Training zones split your effort into ranges so every ride has a clear purpose. They’re based on a reference number: your FTP (the power you can hold for about an hour) if you have a power meter, or your threshold heart rate if you train with a heart rate monitor. With a 220 W FTP, riding in zone 2 means staying between 123 and 165 W; with a threshold heart rate of 160 beats per minute (bpm), between 130 and 142 bpm.
Zones do two jobs: they keep you from going too hard on easy days (the most common mistake) and from coming up short on interval days. Here’s how to calculate them, what each one trains and how to split your time.
Power zones (Coggan)
The most widely used system is Andrew Coggan’s seven levels, defined as percentages of FTP. If you don’t know your FTP, start with the guide to what FTP is and how to test it. If you already know it, look up your watts in the power zones by FTP chart.
| Zone | Name | % of FTP | At 220 W FTP | How it feels |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Active recovery | < 55% | < 121 W | Cruising, easy conversation |
| 2 | Endurance | 56–75% | 123–165 W | You can talk in full sentences for hours |
| 3 | Tempo | 76–90% | 167–198 W | Brisk pace; talking takes some effort |
| 4 | Lactate threshold | 91–105% | 200–231 W | Hard and sustained; a few words at a time |
| 5 | VO₂ max | 106–120% | 233–264 W | 3-8 minute intervals; breathing maxed out |
| 6 | Anaerobic capacity | > 121% | > 266 W | Efforts from 30 s to 2-3 min |
| 7 | Neuromuscular power | Maximal | Sprint | Sprints of a few seconds |
Between zones 3 and 4 sits the so-called sweet spot (88-94% of FTP, about 194-207 W with a 220 W FTP), a popular pace for long intervals because it gives a big training stimulus with manageable fatigue.
What each zone trains
- Zone 1: recovery. Days after a hard effort, or very short spins.
- Zone 2: your base. It improves your ability to burn fat for fuel, your heart and your endurance. This is the zone for long rides.
- Zone 3: group ride or gran fondo pace. Useful, but it’s very easy to make it your “default” zone, which tires you more than zone 2 and gives you less than zone 4.
- Zone 4: raises your FTP. Intervals of 8-20 minutes with short recoveries (for example, 2 × 15 minutes).
- Zone 5: raises your aerobic ceiling (VO₂ max, the maximum amount of oxygen you can use). Intervals of 3-5 minutes with equal recovery.
- Zones 6 and 7: surges, attacks and sprints. Low volume and plenty of rest between efforts.
Heart rate zones by threshold (Friel)
If you train with a heart rate monitor, the most reliable reference is your lactate threshold heart rate (LTHR). Joe Friel suggests measuring it with a solo 30-minute all-out effort: your average heart rate for the last 20 minutes is your LTHR. Friel’s cycling zones are:
| Zone | % of LTHR | At 160 bpm LTHR |
|---|---|---|
| 1 Recovery | < 81% | < 130 bpm |
| 2 Aerobic | 81–89% | 130–142 bpm |
| 3 Tempo | 90–93% | 144–149 bpm |
| 4 Subthreshold | 94–99% | 150–158 bpm |
| 5a Superthreshold | 100–102% | 160–163 bpm |
| 5b Aerobic capacity | 103–106% | 165–170 bpm |
| 5c Anaerobic capacity | > 106% | > 170 bpm |
Heads up: Friel uses different percentages for running (zone 1 goes up to 85%). Don’t mix running and cycling charts; your heart rate on the bike is usually a bit lower than when running at the same effort.
Zones by max heart rate or heart rate reserve
If you’d rather skip a threshold test, you can use your max heart rate. The usual five zones run from 50 to 100% in 10-point steps. With a max of 180 bpm:
| Zone | % of max | Heart rate (max 180) | % of reserve (Karvonen) | Heart rate (max 180, resting 55) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 50–60% | 90–108 | 50–60% | 118–130 |
| 2 | 60–70% | 108–126 | 60–70% | 130–143 |
| 3 | 70–80% | 126–144 | 70–80% | 143–155 |
| 4 | 80–90% | 144–162 | 80–90% | 155–168 |
| 5 | 90–100% | 162–180 | 90–100% | 168–180 |
The Karvonen method applies the percentages to your heart rate reserve (max minus resting) and then adds your resting heart rate back: zone 2 = 55 + 0.6 × (180 − 55) = 130 bpm. It accounts for your fitness (a low resting heart rate signals a good aerobic base) and usually gives more realistic zones than a straight percentage of max.
The problem with “220 minus age”
The classic formula for estimating max heart rate is 220 minus your age. A meta-analysis by Tanaka, Monahan and Seals (2001), with data from more than 18,000 people, proposed 208 − 0.7 × age, which fits better, especially after age 40:
| Age | 220 − age | 208 − 0.7 × age |
|---|---|---|
| 25 | 195 | 191 |
| 40 | 180 | 180 |
| 55 | 165 | 170 |
| 65 | 155 | 163 |
The five heart rate zones already worked out for every age from 20 to 70 are in the heart rate zones by age chart.
Even so, any formula is a population average: for an individual, the error can be more than 10 beats. If your zones don’t match how you feel, measure your max: after a good warm-up, ride all-out up a hill for 3-4 minutes and note the peak. Only do this if you’re healthy and used to hard efforts.
How much time to spend in each zone
Research on elite endurance athletes, summarized by Stephen Seiler (2010), shows a very consistent pattern: about 80% of sessions at low intensity and 20% with hard work, such as intervals near VO₂ max. This is known as polarized training: lots of easy riding, some very hard riding and little in between.
For a recreational rider, that translates to:
| Hours per week | Easy (zones 1-2) | Hard (zones 4-5) | Sample week |
|---|---|---|---|
| 4-5 h | 3-4 h | 1 session | 2 rides of 1.5 h in Z2 + 1 h with 4 × 4 min in Z5 |
| 6-8 h | 5-6 h | 1-2 sessions | Long 3 h ride in Z2 + 1.5 h in Z2 + 2 × 15 min in Z4 |
| 10-12 h | 8-10 h | 2 sessions | 2 long rides in Z2 + threshold intervals + VO₂ max intervals |
You don’t need to follow it to the letter. The key idea is that easy days are truly easy, so you show up rested for the hard ones.
Common mistakes
- Living in zone 3. Always riding at a “solid pace” tires you enough to stop you recovering but not enough to raise your threshold. If every ride leaves you equally tired, check your power numbers.
- Using heart rate for short intervals. In a 1-minute interval, your heart rate doesn’t have time to climb all the way; go by power or by feel.
- Not updating your zones. If your FTP goes up 8% and you keep your old zones, you’ll train too easy. Retest every 4-8 weeks.
- Ignoring heat and fatigue. At 86 °F (30 °C) or after a bad night’s sleep, your heart rate runs several beats higher at the same power. If you train by heart rate, you’ll be slower that day; that’s normal.
- Mixing methods. Coggan, Friel and max heart rate zones don’t line up exactly. Pick one system and stick with it.
How to calculate your zones
- Do a test: an FTP test if you have a power meter, or a threshold heart rate test with a heart rate monitor.
- Enter the result in the FTP and power zones calculator or the heart rate zones calculator, which also works from max and reserve heart rate.
- Set up the same zones on your bike computer or watch.
- Plan your week with the 80/20 split and apply it to a goal, like your first big climb or your first metric century. In winter or when you’re short on time, an indoor trainer lets you nail every zone with no traffic lights or hills in the way.
If you want to know how much energy you burn in each zone, the cycling calorie calculator estimates it from your watts or your speed.
Frequently asked questions
What is the best heart rate zone for fat burning on a bike?
Zone 2 (56-75% of FTP or 81-89% of threshold heart rate) is where fat supplies a bigger share of your energy and where you can ride for the most hours. But for weight loss, total calories burned matter most: an hour in zone 3 burns more calories than an hour in zone 2.
How do I calculate my max heart rate for cycling?
The Tanaka formula (208 − 0.7 × age) is more accurate than the classic 220 − age, but it can still be off by more than 10 beats for an individual. Measuring it is best: the peak from an all-out 3-4 minute climb, after a good warm-up, gets very close.
Is it better to train with power or heart rate?
Power, because it responds instantly and isn't affected by heat, fatigue or caffeine. Heart rate takes 1-2 minutes to settle, so it doesn't work for short intervals, but it's a good complement: if your heart rate is much higher than usual at the same power, you're tired or dehydrated.
How much time should I spend in zone 2?
In well-trained endurance athletes, about 80% of sessions are low intensity and the other 20% include hard work. For a recreational rider with 6-8 hours a week, that's 4-6 easy hours and one or two interval sessions.
What zone should I train in to raise my FTP?
Mainly zone 4 (91-105% of FTP), with long intervals like 2 × 20 minutes: with a 220 W FTP, between 200 and 231 W. One or two sessions a week is enough; keep the rest in zone 2.
Sources
- TrainingPeaks, "Power training levels" (Andrew Coggan's levels)
- Joe Friel, "Quick guide to setting zones," TrainingPeaks
- Tanaka, Monahan and Seals, "Age-predicted maximal heart rate revisited," J Am Coll Cardiol (2001)
- Seiler, "What is best practice for training intensity and duration distribution in endurance athletes?," IJSPP (2010)