Last updated: 3 October 2026
Reviewed by Jordan Morley, FA Level 2 Football Coach
Heart rate zones divide effort into bands — typically five — based on a percentage of your maximum heart rate. Zone 1-2 is easy aerobic work, Zone 3 tempo, Zone 4 threshold, and Zone 5 maximal. Training by zones ensures you spend the right amount of time at each intensity rather than always running 'medium'. The Karvonen method, which factors in resting heart rate, gives more personalised zones.
- Usually five intensity bands
- Based on % of max heart rate
- Karvonen method adds resting HR for accuracy
- Prevents always training at one intensity
In practice
Training zones (typically five, ranging from very easy recovery effort to maximal anaerobic effort) give structure to what would otherwise be a vague 'train hard or easy' approach — most well-designed endurance programmes spend the large majority of weekly volume in the lowest one or two zones, using harder zones sparingly and specifically, since overusing high-intensity zones is one of the most common causes of plateaus and burnout in self-coached athletes.
FAQ
How many heart rate training zones are there?
Most systems use five zones, ranging from Zone 1 (very easy recovery) to Zone 5 (maximal effort), though some coaches use three or seven-zone models depending on the sport and methodology.
What percentage of training should be in each zone?
A commonly cited guideline (the '80/20' approach) suggests roughly 80% of weekly training volume in the easier Zone 1-2 range, with only about 20% spent in harder zones.