Training with potentiometer. Training zone What does it mean?

In the fourth installment of our series of articles “Training with potentiometer“, we are going to discuss about the training zone and what each one of them means. If you haven't read them yet first articles We recommend you do it. 

Do you want to start training with a potentiometer and you don't know how? It is the first part. If you are already aware and were waiting for "Training Zones" keep reading. 

We already teach you to calculate training zones,a fundamental requirement for those who wish to train with potentiometer. You also need to know the different energy systems We are going to train to improve our performance.

Training specifically with power meters and riding at a certain power is not complete training, you have to know each of the training zones and what is the use of training in each of them. 

Training areas

Training zones they are used to give an athlete an established intensity to which he must be working during an activity. They can, for example, complete intervals in 'zone 2' for 60 minutes.

Training by zones is important because it means that cyclists can be sure that they are working hard enough during intervals, they are working at adequate performance for the required duration, and they are pedaling smoothly on recovery rides.

Training zone 1. Active recovery

This is the zone of recovery, easy driving, conversation rate, low heart rate, power, etc.

Compared to full recovery (i.e., not riding), an active recovery walk increases lactate clearance after maximum exercise (Martin, 1998). 

Then, by driving easily between intervals, or the day after a hard effort, recovery improves compared to complete rest.

If you are an athlete who studies or has a family and you want to spend time with them you can take a walk in this area with your children after an intense training.

My rule of thumb for active recovery trips is that they last 1 hour or less, are on flat ground, and involve only the small crown.

They can be done on the way to a cafeteria and should never be 'forced', that is, mounted in 'no fun' climates.

Training zone 2. Resistance

It is extremely valuable for your training. To ride from 2 to 6 hours in Zone 2 and it is the first step in training an athlete to compete in races or events of similar duration. 

When riding in zone 2, athletes can train their body to burn fat instead of muscle glycogen. 

It's important not to go too hard in zone 2 training. For long zone 2 training rides, often the “magical adaptation” doesn't start until the last hour of the ride (hour 3 of a 3 hour ride).

Training zone 3. Tempo

Tempo training It is prescribed as sustained efforts of 7 to 60 minutes. An example of tempo training is 4 x 10 minutes in Tempo and 5 minutes of recovery.

It is more difficult than zone 2 training and, therefore, achieves greater physiological adaptation.

Many times, road races start with a lot of tempo and, therefore, athletes must be able to produce 60-240 minutes of tempo power and still be able to fight for top positions.

Training zone 4. Lactate threshold

Are regularly maximum sustained efforts of 7 to 30 minutes duration. The threshold intervals are presented in the following forms:

The intervals in Zone 4 are beneficial for all cyclists, especially cyclists looking for a time trial specialty, thes mountain bikers and climbers.  

This training advice focuses on the importance of going as hard as possible, but also of using your power meter to do it correctly from start to finish.

Training zone 5. V02 Max

Zone five is very difficult and would be considered sprint training . This has obvious benefits for road racers, but it could also be used by time trial runners trying to increase their neuromuscular power.

Short reps in hills of less than two minutes would be a good option here.

These are very intense efforts, characterized by a maximum power that ranges between three and six minutes, 106 - 120% of FTP.

 The efforts are extremely difficult, they generate fatigue, but they are also some of the most beneficial and specific but they require some rest days in our training plan.

Training zone 6. Anaerobic capacity

A Zone 6 interval training for beginners, intermediate and professionals looks like the following:

Training zone 7. Neuromuscular power

Sprint training It forces physiological adaptations to increase neuromuscular power, recruit more motor units, hypertrophy of more type II fibers and improve recruitment synchrony.

The efforts of the training zone 7 they are very short, less than twenty seconds and at the highest intensity. They are known as sprints or Tabata intervals of 20 seconds.

In the following article we will have something very special for you. If you have any questions or suggestions you can contact me by this means or by my Instagram account.

Written by: Berthy Perez Lases