/VT2) then broadly reflects the point at which blood lactate levels can no-longer be
maintained in a steady state, and begin to accumulate rapidly even when power is held constant. Around this
point, the ratio of expired air to expired CO2 also swings upwards. This reflects the point at which the
aerobic energy system can no longer match energy demand.
These cut points have been shown to correlate well with other physiological inflection points, such as
muscle activation (assessed via EMG), and catecholamine levels (reflective of how stressful exercise might
be) (Seiler & Kjerland, 2006), further supporting the physiological meaningfulness of this model.
Relating the polarised model to the seven-zone model above, on average, VT1/LT1 occurs at around 52% of
Maximal Aerobic Power (MAP) (Cerezuela-Espejo et al., 2018), which would sit somewhere around ~65-70% of
FTP, or around the top of Zone 2 in a seven-zone model (this is a very general approximation, and would
depend on individual physiology, which can vary considerably). LT2/VT2 would sit around the top end of Zone
4 in the seven-zone model.
The polarised model typically advocates training mostly within zones 1 and 3, with only a minimal amount of
training in zone 2 (e.g. 75% of sessions in zone 1, 5% in zone 2 and 20% in zone 3). A key limitation of the
polarised model is that there is no differentiation within the three, fairly broad levels. So it’s hard to
say where, for example, to pitch training to develop the anaerobic power versus training to develop the
aerobic capacity.
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3. Modelled training zones ABOUT SERVICES RESOURCES PRODUCTS CONTACT
Next up, we’ll look at training zones produced by modelling software such as WKO5 or INSCYD.
These systems are intended as an enhancement of the seven zone system presented in Section 1. A key
limitation with the seven zone system (and other similar systems) is that they are anchored around one
physiological parameter e.g. FTP. However, for intensities above FTP, there is considerable variability in
the optimal power and duration that stimulates specific training adaptations. For example, for someone whose
FTP is very high relative to VO2max (as would likely be the case in a well-trained endurance cyclist),
VO2max intervals should be done at a lower percentage of FTP. In contrast, for a sprinter whose FTP is
likely to be considerably lower than their VO2max, then VO2max intervals should be at a higher percentage of
FTP. The classic seven zone system does not take this variability into account, instead just giving training
zones for the ‘average’ cyclist.
Modelling software such as WKO5 and INSCYD present a solution to this problem by using maximal power data to
build a model of an athlete’s physiological profile and thereby derive individualised training intensities.
As an example, WKO5 uses an individual’s historic power data (typically taken over the last 90 days) to
build a power-duration curve, such as the one below. Here, the yellow line is the actual achieved maximal
power for a given duration, and the red is the smoothed power duration model.
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Power-duration curve for an athlete, showing actual attained power

(yellow line) and smoothed modelled power (red SERVICES
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The WKO software uses the power duration model to establish physiological characteristics of an athlete
(such as where their FTP sits relative to VO2max), and to derive training zones. These training zones are
termed ‘iLevels’ (short for ‘individualised levels’). The model also generates ‘Optimised Intervals’, which
are the same as iLevels, but with the addition of a recommended interval duration (we’re not too sure why
these need different names!).
The image below shoes some example iLevels/Optimised Intervals. The training zones below FTP are effectively
the same as the seven zone system presented above (i.e. expressed as a percentage of FTP), except that an
additional ‘Sweetspot’ zone has been added, spanning the upper end of Zone 3 and the lower end of Zone 4 in
the seven zone model. Above FTP, the zones are derived from the power-duration model rather than FTP, and
therefore will likely be different even for individuals with the same FTP.
The terminology used by WKO is a little tricky, especially because they tend to come up with their own
terminology for concepts that already have standardised names. So to explain, the FRC/FTP level is one
that’s designed to develop VO2max. The FRC and Pmax/FRC levels are both designed to develop anaerobic
fitness, with the former being slightly lower intensity and longer intervals that would be more suited to
developing anaerobic stamina, and the latter being more suited to developing anaerobic power (i.e. the
maximum rate of anaerobic energy generation). For more on this, see here. Finally the Pmax zone is akin to
the neuromuscular zone in the seven zone model.
effectively. ×
The INSCYD model uses a similar method where power data from a series of maximal efforts of differing
durations is used to derive various physiological attributes,
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In terms of the intended purpose/physiological adaptations, most of these zones correspond to the zones in
the classic seven zone model described in Section 1.
Zones 1, 2 and 3 in the INSCYD model (‘recovery’, ‘base’ and ‘medio’) correspond to Zones 1, 2 and 3 in the
seven zone model (‘active recovery’, ‘extensive endurance’, ‘intensive endurance’).
Zones 5, 6 and 7 in the INSCYD model (‘anaerobic threshold’, ‘aerobic maximum’ and ‘high anaerobic’)
correspond to Zones 4, 5 and 6 in the seven zone model (‘lactate threshold’, ‘VO2max’ and ‘VLamax’).
INSCYD also helpfully defines two extra zones, which (as you may have noticed) overlap with the 6 zones
above. The FATmax zone, as described above, is the zone that optimally stimulates fat oxidation.
The lactate shuttling zone defines an upper and a lower power, where respective lactate accumulation and
clearance rates are equal. This means you could design a set of intervals with a 1:1 work-recovery ratio and
always be just about recovered for each work interval. This is thought to be a good way to work on lactate
clearance abilities. The lower power target is also the power at which lactate clearance rates are
maximised. Or in other words, this power tells us the optimal intensity to ride at in order to recover
fastest.
In our experience, modelled training zones can work reasonably well provided that sufficient data is
collected on maximal power outputs over a range of durations, and that this data is of a good quality (i.e.
well paced, not influenced by factors such as fatigue, fuelling, hydration, motivation etc.). In practice,
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it’s hard to collect data of sufficient quality to model training zones with a high level of accuracy, and
thus any training zones should only be taken as an approximate guide and not a precise prescription.
Moreover, there are alternative approaches to help individualise
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cheaper and easier, and work just as well. These are discussed in our article on individualising training
zones here.
In practice we tend not to bother with modelled training zones, as we find we have to tweak these anyway
based on factors such as an athlete’s subjective sensations and heart rate. So we may as well start from the
basic Coggan zones, and iterate from there.
Final Points
One outstanding question we haven’t yet addressed is whether you actually need to use training zones. They
are helpful, but balanced training can be achieved without them. Simply performing different maximal efforts
over a variety of different durations on a routine basis can give you a good idea of what you can achieve
and you can use this to establish what is “easy”, “medium” or “hard”. Overall though, we feel that the use
of training zones is a useful tool to help design training and to understand the likely physiological
impacts of a particular training session.
As should now be clear, there is a need to individualise training zones. Even if you don’t have access to
software or lab testing to help with this, there are a range of field-based methods you can use to verify
your training zones are set correctly and ensure you’re not under or over-training when performing intervals
above FTP. We have written an article with some practical tips to help with this here.
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References
Allen, H., Coggan, A. R., & McGregor, S. (2019). Training and racing with a power meter. VeloPress.
Cerezuela-Espejo, V., Courel-Ibáñez, J., Morán-Navarro, R., Martínez-Cava, A., & Pallarés, J. G. (2018). The
relationship between lactate and ventilatory thresholds in runners: Validity and reliability of exercise
test performance parameters. Frontiers in physiology, 9, 1320.
ByPoole,
using thisD. C., Burnley,
website, you agree toM., Vanhatalo,
our use A.,useRossiter,
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Jones,
a greatA. M. (2016).
an
experience
important fatigue threshold in exercise physiology. Medicine and science in sports and exercise, 48(11),
effectively.
Critical
and to help power:
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×
2320.
Seiler, K. S., & Kjerland, G. Ø. (2006). Quantifying training intensity distribution in elite endurance
athletes: is there evidence for an “optimal” distribution?. Scandinavian
ABOUT SERVICESjournal of medicine
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sports, 16(1), 49-56.
Seiler, S., & Tønnessen, E. (2009). Intervals, thresholds, and long slow distance: the role of intensity and
duration in endurance training. Sportscience, 13.
Vanhatalo, A., Jones, A. M., & Burnley, M. (2011). Application of critical power in sport. International
journal of sports physiology and performance, 6(1), 128-136.
Comments (22) Newest First
Preview POST COMMENT…
Jasper 8 months ago · 0 Likes
Hi Tom and Emma,

In your book "Cycling Physiology & Training Science"you state the following:
Research shows that critical power tends to come out slightly higher than FTP (Karsten et al., 2020),
so it’s not appropriate to simply use critical power as a direct replacement for FTP when setting
training zones. From experience, we’ve found that using around 94% of your critical power to set your
effectively. ×
FTP value and calculate training zones works fairly well in most cases, and training zones will always
need some iteration whether you use FTP or critical ABOUT
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I'm a bit confused, as FTP is more-or-less the power you can sustain for one hour while CP is the
power you can theoretically sustain for much longer, as it is the lower limit (or horizontal
asymptote) of the power curve.
Wouldn't that mean that if I get a CP from the CP calculator, that this value is LOWER then my FTP
that I would use for setting zones?
Tom Bell 8 months ago · 0 Likes
Hi Jasper,
Thanks a lot for the question. In case you haven't found it yet, one of those research papers in
support of our statement can be found here, where the "discussion" portion explains a lot of
this quite well: https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fphys.2020.613151/full
I think the main thing to understand is that even though the CP model might suggest that
critical power is the highest power output you can sustain "indefinitely" or "without fatigue",
that is a theoretical construct and nothing is truly indefinite in the real world and the
horizontal asymptote wouldn't/couldn't stay flat forever.
It's also key to realise there are a lot of inter-individual differences from athlete to
athlete, which makes clear definitions of these two threshold determination methods based on
tolerable duration impossible. One athlete may be able to hold power at CP for much longer than
another and in another case one athlete may be able to sustain 5% of their 20min maximal power
for 60-70 minutes and another barely 30 minutes, depending on their physiology (e.g. fibre-type
distribution and thus relative energy system contribution). It's one reason why we're not in
favour of FTP testing in general, since the % to take off of a 20min effort (which is a rather
arbitrary duration anyway) is hard to determine. If it's always supposed to be 5%, it leaves you
questioning what the point is of knowing that result is (and to be honest, even if that did work
in every case, why is it really that important to know what an athlete can sustain for ~1 hour
when they're fresh anyway?).
×
effectively.
I would also re-emphasise the point from our guide on training zones. When you get above the CP
or FTP, using generic %s of either to calculate intensity
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problematic on an individual level, so we find it's often helpful to first perform new workout
designs without strict intensity targets and instead see what power you can actually produce
when executing the planned session well, rather than trying to fit yourself into a wattage
target range that may or may not be appropriate.
I think you can broadly use more generically calculated training intensity zones for monitoring
of intensity distribution in your training (e.g. over a week, a month etc) but even those would
benefit from a bit of a tweak based on your individual capabilities and physiology.
I hope that helps.
-Tom
Jasper 8 months ago · 0 Likes
Thanks!
After reading the paper it does make more sense. And indeed it might have been a little
naive to expect to hold a CP indefinitely. There have to be additional fatigue mechanisms
at play.
And regarding the notion of training zones above FTP/CP I always find I can sustain higher
% then you'd expect based on the zones. I guess I'm still anaerobically stronger then
aerobically. Something I should work on considering my goals of longer endurance events.
Paul A year ago · 0 Likes
Hi Tom, I have FTP estimated by a zwift ramp test at 307W, an mFTP in WKO of 302W and a 298W Alpe du
Zwift effort just under 47 minutes, but my LT2 from a recent lactate ramp test was 280W. Would you
expect there to be much discrepency between FTP and LT2 from a lactate test?
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Paul A year ago · 0 Likes ABOUT SERVICES RESOURCES PRODUCTS CONTACT
Sorry, forgot to ask the main question - which figure would you use for setting training zones?
Tom Bell A year ago · 0 Likes
Hi Paul
Thanks for your questions.
It's very normal for your LT2 to be below your FTP, so your results look fine, and it seems
like you have some good data to say your FTP probably sits somewhere around 300-305W.
Testing for LT2 can be quite imprecise, depending on the method used. The gold standard is
to do a maximal lactate steady state test, which involves riding 10-min stages and testing
whether lactate rises within each stage. It sounds as though you probably did a ramp test
with shorter stages, which can be used to approximate LT2 but won't be super accurate for
setting training zones (ramp tests are usually more useful for detecting changes in fitness
rather than setting training zones).
That being the case, I'd probably recommend using the Coggan zones, with an FTP set to
300W. Then if you're doing a session that's intended to be close to your LT2, you might
adjust the intensity targets slightly based on your LT2 value rather than your FTP.
I hope that helps.

Emma
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Paul A year ago · 0 Likes ABOUT SERVICES RESOURCES PRODUCTS CONTACT
Great thanks! Yes, it was a ramp test with 1 minute/10W steps and blood sampled every
3 minutes.
Vincent 2 years ago · 0 Likes
Hello Tom, I've seen other resources compute the percentage of the heart rate as the percentage of the
difference between max heart rate and min heart rate, and yet the same percentage values were used to
separate the training zones, but they should be different as eg 0.6 * HRmax is quite far from 0.6 *
(HRmax - HRmin). In consequence I'm not quite sure which boundaries I should pick.
Tom Bell A year ago · 0 Likes
Hi Vincent,
Thanks a lot for the comment.
Yes indeed, this is using what's called Heart Rate Reserve, and is another means of finding
training zones. Whilst this method will differ from others, they broadly will cover similar
intensity ranges. I would recommend giving both of the zoning systems a try for yourself and see
which best align with your intuitive feelings, since these things are always different from one
athlete to another and the broad guidelines don't fit perfectly in every individual case. You
can even think of "zones" even more broadly as low (below what you may feel or have identified
as your threshold HR) medium (around the threshold, i.e. the highest effort you feel you can
produce but for a sustained period, e.g. 30-45 minutes) and then hard (above this "max
sustainable effort" zone). The zones always blend into each other on a physiological level too,
rather than something completely different happening when you go up or down by a single beat. I
effectively.
would see what your body and feelings tell you over time and assess which zoning system is most ×
appropriate. From there, you can apply the right one for you and track your subjective training
intensity that way. ABOUT SERVICES RESOURCES PRODUCTS CONTACT
I hope that helps and gives you some advice you can practically apply.
Best,
Tom
Maxime 2 years ago · 0 Likes
Ramp test - what is your position on the amount of watts per step. Some references recommend 20W/min,
some 10W/min, some 30W/2min.
I think that 20W / min will yield higher MAP than 10W/min.
Tom Bell 2 years ago · 0 Likes
Hi Maxime,
Thanks a lot for the question.
Obviously, which ramp rate is appropriate depends on a few variables, including ability and
sometimes gender too. We wouldn't recommend ever going as low as 10w/min, but 15w/min is
sometimes recommended for female athletes (not in every case, but as a broad guide). 20-25w/min
is a good range to work in for males, where 20w/min is often used when the athlete is of a
higher performance level.
The most important thing is that protocols are kept consistent from one test to another so that
results can be compared like-for-like, alongside other variables like pre-test fuelling, fatigue
levels etc. We will soon be conducting some of our own research on this very topic to see how
best to yield the highest peak power output in such a test using a VO2 Master analyser, where
effectively.
we'll report our findings on this blog. ×
-Tom
Maxime 2 years ago · 0 Likes
Great! thanks Tom for the response, I'm curious to see the updates from your research.
Obviously we all prefer 20W/min ramp rate :P
Mark Bentley 2 years ago · 0 Likes
Hi Tom, thanks for the info and deeper analysis. Very interesting. I have also had WKO and you're
right about the power duration maintainance requirements. You need to be really thorough. You mention
that Z4 intervals (lower Z4 includes sweetspot according to your model, can be 40mins or longer. This
is what I am trying to achieve to extend my power curve horizontally.
With a 2x35min workout at sweetspot, I did 92% of my 35min power with 5mins rest in between each
interval, which was very doable. I am graduating up to 2x40mins then 1x80 etc. But the problem is,
when I do the 1x80, how would I set the targeted power? Would i do 92% of my 80min power according to
the MMP or PDC curve, or attempt to do 92% of my 40min power for a straight 80mins? All a little
confusing, as I want to remain in sweetspot for the duration. Thanks in advance, Mark
Hi Mark
Thanks for your comment. To be honest, I think 1x80 @ sweet-spot is too long to attempt to do in
training, which is why I think you’re having a problem making the power-duration curve and the
training zones consistent. 80-mins at sweet-spot could be do-able under race conditions, but
certainly
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manage to do 1x80 @ sweet-spot this would be a very stressful session, and I also think the
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amount of time needed to recover would outweigh any training benefits you’d get from the
session. ABOUT SERVICES RESOURCES PRODUCTS CONTACT
I think you also need to ask what you’re trying to achieve from this session. In our experience,
training at sweet-spot is useful for extending your muscular endurance, preparing you mentally
for racing, and to some extent can help contribute to improved fat oxidation in Type IIa muscle
fibres and lactate clearance. However, there are much more effective types of training sessions
for achieving these latter two objectives (see e.g. our article on ‘How to Improve the Lactate
Threshold’). Through most of the season, we generally keep the amount of sweet-spot training
fairly minimal, as overall we feel it contributes too much fatigue for fairly minimal fitness
benefits. We write more on this in our article on ‘Polarised Training: A Comprehensive Guide’.
I hope that helps.

Emma
Tom Keane 2 years ago · 0 Likes
Following up on Peter's comment, several months ago, by my calcs, the % of VO2 in the top table should
be
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46-63%
63-75%
75%-88%
88-100%
I was going to rec. this article to my group as a great reference piece, but I'm wondering about these
numbers, and don't have time to fact check the whole thing. Cheers, Tom Keane
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representative of most cyclists and athletes. The %s in the table were in reference to Seiler
and Tønnessen's work (http://www.sportsci.org/2009/ss.htm) and the %'s of VO2max noted there,
which it should be re-iterated are %s of VO2 and not maximal
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though were certainly very elite (these are zones used by the Norwegian federation for a number
of different endurance sports) and we too don't feel reflect most athletes, so thanks a lot for
bringing that to our attention. We have a leading VO2 analyser on the way to us soon, so we will
be performing a lot of cycling-specific tests soon to establish some of our own numbers for VO2
as it relates to training zones. From there, we will add these data back in to the table when we
have numbers that we have more confidence and direct experience in. Many thanks, Tom.
Imre Dobos 2 years ago · 0 Likes
Hi Tom,
I do not have a power meter (yet), so I am trying to set up my zones based on heart rate. My max HR is
194, and the threshold is 175. I calculated the zones in both way and I found that the same zones have
very difficult ranges, for example Zone 2 is 117-135 based on max HR but 120-148 based on threshold.
Due to these result, I am not sure which one to follow, or maybe get an average based on the two
methods. What do you think, how should I set my zones?
Hi Imre, thanks a lot for the question. It is indeed common to see differences from one zoning
method to another, and this can sometimes be to an even greater extent when comparing HR to
power! I would say that these "zones" really do blur into each other rather than each having a
very clear boundary, and on a given day, will shift up and down slightly depending on your
fitness state, fatigue state etc. I would encourage trying an average of the two and then also
bringing in your sensations of perceived exertion to determine where the zones might line up for
you as an individual, since at the end of the day, these are fairly generic prescriptions which
work better on a population level than they do on an individual level. Perceived exertion is
still a very powerful and accurate way of determining how hard you're working and alongside HR
data,
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Imre Dobos 2 years ago · 0 Likes ABOUT SERVICES RESOURCES PRODUCTS CONTACT
Many thanks for your answer!
Koen 2 years ago · 0 Likes
Hi Tom,
Very interessting info, thanks for that!

Can you comment on 'Junk Miles' and group rides? I think a lot of cyclists ride in groups and jump
from zone 2 to zone 5.
My hypothesis is that you get the worst of everything: no specific/adequate trainingimpulses and yet
long recovery time.
But, does this have other (positive) effects? Thanks again.
Peter 2 years ago · 0 Likes
Hello Tom. May I ask how did you calculate that %VO2Max in the zone table? My FTP is 286W, so the
Coggan system puts my VO2Max at 343W. I assume this is 100% of VO2Max, which means 65% of VO2Max
should be 223W. Coggan, Strava and British Cycling says 223W is the beginning of my Zone 3, however
your table puts 65% of VO2Max on the edge of Zone 1 and Zone 2. Am I missing something in here? Thanks
for this informative site!
effectively. ×
Tom Bell 2 years ago · 0 Likes ABOUT SERVICES RESOURCES PRODUCTS CONTACT
Hi Peter, I hope all is well with you? I'm sorry it's taken a long time to reply to this
comment. It seems like the comment notification just didn't reach us for some reason! Please see
my recent response to Tom Keane in the comments thread and this should shed some light on your
question and provide some corrections that we feel we necessary. I hope your riding is going
well and you're keeping in good health in the current circumstances. -Tom
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29/7/22, 15:34 Cycling Training Zones: A Detailed Guide — High North Performance

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