Training Zones
Organizing intensity into zones to train smarter.
Training zones divide your effort range into bands, each targeting different physiological systems. Spending the right amount of time in each zone is key to improving without overtraining.
Heart rate zones
Updraft uses the standard 5-zone heart rate model based on your maximum heart rate:
- Zone 1 — Recovery. Very easy. Active recovery and warm-ups.
- Zone 2 — Endurance. Comfortable pace you can hold for hours. Builds aerobic base.
- Zone 3 — Tempo. Moderate effort. Conversation gets harder.
- Zone 4 — Threshold. Hard effort at or near lactate threshold. Sustainable for 20–60 minutes.
- Zone 5 — VO2max. Very hard, short intervals. Builds peak aerobic capacity.
The 3-zone model
For analyzing training distribution, Updraft maps the 5 zones into a simplified 3-zone model used in sports science research:
- Low intensity (Zones 1–2) — Easy aerobic work.
- Moderate intensity (Zone 3) — The “grey zone” — harder than easy, not hard enough to be threshold.
- High intensity (Zones 4–5) — Threshold and above.
Training philosophies
Updraft supports two evidence-based approaches to distributing your training across these zones:
- Polarized — Emphasizes spending most time at low intensity with targeted high-intensity sessions, minimizing time in the moderate zone. Typically an 80/0/20 split.
- Pyramidal — Similar emphasis on low intensity, but allows more moderate work. A gentler distribution like 75/15/10.
Both approaches are well-supported by research. Updraft shows how your actual training distribution compares to your chosen model.