Understanding Training Zones: From Z1 Recovery to Z5 VO2max
Walk into any triathlon training discussion, and you’ll hear athletes throwing around terms like “Zone 2,” “threshold,” and “VO2max intervals.” But what do these zones actually mean? And more importantly, how do you use them to train smarter and race faster? Let’s break down the five training zones, what happens in your body during each, and how to use them strategically in your training. Why Training Zones Matter Training zones exist because different exercise intensities create different physiological adaptations. Train too hard all the time, and you’ll overtrain and underperform. Train too easy all the time, and you won’t develop the specific fitness needed for racing. ...