I love your idea of making a Zone 2 training a kind of adventure. What drives me crazy is the intense traffic at my place & there are too many traffic lights that interrupt my flow.
Can be very frustrating - I’ve starting making my weekend runs destination focused and driving to places to get away from such things, rather than just starting from the front door!
I’m getting back into running as recovery after a knee dislocation nearly a year ago. I’m following a couch to 5k style program to start with the goal of a 25k trail race utmb snowdon. With added carb powder and electrolytes while in the gym This sort of advice I find very beneficial. Thank you
When I wasn’t in shape I thought my zone 2 was about 150bpm, based on talk test, nose breathing, and 180-age. However when I got a lab test, it was about 113bpm. Over the next few months, with tons of walking then jogging, I got it up to where it actually was 150bpm. The non lab tests can be very inaccurate depending on the individual
@@HaiLeQuang This is actually great because you can do a lot of walking every day without fatiguing. You can do a slow jog down the hills and walk up the hills to keep your HR consistent and stay in z2.
This is a great starting point, but for effective race pacing/strategy in training and on event day - having access to multiple metrics/points of reference is very useful.
Fergus and I are trying this new fad called uh, Jogging. I believe it is 'Jogging' or 'Yogging', it may be a soft J, im not sure. Apparently you just run (really slowly) for an extended period of time...
I think the talk test and nasal breathing are the two things I use most despite having a heart rate monitor. If I can say ‘can I do do the talk test? Yes I can do the talk test’ at a reasonable pace and without huge difficulty and I can maintain nasal breathing then I’m pretty certain that I’m in the correct zone. I’d rely on this over my heart rate data any day because factors such as heat can have a real effect on HR which isn’t necessarily relevant when looking at blood lactate (and therefore zone 2). I also find that beginners will often have higher heart rate despite being within a good conversational pace, which isn’t something I’d be concerned about at all.
I'm a huge fan of going off feel as well - but that's refined through years of practice. I've found a lot of people need data to shock them into realising what easy truly is, and thus learning/feeling what the talk test actually looks like (Crossfitters especially...) As you've mentioned, there are lots of variables, and understanding how all of them influence our pacing/effort through a variety of methods or parameters is a useful exercise for us all.
Keep at it! And don’t be afraid to utilise inclines/step machines/stationary bikes etc - all great ways to improve efficiency without as much impact 🤌🏼
you should. i started brand new to running 3 months ago, and my MAF pace @135BPM was only around 10:30min/km, so basically fast walking speed. now its down to 8:10-8:20min/km , so ive been improving significantly over this last months. still somewhat slow, but atleast now i feel like i am jogging faster then i can walk :)
Just ignore the zones, just walk and jog whatever you like where you are able to talk. This needs a serious time to devellop some condition to get that heartrate lower over time.
I have a question. When you start out with zone 2 training what should be your cadance? Because in NO WAY I can keep 160-170 steps/min when running at 8:45min/km (or 14.06 min/mile). Everytime I tried to pick up cadance, doesn't matter if I almost stood still, the 'jumping' pattern spiked my heartrate to 170+.
My zone 2 pace is 7min per km and my cadence is around 155 for that pace. I think taller people also have lower running cadence (I'm over 190cm). As long as you're not over striding, cadence shouldn't really be something you need to be concerned about
Questio. How does running/zone 2 training translate to basketball wherein you need different levels of speed? Will zone 2 build a good enough cardio base for sports?
Breathing through your nose is a none starter if you have narrow nasal passages. I'm uncomfortable just walking breathing through my nose. I could of got them fixed but couldn't afford the time off to do so.
Am I missing something, or does my watch not calculate my heart rate zone during an activity ? Therefore the formulas and heart rate monitor is not required?
My zone two run is this weird pace between a walk a jog. I feel stupid, probably look stupid but if I go any slower my heart rate plummets and anything close to something that looks like a job and I go straight to zone three/four. :(
That's called a lineman trot. Old football term. It's when all the lineman make the motions as if we're actually running, but we're really moving at a walking pace. 😂
Hi Fergus I'm new to the business of training . Looking to build muscle and endurance. I'm I better to slip the weight training for the cardio day at first till I build a good base??
Will I put on a weight vest and go walking I consider it to be zoned 2.5 because of course you can still carry a conversation your heart rate is elevated but it's less impact on the joints. I also prefer doing conditioning work but I do like running here and there. I would rather watch you
Hi Fergus, small critique necessitated by my OCD: Please attach the mic closer to the centerline of your body. Your voice is slightly offset to one side, so I had to switch to mono audio to avoid losing my mind :(
Hi How do I stay in zone 2 if I've been running than approximately 30 mins, as this is when my heart rate starts to rise appreciably. Should I slow down accordingly to keep my heart rate in zone 2 which for me is shuffling or should I revert to the talk rest or perhaps perceived effort. Cheers
low heart rate training is about keeping your heart rate low, meaning you shouldn't even look at your pace. if your heart rate goes up, you need to slow the pace to keep the heart rate where it should be. what you experience means lack of training and are one of the most common issues training this way. with time, it gonna get better, and it gonna take longer and longer before the hr start to spike
If you're getting HR 'decoupling' after 30 minutes you need to start slower, it isn't a race to get your HR upto zone 2 quickly and try to hold it. Start slower, DON'T fuel unless you're going over 90 minutes and make sure you're hydrated as dehydration can make your HR rise. Walking up the hills is best to start with.
220-age is not only flawed, it's useless. The formula is not even invented för individuals to use. It's about as helpful as buying shoes based on the statistical shoe size for your age. The precision is about +/- 40 beats, which makes the talk-test or nasal breathing far more exact and helpful than potentially missing the target by an entire zone and a half.
@@ferguscrawley95 I do enjoy some of your stuff, but this one feels like the idea for the video came from the Woop marketing team rather than you or your company. I mean this entirely constructively, I want to see you succeed, but I think its more respectful if I'm honest about where I feel like the balance between entertainment/inspiration and the commercial interests of the channel have become misaligned. Perhaps its just me, something to consider amongst the other feedback you're getting.
@@pickelbarrelofficial1256none of the brands I work with have any input into what videos I make (nor will they ever) - they will be integrated into relevant videos as I see fit, in line with their ongoing support of myself and our community. If you don’t like the ad, skip it? That’s no issue.
I would say undoubtedly yea I know a fella who runs a 2:20 marathon time and all he does is zone 2 running but he is often running between 20 to 40k a day everyday 👍
I saw a comment Fergus replied to asking the same thing and he said those are all great alternatives. I would agree and add that activities such as swimming, hiking, walking are all good options with lower impact than running.
To begin with yes! But they should incorporate more marathon pacing work as things progress - but I couldn't comment much more without further context on your background/training plan.
Short, intense intervals like that is anaerobic. Baiscally strength training. Very good if you need more strength. Not useful if you already have alot of base strength and muscle, but need need a better engine.
even the fastest runners in the world do 80% of the training in zone 2. people do zone 2, because thats the base building of getting fit and where most people get the most benefit. going too hard too often just make you burn out or even worse, get you injured
r u guysbjust talking about jogging? like whag is all these detailed videos aboutnmaking it all science based and complicated. something our parents were doign lifting weights became popular
Did you know I have a podcast..? Check out all full episodes and clips here 🎙
The problem with zone 2 is I can still think my thoughts
A valuable thing to confront (speaking from personal experience, as someone who used to be terrified of being undistracted/left alone in my head)
I love your idea of making a Zone 2 training a kind of adventure. What drives me crazy is the intense traffic at my place & there are too many traffic lights that interrupt my flow.
Can be very frustrating - I’ve starting making my weekend runs destination focused and driving to places to get away from such things, rather than just starting from the front door!
I’m getting back into running as recovery after a knee dislocation nearly a year ago. I’m following a couch to 5k style program to start with the goal of a 25k trail race utmb snowdon. With added carb powder and electrolytes while in the gym
This sort of advice I find very beneficial. Thank you
When I wasn’t in shape I thought my zone 2 was about 150bpm, based on talk test, nose breathing, and 180-age. However when I got a lab test, it was about 113bpm. Over the next few months, with tons of walking then jogging, I got it up to where it actually was 150bpm. The non lab tests can be very inaccurate depending on the individual
Nothing will ever be as accurate as a lab! But they’re not the easiest things to access 😂
Well done on all the work chipping away 🫡
I got the same problem. The actual Zone 2 HR is ridiculously low that I can only keep it while walking.
@@HaiLeQuang This is actually great because you can do a lot of walking every day without fatiguing. You can do a slow jog down the hills and walk up the hills to keep your HR consistent and stay in z2.
@@HaiLeQuang I struggle hard to hit Zone 2 while walking it seems, even at a 12-13minute pace...
The best “Zone 2” is conversational pace. Don’t even look at your watch, just go with what you feel comfortable with
This is a great starting point, but for effective race pacing/strategy in training and on event day - having access to multiple metrics/points of reference is very useful.
No it isn't. You adapt pretty soon, and you will be about 20 bpm over zone 2 even before you know it.
Bollcoks I look at my running shoes and my hear rate goes to zone 5 immediately
Or you’re by yourself, and then talking to yourself just gets awkward.
@@ferguscrawley95lol I tried them to train and it just felt pointless! Even walking made my heart rate go higher then 150 BPM.
Fergus and I are trying this new fad called uh, Jogging. I believe it is 'Jogging' or 'Yogging', it may be a soft J, im not sure. Apparently you just run (really slowly) for an extended period of time...
Sage?
@@abirdie4mehe he he i know what you did there… I was there as well, when the coach made a joke.
I feel like there’s a reference I’m missing here… 🤔
@@ferguscrawley95Anchorman: the legend of Ron Burgundy.
Love zone 2 - have a good conversation, eat a burrito, master this and you can run for days!
First time iv ever tried this today. Easiest/hardest run iv ever done. Enjoyed it though and I feel great.
I sure takes some concentration if you're not used to it.
Great to hear, hope you get to enjoy some more of it!
It was really great that you interviewed the people at the run :) nice to hear from others too :)
Great to hear! I enjoyed hearing from them 🤝
I think the talk test and nasal breathing are the two things I use most despite having a heart rate monitor.
If I can say ‘can I do do the talk test? Yes I can do the talk test’ at a reasonable pace and without huge difficulty and I can maintain nasal breathing then I’m pretty certain that I’m in the correct zone. I’d rely on this over my heart rate data any day because factors such as heat can have a real effect on HR which isn’t necessarily relevant when looking at blood lactate (and therefore zone 2). I also find that beginners will often have higher heart rate despite being within a good conversational pace, which isn’t something I’d be concerned about at all.
I'm a huge fan of going off feel as well - but that's refined through years of practice. I've found a lot of people need data to shock them into realising what easy truly is, and thus learning/feeling what the talk test actually looks like (Crossfitters especially...)
As you've mentioned, there are lots of variables, and understanding how all of them influence our pacing/effort through a variety of methods or parameters is a useful exercise for us all.
the most accurate/accessible method of determining your aerobic threshold is doing a heart rate drift test. evoke endurance has a good video on it
Awesome video!! What shirt is that??
I hate that my zone 2 seems to be walking pace because jogging that slow causes physical pain. But i keep on hopeing ill see venefits soon
Keep at it! And don’t be afraid to utilise inclines/step machines/stationary bikes etc - all great ways to improve efficiency without as much impact 🤌🏼
you should. i started brand new to running 3 months ago, and my MAF pace @135BPM was only around 10:30min/km, so basically fast walking speed. now its down to 8:10-8:20min/km , so ive been improving significantly over this last months. still somewhat slow, but atleast now i feel like i am jogging faster then i can walk :)
@@ferguscrawley95 thank you
@goldeneagle256 thank you that give me hope.
Just ignore the zones, just walk and jog whatever you like where you are able to talk. This needs a serious time to devellop some condition to get that heartrate lower over time.
I have a question. When you start out with zone 2 training what should be your cadance? Because in NO WAY I can keep 160-170 steps/min when running at 8:45min/km (or 14.06 min/mile). Everytime I tried to pick up cadance, doesn't matter if I almost stood still, the 'jumping' pattern spiked my heartrate to 170+.
My zone 2 pace is 7min per km and my cadence is around 155 for that pace. I think taller people also have lower running cadence (I'm over 190cm). As long as you're not over striding, cadence shouldn't really be something you need to be concerned about
Love the channel! Could you fix your macro calculator you placed on your hybrid nutrition training?
can you supplement zone 2 running training with zone 2 cycling and still over all benefit running?
Questio. How does running/zone 2 training translate to basketball wherein you need different levels of speed?
Will zone 2 build a good enough cardio base for sports?
Breathing through your nose is a none starter if you have narrow nasal passages.
I'm uncomfortable just walking breathing through my nose.
I could of got them fixed but couldn't afford the time off to do so.
You can therefore use one of the many other options provided here then 🫡
@@ferguscrawley95 of cause I was just pointing out don't base anything of nose breathing it's too individual.
Am I missing something, or does my watch not calculate my heart rate zone during an activity ? Therefore the formulas and heart rate monitor is not required?
My zone two run is this weird pace between a walk a jog. I feel stupid, probably look stupid but if I go any slower my heart rate plummets and anything close to something that looks like a job and I go straight to zone three/four. :(
That's called a lineman trot. Old football term. It's when all the lineman make the motions as if we're actually running, but we're really moving at a walking pace. 😂
zone two for me is agonisingly slow, can keep a conversation fairly comfortably at a minute per k faster than my hr zone two, any advice?
Give inclines/step machine/rower/bike a go to improve efficiency + aerobic base that can then be translated onto your feet over time!
Hi Fergus I'm new to the business of training . Looking to build muscle and endurance. I'm I better to slip the weight training for the cardio day at first till I build a good base??
Will I put on a weight vest and go walking I consider it to be zoned 2.5 because of course you can still carry a conversation your heart rate is elevated but it's less impact on the joints. I also prefer doing conditioning work but I do like running here and there. I would rather watch you
Good work 🤝
@@ferguscrawley95 when* I
Zone*
Talktotect failure lol great work on your end too
Just started running and i can nasal breathe clear into zone 4 and 5. It's definitely not a good indicator of your aerobic zone
Hi Fergus, small critique necessitated by my OCD: Please attach the mic closer to the centerline of your body. Your voice is slightly offset to one side, so I had to switch to mono audio to avoid losing my mind :(
Will zone 2 cardio ruin your fast twitch movements? Also, what zone is lifting heavy weights considered?
1. No
2. Depends on your heartrate but should generally be zone 1/2
There was no link to sign up for the runs you mentioned
buytickets.at/omniaperformance/1252349
Hi
How do I stay in zone 2 if I've been running than approximately 30 mins, as this is when my heart rate starts to rise appreciably.
Should I slow down accordingly to keep my heart rate in zone 2 which for me is shuffling or should I revert to the talk rest or perhaps perceived effort.
Cheers
low heart rate training is about keeping your heart rate low, meaning you shouldn't even look at your pace. if your heart rate goes up, you need to slow the pace to keep the heart rate where it should be. what you experience means lack of training and are one of the most common issues training this way. with time, it gonna get better, and it gonna take longer and longer before the hr start to spike
You could walk a bit to lower your heartrate.
I useually do 5 minutes of running alternated with 1 minute of walking.
Slow jog, jog on the spot if you have to.
If you're getting HR 'decoupling' after 30 minutes you need to start slower, it isn't a race to get your HR upto zone 2 quickly and try to hold it. Start slower, DON'T fuel unless you're going over 90 minutes and make sure you're hydrated as dehydration can make your HR rise. Walking up the hills is best to start with.
220-age is not only flawed, it's useless. The formula is not even invented för individuals to use.
It's about as helpful as buying shoes based on the statistical shoe size for your age.
The precision is about +/- 40 beats, which makes the talk-test or nasal breathing far more exact and helpful than potentially missing the target by an entire zone and a half.
I just run through the mountains for hours. Some zone 2 im sure on the way down. Theres always a new trendy zone 😆
Is this a Woop advert?
There’s an 80s Whoop ad integrated, starting at about 6.5 mins yes ✌🏼
@@ferguscrawley95 I do enjoy some of your stuff, but this one feels like the idea for the video came from the Woop marketing team rather than you or your company. I mean this entirely constructively, I want to see you succeed, but I think its more respectful if I'm honest about where I feel like the balance between entertainment/inspiration and the commercial interests of the channel have become misaligned. Perhaps its just me, something to consider amongst the other feedback you're getting.
@@pickelbarrelofficial1256none of the brands I work with have any input into what videos I make (nor will they ever) - they will be integrated into relevant videos as I see fit, in line with their ongoing support of myself and our community.
If you don’t like the ad, skip it? That’s no issue.
@@ferguscrawley95 Appreciate the clarity
I was wondering if you increase your zone 2 as your lactate threshold gets better?
Well your HR will always remain the same at zone 2, you'll just be running faster.
I would say undoubtedly yea I know a fella who runs a 2:20 marathon time and all he does is zone 2 running but he is often running between 20 to 40k a day everyday 👍
How useful is it to do non running zone 2 exercise? Can I get the same benefits staying in zone 2 on bike or elliptical?
I saw a comment Fergus replied to asking the same thing and he said those are all great alternatives. I would agree and add that activities such as swimming, hiking, walking are all good options with lower impact than running.
Absolutely, doesn’t need to be running for the adaptive benefits - but for running specific adaptation, that’s where you’ll need to be on your feet!
@@ferguscrawley95 Absolutely, it would be risky to run big miles if your legs weren't used to them.
Because I can run for longer, hence I get more peace and quiet.
Should my long runs in a marathon training block be done at zone 2 ?
To begin with yes! But they should incorporate more marathon pacing work as things progress - but I couldn't comment much more without further context on your background/training plan.
Depends entirely on your fitness level, conditioning and duration of your training block
I run 4 times a week. 1 easy, 2 speed sessions with my club and then a long run.
With two S&C in between. I’m doing Amsterdam marathon in October 😃😃
Do you do your ultras in barefoot shoes?
Nope, don’t run in barefoot shoes, never have! (Aside from on soft trails)
I heard someone talk in the background of music
nasal breathing doesnt work super well for me, garmin says hr at 170 with only nasal breathing 😧
Use your Garmin in that case, only use nasal breathing for throttle control if you don’t have HR data access.
My zone 2 maxes at 125bpm. I feel like I'm literally just walking........😂
Keep chipping away across the board and your efficiency will improve over time for sure 🤝
Sprinting is the key, up hills, 8-12sec x 6- 10. Zone 2 is recovery work which should be half your training volume.
Short, intense intervals like that is anaerobic. Baiscally strength training. Very good if you need more strength. Not useful if you already have alot of base strength and muscle, but need need a better engine.
Have never met the London Moustache Running Club before; they seem like a sound bunch.
There was an interesting correlation between those happiest speaking on camera and moustaches - clearly a confidence hack 🤯
Nasal breathing is kinda flawed. I mean I don't mouth breathe ever. So, I kept nasal breathing upto my zone 4. 🤣😂
unless you are dead, all exercise is aerobic
Which is why developing your aerobic base through z2 work is so important…
Max efforts are anaerobic. 100m sprinters don't even breath during!
without sounding too harsh i think a lot of people like zone 2 because its not difficult to do, doing intervals or any form of sprinting takes effort
zone 2 is recovery between speed work
even the fastest runners in the world do 80% of the training in zone 2. people do zone 2, because thats the base building of getting fit and where most people get the most benefit. going too hard too often just make you burn out or even worse, get you injured
That would be true if you weren't totally wrong
r u guysbjust talking about jogging? like whag is all these detailed videos aboutnmaking it all science based and complicated. something our parents were doign lifting weights became popular
Yes, jogging, and eventually running.
Are only handsome people allowed to come to your events? Like damn lol
yeah def
Jesus welcome to the party !!