Need help w HR and PWR zones
05-04-21, 03:12 PM
#1
Newbie
Thread Starter
Join Date: May 2021
Posts: 1
Mentioned: 0 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 1 Post(s)
Likes: 0
Liked 0 Times
in
0 Posts
Need help w HR and PWR zones
Spinning my wheels… my pwr and HR zones don’t make sense.
I’ve been doing a base training program for two months using training peaks. Requires many workouts in Z2. When I’m on the trainer I have a power meter. Based on my most recent FTP of 241, my Z2 is 135-182. When I set my my trainer to erg mode of 170watts, my HR hovers around 130 bpm plus or minus 5.
Now when I did my FTP test my Threshold HR was at 179… so when I set this up as my Threshold HR, my Z2 Heart Rate is supposed to be 145-157… a whole 15 bpm higher than what happens on my trainer at my PWR z2. Now, when I hit the road or trails with just my heart rate monitor, I have zero idea what zone I truly operating in.
Any advice? What am I missing here.
Thanks in advance!
I’ve been doing a base training program for two months using training peaks. Requires many workouts in Z2. When I’m on the trainer I have a power meter. Based on my most recent FTP of 241, my Z2 is 135-182. When I set my my trainer to erg mode of 170watts, my HR hovers around 130 bpm plus or minus 5.
Now when I did my FTP test my Threshold HR was at 179… so when I set this up as my Threshold HR, my Z2 Heart Rate is supposed to be 145-157… a whole 15 bpm higher than what happens on my trainer at my PWR z2. Now, when I hit the road or trails with just my heart rate monitor, I have zero idea what zone I truly operating in.
Any advice? What am I missing here.
Thanks in advance!
Likes For guachi:
05-04-21, 10:24 PM
#3
just another gosling
Join Date: Feb 2007
Location: Everett, WA
Posts: 19,531
Bikes: CoMo Speedster 2003, Trek 5200, CAAD 9, Fred 2004
Mentioned: 115 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 3887 Post(s)
Liked 1,938 Times
in
1,383 Posts
Standard zones apply to standard people?? Everyone's a little different. An easier way to think about it is oxygen consumption. IOW, how fast are you breathing? Here are a couple of my recent posts on that subject:
https://www.bikeforums.net/22027364-post22.html
https://www.bikeforums.net/22020995-post6.html
Once you know the location of VT1 and VT2 and the power and HR numbers associated with them, it all might start to make more sense. Also, HR and power numbers are seldom the same indoors and outdoors for the same apparent effort. Part of that is excitement - arousal - and part of that is ventilation, getting rid of heat.
You've been doing a lot of base. All of that should have been below VT1. Sounds like you only have a PM on your trainer bike. I have a similar situation in that I do a lot of my indoor riding on my road bike, but a lot of my outdoor riding on our tandem, which does not have power. Once one knows where the edges are, one gets used to it. Basically, one wants to go moderate on the flats and hard on the hills, unless of course one is doing TT drills or over/under paceline work.
https://www.bikeforums.net/22027364-post22.html
https://www.bikeforums.net/22020995-post6.html
Once you know the location of VT1 and VT2 and the power and HR numbers associated with them, it all might start to make more sense. Also, HR and power numbers are seldom the same indoors and outdoors for the same apparent effort. Part of that is excitement - arousal - and part of that is ventilation, getting rid of heat.
You've been doing a lot of base. All of that should have been below VT1. Sounds like you only have a PM on your trainer bike. I have a similar situation in that I do a lot of my indoor riding on my road bike, but a lot of my outdoor riding on our tandem, which does not have power. Once one knows where the edges are, one gets used to it. Basically, one wants to go moderate on the flats and hard on the hills, unless of course one is doing TT drills or over/under paceline work.
__________________
Results matter
Results matter
Likes For Carbonfiberboy:
05-05-21, 11:52 AM
#4
I'm good to go!
Join Date: Jul 2017
Location: Mississippi
Posts: 14,985
Bikes: Tarmac Disc Comp Di2 - 2020
Mentioned: 51 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 6193 Post(s)
Liked 4,808 Times
in
3,316 Posts
Go by power zones if you have power available via a power meter on your bike or a stationary bike. Don't compare to HR zones.
HR is the less expensive way to gain some idea what your body is telling you to do while riding and when used correctly, you'll get good results.
But never compare the two. Or you'll get confused and start wondering about things you really don't need to wonder about.
You could just go out and arbitrarily divide up your zones... power or HR. Then ride and see what zones you can ride all day in till called home for supper. And when climbing or accelerating hard, note how long in the other higher zones you can last.
However basing your zones on a standard method lets us discuss and compare your effort to another's a little more reliably. Though it helps still to know how each based their zones. For HR I much prefer LTHR/FTHR over max HR or any other.
Probably miles and years cycling behind you.
HR is the less expensive way to gain some idea what your body is telling you to do while riding and when used correctly, you'll get good results.
But never compare the two. Or you'll get confused and start wondering about things you really don't need to wonder about.
You could just go out and arbitrarily divide up your zones... power or HR. Then ride and see what zones you can ride all day in till called home for supper. And when climbing or accelerating hard, note how long in the other higher zones you can last.
However basing your zones on a standard method lets us discuss and compare your effort to another's a little more reliably. Though it helps still to know how each based their zones. For HR I much prefer LTHR/FTHR over max HR or any other.
Probably miles and years cycling behind you.
