Heart Rate Zones and Training: Zone 2

Chris Cooper of Catalyst Fitness provides the rundown on Zone 2.

Work in Zone 2—65-74 percent of max heart rate—helps you develop endurance through metabolic flexibility. Here, you're mostly metabolizing fat for fuel while preserving most of your stored carbohydrates. Endurance athletes refer to Zone 2 training as "building a broad base."

Of note for those looking to increase healthspan: mitochondrial density. Zone 2 increases it, which will allow you to burn fat as fuel even when you aren't working out.

Too many people miss out on Zone 2 benefits by skipping into Zone 3, 4 and even 5. But that high-intensity work trains our body to use carbs as fuel. We want metabolic flexibility! We want to be able to operate at a low level for a very long time—"aerobic endurance."

How much Zone 2 training is ideal? About 3-4 hours a week—and you can add in weight training as long as you make sure you're in Zone 2.

To find out more about how Catalyst can help you with heart-rate training, book a free intro: https://catalystgym.com/

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