Heart rate and training zones

In short: Heart rate shows how hard the body is working. Training zones classify load by percentage of maximum heart rate.

In more detail: Maximum heart rate can be roughly estimated as 220 minus age. Individual values deviate markedly.

In detail

• Zone 1 (50–60 %): Very easy, recovery and warm-up.
• Zone 2 (60–70 %): Base endurance, talking is easy.
• Zone 3 (70–80 %): Brisk, breathing deepens.
• Zone 4 (80–90 %): Hard, speaking only in short sentences.
• Zone 5 (90–100 %): Maximal, sustainable only briefly.
• Resting pulse: Well-trained people often have 50 to 60 beats per minute or fewer.
• Measuring: A chest strap is more accurate than wrist sensors. See a doctor if you have symptoms (ausdauertraining-grundlagen).