In the ever-evolving world of fitness, staying ahead of trends while maintaining effective workout routines is key to achieving your fitness goals. Zone 2 Training has quickly become a popular training tool for both beginners and elite athletes. Let’s explore what this is and how you can adopt it into your routine with iFIT to help you meet your fitness goals.
What is Zone 2 Training?
Zone 2 training focuses on maintaining a heart rate that falls within 60-70% of your maximum heart rate. This aerobic zone is optimal for improving cardiovascular health, enhancing endurance, and burning fat. Unlike high-intensity training, Zone 2 allows you to sustain your workouts for longer periods, making it ideal for both beginners and seasoned athletes looking to build a solid aerobic base.
Why Zone 2 Training Matters
- Improved Endurance: Consistent training in Zone 2 enhances your body’s ability to utilize fat as a primary fuel source, leading to improved endurance and stamina.
- Fat Burning: By staying in this lower heart rate zone, your body becomes more efficient at burning fat, aiding in weight loss and body composition goals.
- Cardiovascular Health: Regular Zone 2 workouts strengthen your heart, reduce the risk of cardiovascular diseases, and improve overall heart health.
- Recovery: Zone 2 workouts are less taxing on the body, making them an excellent choice for active recovery days. Including these types of workouts into your training routine optimizes performance by balancing training stress and recovery.
iFIT ActivePulse™
iFIT’s ActivePulse™ is an innovative feature designed to optimize your workouts by automatically adjusting your machine’s speed and incline to keep you in the ideal heart rate zone. This smart technology ensures that you get the most out of your training sessions, whether you’re aiming to improve cardiovascular health, build endurance, or burn fat.
ActivePulse is available on iFIT-enabled NordicTrack and ProForm treadmills with an active iFIT subscription. By using real-time heart rate data from compatible heart rate monitors, ActivePulse adjusts your treadmill settings to maintain your target heart rate zone throughout your workouts. This personalization helps you achieve your fitness goals more efficiently and safely.
How ActivePulse™ Works
- Real-Time Heart Rate Monitoring: ActivePulse continuously monitors your heart rate using a compatible heart rate monitor, such as a chest or arm strap device. You can purchase iFIT-branded ones that are compatible with your machines here.
- Automatic Adjustments: Based on your heart rate data, ActivePulse automatically adjusts the speed and incline of your treadmill to keep you within your desired heart rate zone.
- Customized Workouts: Whether you’re aiming for a steady Zone 2 training session or a high-intensity interval workout, ActivePulse adapts in real time to ensure you stay in the optimal zone for your goals.
- Personalized Feedback: Throughout your workout, you will receive feedback on your screen to help you understand how your body is responding and to maximize your training effectiveness.
How to Use ActivePulse™
Using ActivePulse™ is simple and straightforward. Here’s how you can get started:
1. Set up your heart rate monitor: Ensure you have a compatible heart rate monitor. Pair your monitor with your iFIT-enabled treadmill following the manufacturer’s instructions.
2. Select an iFIT workout: On your iFIT-enabled device, choose a workout that is supported by ActivePulse - this includes any treadmill workouts with intervals longer than 1 minute. These workouts are specifically designed to leverage the feature for optimal heart rate training.
3. Start your workout: Begin your workout as usual. ActivePulse will automatically start monitoring your heart rate and adjusting the machine’s settings to keep you in the target zone.
4. Monitor your progress: Throughout the workout, keep an eye on your heart rate and the adjustments being made. You will receive real-time feedback on your performance and heart rate status.
Embrace the 12-3-30 Trend with iFIT
The 12-3-30 workouts, popularized on social media, involves walking on a treadmill at an incline of 12%, a speed of 3 mph, for 30 minutes. While this method has certainly gained popularity, the truth is there’s no magic formula for weight loss. The key to losing weight really boils down to good old-fashioned exercise that challenges you, gets your heart rate up, and works up a good sweat—combined with proper nutrition. Even so, the 12-3-30 workout can still be a good starting point if you’re just getting into using an incline treadmill. There are a few ways iFIT can support you in trying out this trend:
- Override video workouts to adjust the speed and incline while watching one of your favorite iFIT workouts
- Use Manual Workout to manually program your 12-3-30 workout
Discover iFIT’s Comprehensive Content
Our commitment to delivering top-notch fitness content is unwavering. Here are some standout content to support your Zone 2 training experience
Zone 2 Training is a powerful tool in your fitness arsenal, and with iFIT’s innovative technology and diverse content, achieving your goals has never been easier. Whether you’re incorporating heart rate zones with ActivePulse™, trying out the 12-3-30 trend with iFIT video content, or exploring the extensive iFIT library - iFIT is here to guide you every step of the way. Your journey to better health and fitness starts here - time to find what moves you!
A well-planned workout can effectively increase calorie burn, contributing to your fitness goals. But remember, the best workout to support calorie burn includes a mix of incline and speed adjustments, along with proper warm-up and cool-down periods. It’s important to note that everyone’s body is unique, and results can vary. So, experiment with your workouts and discover what works best for you. Most importantly, enjoy the journey towards a healthier you.
References
Seiler, S., & Tønnessen, E. (2009). Intervals, thresholds, and long slow distance: The role of intensity and duration in endurance training. SPORTSCIENCE, 13, 32–53. https://www.researchgate.net/publication/233855836_Intervals_Thresholds_and_Long_Slow_Distance_the_Role_of_Intensity_and_Duration_in_Endurance_Training
Casado, A., González-Mohíno, F., González-Ravé, J. M., & Foster, C. (2022). Training periodization, methods, intensity distribution, and volume in highly trained and elite distance runners: A systematic review. International Journal of Sports Physiology and Performance, 17(6), 820–833. https://doi.org/10.1123/ijspp.2021-0435
Mandsager, K., Harb, S., Cremer, P., Phelan, D., Nissen, S. E., & Jaber, W. (2018). Association of cardiorespiratory fitness with long-term mortality among adults undergoing exercise treadmill testing. JAMA Network Open, 1(6), e183605. https://doi.org/10.1001/jamanetworkopen.2018.3605
Disclaimer: This blog post is not intended to replace the advice of a medical professional. The above information should not be used to diagnose, treat, or prevent any disease or medical condition. Please consult your doctor before making any changes to your diet, sleep methods, daily activity, or fitness routine. iFIT assumes no responsibility for any personal injury or damage sustained by any recommendations, opinions, or advice given in this article. Always follow the safety precautions included in the owner’s manual of your fitness equipment.
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