How to establish your heart rate and power training zones

The Wattbike Weight Management Training Plan sets a training intensity range of < 60% up to 75% of maximum heart rate (MHR) for this training plan which is equivalent to heart rate and power training zones Recovery through to Zone 2 (see the Wattbike Training Guide ).

You should feel relaxed and able to carry on a conversation in training zones Recovery/Zone 1 and in Zone 2 you should feel as though you are working harder, feeling warmer with heart rate and respiration increased and you may start to sweat.
The purposes of these three training zones are:

Recovery

Regeneration and recovery – increases blood flow to muscles to flush out waste products and provide nutrients, allows you to work on technique

Zone 1

Establish base endurance – Improves fat metabolism, gets muscles, tendons, ligaments and nerves used to cycling, more efficient use of energy, allows you to work on technique.

Zone 2

Improve efficiency – Improves the ability to use oxygen and produce power (efficiency = able to produce more power with the same level of effort), allows you to work on technique.

Together with the heart rate percentage the training plan also uses maximum minute power (MMP)* to determine both the power element of the zones and warm up level.

*The highest average minute power output (in Watts) achieved during a Wattbike cycling ramp test (usually the final minute).

The only way to determine your cycling maximum heart rate and maximum minute power is by using a properly constructed cycling test.

As this is a weight management training plan the maximum heart rate ramp tests outlined in the Wattbike Training Guide are not recommended in the initial stages of the Wattbike Weight Management Training Plan.

We therefore suggest that people consider themselves ‘average’ and use age predicted maximum heart rates despite the inaccuracy of such methods (which can be as much as +/- 20 bpm).

Remember that if you know your running maximum heart rate your cycling max could be 5-10 beats lower.

A number of methods of estimating your MHR are available:

1. MHR = 220 - your age - 5* OR
2. MHR = 210 - (0.65 X age) - 5* OR
3. MHR = 217 - (0.85 X age) - 5*

* Note – an additional 5 beats have been removed to account for the traditional calculations being designed for running and not cycling.

As you progress in your training adjust your training zones if you achieve a higher maximum heart rate and, when fit enough arrange to undertake a structured Wattbike cycling test.

To estimate maximum minute power use the average power achieved in a Wattbike 3 minute aerobic test (see the Wattbike Training Guide). Exercise caution when undertaking the test for the first time. You can also use the maximum heart rate achieved in this test as your starting point for heart rate calculations .

Always err on the side of caution, as your fitness improves you can adjust the heart rate and power training zones.

Example (Wattbike Trainer):

• Participant Age: 40
• MHR = 220 – age -5 = 220 - 40 - 5 = 175
• Estimated MHR = 175
• 3 minute aerobic test result = 280 W

Training zones:

Example (Wattbike Pro)

• Participant Age: 40
• MHR = 220 – age -5 = 220 - 40 - 5 = 175
• Estimated MHR = 175
• 3 minute aerobic test result = 340 W

Training zones: