The five zones
Zones are bands of effort, usually set from your maximum and resting heart rate. Here is a worked example using the Karvonen method.
How to mix them
150–300 minof moderate activity a week (WHO)
75–150 minof vigorous activity is an alternative
80%easy, 20% hard is a common endurance split
Find your zone by feel
No monitor? Use the talk test
1EasyYou can hold a full conversation.
2SteadySentences, with the odd breath.
3HardA few words at a time.
4Very hardTalking isn’t happening.
Key takeaways
- Keep most cardio easy, a little genuinely hard
- Aim for 150–300 minutes of moderate activity a week
- The talk test works when you have no monitor
Sources
- World Health Organization. Guidelines on physical activity and sedentary behaviour, 2020.
- Karvonen MJ et al. The effects of training on heart rate. Ann Med Exp Biol Fenn, 1957.
- Seiler S. What is best practice for training intensity and duration distribution in endurance athletes? IJSPP, 2010.