Zone 2 is the easy, conversational heart-rate band that most endurance training should happen in, and what is zone 2 heart rate is the question every new runner eventually asks. It is a range, not a single number, set from your maximum or reserve heart rate, and running in it builds the aerobic base that faster training is later added on top of.
What is zone 2 cardio?
What is zone 2 cardio, or zone 2 running, is training at an easy intensity, roughly sixty to seventy percent of maximum heart rate, where you could hold a conversation. It is the band that develops the aerobic system and fat metabolism most efficiently, which is why endurance plans spend most of their volume there rather than in the harder zones above it.
How to calculate zone 2 heart rate for your own range
How to calculate zone 2 heart rate starts from an estimate of maximum heart rate, then takes a percentage band, or uses the heart-rate-reserve method, which subtracts resting heart rate for a more personal figure. What is my zone 2 heart rate therefore has two common answers depending on the method, and the reserve method, using your own resting rate, is usually the more accurate of the two.
What is zone 2 running pace, and how do you find it?
Zone 2 is a heart-rate band, but it maps to a running pace, and zone 2 running pace is simply the pace that keeps you in it, usually slower than runners expect. The honest test is the talk test: if you cannot speak in full sentences, you are above zone 2. Zone 5 running, by contrast, is the near-maximal band used sparingly for the sharpest sessions.
Other questions people ask
What is zone 2 heart rate?
It is the easy band, roughly sixty to seventy percent of maximum heart rate, where you can hold a conversation; most endurance volume is run there to build the aerobic base.
How do I calculate my zone 2 heart rate?
Estimate your maximum heart rate and take a percentage band, or use the heart-rate-reserve method with your resting rate for a more personal figure.
Why does zone 2 feel too slow?
Because it is easy by design; if you cannot hold a conversation you are above zone 2, so the correct pace is usually slower than runners expect.