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Common errors in using training zones (HR / power / perceived exertion vs. breathing)

Training zones are an essential tool for structuring endurance training. However, their use often remains imprecise: poorly calibrated zones, misinterpreted intensities, misunderstood indicators…


The result: ineffective sessions, limited progress, and even a risk of overtraining.


Here are the most frequent mistakes , and above all how to avoid them with an approach focused on breathing and ventilatory thresholds.



Mistake 1 — Thinking that heart rate provides precise zones


Heart rate is popular… but it is slow, fluctuating, and strongly influenced by context :

  • Temperature, stress, caffeine

  • fatigue or overtraining

  • cardiac drift after 20–30 minutes

  • Bad night, insufficient hydration


As a result , a session in Zone 2 can turn into Zone 3 without realizing it — or vice versa.


👉 Why breathing corrects this

Ventilation reacts instantly to exertion and directly reflects metabolism (aerobic → anaerobic transition). Ventilatory thresholds (VT1 / VT2) allow for more reliable detection of true physiological zones.


Error 2 — Using fixed percentages of FTP or PMA


Power-based zones (FTP, PMA) are often used in cycling. The problem:

  • FTP is not a physiological threshold , but a performance

  • The relationship between FTP and VT2 varies depending on the athlete.

  • a temporary decrease (fatigue, heat) distorts the areas

  • Power does not reflect internal stress


👉 What breathing brings

Breathing captures the internal evolution of the body, independently:

  • external conditions

  • of the day's fitness

  • variations in performance related to fatigue


The zones remain consistent because they are based on physiology, not mechanical capacity.


Mistake 3 — Relying solely on feelings


The sensations ("RPE") are useful but limited:

  • "Easy" effort may actually be in Zone 3

  • Some people underestimate their intensity

  • Others overestimate it

  • Sensations are strongly influenced by the mind


This often leads to the infamous involuntary Zone 3 , too intense for endurance, not intense enough for threshold → ineffective.


👉 The advantage of breathing

The body doesn't lie: when ventilation changes, it means that metabolism changes.

  • difficulty speaking → similar to VT1

  • Deep, rhythmic breathing → Zone 2

  • Chopped ventilation → High zone

  • sudden acceleration of respiratory rate → close to VT2


It is a simple and universal indicator — even without equipment.


Error 4 — Using frozen, never recalibrated zones


This is one of the most common mistakes.

Many use defined zones:

  • 1 year ago

  • after an injury

  • after a change of discipline

  • while they have progressed


The zones change with training , especially VT1 and VT2. Keeping them fixed leads to:

  • unintentional overintensity

  • underload

  • stagnation


👉 Recalibration every 8–12 weeks is ideal.



Mistake 5 — Confusing Zone 2 with “going slowly”


Many people think that Zone 2 = slow jogging or leisurely bike ride.

Fake.


Zone 2 corresponds to a stable, very specific breathing pattern . In some people, it can:

  • seem slow

  • to be faster than they thought

  • to be different depending on the sport (running vs cycling)


Only breathing allows it to be precisely detected.


Error 7 — Neglecting inter-individual variability


Two athletes can have:

  • even FCmax

  • same FTP

  • same VO₂max

…but VT1/VT2 are completely different .


Generic zones (percentage of HRmax or FTP) ignore this physiological diversity.


👉 Breathing detects the transitions specific to each individual .


Conclusion: Breathing solves the majority of common mistakes


Zones based on heart rate, power, or sensations are not useless — but they need to be recalibrated and aligned with actual physiology.

The ventilatory thresholds (VT1 / VT2) provide:

  • a stable base

  • an instant indicator

  • truly personal areas

  • precise tracking over time

  • consistency between power, heart rate, pace & RPE


This is why breathing is becoming the central indicator of the next generation of wearables (including ZoneX ).



Scientific references

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