Cardio Zones Cheat Sheet
This cheat sheet covers the different cardiovascular zones, how
to train them, their time domains, training modalities, and
benefits. Each zone targets different physiological adaptations,
so incorporating training across multiple zones can provide a
comprehensive improvement in fitness and health.
Zone 1
Zone 1: Active Recovery Zone (50-60% Max Heart Rate)
The Active Recovery Zone (Zone 1) is crucial for promoting recovery
between high-intensity training sessions. Often overlooked, training in
Zone 1 enhances blood flow, clears metabolic waste, and reduces
muscle soreness, making it indispensable for both elite and recreational
athletes. After a heavy lifting day or a grueling competition, light
walking, cycling, or swimming in this zone helps athletes recover faster,
preparing them for the next bout of intense effort.
Intensity: Very Low Intensity (50-60% Max Heart Rate)
Perceived Exertion: Extremely easy, light effort. Comfortable talking
or holding a conversation.
Training Method: Active recovery, walking, light jogging, easy cycling
or rowing.
Time Domain: 20-60 minutes or longer (as part of active recovery).
Benefits
Enhances circulation and promotes recovery by clearing metabolic
waste.
Improves blood flow and oxygen delivery to muscles.
Helps to decrease muscle soreness and stiffness post-workout.
Example Sport Applications: Endurance sports (running, swimming),
post-training recovery in high-intensity sports (football, basketball).
Zone 2
Zone 2: Aerobic Zone (Endurance Zone) (60-70% Max Heart Rate)
The Aerobic Zone (Zone 2) lays the foundation for endurance sports.
Athletes in sports such as marathon running, cycling, and swimming rely
heavily on their aerobic capacity to sustain long periods of moderate-
intensity effort. Training in this zone increases stroke volume, reduces
resting heart rate, and improves fat metabolism, which is crucial for
energy efficiency during long-duration efforts.
Intensity: Low Intensity (60-70% Max Heart Rate)
Perceived Exertion: Easy effort, can talk comfortably
(conversational pace).
Training Method: Long, steady-state cardio (running, cycling,
swimming, rowing, etc.).
Time Domain: 30-90 minutes (can go longer depending on fitness
level).
Benefits
Improves endurance by increasing the efficiency of the aerobic
system.
Enhances fat metabolism and the ability to use fat as a primary fuel
source.
Increases stroke volume and lowers resting heart rate.
Builds an aerobic base for higher-intensity training.
Example Sport Applications: Marathon running, cycling, triathlons,
distance swimming.
Zone 3
Zone 3: Tempo Zone (Moderate Aerobic Zone) (70-80% Max Heart Rate)
The Tempo Zone (Zone 3) is often referred to as the "sweet spot" for
improving stamina and lactate threshold. Training in Zone 3 helps
athletes develop the ability to maintain pace while delaying the onset of
fatigue. Tempo training teaches athletes to stay comfortable at
intensities just below their lactate threshold, building a bridge between
endurance and higher-intensity interval training.
Intensity: Moderate Intensity (70-80% Max Heart Rate)
Perceived Exertion: Moderate effort, can talk but with some
difficulty.
Training Method: Steady, moderate-paced runs, bike rides, or rows
(tempo training).
Time Domain: 20-45 minutes.
Benefits
Improves lactate threshold, delaying fatigue.
Increases stamina and the ability to sustain moderately high
intensities for longer.
Bridges the gap between low-intensity aerobic work and higher-
intensity intervals.
Example Sport Applications: Soccer, basketball, rugby, long-distance
cycling.
Zone 4
Zone 4: Threshold Zone (Lactate Threshold Zone) (80-90% Max Heart
Rate)
The Threshold Zone (Zone 4) is where athletes push their bodies to the
edge of their lactate threshold. By training in Zone 4, athletes improve
their ability to clear lactate, enabling them to sustain harder efforts for
longer periods without hitting the wall. This zone is critical for sports
that require repeated bursts of high intensity, such as wrestling, rowing,
and sprinting.
Intensity: High Intensity (80-90% Max Heart Rate)
Perceived Exertion: Hard effort, talking is difficult and limited to
short phrases.
Training Method: Interval training, tempo runs, fast cycling, or
rowing at threshold pace.
Time Domain: 10-20 minutes of effort, often performed in intervals
(e.g., 4x5 minutes at threshold effort with recovery between sets).
Benefits
Improves the body's ability to clear lactate and delay the onset of
fatigue.
Increases the speed or power you can sustain over time.
Builds anaerobic endurance and improves the lactate threshold.
Example Sport Applications: Rowing, wrestling, swimming, middle-
distance running.
Zone 5
Zone 5: VO2 Max Zone (Peak Anaerobic Zone) (90-95% Max Heart Rate)
The VO2 Max Zone (Zone 5) represents the highest level of aerobic
contribution before anaerobic processes dominate. While still involving
aerobic capacity, training in this zone heavily recruits anaerobic energy
systems, particularly for high-intensity bursts. Athletes in this zone are
pushing their bodies to near maximum capacity, improving their ability
to sustain intense efforts and recover rapidly. Sports that require
frequent changes in pace and explosive movements, such as football,
boxing, or rugby, benefit significantly from training in Zone 5.
Intensity: Very High Intensity (90-95% Max Heart Rate)
Perceived Exertion: Extremely hard effort, talking is very difficult if
not impossible.
Training Method: Short bursts of high-intensity interval training
(HIIT), max-effort sprints, hill repeats, or intervals on a bike/rower.
Time Domain: 30 seconds to 5 minutes per interval, with 1:1 or 1:2
work-to-rest ratio (e.g., 1 minute max effort, 1-2 minutes rest).
Benefits
Increases VO2 max, improving both aerobic and anaerobic capacity.
Boosts cardiovascular capacity and overall endurance at high
intensities.
Enhances recovery from short bursts of intense effort.
Example Sport Applications: Sprinting, boxing, football, high-intensity
CrossFit.
Zone 6
Zone 6: Anaerobic Capacity Zone (95-100% Max Heart Rate)
The Anaerobic Capacity Zone (Zone 6) is where maximal efforts take
place. Training in Zone 6 improves explosive power and the efficiency of
the phosphagen system, which provides quick energy for short-duration
efforts. Athletes in sports like track and field or football benefit greatly
from this type of training, as it helps them generate force quickly and
repeatedly.
Intensity: Maximal Intensity (95-100% Max Heart Rate)
Perceived Exertion: Maximal effort, pushing to the limit, cannot talk.
Training Method: Very short, all-out sprints, explosive intervals such
as Tabata training or assault bike sprints.
Time Domain: 10-30 seconds per interval, with long rest (up to 2-4
minutes) to allow near full recovery.
Benefits
Improves explosive power and speed.
Increases anaerobic capacity, enhancing performance in short-
duration, high-intensity efforts.
Enhances phosphagen energy system efficiency.
Example Sport Applications: Track and field sprints, football,
gymnastics, CrossFit sprints.
Summary Table of Cardio Zones
Training
Zone Intensity Time Domain Benefits
Method
50-60% MHR Easy walking,
20-60 Promotes recovery, increases
Zone 1 (Active light jogging,
minutes circulation, clears waste products.
Recovery) or cycling
Long steady-
state efforts Improves endurance, fat metabolism,
60-70% MHR 30-90
Zone 2 (running, stroke volume, reduces resting heart
(Aerobic) minutes
biking, rate.
rowing)
Moderate-
intensity,
70-80% MHR 20-45 Builds stamina, improves lactate
Zone 3 sustained
(Tempo) minutes threshold and aerobic capacity.
cardio
efforts
Interval
80-90% MHR training, 10-20 Increases lactate threshold, improves
Zone 4
(Threshold) tempo runs, minutes anaerobic endurance.
hard rowing
High-
intensity
90-95% MHR 30 sec - 5 Boosts VO2 max, cardiovascular
Zone 5 intervals,
(VO2 Max) minutes capacity, and recovery speed.
max-effort
bursts
Short sprints,
95-100%
explosive Enhances power, speed, anaerobic
MHR 10-30
Zone 6 efforts capacity, and phosphagen system
(Anaerobic seconds
(Tabata, efficiency.
Capacity)
assault bike)
Example Training Modalities
Running: Great for all zones, especially Zones 2, 3, 4, and 5. Running
intervals can be adapted for high-intensity efforts.
Cycling (Stationary or Road): Effective for long aerobic workouts
(Zones 1-3) and high-intensity intervals (Zones 4-6). Assault bikes
are excellent for short, all-out efforts (Zones 5-6).
Rowing: Rowing is highly effective across all zones, particularly for
improving endurance (Zones 2-4) and explosive power (Zone 6).
Swimming: Beneficial for Zones 1-3 and can be adapted for high-
intensity interval training (Zones 4-6) for those looking to improve
endurance and power in a low-impact environment.
