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HRR Training Zones: ShouldITrain v Garmin APP

leno007

ShouldITrain, https://www.shoulditrain.com/blog/garmin-heart-rate-zones-explained, recommends setting Garmin App to HRR, Heart Rate Reserve, to set training zones. Which I did.

My question concerns the variation between the ShoulIdITrain zone percentages of HRR and the Garmin App.  

ShouldITrain has fiVe zones that progress evenly at 10% intervals, Zone 1 50%HRR to 60%HRR, Zone 2 60%HRR to 705HRR, etc.  On the other hand Garmin is Zone 1 52%HRR to 60%HRR, Zone 2 52%HRR to 60%HRR, Zone 3 61%HRR to 67%HRR, Zone 4 68%HRR to 72%HRR and Zone 5, above 73%HRR.

If you use the HRR formula for both, +Resting HR +(HRR*/zone %), the Garmin App numbers are much lower and out of line with my other metrics such as LTHR and RPE.

Can anyone comment of the discrepancy between ShoulditTrain and Garmin?  Where did Garmin's zone percentages come from? Are the two companies related?

  • 0

    You set the ranges yourself, so change them so they are the same if you want them to be the same. 

    If you press reset zones in Garmin you get the same percentages, but they values are individual so Garmin has changed them due to some calculations. You must go to a test clinic to get your true ranges.

    Should I Train are not affiliated with Garmin in any way.

  • 0 in reply to e7andy

    Thanks for your post.

    I did manually enter HR data I feel are most reflective of my conditioning. 

    What caused my concern about the discrepancy between the two versions is that Should I Train seems very keyed into Garmin.  I was surprised to see two different sets of values.

  • 0 in reply to leno007

    To tell the truth, it absolutely does not matter how you set up the HR Zones. The watch, or Garmin Connect do not use HR Zones for anything at all (with optionally the exception of Intensity Minutes, if you change the default settings). Garmin uses Max HR, 7 days avg HR, and LTHR as basis for all the HR derived metrics, regardless how you set up the zones. So if you like to see more % in the red than in the green zone (or vice versa), set up the zones accordingly. It will have zero impact on metrics like Training Load, VO2max, Stamina, etc, etc. The zones are just for your visual review, or to match some pattern or system your coach is used to use.

  • 0 in reply to trux

    This is very interesting.  When Garmin tells me, for instance, I need do some anerobic workouts, I will use FTP and HR to satisfy that need. But you are telling me that will not necessarily do it??

     Does Garmin rely upon Post Exercise Oxygen Consumption, (which I cannot measure)?