Brian (1s):
Hello and welcome to the Get Lean and Eat Clean podcast. My name is Brian Gryn. I'm a certified health coach, trainer and author, and this podcast is for middle aged men and women looking to optimize their health and get their bodies back to what it once was 10 to 15 years ago. I will give you simple, actionable items to get long term sustainable results. Thanks for listening and enjoy the show.
Brian (25s):
Alright, Welcome to the Get Lean Eat Clean podcast. My name is Brian Gryn. I hope you had a great weekend and hopefully you had a chance to listen to my rebroadcast of my interview with Sally Norton. We got into all of how oxalate overload is making you sick and how you can get better. We touched on how superfoods like almonds and spinach can be causing issues, ways to detox from oxalates and much, much more. So do so many great interviews. I love rebroadcasting some that I think can be a big impact on your life and hopefully you can listen to that one if you haven't already. That's episode 3 98, my Rebroadcast with Sally Norton.
Brian (1m 5s):
Now on today's micro podcast, we are gonna get into a topic we haven't touched on too much about, and that is zone two training. Now that it's getting to the winner, perhaps you're looking for a way to mix up your exercise routines. As I always do, I try to mix it up as the seasons go. And ZO two training is something that has gained popularity among athletes, fitness enthusiasts, elite athletes, for its for its numerous benefits that extend well beyond the basics of exercise. It's an approach that incorporates low intensity, long duration workouts that allow your body to make the most of oxygen and enhancing fat metabolism.
Brian (1m 45s):
So whether you're an athlete striving to improve endurance, or a middle-aged man aiming for better health Zone two training offers a pathway to achieving your fitness goals safely and effectively. Now you're probably thinking, well, what is zone two? And we're gonna get into that along with some of the benefits that you can get from zone two training and how often you should train as well. So first and foremost, understanding sort of these heart rate zones and heart rate zones are ranges that correspond to different intensities of exercise, usually calculated as a percentage of your maximum heart rate. Now you're probably thinking, well, what's my max heart rate? A quick and easy way to determine your max heart rate is crucial for effective zone two training.
Brian (2m 26s):
Now, a common method use to estimate max heart rate is simply subtract your age from two 20. So if you're 30 years old, your estimated heart rate, max heart rate would be 190 beats per minute, so two 20, less 30. Once you understand your max heart rate, then zone two typically ranges between 60 to 70% of your max heart rate. So let's just say your max heart rate is 1 90, 60 to 70% of that, that is where you wanna land. When it comes to zone two training, and the reason people love zone two training is it's optimal for enhancing aerobic capacity, endurance, building a strong fitness foundation, and tapping into fat stores for energy.
Brian (3m 7s):
When you are in zone two training, you stimulate type one muscle fibers during zone two training. Therefore, you stimulate mitochondrial growth and function, which improves your ability to utilize fat. This is the key to performance for most endurance athletes. Elite endurance athletes probably train in this zone two training 60 to 75% of their entire training. So by improving your body's ability to utilize fat as a fuel, you preserve glycogen, which allows you to use that glycogen at the end of the race or workout when the intensity increases. So here are some benefits of zone two training. Number one, improved aerobic endurance. You can build a strong base essential for boosting stamina and performance in high intensity exercises.
Brian (3m 49s):
Number two, enhancing fat metabolism efficiently using fat as an energy source aiding in weight management. Number three, reducing your risk of over training injuries. The low intensity nature of zone two training minimizes strain and decreases your risk for injury. Number four, it's a foundation to utilize higher intensity training prepares your body for more strenuous workouts by developing endurance and efficiency. Number five, improve cardiovascular health. It increases the heart's efficiency and oxygen utilization. Lastly, for recovery and active rest, it's perfect actually for rest days promoting recovery without losing progression. So perhaps you have a day where you're not sure what to do, you might wanna take an off day or you could do some zone two training just to build that base that much more secure.
Brian (4m 38s):
And then it allows you to do higher intensity workouts When you would like to. Just to recap the stay in zone two need to monitor your heart rate and keep it between 60 and 70% of your max heart rate. To get your max heart rate, you do two 20 less your age, heart rate monitors or even fitness apps can be useful. Tours, tools, if you don't want to use those, a talk test can be also quite effective. You should be able to speak in full sentences comfortably without gasping for error. When you're in zone two training, how often should you train in zone two? Well, I think a lot of it depends on your goals, And, what you're looking to do. Sometimes you can use it as sort of a filler on off days. But if you're really an endurance athlete looking to train for a competition, the ideal training plan would be to use it three to four days a week in zone two for the first two to three months of like sort of your preseason training, followed by two to three days a week as the season gets closer and closer, and then you do about two days per week once the season is in full swing.
Brian (5m 34s):
For myself, I'm gonna start incorporating it probably about one day a week as a filler on my off days. Tips for maximizing zone two training. One, you wanna stay consistent. Two, I would definitely use some type of technology, heart rate monitor, and three, you wanna sort of listen to your body, adjust the intensity based on how you feel. So zone two training compliments other forms of exercise such as strength training and high intensity interval training. So let's say you're doing a two to three days of strength training, maybe one day of zone two, and another day of some high intensity interval training. That would be one way to incorporate it into your routine. So you can use it as a recovery session or as a foundation workout before tackling more intense sessions.
Brian (6m 17s):
It can also be incorporated into your training plan for events like the marathon. We just recently had the Chicago Marathon here or triathlons to improve endurance and recovery. I'm gonna go through just a few frequently asked questions. Number one, can I combine zone zone two training with weightlifting? Absolutely. Zone two training is great for recovery days, like I've mentioned between your strength training sessions. How long should you stay in zone two? I would say aim for at least 30, 30 minutes to see benefits increasing your duration as you progress. Well, is zone two training boring? It probably can be boring, but you can definitely listen to music or a podcast or a video or maybe do it alongside a friend because you should be able to have a normal conversation during zone two training.
Brian (6m 59s):
Zone two training is a very sustainable method to enhance your endurance health and overall fitness by incorporating it in your weekly routine. As I've mentioned, you can achieve significant improvements in both aerobic capacity and weight management while minimizing the risk of injury. Start by experimenting with short sessions and gradually increase your duration as your fitness improves. So if you're ready to take the next step and start incorporating some zone two training into your program, comment down below. Let me know how you're gonna incorporate it into your program. If you have any questions regarding O2 training or anything else health related, feel free to email me, Brian at Brian Gryn dot com. Have a great rest of the day and I will talk to you on Friday with another great interview.
Brian (7m 40s):
Thanks so much.
Brian (7m 42s):
Thanks for listening to the Get Lean Eat Clean Podcast. I understand there are millions of other podcasts out there and you've chosen to listen to mine and I appreciate that. Check out the show notes@briangrin.com for everything that was mentioned in this episode. Feel free to subscribe to the podcast and share it with a friend or family member that's looking to get their body back to what it once was. Thanks again and have a great day.
