Training zone calculation

I began by reading "The Heart Rate Monitor Book for Cyclists" by Sally Reed.

She has a lot of practical info and workout suggestions for road and stationary bike training with a monitor.

The formulaic approach to calculating max heart rate didn't work for me... I'm 45 years old, and worked up to 196 bpm after an hour of intervals on a stationary bike, using a polar heart monitor.

Using that max, I've trained all season and ride comfortably over 100 miles at 145 bpm, or roughly 75%.

Breaking into the 160's on hillclimbs doesn't concern me too much. If I remain in that zone, 80% and up, for too long, the lactic acid builds up, my legs ache, and recovery takes days longer.

This is my first year training with a monitor, and now I'm addicted to it. It paces me more effectively than any other tool, and helps me avoid adductor muscle cramps which routinely plagued me in past seasons.

Sally's book is good reading, though it is a bit chart-heavy by the end. I still found it to be a big help.

Good riding to you!

Steve

I'll throw in some props for Friel's book, the Cyclist's Training Bible. He outlines the 3 basic methods: RPE, Heart Rate, and Power Monitoring. I'm not an electronics guy, so I basically only identify 3 training intensities. I could do better, but I'm just beginning and it's not critical for me.

I do throw on the monitor on long hill climbs though, because I know I can hit and hold 90%, any more and I pop.

I used a dutch book called " prestatie wielertraining"

In the book the following training zones were specified, all based on the MLss
(Maximum Lactate Steady State). In the book the Mlss is calculated as 91% of your maximum heart rate (in my case 195, through polar predict). Based on these numbers my MLss is 177. The following training zones are determined:

Zone H (recovery zone) 60-75% MLss) 106 - 133
Zone D1(Duration Training) (75-85% MLss) 133 - 150
Zone D2(Intensive duration training (85-95% MLss) 150 - 168
Zone D3(MLSS Training) (95-100% MLss) 168 - 177
Zone W (Resistance Training) (100+% MLss) 177 +

I loaded these zones into my polar s720 and made a simple training program:
based on training time in the D2 zone (duration training) and training time in the D3 zone (interval training) which works for remaining "explosive".

As far as your question, I agree that I read a lot of different approaches in how these zones are calculated. I think it is important to realize that heart rate is variable and therefore these zones are actually variable to outside factors, such as sleep, nutrition etc...

btw this is a graph of training: 3 intervals of MLss training (3x10 minutes, with 10 minute complete recovery).

[IMG]baslenssen.nlharstlag2.jpgOpen ↗[/IMG]

First, trying to get precise and finite with training zones based on a HR monitor is sort of like trying to make a precise cut with an axe. Second, below about 75% of max HR zone definitions don't matter much. The key line of demarcation is whether the intensity of the training effort calls for a recovery day or not. I think that line of demarcation is roughly 75% of max HR. Above the line, the zones matter because they affect what components of your endurance abilities are being stressed and will therefore be enhanced. I like Andy Coggan's definition of zones and training programs in "Training and Racing Using a Power Meter: An Introduction." While this was written for PM users, he defines the training zones with HRs as well. For a different approach, you should also read cyclingnews.comfitnessOpen ↗. Ric's approach is different because the driver is a maximum effort to exhaustion rather than a 40K TT effort. Whichever system you use, the answer is pretty much the same: if you want to ride faster, you have to spend a lot of minutes in the rare air of high intensity efforts, followed by recovery days.