Heart Rate Training Zones – On Improving Fitness

Article by Gerald Flume

Want to improve your physical fitness, including your heart? Increase your physical stress. Of course there are right and wrong ways of doing this, but an analogy might get us started.

I. The benefits of (physical) stress for physical fitness

Tulip growers try to maximize the number of bulbs they grow per square meter or foot of available soil. But when the plants grow close together, they each tend to reduce the wind drag per plant among their neighbors at the same time that they all compete for the same square inches of sunlight as they grow upward. The result is thin stems, so thin that a mature plant cannot hold the flower and head upright by itself. So the tulip growers gently pass their extended arms over the tops of the growing plants to give the stems a little stress. Not enough to break them, but enough to stress them into growing thicker, stronger stems.

Humans tend to lose physical strength where there is too little physical stress or muscular exercise. One of the best ways to increase muscular strength and efficiency is known as interval training where intervals of more and less intense exercise and rest are interspersed. A core feature of interval training is switching between aerobic and anaerobic exercise.

II. Interval training builds strength and endurance

Anaerobic exercise is intense and brief. One’s heart is racing near its maximum and the muscles are burning glycogen in the presence of very little available oxygen (anaerobic means “no oxygen”). This is especially the kind of stress that “thickens the stem” in humans, or rather than stimulates the muscles to build up. Especially as people age, anaerobic exercise becomes increasingly important for maintaining physical strength and endurance.

But anaerobic exercise of course comes at a price, and here is where consultation with a doctor becomes critical for advice that may enable one to avoid injury or sometimes a heart attack, especially if a person has certain physical conditions or is on some kinds of medication. Know your reasonable limitations beforehand. And in all cases of anaerobic exercise, a price is the build up of lactic acid and other waste products in the muscles resulting in physical symptoms of pain and exhaustion.

Intervals of rest or lesser exercise then become necessary in order to flush out and oxidize the lactic acid in the blood stream and elsewhere. Aerobic exercise relies on “burning” oxygen along with “fuel” like carbohydrates. It is less intense than anaerobic exercise, and can be carried on for relatively longer periods of time.

Varying periods of rest have their own benefits in the process too, such as to rebuild and strengthen damaged muscle tissues with proper nutrition. And warm ups and cool down periods play into the regimen for things like muscle stretching and metabolic preparation. In interval training, periods of more and less intense exercise plus rest are repeated. This has proven more efficient and effective than prolonged aerobic exercise alone for many sports activities.

III. Interval training pegged to heart rate zones

One of the key means of measuring and progressing in interval training then becomes heart rate zones. Although these may at times be a bit fuzzy and variable around the edges, nonetheless heart rate zones can be a usefully pegged, for example, to anaerobic versus aerobic exercise periods or to rest or warm up versus aerobic exercise.

A heart rate within such-and-such beats per minute range should be maintained for so-many seconds or minutes for a given individual for a given section of interval exercises. As one moves in training from less fit to more, the ideal intervals of heavier exercise will increase and rest periods decrease or move farther apart. And again, where heart rate is measured, such as conveniently with technology, heart rate ranges defined as heart rates zones. Heart rate zones then identify or help identify levels of exercise, particularly aerobic versus anaerobic versus rest.

For a healthy person at least, heart rate zones are mapped out typically based on heart rate measured at rest (minimum beats per minute) and at very heavy exercise (maximum heart rate). The latter can become problematic especially where health concerns come into play, but in less precise fashion, can be taken as 220 minus age before the age of 30, with a beats per minute tappering off more slowly after age 30, especially for a healthy person. And there are other related or unrelated means as well.

Training Zones for Football Fitness

Article by Darren

The below information should help provide you with guidelines for designing fitness and conditioning sessions with specific training objectives. Due to the intermittent exercise profile of football, players require a strong aerobic base in addition to capabilities to perform maximal bouts (i.e. sprints) and must be exposed to various training zones. The energy systems of a player therefore have to be trained with this profile in mind. An easy way to determine if the workrate matchs the desired training zone is to using Heart Rate (HR). Calculate Training Zone Via Resting Heart Rate

For charts, please refer to Soccer Training Zones and Drills

Fig 1. 3 Basic Training Zones and for a Trained and Un-Trained Player

The diagram above (Fig 1.) displays the training zones for a trained and untrained player (20yrs). The zones are indicated for the Trained Player only. The Un-Trained Player would hit these zones earlier. This chart above displays the three basics training zones. We can however go into more detail (as described below and displayed in Fig 2.) and sub-divide these zones. The zones are set based on percentages of generally one of three values:

Lactate Threshold VO2 Max Maximum Heart Rate

Fig2. Detailed Training Zones with Heart Rate for U-11 to U-21 ages.

Zone 1: Recovery Also known as: Overdistance Intensity: Very Low % Lactate Threshold: 65%-84% % VO2 Max: 55%-65% % Max Heart Rate: 60%-70% RPE Scale: 6-9

Used for: These are the easiest workouts, used to promote recovery after harder workouts. It is also generally the intensity level used during the recovery period of interval work and long slow distance (LSD) runs.

Zone 2: Endurance Also known as: Extensive Endurance Intensity: Moderate % Lactate Threshold: 85%-91% % VO2 Max: 66%-75% % Max Heart Rate: 71%-75% RPE Scale: 10-12

Used for: Used for long, endurance workouts and easy speed workout; builds and maintains aerobic endurance.

Zone 3: Lactate Threshold Also known as: Intensive Endurance Intensity: Moderate Plus % Lactate Threshold: 92%-95% % VO2 Max: 76%-80% % Max Heart Rate: 76%-80% RPE Scale: 13-14

Used for: Used for Tempo workouts, training in Zone 3 is usually done in the preparation and base phases. Generally, in the later phases you want to bump up to Zone 4.

Zone 4: VO2 Max Intervals Also known as: Anaerobic Threshold, Race/Pace Intensity: Race/Pace % Lactate Threshold: 96%-100% % VO2 Max: 81%-90% % Max Heart Rate: 81%-90% RPE Scale: 15-16

Used for: Intervals, hill work, and tempo work. Intervals in this zone generally have work-to-rest ratio of 3:1 or 4:1. Training at or slightly below your Lactate Threshold (a.k.a. Anaerobic Threshold) helps your body lean to “recycle” the lactic acid during high intensity work. This level is where you cross over from aerobic training to anaerobic training which is called the anaerobic threshold or AT. This is the point where the body cannot effectively remove lactic Acid from the working muscles quickly enough. Lactic Acid is a by product of glycogen consumption by the working muscles.

Zone 5a: Threshold Endurance Also known as: Superthreshold % Lactate Threshold: 100%-102% % VO2 Max: 91%-93% % Max Heart Rate: 91%-93% RPE Scale: 17

Used for: Intervals, hill work, and tempo work; typically used after some Zone 4 time has already been done. Zone 5 workouts are very short because it is difficult to maintain this level for any length of time.

Zone 5b: Anaerobic Endurance Also known as: Speed Endurance % Lactate Threshold: 103%-105% % VO2 Max: 94%-98% % Max Heart Rate: 94%-98% RPE Scale: 18-19

Used for: Intervals and hill work to improve anaerobic endurance. Intervals in this zone generally have work-to-rest ratio of 1:1, for example, a 20 second sprint followed by 20 seconds of easy recovery (Zone 1).

Zone 5c: Anaerobic Capacity Also known as: Power % Lactate Threshold: 106%+ % VO2 Max: 98%-100% % Max Heart Rate: 98%-100% RPE Scale: 20

Used for: Short-term Sprinting. Intervals in this zone have a work to rest ratio of 1:2 or more.

What determines how could of an athlete you will be

Find More Lactate Threshold Articles

Training Zones for Football Fitness

Article by Darren

The below information should help provide you with guidelines for designing fitness and conditioning sessions with specific training objectives. Due to the intermittent exercise profile of football, players require a strong aerobic base in addition to capabilities to perform maximal bouts (i.e. sprints) and must be exposed to various training zones. The energy systems of a player therefore have to be trained with this profile in mind. An easy way to determine if the workrate matchs the desired training zone is to using Heart Rate (HR). Calculate Training Zone Via Resting Heart Rate

For charts, please refer to Soccer Training Zones and Drills

Fig 1. 3 Basic Training Zones and for a Trained and Un-Trained Player

The diagram above (Fig 1.) displays the training zones for a trained and untrained player (20yrs). The zones are indicated for the Trained Player only. The Un-Trained Player would hit these zones earlier. This chart above displays the three basics training zones. We can however go into more detail (as described below and displayed in Fig 2.) and sub-divide these zones. The zones are set based on percentages of generally one of three values:

Lactate Threshold VO2 Max Maximum Heart Rate

Fig2. Detailed Training Zones with Heart Rate for U-11 to U-21 ages.

Zone 1: Recovery Also known as: Overdistance Intensity: Very Low % Lactate Threshold: 65%-84% % VO2 Max: 55%-65% % Max Heart Rate: 60%-70% RPE Scale: 6-9

Used for: These are the easiest workouts, used to promote recovery after harder workouts. It is also generally the intensity level used during the recovery period of interval work and long slow distance (LSD) runs.

Zone 2: Endurance Also known as: Extensive Endurance Intensity: Moderate % Lactate Threshold: 85%-91% % VO2 Max: 66%-75% % Max Heart Rate: 71%-75% RPE Scale: 10-12

Used for: Used for long, endurance workouts and easy speed workout; builds and maintains aerobic endurance.

Zone 3: Lactate Threshold Also known as: Intensive Endurance Intensity: Moderate Plus % Lactate Threshold: 92%-95% % VO2 Max: 76%-80% % Max Heart Rate: 76%-80% RPE Scale: 13-14

Used for: Used for Tempo workouts, training in Zone 3 is usually done in the preparation and base phases. Generally, in the later phases you want to bump up to Zone 4.

Zone 4: VO2 Max Intervals Also known as: Anaerobic Threshold, Race/Pace Intensity: Race/Pace % Lactate Threshold: 96%-100% % VO2 Max: 81%-90% % Max Heart Rate: 81%-90% RPE Scale: 15-16

Used for: Intervals, hill work, and tempo work. Intervals in this zone generally have work-to-rest ratio of 3:1 or 4:1. Training at or slightly below your Lactate Threshold (a.k.a. Anaerobic Threshold) helps your body lean to “recycle” the lactic acid during high intensity work. This level is where you cross over from aerobic training to anaerobic training which is called the anaerobic threshold or AT. This is the point where the body cannot effectively remove lactic Acid from the working muscles quickly enough. Lactic Acid is a by product of glycogen consumption by the working muscles.

Zone 5a: Threshold Endurance Also known as: Superthreshold % Lactate Threshold: 100%-102% % VO2 Max: 91%-93% % Max Heart Rate: 91%-93% RPE Scale: 17

Used for: Intervals, hill work, and tempo work; typically used after some Zone 4 time has already been done. Zone 5 workouts are very short because it is difficult to maintain this level for any length of time.

Zone 5b: Anaerobic Endurance Also known as: Speed Endurance % Lactate Threshold: 103%-105% % VO2 Max: 94%-98% % Max Heart Rate: 94%-98% RPE Scale: 18-19

Used for: Intervals and hill work to improve anaerobic endurance. Intervals in this zone generally have work-to-rest ratio of 1:1, for example, a 20 second sprint followed by 20 seconds of easy recovery (Zone 1).

Zone 5c: Anaerobic Capacity Also known as: Power % Lactate Threshold: 106%+ % VO2 Max: 98%-100% % Max Heart Rate: 98%-100% RPE Scale: 20

Used for: Short-term Sprinting. Intervals in this zone have a work to rest ratio of 1:2 or more.

Find More Speed Training Workouts For Football Articles