A key element of any training plan is the use of training zones to help you achieve the right training effects as you progress through your program. But how do you set your training zones if you’re using a heart rate monitor or power meter? What about if you’re using pace? What about perceived exertion, and how does perceived exertion correlate with heart rate, power, and pace?
For guidance on these and other questions related to using training zones, check out the “Guide to Using Training Zones.” The guide shows you how to use the Alp Fitness training zones, whether you want to gauge your training intensity by:
To customize your training zones, you will need to do a field test to determine your heart rate, power, and/or pace at lactate threshold. Each threshold value — whether pace, heart rate, or power — is sport-specific. So, if you train in different endurance sports, you should do a sport-specific field test to determine your training zones for each sport.
The guide details several field test options to help you find your threshold values:
- 30-Minute Time Trial
- 20-Minute Time Trial
- Race Results from a 5K or 10K
- 1,500-yd/m Time Trial for Swimming
Once you find your threshold values with a field test, the guide provides instructions on how to set your customized training zones for:
If you are currently using — or considering using — an Alp Fitness training plan and are curious about the Alp Fitness training zones used in the plan, this guide provides you with additional background to help you make the most of the plan.
If you are an endurance athlete interested in creating your own custom training plan, this guide provides you with the starting point to coach yourself and make the most of the workouts in the Alp Fitness workout library.