HR zone 4 93-95%

Not sure if it was a recent update or what but I noticed after my run today I logged plenty of time in z3 and z5 but almost no time in z4.  I looked after and my z4 range is 154-155 bpm.  Contrast that with z3 (141-153) and z5 (>156).  I checked the user profile on my watch and it says z4 is 93-95% based on %LTHR.

Any suggestions?

  • Wow that is a very narrow band for Z4. 

    The bands around it are much wider , so I suspect that is the route cause. Maybe consider widening Z4 a tad?

    Also do you have a specific Sport Heart Rate set up?

    Sometimes these bands get "changed" during an updated "inadvertently" also.

    Were the bands the same in prior activities (looking at those old activity charts)

  • My Z4 is "threshold" and set to 94-100% of LTHR.  

    you can adjust them manually in your watch under Settings>User Profile>Heart Rate & Power Zones,,,,

    Understand- that there is nothing magical or perfect about zones.  they're anything you or your coach want them to be.  Training Peaks uses 10 zones.  Most Exercise Physiology studies use 3 zones.  I think Jack Daniels used 4 zones.  

    these aren't specific break points in your physiology. Think of it more as a dimmer control than a light switch.  The zones are there for however you want to track and partition your intensity, and are very useful for managing training load.  

    And- while your MaxHR won't change (much), your LTHR can move a lot, and it's best to have your zones set as a % of your LTHR- and, different for running and cycling.  so, either manually manage where it is or let garmin calculate that for you- but- I'm not impressed with Garmin's accuracy on this, but it's better than nothing if you don't know your LTHR.

    But- bottom line is- if you're here, and your taking notice of your zones... then you're ready to start really thinking about how you want your watch to calculate these for you.  it's your choice.

  • I toggled it today to %Max HR and then back to LTHR and it seems to have reset the zone(s) to normal looking ranges.  No idea what happened but we're good again.