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Calculating HR Zones from Bike Test

David DuranDavid Duran
in Community Forum 🏠

 Hi folks,

Just tried plugging my Bike test into the DataTool and want to make sure I'm understanding the zones right and how they're calculated. My avg HR for 40min TT was 169bpm. I plug that in on the site and get this:


Zone HR Power
Z1 / < 70%:
< 144
 
Z2 / 70-75%:
145-153
 
Z3 / 80-85%:
154-161
 
Z4 / 95-100%:
162-168
 
Z5 / > 110%:
> 169

So couple questions.

1) HR Zone's have percentage gaps (which is mentioned on the website) but the calculated HR's don't. I.e., Z2 to 3 jumps from 75% to 80% but the HR goes straight from 153 to 154 (no jump). What's going on here?

2) How are the HR's calculated because it's apparently not a simple percent of max? I've seen some calculations subtract off resting HR... is that what's going on here? Is RHR assumed somehow?

3) These percentage zones don't match up with the Friel Zones in the Training w/ HR eBook. Which should I go with?

Z1 65-78% Easy

Z2 78-89% Steady

Z3 89-93% WORK

Z4 93-99% Hard

Z5 100-102% Very Hard

 

I don't want to split hairs but since so much of the OS is based on doing WORK in the right zones, want to get this part right!

Thanks much.

Comments

  • Coach PatrickCoach Patrick
    @David - Great questions. The power numbers jump b/c we can be THAT specific with your power. Not so with HR, hence the contiguous zones.

    The HR zones are a percentage of the test HR you submitted. So for the bike I think Z1 is 85% of the LTHR or lower. Our zones are different from Friels on purpose…if you go through with our plans, I suggest trying our zones first as prescribed and adjusting back from there!

    No worries on splitting hairs…it's important!

    P
  • David DuranDavid Duran

    Ahhh ok... think I got ya... So the percents below are for power zones not HR? Thanks much.

     





    Z1 / < 70%:

    < 144


     



    Z2 / 70-75%:

    145-153


     



    Z3 / 80-85%:

    154-161


     



    Z4 / 95-100%:

    162-168


     



    Z5 / > 110%:



  • Coach PatrickCoach Patrick
    That's right, the z1 refers to the HR, the % refers to % of FTP! Sorry for the confusion!
  • jkorossyjkorossy
    Posted By Patrick McCrann on 22 Sep 2010 08:10 AM

    @David - Great questions. The power numbers jump b/c we can be THAT specific with your power. Not so with HR, hence the contiguous zones.



    The HR zones are a percentage of the test HR you submitted. So for the bike I think Z1 is 85% of the LTHR or lower. Our zones are different from Friels on purpose…if you go through with our plans, I suggest trying our zones first as prescribed and adjusting back from there!



    No worries on splitting hairs…it's important!



    P
    ____

    Curious as to the rationale for different HR zones from Friels.  ??

    I requested data tool access today, but was able to calculate my zones based on the numbers above.



     

  • Coach RichCoach Rich

    John, I think Patrick may be in correct above. Pretty sure our HR zones follow Friel's definitions.

    See our HR zones here.

  • jkorossyjkorossy

    i checked out the link, thanks.



    looks like zone percentages are same for bike & run, yes? i have not done run test yet, but have a reasonable baseline for bike LTHR. run test soon ...

     

    Z3 looks to be the narrowest zone ... any reason / rationale for that?

  • Coach RichCoach Rich
    Posted By John Korossy on 24 Feb 2011 11:31 AM

    i checked out the link, thanks.



    looks like zone percentages are same for bike & run, yes? i have not done run test yet, but have a reasonable baseline for bike LTHR. run test soon ...

     

    Yes, same percentages but based on separate bike and run LTHR's from respective tests.

  • kkieferkkiefer

    Had the same question

    then i read this thread and your HR guidance.

    I trained this year based on HR and Friels Zones (using different LTHRs for bike and Run) in "Your best Triathlon" there in Build 1 and Build 2 the work intervals are very like the once in EN OS plan. That felt ok for me, so wanted understand if i choose new Zones, what are the differences and why.

    So I did make a spread sheet to compare EN HR zones to Friel HR Zone with my LTHR for Bike and for Run

    Yes they are very similar with 2 exceptions:

    a.) Friel Z5 does top of at 106%,  EN Z5 at 102%,

    Friels uses Z4/Z5a intervals to build Muscular Endurance at LT (work), and Z5b (103%-106%) for 60-180sec VO2 intervals.

    b.) Friel makes a destinction on Z1/Z2 between bike and run, EN zones Z2 actually covers Friels Z1 and Z2 in bike and run.

    Regards Z1/Z2 I do not care so much, because I am training right now OS and for 2012 for Short and 70.3 distance and hopefully by the time i step up to long distance I have power image

    Regards Z5 being at 100-102% vs Friel Z5b 103%-106% for VO2 work, that is a bigger difference, e.g my LTHR (153 on the bike), that translates for Z5 (V02 work) 158-162bpm(Friel) vs EN (153-156bpm).

    I assume the LTHR test protocal are very similar (as you using the same numbers for key zones Z3 and Z4)

    Do you have a quick hint for this to me understand that difference on Z5 work?

    Thanks

    Kai

  • Coach PatrickCoach Patrick
    Kai, basically 1% of your total training all year will be in the VO2 space...so while the HR difference of 2-3 beats seems significant on the face of it, the net effect will be very minimal. image That said, we ask you to do a lot more "work" in z4 than any other plan, as such higher intensity efforts (above FTP) tend to be very short and barely register on an HRM (2 mins on 2 mins off with a 30-45 second HR lag is hard to pinpoint). Instead I encourage you to note the speed / distance of those intervals and try to match / beat your test effort..and use your HR at that level as a secondary, confirming metric! Hope that helps...
  • kkieferkkiefer
    Posted By Patrick McCrann on 31 Oct 2011 08:53 AM

    Kai, basically 1% of your total training all year will be in the VO2 space...so while the HR difference of 2-3 beats seems significant on the face of it, the net effect will be very minimal. That said, we ask you to do a lot more "work" in z4 than any other plan, as such higher intensity efforts (above FTP) tend to be very short and barely register on an HRM (2 mins on 2 mins off with a 30-45 second HR lag is hard to pinpoint). Instead I encourage you to note the speed / distance of those intervals and try to match / beat your test effort..and use your HR at that level as a secondary, confirming metric! Hope that helps...



    ok, I did my bike FTP test, and yes your testing results actually in a slightly higher LHTR than the Tests from friel, hence the zone are in % different by afew points, but in actual number close again image

  • scott dinhoferscott dinhofer
    Just found this thread amongst a search, and i can't seem to find the answer anywhere... I feel like i should know this already, but asking the question.

    LTHR? what number is this average HR for the 42Min FTP Test? Average HR during the 2nd interval?

    a little help please....
  • Joe MatchetteJoe Matchette
    Average for the 42' is what I use. And then I use it as a cross-reference to my power zones during the subsequent workouts.

    The reason I use the whole 42' is that, yes, my HR goes down during the 2' rest, I *definitely* go well into the red-zone during the last 2-5' of the power test. I haven't looked at the granular data for yesterday's test, but since I think my final minute was north of 350, I am 100% positive my HR was +10 to +20 over my average to that point.
  • Al TruscottAl Truscott

    Scott - the number I use for the LTHR is the number I plateau at towards the end of the test, not the average overall. The average for the last 6-8 minutes might be another good estimate. I'm assuming that HR is the number above which I rapidly start to lose the ability to hold watts during a one-hour TT. For me, it is low 150s for the first test of a training cycle, usually getting down in the 142/3 range when I'm fully fit.

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