What are heart rate zones?
What are heart rate zones?
Heart rate zones are ranges of your heart rate that represent different levels of exercise intensity. They help you understand how hard your body is working and make it easier to train for specific goals, whether that's improving endurance, increasing fitness, or maximizing performance.
Most heart rate zone systems divide your training into five zones based on a percentage of your Maximum Heart Rate (Max HR).
Training with heart rate zones helps you:
- Stay at the right intensity for every workout.
- Improve aerobic endurance.
- Build speed and power through higher-intensity intervals.
- Recover more effectively between hard training sessions.
- Avoid overtraining by monitoring your effort.
The 5 heart rate zones
Although the exact boundaries vary slightly depending on the training method you follow, heart rate zones are typically expressed as percentages of your Maximum Heart Rate (Max HR).
| Zone | % Max HR | Primary Purpose |
|---|---|---|
| Zone 1 | 50–60% | Recovery & Warm-up |
| Zone 2 | 60–70% | Aerobic Endurance |
| Zone 3 | 70–80% | Tempo Training |
| Zone 4 | 80–90% | Lactate Threshold |
| Zone 5 | 90–100% | Maximum Effort & VO₂ Max |
Zone 1 – Recovery
This is your easiest training zone and is ideal for warming up, cooling down, and active recovery. You should be able to comfortably hold a conversation.
Zone 2 – Endurance
Zone 2 builds your aerobic engine. It improves endurance, teaches your body to use energy efficiently, and is where most long steady-state rowing sessions take place.
Zone 3 – Tempo
A moderate intensity that improves cardiovascular fitness. Your breathing becomes noticeably heavier, but you can still speak in short sentences.
Zone 4 – Threshold
A hard but sustainable effort that increases your lactate threshold, allowing you to maintain higher intensities for longer periods.
Zone 5 – Maximum effort
Your highest training intensity. These short efforts improve VO₂ max, speed, and power, but can only be maintained for brief intervals.
Why train with heart rate zones?
Heart rate training helps ensure every workout has a purpose. Rather than relying only on pace or power, your heart rate shows how your body is responding to the effort.
For example:
- Recovery sessions should stay mostly in Zone 1 or Zone 2.
- Endurance workouts spend most of their time in Zone 2.
- Tempo sessions target Zone 3.
- Interval workouts often alternate between Zone 4 and Zone 5.
By staying in the intended zone, you're more likely to achieve the goal of each workout while reducing the risk of overtraining.
Heart rate zones in EXR
By default, EXR calculates your heart rate zones based on your Maximum Heart Rate (Max HR). Each training zone is defined as a percentage of your Max HR, allowing EXR to accurately categorize your exercise intensity during workouts.
If you've completed a fitness assessment, lactate threshold test, or received personalized zones from a coach, EXR also allows you to replace the default zones with your own custom values.
How to Enable Custom Heart Rate Zones
You can customize your heart rate zones from your EXR account settings on the website. This setting is not available in the EXR app.
To enable custom heart rate zones:
- Sign in to your account on the EXR website.
- Open Account Settings.
- Click Change Heart Rate Zones.
- Enable Custom Heart Rate Zones.
- Enter your preferred heart rate values for each zone.
- Click Save Changes.
Your custom zones will now be used anywhere heart rate zones are displayed throughout EXR.
Tip: For the most accurate training experience, combine personalized heart rate zones with a compatible Bluetooth heart rate monitor and an up-to-date FTP.
When should I use custom heart rate zones?
Custom heart rate zones are recommended if:
- You've completed a professional lactate or threshold test.
- Your coach has provided personalized training zones.
- Your measured training zones differ from the default zones based on your Maximum Heart Rate.
If you're unsure which values to use, we recommend keeping the default heart rate zones enabled.
Learn More
Want to get the most out of heart rate training in EXR? These articles can help you set up your equipment and better understand how your training metrics work together.
- How to Connect a Heart Rate Monitor — Learn how to pair a compatible Bluetooth heart rate monitor with EXR.
- Supported Heart Rate Monitors — Check which heart rate monitors are officially supported by EXR.
- FTP Explained — Learn how Functional Threshold Power (FTP) works and why combining FTP with heart rate training provides a more complete picture of your performance.
Frequently Asked Questions
Will changing my heart rate zones affect my workout data?
No. Your recorded heart rate stays exactly the same. Custom heart rate zones only change how your heart rate is categorized into training zones during your workouts.
Can I switch back to the default heart rate zones?
Yes. Go to Account Settings → Change Heart Rate Zones, disable Custom Heart Rate Zones, and click Save Changes.
Do I need a heart rate monitor?
Yes. To train using heart rate zones and view live heart rate data, you'll need a compatible Bluetooth heart rate monitor connected to EXR.
Why would I use custom heart rate zones?
Custom heart rate zones are useful if your measured training zones differ from the default zones based on your Maximum Heart Rate. This is common after completing a fitness assessment or when following a coach's training plan.
Does changing my heart rate zones affect my FTP?
No. FTP and heart rate zones are independent training metrics. Changing your heart rate zones only affects how your heart rate is categorized. It does not change your FTP, workout targets, or rowing resistance.
Can I change my custom heart rate zones at any time?
Yes. You can edit or disable your custom heart rate zones whenever you like from Account Settings → Change Heart Rate Zones. Your changes take effect immediately after saving.