How & Why to Get Weekly "Zone 2" Cardio Workouts | Dr. Andrew Huberman
Dr. Andrew Huberman explains the importance of Zone 2 cardio for overall health and how to incorporate it into your weekly routine.
Dr. Andrew Huberman is a tenured professor of neurobiology and ophthalmology at Stanford University School of Medicine and host of the Huberman Lab Podcast.
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Cycling is great for zone 2. I’ve made it my primary means of transit, and while it took some time to adapt to that norm, it’s now second nature for me to ride everywhere.
Cycling to work was the one best thing I did for my health and fitness - all my ‘training’ was a bonus on top. I’m now WFH and the change is huge, a still do the ‘training’ but with out that bike two times a day it doesn’t touch the sides - keep it up mate !
Is stationary cycling counted?
@@oddinary30 Lol yes zone 2 is a heart rate zone
@@oddinary30Yes, of course. In fact, stationary cycling can be even better than "normal" cycling if you're doing this kind of structured training, because you can just do your training in a very predictable fashion, whereas there are many variables in traditional cycling, such as hills. I for one am really competitive, so I often sprint race against cars at green lights, even though I really shouldn't, just to name one example.
best to use a trainer for zone 2 cycling. too much starting and stopping on the streets, along with inclines and declines
Sending a virtual hug to you Andrew. You’ve helped me through so many things this year from mental health to physical health. I’m the healthiest I’ve ever been and finally feel empowered with the accurate information I need to continue on this upward spiral. 🎉 thanks for all you do.
All the best petebagi :) Which of his stuff have helped you out the most, particularly with respect to mental health ? David Goggins' video was of great help to me.
You try the cold showers and sunlight in the AM? It's so painful, but feels amazing afterwards. Better than a cup of coffee!
I love this!! It spoke to my spirit!! Let's get it done!!!
This reminds me of the movie "Back to the Future Part 3", where Doc Brown is back in the western time period 🤠 and is trying to explain what life is like in 1985, where people "run for fun" or exercise. Before the need of the 9 to 5 office job or just modern life in general, most people were on a circadian rhythm clock, got their vitamin D from the sun, plants and meat, did "Zone 2" cardio and resistance training daily and were probably relatively healthy under their harsher circumstances. They may not have had clean drinking water all the time but ours needs to be filtered from tap for microplastics, pharmaceuticals, heavy metals, pesticides, etc. Fun movie, doesn't get old. 🎬
I roller skate 3 hours x two sessions every week. Love skating. I also do 3 days callisthenics with resistance training. 58 years old.
I do Strength Training, HIIT, Tabata, Power Walks and sometimes when I feel energised I'd go for a short run. I always thought that my Power Walks are not considered real Zone 2 exercises 😊 and I'm lacking Zone 2 work so I'm glad to hear it they actually are. I love my 1h Power Walks in the evenings after dinner, when I go outside and listen to some science backed podcasts or blast some music. Thank you 😉 Loving HubermanLab content ❤️
I have no clue how to find my zone 2
@@noxuification I personally think that as long as you do different types of exercise with various pace/heart rate you should be fine 👊 Don't get discouraged and most importantly have fun! 😉
At my normal walk speed I blast past "power walkers", be sure to actually exert some effort. Even though I walk at a high speed I don't consider it zone 2. I think the main benefit of walking is not that it's zone 2, but that you're not sitting down on your butt.
@@treali I find my power walks doing great for my mental health and blood glucose plus when I get home and sit down I can see my resting heart rate going down to 47bpm, feeling relaxed for sure 😌 🙌 Even though it's maybe not true Zone 2 nevertheless it serves me well. And I agree. Whatever movement you do is much better than sitting on your butt 😉 right?!
Power walks probably stay in zone 1. Depends on the person.
I dislocated my right shoulder so Zone 2 on the assault bike and jogging helps me maintain my athleticism. Also I feel it has speeded up my recovery.
Doc you are truly really out there giving us some of the best info!
Zone 2 is a fantastic base layer for overall health. I did four to five Z2 a week all last winter. My first mountain bike ride in the spring was better than my best ride in from the last fall. My Stamina and HR recovery was so much better after those punchy climbs & sprints.
fout to five a week of homany minutes each tho
@@GoGoGadgetGiveadamn According to Andrew Huberman, the science says 150-200 minutes of zone 2 per week minimum to achieve the longevity and health benefits.
@@GoGoGadgetGiveadamn I did 45 min to an hour per session.
Thank you for doing these clips! I love your full episodes but it get lost in the depth of information
Huberman delivers when required the mosttt
Love it. Thanks for the great information as always 🔥
For most of my life I exercised 5-6 days a week, mixing strength, Hiit, basketball and endurance. Then depression hit me and I almost stopped everything for close to a year. I was so afraid to lose all the muscle and performance I built for decades. Recently I've been feeling better and started training regulary again and to my surprise my physique dont disappear completely, I still look fit compared to general people even though I probably lost more than half of my muscle and performance. Also my body bounced back pretty quickly as well. What I didnt realized during that year I spent 1-2 hours a day taking care of 9 stray cats I adopted and those were definitely a zone 2 exercise 1-2 hours a day, 7 days a week. Im just sharing my experience so people who are very busy, currently not in the best condition, or in a mental struggle and lost all motivation can do this kind of activity. Then when youre back to your own self you would be thankful. Keep fighting everyone, youre stronger than you thought.
Learning about zone 2 has changed my life in terms of running. I was running to fast. Such an easy thing but I think ego has something to do with it. Now I've slowed down and do one small run a week and a 8 mile run every week. Before I didn't think it was possible.
That's an interesting perspective shift, because if you don't look at your zone 2 cardio as training or a workout you can easily stop to smell the roses or to admire the view from whereever you are with that mindset, instead of pushing through aggressively if it's a workout. That's such an incredible trick, because it allows you to get all the benefits, but still lets you stay soft and loving while doing it. It also allows you to give up with no hesitation if you do notice that you have injured yourself; because when you're injured durring your time in nature because you love it you'd go home and let your body heal while if the same thing happened under the umbrella of training you'd be way more likely to push through and at least finish what you've started. The only thing holding you back to not cancle your time in nature is the actual love for it, instead of like this whole mental toughness thing. It's like going to the shops: if you need milk you still really want to get it, but if you're injured you're going to take it way easier and potentially find another solution. That's such a powerful take.
My grandfather, born in the 1890s, got his zone 2 cardio via his work as a lead miner, after the mines closed, he was a carpenter and painter. After a day's work, he came home and helped my grandmother maintain their small farm, which included their chickens, pigs, and a few cows as well as the garden because they raised most of their food. He lived into his 90s, and thought working out was a strange concept.
They don’t make them like they used to. That was a hardworking man no doubt.
😂 why workout when you can just labor the farm lol.
This works out to be at least 40min per day over 5 days. This is reassuring, as many people can do a foot commute to work instead of taking the bus/train.
Great simple tips! Plus I would add If people don't know what their true ZONE TWO session is ...get a test as with PNOE or we used Phil Maffetone's MAF formula for 20-30 years as most people are really in their zone three. Plus women don't need as much of zone 2 than man - as per Dr. Stacy Sims research she shared recently. One day a week doing a longer outdoor in nature Zone 2 cardio is a realistic goal for most (most times of the year!).
Gracias Gracias Gracias thanks for all the information you share
I recommend getting Kolie Moore on to discuss Zone 2. He’s definitely on the ball on this subject!
I work on the 5th floor and started taking the stairs everytime instead of the lift. By week 4, I could see a massive improve already in my respiratory capacity
Lovely work you do, lovely explanations, Andrew. Thank you! I'm trying to hit the gym 3 days for week and add outdoor activities in the week end days. I'm also using a Garmin device and i noticed, during the gym days, it double my time as worked out based on the intensity of the activity (eg. in a 52 minutes training session it calculates 11 minutes - moderate activity + 42x2 minutes - intense activity). The 3 sessions lead to 300ish minutes of total activity... My question is: should i rely on these measurements? Are they = with the 200 you mentioned in your video? Thx!
I basically go for a daily walk through the woods with my Nordic walking sticks which increases my rate probably puts me at the lower end of zone 2, but then there are steps that I'll do which brings me up. Could certainly focus on going faster to make sure I'm staying in zone 2 but a daily 50 minute walk should be something everybody could do, it shouldn't be something that's hard to fit into one's schedule. And if it is you might rethink your schedule
Walking is zone 1. Unless you're speed walking.
Did you even watch the video?@@mav3ric100
@@mav3ric100walking is zone 2 for people who aren’t very fit. If you’re fit, it’s prob on the high end of 1. Hiking or incline walking is zone 2 for everyone.
Zone 2 Cardio, that's like the 1 hour brisk walking that I (oh-so easily) do around the park when it's empty, getting my average HR to 120+ Cool. Gonna do more of it now. It also helps burn all the excess calories while still not being enough to impede my hypertrophy training or recovery. Thanks, Andrew!
Brisk walk is usually zone 1… unless it’s on incline or weighted. At least according to my Apple Watch
@@Ooweeeooo Depends on walking speed, body weight, height etc. A brisk walk for me at around 6 kph/3.7 mph usually ends up with Zone 2 heart rate @ 140-152 pulse.
Some people consider walking around the block as zone 2. My Polar app considers zone 2 as 117-130bpm. Peter Attia considers 140-145bpms zone 2. We're obsessed with the metric because we've heard the study that Peter Attia and others have mentioned, saying that if you do 150-200 minutes of Zone 2 cardio/week you might live forever. I don't really think it matters that much. Make sure you're doing some form of exercise 4-5 days a week. Just get out there and get sweaty!
For ne, at 48 years old, my Zone 2 heart rate range (which is 60-70% of your maximum heart rate) would be approximately 103 to 120 beats per minute. This is based off the idea that one's maximum heart rate is 220 - your age. So my max heart rate would be 178. So if you're younger, yeah you're going to have a higher zone 2, but then also if you're more fit you'll have a higher zone 2. It's not a one size fits all. But then if I went and did a stress test and got my true VO2 max and actual max heart rate, It would be more specific. But then again it all depends on one's age and conditioning level.
It literally can't matter that much. All these necessities are coming from lab studies fed to us by academics abd health care professionals trained in a corrupt system.
Worrying about getting your "zone 2 cardio" in likely is worse for you than not getting your zone 2 cardio in
I think Peter atira likes to hear his own voice
Read up on Phil maffetone please maf method is all you need to know about endurance
Would be great for you to interview Peter Attia on this subject. He has a different point of view and is much more focused on getting zone 2 as a solid uninterrupted block. I prefer your approach and it’s a relief to hear, but it’s still confusing to hear such different perspectives.
Out of everyone I have read Dr. Attia has the most comprehensive approach when it comes to exercise. I think some of these others assume the average person won't make it a priority so they give us watered down versions like this. Of course it's better than nothing but I walk around for hours at work and never get get in zone 2. I appreciate Dr. Attia for those of us that really want to make it a priority and put in the work. Most people have the time. After all the average American watches up to 4 hours of TV a day not to mention the time they spend on their butts scrolling on their phone like I am doing now😅. It's all about priorities.
I do a ton of casual zone 2 with various martial arts practices, hitting the bag slow and low for a bit or similar is good for the brain, my technique, and zone 2 cardio apparently.
Latest data I have read is that zone 4 cardio, 75+ minutes per week, has the same effect has zone 2 cardio at 150+ minutes per week. Has newer research been released in the last couple of years with different information?
Hello, I’m a new subscriber and find your videos very educational and helpful. Thank you. My question to you is I have plantar fasciitis and really can’t run but instead I walk on an incline to get my heart rate up. Would that still be considered zone 2 cardio?
Yes. Any movement, bike, eliptical etc, that gets you in the right range.
by that definition of zone 2 cardio, I get 20-60 hours of zone 2 a week because of my job. My understanding of zone 2 is it needs to be 60% to 75% of your maximum heart rate and I'm not sure if I could get my heart rate to even 60% walking unless it's up a long steep hill.
How does Zone 2 relate to fat burning? If the glycogen levels in the liver and muscles are full, will the body still burn fat or will it first deplete its glycogen levels and only then burn fat? Thanks!
But isn’t the definition of zone 2 cardio that a person’s heart rate gets within a certain range, which is widely debated from being within 60-70% max heart rate or more along Attia’s thoughts of 75% of a person’s heart rate? My walking, even at a faster than normal pace, gets my heart rate at around 50% which isn’t zone 2.
What’s your max heart rate?
I was thinking exactly this.
Summary: Andrew Huberman discusses the importance of Zone 2 cardio, recommending 150 to 200 minutes per week for cardiovascular and overall health. He shares his personal approach, incorporating a weekly slow jog or hike lasting 60 to 90 minutes, emphasizing nasal breathing and outdoor exposure. Huberman mentions his discussion with Dr. Andy Galpin, who reassures that Zone 2 cardio is crucial for health and can complement other fitness aspects. Galpin suggests viewing it as part of daily activities, like brisk walking, carrying groceries, or engaging in work discussions while pacing. Huberman highlights the flexibility of integrating Zone 2 cardio into daily life, providing relief for busy individuals. The key message is to accumulate 200 minutes of Zone 2 cardio weekly, with Huberman setting the minimum threshold at 200 minutes. He emphasizes that it doesn't necessarily have to be scheduled treadmill time and can be seamlessly integrated into daily movements. Huberman shares his shift in perspective, considering his outdoor activities as movement rather than structured exercise, allowing for a more enjoyable approach to fitness.
When I zone 2 train I can see a massively significant difference in my HRV and my resting HR. coupled with HIIT it’s the cardiovascular ultimate cycle, everything improves massively.
What is your weekly training regime??
i'm sadly in the phantom zone currently and they do not allow any exercise equipment there, i'd like to get top zone 2 but as i'm outside the space/time continuum, i'm not sure i'll be able to get there, to make things worse apparently no ones ever escaped the phantom zone just found out the other day, so feeling pretty bummed out.
Seems somewhat dilutive, e.g. going for a walk or unloading the groceries doesn't approximate zone2 training benefits (for me at least). I'll stick with 3x week zone2 (spin/rucking) + and 1x week HIIT and resistance training, Zone2 training also minimizes any chance of injury, which can be a devastating setback.
If i have my workouts on workdays, i have 25-30k steps a day, i also have 4-5 workouts a week. This would go for those 200 minutes sone 2 cardio-sessions?
I do not even like it until I get into it about 3-6 months in. Then I love it.
I'd love to see a discussion on what general health benefits (if any) can come from zones 3 or 4. Basically, besides the extra lactic acid build-up, can you get the same benefits as zone 2 from the "grey area" zones?
Zones upto 6 are all aerobic, you simply can't do the volume of work required to build the CV system with anything above zone 2. Fatigue plays a big role in performance and zones above 2 are too fatiguing.
@@richardmiddleton7770 I'm wondering specifically about general health and not performance, and the baseline volume recommended here (in terms of minutes of zone 2) is certainly a doable for zone 3/4 (think of a couple of 5k/10k runs per week).
@@richardmiddleton7770But if you only have 30 mins for cardio per day, is it harmful to do zone 3 instead of zone 2 if you can maintain zone 3?
During a lifting workout you also get elevated heart rate. Like maybe 2 minutes for each set. Does that count as well ?
Love zone 2 training. Most of my training is zone 2. My zone 2 is 131-145
And how can you reach that HR by simply Walking?
Can I do zone two with dumbbells? Like maybe curls or benchpress for 60-90 minutes?
I run around 700min/week, 80% in Zone 2. In general a little bit more from spring to autumn, a little bit less in winter. Where I'm living the sub zero temperatures can be really hard on the lungs. For me the 60-90min after-work-run is my mental "cool down" phase. Nothing that happend during the day stays, nothing that will have to happen the next day is important yet. In other words: It's part of my mental self care and not only to stay physically fit...
My way of getting zone 2 is to walk in room while watching / listening to these podcasts / tutorials.
It is ok to do Zone 2 after Sauna? Let say after an hour (Of course after replenish all fluids too )
zones are dependent on your heart rate, and what your heart rate maximizes at during training...it is specific to YOU, so just figure it out through testing and training ...but zone 2 is typically 115-130bpm for most people
Yea and it also changes over time as you improve your cardiovascular health
Zone 2 refers to a lactate model, consisting of 6 zones, all of them defined by lactate levels. Zone 2 is typically between 65-85 of your maximum Heart rate.
My zone 2 is a sprint, unfortunately.
Do you think that zone 2 training would be a tempo pace in cycling terminology or 1 zone lower? I know threshold would be above zone 2 training.
@@normw4705 Zone 2 is easier than tempo. Tempo would be zone 3 in the Iñigo San Millan model.
I ride stationary bike every day for one hour. I level up intensity every 5 minutes until I reach level 12 then I come back down. Plus I walk 2 miles every day as well.
Can u do zone 2 after weightlifting?
Can you and/or Peter Attia please do a deep dive on the studies that show why doing about 80/20 zone 2/zone 5 is best? Why is Zone 3 not beneficial? Why is Zone 4 not beneficial? Most people, while running long or middle distance races, stay in zone 3 or zone 4 for most of the race. Why doesn't practicing in those zones help performance in those zones? And why does Peter Attia think 4 minutes of Zone 5 followed by 4 minutes of rest, repeated, is ideal, when many running coaches have different preferences for minutes of zone 5 vs minutes of rest? I've seen a lot of videos about WHAT you guys think we should do. I haven't seen a lot about why we should do cardio this way,, and based on what data.
I think you are having a conversation of performance while the zone 2 / zone 5 conversation is about health / longevity in general. You would train completely differently when trying to optimize for a sport or event than simply making your heart tick for longer.
Attia says that this 80/20 zone 2/zone 5 regimen is the key to increasing VO2 max. Increasing VO2 max most of what it takes to improve performance in endurance sports. @@kyle943
@@kyle943 I still would love to see a discussion on (for general health) whether time in zone 3/4 is can be thought of as equivalent to zone 2 in any sense but with extra recovery required. As a runner, I find trying to stay in zone 2 means going frustratingly slow and my feel good/mental health pace typically puts me in 3/4. Basically, besides the extra lactic acid build-up, can you get the same general health benefits from the "grey area" zones?
@@davidkao What I've gathered is that from an evolutionary standpoint we seem to have mechanisms that expect us to do either light movement or acute high intensity efforts. Thats why they recommend that protocol. Chronic stress is not the norm in the wild, rather, playful movement or gathering of resources until a threat shows up. There are plenty of tribes that don´t do this and they are extremely healthy, hence why the key factor is just to be active. If you are an athlete you should be fine, but if you find that you are too sedentary when not training, just walking more will get you those 200 minutes of zone 2 cardio minimum per week.
Attia discusses this in great detail in 2 podcasts with Iñigo San Milan.
My question is: if I do a HIIT (high intensive training) with the the max heart rate in zone 4 and min in zone 1 which at the end equals to avg zone 2 heart rate, will it be the same as if I make jogging in zone 2 only?
No. Not from any literature I've ever read. Supposed to be sustained somewhat easy and steady.
Nope. You are totally missing the point.
Hello! I always walk to the gym (although I’m considering doing it after gym). It’s an average of 30min. Is that zone 2 cardio? Thanks.
How high is your heart rate?
@@Harrythehun It could reach between 90 - 100
I have to take exception with a bit of this. For me and my fitness level, just moving around or going for a walk is Zone 1 or even Zone 0 cardio, not Zone 2 cardio. It would be great if we could put more of a standard definition around what Zone 2 really is. For me, it’s a 9:00-9:30 min/mile run based on heart rate and it is, in fact, exercise.
I agree. It seems to easy to water down zone 2 with a slow walk. A slow walk is more like zone 0.5 and even though it is beneficial for mental health and does get the blood moving, I don't see it really moving the needle in terms of overall fitness.
Typically its a measure of heart rate with a target around 70% of HRM. For me with a HRM around 185 I try to stay 129-138 BPM, as others state that is the level of output where I can talk to my wife if she comes in the room to ask me something or be on a phone call (although people can tell you are exercising as it shouldn't be 'easy' to do)
@@eddyjroth That's one definition, and one I was using for quite some time. Then I found that for me and my fitness level, I could get to about 78% of my measured HRM before I hit the RPE that you are talking about (which I agree with, btw). In other words, 70% of HRM is in the low end of Z2.
Why did he feel the need to make this and then give some generic fitness advice that does not involve actually doing zone 2. So many better videos out there on this subject
I was able to get my range on my Apple Watch app. The only calculators were pretty close as well.
great info…. but HOW do I get zone 2? is it the same for all? should I do some type of test or analysis to know what the HR range should be?
I think it depends on your fitness level. But generally it should be 180 minus your age. Then maybe add 5-10 if you already exercise regularly. I'm no expert though.
I play Stepmania for cardio, it's really fun and If you do it for long enough you sweat like crazy. I don't play videogames and I think there's no benefit in playing them but I make an exception for games that trick you into doing excercice
The Stair Master is great for zone 2 cardio. I personally find running very difficult. I don’t know if I have bad form or what but I feel a lot of impact while running. I also get very hot and itchy when running. Meanwhile my heart rate easily goes over 150bpm while walking up the stair master at a comfortable speed.
Ok,help me here ! I’m still confused So I’m not understanding what (bare with me guys) makes zone2 work out. Due injuries I’m on the stationary bike for about 40 to a hour 5 days a week. Some days i end with sprinting for 30sec to one minute full speed on level 10. Is this considered level 2? And does this have to be done every night?
Do you track your heart rate? Zone 2 just basically means hitting a high heart rate, that is comfortable and maintaining it. If your heart rate is too low, whatever exercise you do doesn’t count as zone 2. If you spend 40 min on the bike but your heart rate is stable at 100bpm during the workout it’s not counted as zone 2. However if you did 40 minutes on the bike and as soon as you started your heart reached 130bpm and was stable for 40 minutes you did 40 minutes of zone 2 cardio. If you hit 40 minutes of zone 2 daily, 4-5 days a week should be enough. It also depends on your age. Im 27 so for me i feel comfortable at 160bpm for 30 min straight, 5 days a week. I’ve tried doing 180bpm but I usually feel nauseous afterwards. Someone who is 70 years old only needs to hit like 110 beats per minute to be in “zone 2”.
I walk my dog 3 miles everyday at an avg 16:30/mile pace. Which feels like we’re walking pretty quickly. But I never get to Zone 2 (per my Apple Watch). I’m doing Zone 2 on the bike…is something wrong? I do have a very low resting heart rate. Or am I overshooting what Zone 2 should be?
I think your watch is right. Andrew underestimates here what it takes to stay in zone 2. Unloading the groceries will not do it. And even if it does for a few seconds, you need it sustained...
Do you think priming is a good idea ?
My zone 2 range is approximately 119 - 148 bpm. It's nearly impossible for me to get into that zone during an "everyday" activity. Even if I'm walking at an extremely brisk pace, my HR is only going to the low 90s. So unfortunately, it needs to be planned out ahead of time.
watch Inigo San-Millan videos on Z2 training. He is Tadej Pogacar's (best cyclist of our time) coach.
What do if we get those 200 minutes or more a day ?
que bueno saber que no soy la única que se habla asi misma!
My interpretation is, and I think it's worth mentioning that zone 2 He discusses in this video isn't the same on the screens of your smart watch e.g Garmin. That would be 3. I believe the threshold we should be aiming for is around 60-80% of your max heart rate. Please correct me if I'm wrong on this ?
There are zone calculators online. It considers your age, resting heart rate, max heart rate etc. It's a rough calculation but I like to have a general idea. And I also go by feel. In running it's called an "easy run" and "LSD" as in long slow distance vs say a tempo run comfortably hard which puts you in zone 3. Uncomfortably hard zone 4 then I can barely do this zone 5 like something you can do for 30 seconds max.That's how I have always understood it at least. As far as the Garmin mine shows my heart rate throughout the day. And working at a restaurant even the busiest nights never put me in zone 2. So I think it just depends on the person and how conditioned they are. The more conditioned someone is the more they have to do to elevate their heart rate. If someone is a couch potato going for a walk can put them in zone 2 vs someone that's already conditioned.
Active travel is the answer I reckon. I do my commute to work by bike means 2 birds with one stone. Nice n slow on bike and it's found time that I don't need to schedule in at gym etc.
Is it imperative that we get 200 minutes of zone 2 if we're also getting many other minutes of zone 3, 4, and 5?
Different types of mechanics and recovery times and needs
If you're an endurance athlete, zone 2 is life! However, being an athlete means you can't get into zone 2 simply walking, even fast walking. Zone 2 should be the bread and butter of any exercise regime.
Same, there's no way I could get to even 60% of my max HR walking unless it's up a steep hill. I wouldn't call myself an athlete, but I bike 5-10 hours a week and I'm also on my feet working actively 20-60 hours a week. It would be different if someone only does strength training and has a sedentary job.
If you bike 5 to 10 hours a week you are fairly athletic at least from a fitness perspective.@@cokebottles6919
Agreed but for us aging female endurance athletes - we need more sprint interval training and less chronic cardio zone 2 we have done for years (as per Dr. Stacy Sims)
Zone 2 for an athlete would be a medium level hike or incline brisk walk - my coach says
Hello Dr and others, i recently got a standing desn and treadmill for work. My estimated zone 2 HR is around 150bpm, but eakking my HR peaks around 130bp. And easy ways to get a small bump? Going faster and incling the treadmill not really possible
How about carrying a weighted backpack?
I think that you missed the "real" Zone2 training concept and intent.
Is there a minimum amount of time that maintained zone 2 is beneficial? Because you and Peter atria have talked about how it has to be consistent, not like in between hiit etc.
Depends on the person
A great rule of thumb is 45 minutes up to one hour per training session.
So for example if I lift weights 4 days a week, and do Cardio (2 hours of zone 2) once a week...Can I add the zone 2 minutes while working out in the gym to complete the 200 minutes goal?
What is your goal? Be stronger, get bigger muscles, improve your cardio endurance, or just be happy and normal in every aspect?
That’s what’s so cool about lifting/resistance training, it ends up being zone as you rest between sets.
Does doing household chores etc. count as zone 2?
By talking a brisk walk I can´t get my heart rate in to zone 2. I guess it means I have to schedule bike, running sessions etc?
Easy jogging does it
Well my zone 2 starts at 108 bpm and playing metal on my guitar is enough to achieve it. Since I play about 45min per day, I guess I don't need much walking routine :D Thoughts about that?
Heart rate is actually a proxy for the muscular/cardio load. So 108 bpm from guitar is likely due to the mental rather than physical stimulation. For example, I don’t get a cardio benefit if I go and watch a scary movie, even if my heart rate spikes. But that’s awesome that you play every day! I am also getting into guitar :)
I do roughly 180 mins HIIT, so zone 3-4 / week - that means I don't need to worry about zone 2 right?
No, totally different mechanism between HIIT and low impact training in zone two.
What is the confusion on zone 2 here? Love your stuff Andrew but both you and Attia seem to suggesting zone 2 is more of a state like “easy” than an actual number (range of numbers). But unless something changed zone 2 is a range of heart rate 60-70% of max heart rate. Am I missing something? Walking and casual exercise is certainly beneficial but I’m not sure why it’s being referred to as zone 2
exactly. just getting up off the couch and going for a walk is the best thing we can do. unless our ancestors had smart watches that said slow down guys your going to fast for the pray
Someone, watching this on his/her couch, eating chips, planning to do the excercise tomorrow, but will likely never happen.
okay so as a restaurant server some days i am very busy and i am walking, pivoting at full speed for pretty much 6 hours. does this count as zone 2 cardio ? i am assuming the answer is yes --
Me too but I never get into zone 2 at work. If you took someone who sits all day and never does any kind of exercise our job may put them in zone 2. It's all relative and depends on how conditioned you are, lifestyle,age etc.
Idk but many with intensive work seldom need more training, they need more recovery and strength.
What heart rate range is Zone 2?
Hm interesting this does not align with the fact that you have to stay in zone 2 for minimum 30min for every training session. As someone who runs in zone 2 I think there is a lot of merit in the 30 min rule.
I would love to hear Andrew speak about Rebounding/mini tramp. I’m sure he’ll never see this comment but maybe since NASA did research on this he might one day, hopefully sooner than later, speak on the topic.
I bicycle back and for from my office. It's about half an hour a day totally and now it's an habit
I don’t see how it’s even possible achieving zone 2 cardio with the daily routine examples he mentioned. I was confused about that one 🤔
Thx for a very informative video // Running channel RunMinded
On top of training I walk my dogs for 2 hrs everyday. Heart rate will be in that zone 2 level 👍Great to have it confirmed!
I really don't get it: for example: Tennis Players fo not do extra zone 2 work right? I mean is just playing tennis low intensity doesn't count as "zone 2" work? It might definetely have effects on my heart and mitocondria even it's not steady state "boring" meovement (for me) like jogging or cycling
wouldnt walking around be more so in zone 1? zone 2 should be around 140 bpm. how is someone walking around gonna reach those heart rates?
It depends on the individual and their fitness level. Using specific workouts is a proxy for actual measurements of your heart rate. Being able to measure your heart rate will always be better to determine what you personally should do to reach a specific zone
Yeah especially if you're fit. I can see fat people getting heavy on breathing from brisk walking but for fit people, brisk walking is barely an exercise.
In the discussion with Andy Galpin, he mentions that (if I recall correctly) that he considers the heart rate zones to be contrived and prefers to think about exertion in terms of breathing, specifically gears in a car. 1st gear is nasal breathing associated with light activity ie walking or doing house chores; 2nd gear is nasal breathing but at a higher rate ie jogging, chopping wood, or moving moderately heavy items; 3rd gear and beyond is nose to mouth or full on mouth breathing ie sprinting, moving heavy items rapidly, or working at or near full capacity.
There's alot of comments about being in or out of zone 2 with walking. It seems some people are missing the point, it doesn't matter whether you are walking or jogging, your heart doesn't know which it's doing. It's about being in that 60-70% HRmax. For some that's jogging, for me that's walking (I am 47, training for an ultra marathon, have HRmax of 187, bench and squat 220lbs so considered 'fit' by most). We are all different, and have different ways of getting our HR in zone 2
Does time also spent in zone 3, 4, and 5 count towards time in zone 2?
No different mechanisms
What you are describing is not zone 2 from what I have been researching. The jog is the only thing you have described correctly.
What is the best method to calculate training zones?
Many out there. Best and most accurate are those made by professional sports medicine test centres, with the essential equipment. The hardest part is to find out your maximum heart rate. Most of us don't train/test in zone 5.
i wonder how y'all manage to maintain running within zone 2, any advice?
When it starts feeling too hard I just slow down. I think I use to run in zone 3 a lot. Now I make a conscious effort to slow down.
Get a watch or something that can measure your heart rate and if possible with clear visualisation and sound effects to confirm your heart rate. Then go out and train 45 up to one hour a couple of times a week.
I walk for 1 hour every day of the week so am getting 420 minutes minimum of movement, however this is Zone 1 work majoritively . Am I missing out on the benefits of zone 2 cardio?
Yes
I am not training to be an athlete. I want to be deliberately working on a good health span. I follow the exercise pattern that Peter Attia has mentioned.
The long and short of it - pick up a racquet sport. Play - Badminton, Tennis or Sqaush. Chances of injury are minimal. You can play at your own pace(find a partner of similar calibre). You don’t need a big team(only 2 or 4 people). It’s fun… That’s it….thats what everyone needs to get started. You can add other things to it once this has become a routine… I would first add freehand exercises like squats, tricep dips, pushups, planks .. …then, other strength training…other cardio like walking/running… etc etc…
If you get into zone 2 by walking around your office you've got issues
I went for a 3 mile hike around my neighborhood with 30lb weight vest mile pace of 17 mins and was only Zone 1. I guess I need to walk a lot faster to get my heart rate up.
my problem with this is I'm fat (male, 37yo), I'm trying to lose weight, I started to do a ton of walking. I was a smoker for over 20 years (from 15 to 36) and my VO2 max is absolute trash. Here's the problem: when I walk at my comfortable speed, which is now quite faster than it used to be a couple of months ago, I walk for let's say 30 minutes and the exercise app on my Samsung watch declares that I was half the time in zone 3 and other half in zone 4. Even though I felt absolutely comfortable, no heavy breathing, didn't feel my heart racing (even though the watch measured heart rates in zones 3 and 4). Should I focus on my speed all the time and walk real slow just to stay in the zone 2 for maximum fat loss, or should I ignore the numbers and just walk the way it feels natural?
You sure your watch is correct? Getting into zone 3 or 4 by walking seems very suspect to me, even if you are very out of shape. Wishing you all the best on your weight loss journey!
115-130 ish BPM is not achieved for me by walking or doing daily tasks. I barely get that high playing pickleball. I get up to 165 easily during HIIT workouts 1-2 times a week.
For most people watching this, just putting the weights in their place when you go to the gym and that will get you your zone 2 cardio and it contributes to a better gym envoirement
LOL, gym ettiquette for me is only zone1, maybe because I do it regularly
@@zone2training It is for me as well, I might have over exagerated haha, but definititely keep your gym etiquette!
@@luciocastro1418as a personal trainer who works in a gym I concur put your bloody weights away after use 😂
My zone 2 is 153/170. Is my watch broke?