Hybrid Training
At this day in age, athletes have many ways to analyze training efforts. Data from fitness watches, like Garmin, Coros, and Apple, make it easy to track multiple variables involved with strength and endurance training, but what can you do with this information?
How can you use heart rate zones, rate of perceived exertion (RPE), and other training data to your advantage? What method is best for you?
Want to have your training efforts easily managed and progressed? Choose from Kathletics Trail or Sustainably Fit and pair with any of our running or hiking plans.
Heart rate zone training is often what people think they *should* start with when getting into cardiovascular or endurance training. Heart rate is something most fitness watches measure, so it makes it more accessible and readily available when it comes to training.
Heart rate zones are often used in reference to a percentage of your heart rate max.
To find your heart rate max, you will want to take 220 - your age to get an approximate max heart rate.
Let’s use an example of a 30 year old.
220 - 30 = 190 bpm (beats per minute)
Therefore a 30-year olds heart rate zones may look something like this:
Zone 1: 50-60% of max HR, or 95-114 bpm
Zone 2: 60-70% of max HR, or 114-133 bpm
Zone 3: 70-80% of max HR, or 133-152 bpm
Zone 4: 80-90% of max HR, or 152-171 bpm
Zone 5: 90-100% of max HR, or 171-190 bpm
- Measuring your heart rate is fairly accessible if you have a fitness watch, chest strap, or similar.
- Analyzing trends or patterns in your training can be easier to see during and after your runs, bike rides, and other cardio.
The thing about heart rate zones is that they aren’t as simple as the number on your fitness watch or chest strap heart rate monitor. Based on your fitness, your max heart rate could be higher or lower than your estimated heart rate max.
I don’t recommend that you use heart rate zones as an end-all be-all guide for your training. Your heart rate can be affected by multiple factors such as stress, hydration, sleep (or lack thereof), fueling, medication, environmental temperature, humidity levels, and elevation. This is why some people may notice an increase in heart rate while running outside during the summer versus why it may be a little lower or easier to manage in winter or milder conditions.
I especially don’t recommend using zone training if you are new to cardiovascular training (less than 1 year consistently) or have taken a significant amount of time off of cardiovascular training (3-6+ months) because it takes time to build an aerobic base.
This doesn’t mean you should not try to train amongst the various heart rate zones or pay attention to it, but it’s something to consider if you are new or getting back into cardio and frustrated that your heart rate is stuck in Zone 3 or higher for most of your runs or cardio sessions.
Each heart rate zone has a purpose throughout your cardiovascular training. Regardless of your endurance training goals, you will spend various amounts of time in Zones 1-5 to improve endurance, speed, and recovery.
Heart rate zones are suggested and programmed in our intermediate+ running and hiking training programs.
The aerobic threshold and lactate threshold methods are often used in the intermediate to advanced world of running and cycling. Through proper training, you can improve your lactate threshold over time by becoming more aerobically fit.
Lactate threshold is an amount of sustainable effort you can give for the duration of about an hour. This is a percentage of your aerobic capacity. Lactate is the bi-product of glycolysis. Blood lactate response tells us if energy is being produced aerobically or anaerobically, which helps us determine a potential duration at an effort. Your lactate threshold must be tested in a lab to receive an accurate reading. Not everyone has access to getting their LT lab tested, and honestly, probably 99%+ of the world doesn't need to get this tested unless they are elite athletes or just really curious.
For the 99%+ of us that don’t get lab tested, but see that your fitness watch identifies a workout as "threshold" training or similar, just know that it’s ultimately it’s a guesstimate. I recommend using other data to determine training effort if you are in the beginner to intermediate stages of your endurance sport.
Similarly to Heart Rate Zones, AeT/LT have five zones of training –
Zone 1: very easy; can continue for 30 min-several hours; AeT 20-10%; aerobic
Zone 2: easy-moderate; can continue for 30-120 min; AeT 10%-AeT; aerobic
Zone 3: moderate-hard; intervals 10-20 min or tempo up to 60 min; AeT-LT; aerobic max
Zone 4: hard; intervals of 30 sec-8 min; LT-max HR; both aerobic and anaerobic
Zone 5: exhausting; above LT; anaerobic
The RPE scale, or rate of perceived exertion, is a subjective measurement of effort that can be used in relation to both cardiovascular training AND resistance training. The scale runs from 1-10 and allows you to self-assess your intensity within a given exercise, training session, or cardio session.
Now, you might be thinking, “how do I know what an RPE 7 feels like compared to an RPE 8?!” Great question. But know that becoming in tune with your perceived effort is not something that happens overnight. It takes time, experience, and trial and error to learn the differences in effort. Trust me when I say I’ve thought the weight I was lifting was an RPE 8 and was quickly reminded that it was an RPE 10 or vice versa, I thought the weight I was lifting was an RPE 10 and it turned out to be an RPE 8. It’s always a pretty cool experience when it’s the latter, but regardless, it is a skill that’s fine tuned over time.
TIP: It can be helpful to go to failure with an exercise or form of cardio to learn what an RPE 10 or max effort feels like, then work backwards from that.
Below is an overview of what the RPE scale looks like for cardiovascular training. The cues for aerobic activity are mostly based on abilities to breathe and speak. The RPE scale for aerobic activity is a method that can be used alongside Heart Rate Zone training. I like to use the RPE scale with clients who are building their aerobic base, training for a race, or doing cardio for general health and wellness.
It’s important to note that the cardiovascular system needs time and consistency to build and adapt, so a higher heart rate may be read without the perceived effort being at an 8, 9, or 10. This is why using the RPE scale may be a better marker for each session.
Below is an overview of what the RPE scale looks like for lifting. You'll notice that some of the descriptions include "2-3 reps left in the tank" referring to reps in reserve (RIR). This can be an easier way to gauge your RPE when learning how to perceive your individual effort levels.
Drum roll please…
The RPE Scale.
Within all of the Kathletics training programs, we use the RPE scale with clients to self-assess, determine training efforts, and follow progressive overload.
Our clients can expect to be prescribed a range of RPEs within cardiovascular training to encourage adaptations, endurance, speed, as well as recovery. As for resistance training, clients can usually find their suggested RPEs to be programmed between 7-9, with the occasional 5-6 depending on goals, season, experience, and/or if it's during a deload. By strength training at RPE 7-9, that encourages clients to leave about 1-3 reps left in the tank to increase strength and muscular gains.
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