Your heart rate shows how hard your body’s working. Training in a specific zone helps you build endurance, power, or speed.
| Find Your Max HR:
220 – age (years) Note: This is a rough estimate. Factors like medication, hydration, stress, and sleep affect accuracy. A better approach is tracking your peak heart rate during intense sessions over time. |
5 Heart Rate Zones
Zone 1: Recovery (50–60% of Max HR)
Easy movement to facilitate blood flow and repair muscles.
Talk test: full sentences.
Examples: warm-up, cooldown, mobility work.
Zone 2: Aerobic Base (60–70% of Max HR)
Steady state effort that targets endurance and improves cardiovascular efficiency. The body primarily burns fat as fuel at this level.
Talk test: comfortable conversation.
Examples: easy run, cycle, swim.
Zone 3: Moderate (70–80% of Max HR)
Challenging but doable effort. Builds stamina and aerobic capacity.
Talk test: short phrases.
Examples: tempo run, steady cycling.
Zone 4: Threshold (80–90% of Max HR)
Hard work near your upper limit; trains your body to tolerate lactate. Also improves VO₂ max.
Talk test: single words.
Examples: hill repeats, time trials.
Zone 5: Max Effort (>90% of Max HR)
All-out bursts for speed and power. Improves VO2 max.
Talk test: none!
Examples: sprints, explosive drills.
Note: Because teens are still growing, high-intensity training (especially zones 4 and 5) should be done sparingly and under coach supervision.
References
- Cleveland Clinic. Exercise Heart Rate Zones Explained. Health Essentials from Cleveland Clinic. Published December 12, 2023. https://health.clevelandclinic.org/exercise-heart-rate-zones-explained
- Mahaffey K. Heart Rate Zones: Do They Work or Not? blog.nasm.org. https://blog.nasm.org/heart-rate-zones-do-they-work-or-not
- Marx AJ, Porcari JP, Doberstein S, Bramwell S, Foster C, Green DJ. The Accuracy of Heart Rate–Based Zone Training Using Predicted versus Measured Maximal Heart Rate. Acefitness.org. Published 2020. Accessed October 18, 2025. https://www.acefitness.org/continuing-education/certified/research/7466/the-accuracy-of-heart-rate-based-zone-training-using-predicted-versus-measured-maximal-heart-rate/?srsltid=AfmBOopnDOiLblRCRQFydw8Zq-1YCh7ReKGIZO2RokJJk8ePV9ffS5bP
