I bought a gravel bike last year and I hit the trails 4 or 5x per week -- 60 to 90 minute rides... I'd estimate that 80% of the rides are on flat or moderate hills with the remainder being steep hills...
I'm just a bit breathless for the 80% -- but on the steep inclines I go as hard as I can.
Great results from this in terms of overall fitness - I play a lot of ice hockey in the winter and I found this base really helped... previously I was all about HIIT... that clearly was not working.
I also do partial Body Pump classes from Les Mills online. One day I'll do chest back and some abs... another day arms and abs... I can complete that in less than 15 minutes.. and it's great for strength
Thank you for the post Chris. It helped me refocus my main workouts. I was probably doing, or shooting for Zone 3 - possible but difficult to talk - more often than necessary. What I'm working on is how to exercise without over-exerting. I have been athletic for 50 years. In my late 40s early 50s, I did competitive cycling on top of a very difficult work schedule and in the process fried my ability to recover, getting to heart arrhythmias. I had to back off for 5 years - just walking during that time period - before I could do anything resembling a work out. It's 5 years after that and I can do Zone 2 3x/week (by perceived exertion) and one strength training day. The great challenge is if I hit Zone 3 or 4 for anything but the shortest period of time, it affects my sleep - which is my radar for overexerting. Balance is a challenge for someone who typically overdoes it.
> San Millán argues that zone 2 is the most critical exercise for metabolic health. He judges metabolic health by how dependent your mitochondria are on anaerobic glycolysis. He says there are two types of people who display poor metabolic health by this definition: diabetics, and people who only do bodybuilding and high-intensity interval training.
I've been using the Maffetone formula, which has my max aerobic HR at 134. I only kept it there for 20 min b/c my calves were getting tired, and it was also boring. However, I have a treadmill that can do incline, so adjusting the incline induces changes probably faster than adjusting the speed does. I tweak both. If the HR isn't accurate, that sucks b/c I'm not getting a lactate meter--I can barely get enough blood to come out for a blood glucose meter.
Very cool to see your lactate meter data up against your first person experience. I've been focusing all of my gym cardio on zone 2 (recumbent bike) for about 4 years and my ice hockey performance has been leaps and bounds better for it. I don't get dead legs after shifts and am playing better at 41 than I was at 31.
I typically shoot for the heart rate minus age range and try to sustain as long as possible (usually 25-35 mins) but I do agree that we should test out higher HR ranges to understand if we're capable of more. Thanks as always for all your hard work!
Sorry, I didn't mean to negate anything else you might be devoting your time to (and I particularly appreciate and applaud what I saw of your covid involvement!). It's just that, despite having numerous books on Vitamins and Supplements, I am looking forward to YOUR book on the topic. Keep up the great work!
For your neck and shoulder issues, have you considered weaning yourself off of a pillow and mattress? Also, I don't know what features your office treadmill has but increasing the incline could help, as would carrying a bit of weight, while you max out the 4mph. Just a thought.
Neck/postural stuff here as well and fast walking doesn’t get me to zone two reliably either - but I’ve added rucking (Peter speaks about rucking as does the wonderful “Comfort Crisis”) and it’s been a game changer. Due to the neck stuff I don’t use a traditional ruck, rather a hip carry with weight. Perhaps adding something like that could give your treadmill more life! Please report back with the rowing experiment results!
I can't tell you how good the timing was on this topic for me.
I also had pretty much discarded moderate intensity cardio in favor of weights and HIIT. But my most recent blood work showed A1C of 5.8 (which used to be okay, but is now pre-diabetic as they keep lowering the ranges). I've never had a problem with A1C before, and I'm not overweight. I'm only 5'1" and 114 lbs. I've gained about 10 lbs of muscle in the past year with intense glute workouts.
Right after I read this, I started doing 20 minutes a day at a moderate pace on my rower. I hope that's the key to my fitness that I have been lacking.
Zone 2 is my mainstay. Not out of effort, but out of enjoyment. I don't like gadgetry, I feel it takes the fun out of things. I feel like my heart knows when it's hitting the wall on zone 2 and it's where I back off. I don't do experimental drugs nor take supplements or prescriptions. I'm happy to stay in this control group for the rest of my life and am curious how I will fare. So as long as I manage stress well, and try not to eat just because I see someone else eating, my weight stays stable. If I keep a busy mind and activity, intermittent fasting comes naturally. I am a sampler. Right now, we are spoiled by being able to experience so many different types of food. I don't know how long this will last, but I intend to enjoy it while I can. By sampling, I feel like I receive an adequate mix of fuel my body needs to fend off the sniffles and flu. If you live below average income for a substantial amount of time, you realize you can do a whole lot even with the basics. I prefer moving rock, bricks, dirt, feed outside and trails, grassland, and dirt roads over the gym and pavement. I can laugh at myself because practicing humility means you have the ability to see people as equals. I feel beauty in rain, sun, wind, snow, salt, waves, sand, and dirt. With each passing day, I value my camping equipment more and more. I pray for everyone. I don't have my act together, but I am trying.
I am just starting to learn about zone 2 training, but I'm curious if you think adding light dumbbells to your hands(Ala heavy hands) might make it so your treadmill might be useful again?
About 3 years ago, after reading Maffetone's book, I followed his recommendation to train at 180 - age as max HR (MAF method), and stay near that value minus 5 range. I did it while cycling. I also have a powermeter on my road bike, which is for me the best tool to measure the effort and compare it over time.
It tooks months to see progression - 5 to 8 months - but the gains are now acquired and they have changed me completely.
I now correlate those months at MAF with cardio zone 2. At the time, riding at this HR was easy enough... but nowadays it would be a somehow tough workout that I could hold for 2 hours max maybe. When I started I could cycle for hours, with an average power output of about 170-180 W. If I repeat the exercise today, I would be somewhere 240-250 W.
Maffetone was all about defining the right workout to help the heart muscles developed whereas any specific workout we usually do focuses on skeletal muscles, but once done those muscles are at rest while your heart is still pumping blood, admit at a lower frequency but still beeing active.
I totally support the importance of cardio zone 2 👍
In general, it looks like you were comfortable exercising at 1 mmol/L of blood lactate, and with small incremental effort, you would jump to closer to 2 mmol/L. Subjectively, how did those two states feel to you? I assume that someone who runs for long durations comes to associate these lactate levels with certain sensations, and they can use this as biofeedback to increase or decrease their effort during exercise.
I could not tell the difference at all between the 0.1 mph on either side of the lactate threshold. I would say it felt like I was expending enough effort that initially I felt I wouldn’t be able to go for an hour but eventually they turned out to be easy. But I didn’t do the “talk test” which is supposed to be the most accurate way to subjectively assess rate of perceived exertion.
It would definitely raise lactate but I’m not sure that would produce quite the same spectrum of responses and I have no desire to gain that skill. I do wonder if people who wanted to do altitude training could get some of the benefits more easily that way. However I’m not going to buy a machine, I’m going to join a local gym. I ultimately want to try this with rowing anyway.
Ah Chris, I used to cox one of top eights in the UK back in the day and we did a ton of gentle rowing, interspersed with some pretty intense stuff too. Takes me back. Enjoy.
All I know is that hopping on the mini trampoline and long bike rides bring me more joy than any other form of exercise!
Awesome!
Thanks for this ...
I bought a gravel bike last year and I hit the trails 4 or 5x per week -- 60 to 90 minute rides... I'd estimate that 80% of the rides are on flat or moderate hills with the remainder being steep hills...
I'm just a bit breathless for the 80% -- but on the steep inclines I go as hard as I can.
Great results from this in terms of overall fitness - I play a lot of ice hockey in the winter and I found this base really helped... previously I was all about HIIT... that clearly was not working.
I also do partial Body Pump classes from Les Mills online. One day I'll do chest back and some abs... another day arms and abs... I can complete that in less than 15 minutes.. and it's great for strength
Like jogging trails, gravel bike rides are also great whole body vibrational therapy which helps stimulate the lymphatic system
Awesome!
Thank you for the post Chris. It helped me refocus my main workouts. I was probably doing, or shooting for Zone 3 - possible but difficult to talk - more often than necessary. What I'm working on is how to exercise without over-exerting. I have been athletic for 50 years. In my late 40s early 50s, I did competitive cycling on top of a very difficult work schedule and in the process fried my ability to recover, getting to heart arrhythmias. I had to back off for 5 years - just walking during that time period - before I could do anything resembling a work out. It's 5 years after that and I can do Zone 2 3x/week (by perceived exertion) and one strength training day. The great challenge is if I hit Zone 3 or 4 for anything but the shortest period of time, it affects my sleep - which is my radar for overexerting. Balance is a challenge for someone who typically overdoes it.
Nice. Glad you’re hitting your stride and that this helped you focus. Thanks for sharing!
Loving this! Said "Me too" when I reached:
> San Millán argues that zone 2 is the most critical exercise for metabolic health. He judges metabolic health by how dependent your mitochondria are on anaerobic glycolysis. He says there are two types of people who display poor metabolic health by this definition: diabetics, and people who only do bodybuilding and high-intensity interval training.
Whoa. I felt like that was a direct stab at me
Haha yes, I’m sure many people in our circles would react with me too!
I keep getting "humbled down" by how what I was once so sure of is revealed to be yet another error.
I've been using the Maffetone formula, which has my max aerobic HR at 134. I only kept it there for 20 min b/c my calves were getting tired, and it was also boring. However, I have a treadmill that can do incline, so adjusting the incline induces changes probably faster than adjusting the speed does. I tweak both. If the HR isn't accurate, that sucks b/c I'm not getting a lactate meter--I can barely get enough blood to come out for a blood glucose meter.
I would try to validate it with the perceived exertion while talking.
Very cool to see your lactate meter data up against your first person experience. I've been focusing all of my gym cardio on zone 2 (recumbent bike) for about 4 years and my ice hockey performance has been leaps and bounds better for it. I don't get dead legs after shifts and am playing better at 41 than I was at 31.
I typically shoot for the heart rate minus age range and try to sustain as long as possible (usually 25-35 mins) but I do agree that we should test out higher HR ranges to understand if we're capable of more. Thanks as always for all your hard work!
You’re welcome and thanks for sharing!
Sorry, I didn't mean to negate anything else you might be devoting your time to (and I particularly appreciate and applaud what I saw of your covid involvement!). It's just that, despite having numerous books on Vitamins and Supplements, I am looking forward to YOUR book on the topic. Keep up the great work!
Thank you!
For your neck and shoulder issues, have you considered weaning yourself off of a pillow and mattress? Also, I don't know what features your office treadmill has but increasing the incline could help, as would carrying a bit of weight, while you max out the 4mph. Just a thought.
Good point though I might switch to rowing sooner than later.
I am in no condition to wean off a pillow but I benefit most from some exercises lying flat on a foam roller.
Neck/postural stuff here as well and fast walking doesn’t get me to zone two reliably either - but I’ve added rucking (Peter speaks about rucking as does the wonderful “Comfort Crisis”) and it’s been a game changer. Due to the neck stuff I don’t use a traditional ruck, rather a hip carry with weight. Perhaps adding something like that could give your treadmill more life! Please report back with the rowing experiment results!
I had never heard the word rucking but I looked it up and that sounds like it could give me some more uses of my treadmill!
I can't tell you how good the timing was on this topic for me.
I also had pretty much discarded moderate intensity cardio in favor of weights and HIIT. But my most recent blood work showed A1C of 5.8 (which used to be okay, but is now pre-diabetic as they keep lowering the ranges). I've never had a problem with A1C before, and I'm not overweight. I'm only 5'1" and 114 lbs. I've gained about 10 lbs of muscle in the past year with intense glute workouts.
Right after I read this, I started doing 20 minutes a day at a moderate pace on my rower. I hope that's the key to my fitness that I have been lacking.
Interesting, let us know if it impacts the A1c!
Zone 2 is my mainstay. Not out of effort, but out of enjoyment. I don't like gadgetry, I feel it takes the fun out of things. I feel like my heart knows when it's hitting the wall on zone 2 and it's where I back off. I don't do experimental drugs nor take supplements or prescriptions. I'm happy to stay in this control group for the rest of my life and am curious how I will fare. So as long as I manage stress well, and try not to eat just because I see someone else eating, my weight stays stable. If I keep a busy mind and activity, intermittent fasting comes naturally. I am a sampler. Right now, we are spoiled by being able to experience so many different types of food. I don't know how long this will last, but I intend to enjoy it while I can. By sampling, I feel like I receive an adequate mix of fuel my body needs to fend off the sniffles and flu. If you live below average income for a substantial amount of time, you realize you can do a whole lot even with the basics. I prefer moving rock, bricks, dirt, feed outside and trails, grassland, and dirt roads over the gym and pavement. I can laugh at myself because practicing humility means you have the ability to see people as equals. I feel beauty in rain, sun, wind, snow, salt, waves, sand, and dirt. With each passing day, I value my camping equipment more and more. I pray for everyone. I don't have my act together, but I am trying.
Very cool, thanks for sharing. I’m looking to get more back to nature as well. But also love measuring and experimenting.
Very true, people are all different :-) and there are plenty of people who love tracking progress and beating goals, I get it
I am just starting to learn about zone 2 training, but I'm curious if you think adding light dumbbells to your hands(Ala heavy hands) might make it so your treadmill might be useful again?
Great article and sharing.
About 3 years ago, after reading Maffetone's book, I followed his recommendation to train at 180 - age as max HR (MAF method), and stay near that value minus 5 range. I did it while cycling. I also have a powermeter on my road bike, which is for me the best tool to measure the effort and compare it over time.
It tooks months to see progression - 5 to 8 months - but the gains are now acquired and they have changed me completely.
I now correlate those months at MAF with cardio zone 2. At the time, riding at this HR was easy enough... but nowadays it would be a somehow tough workout that I could hold for 2 hours max maybe. When I started I could cycle for hours, with an average power output of about 170-180 W. If I repeat the exercise today, I would be somewhere 240-250 W.
Maffetone was all about defining the right workout to help the heart muscles developed whereas any specific workout we usually do focuses on skeletal muscles, but once done those muscles are at rest while your heart is still pumping blood, admit at a lower frequency but still beeing active.
I totally support the importance of cardio zone 2 👍
Chris, have you heard about Maffetone?
This may come from left field, but would D-Ribose supplementation at 5 grams/day throw a wrench in your lactate measurement?
I don’t understand your question.
Have you tried the MAF method for staying in zone 2? It worked pretty well for me, I can definitely go for 1-2 hours doing that.
https://philmaffetone.com/180-formula/
I have not. Thanks!
In general, it looks like you were comfortable exercising at 1 mmol/L of blood lactate, and with small incremental effort, you would jump to closer to 2 mmol/L. Subjectively, how did those two states feel to you? I assume that someone who runs for long durations comes to associate these lactate levels with certain sensations, and they can use this as biofeedback to increase or decrease their effort during exercise.
I could not tell the difference at all between the 0.1 mph on either side of the lactate threshold. I would say it felt like I was expending enough effort that initially I felt I wouldn’t be able to go for an hour but eventually they turned out to be easy. But I didn’t do the “talk test” which is supposed to be the most accurate way to subjectively assess rate of perceived exertion.
I wonder whether wearing a mask whilst exercising would restrict oxygen and bring you into Zone 2 without needing to buy another machine?
It would definitely raise lactate but I’m not sure that would produce quite the same spectrum of responses and I have no desire to gain that skill. I do wonder if people who wanted to do altitude training could get some of the benefits more easily that way. However I’m not going to buy a machine, I’m going to join a local gym. I ultimately want to try this with rowing anyway.
Ah Chris, I used to cox one of top eights in the UK back in the day and we did a ton of gentle rowing, interspersed with some pretty intense stuff too. Takes me back. Enjoy.