065 How Much Zone 2 Do You Actually Need?

What is Zone 2?

Zone 2 is a proxy for moderate intensity exercise, and one of the most important characteristics of it is that it is physiologically sustainable.

Why is Zone 2 valuable? 

Intensity prevents you from training enough. 

Zone 2 allows you to accumulate a bigger training dose over the periods of time that really matter (months, years, career).

How to do Zone 2 

Because you are in a physiologically sustainable state, there is no need for rest. 

Zone 2 work can be cyclical or mixed. 

Cyclical modalities I like for CrossFit are biking, rowing, stairmaster, hiking and (for some, running). 

Mixed work can also be done at low intensities. 

This usually involves doing a cyclical implement in Zone 2, and periodically getting off to do some carries, holds or some other easy, non-eccentric-based work (rope climbs, handstand walk, step up). 

How much Zone 2 you need depends on the season and your training priority. 

OFFSEASON 

Athlete A: Elite CrossFitter

Most elite CrossFit athletes are exceptionally talented in their strength. 

High training ages coming from strength and power or team sports, high set point and good trainability. 

For elite athletes with these traits, the only limit in the offseason is you have to be able to eat enough to replenish fuel substrates: muscle glycogen, blood glucose, IMTs. 

This comes out to 1-3 hours/day. Above that it becomes impractical to eat enough, and displaces more sport-specific training. 

The closer you get to the season, the more sport-specific training you need to do. As that volume increases, it will displace Zone 2 volume. 

Athlete B: Everybody Else

For everybody else, who do not yet meet the strength standards of the sport, Zone 2 needs to be limited, so as not to attenuate strength gains in the offseason. 

If you are prioritizing strength, then no more than 45 minutes of Zone 2 per day. No more than 6 days a week. Any longer or more than that and you run the risk of attenuating strength gains. 

As your daily step count gets above 8-10,000, your Zone 2 volume should decrease along with it. 

IN-SEASON 

During the season, training will be more intense and sport-specific. 

The closer you get to the competition, the more similar your program should look to the competition. 

Almost all of the events are severe intensity, and there’s 6-15 of them. 

To prepare for this, you’ll be doing more intense training. This will mean less Zone 2. 

Elite athletes might still include up to 1 hour per day. Beyond that, you could be doing more sport-specific training. 

For challengers, for whom retaining as much strength as possible is more important, and their recovery will not be as fast or as complete as the elites, then Zone 2 becomes confined to warmups and cool downs. 

CONCLUSION

Zone 2 is a valuable training tool for CrossFitters. 

In the offseason, for those prioritizing conditioning, Zone 2 allows you to accumulate a bigger training dose over your career than with high intensity alone. 

For those prioritizing strength, Zone 2 allows you to retain some conditioning, while leaving more effort for your strength training. 

In-season, Zone 2 volume should be reduced to allow for more sport-specific training. 

For elite, conditioning-biased athletes, they may still do an hour a day in-season. 

For challengers, who need to be more conservative with their recovery resources, Zone 2 will be mostly confined to warmups and cool downs.