A video explaining that lower pressure on a tire with the same width is faster. Not your own scientific test videos (which I like a lot 😁).. not theoretical calculations either.. but the scientific data that shows that lower pressure is faster in a tire of the same width.. on a road bicycle 👍
@@gcn The only one I know is Jarno Bierman - Bicycle Rolling Resistance. That's partly why I made the suggestion that "real data" seems to be only available to teams and tire manufacturers?!
A deep dive into nutrition before, during an after training, especially it would be nice to hear from a scientist similar to Millán. Polarized Training With Dr. Stephen Seiler would also be great
I‘d like to see more about muscle recruitment. I have started to do low cadence work and in the first session it was horrible and I had the sorest glutes ever the next day but as I progress, I get better and don‘t pedal squares any more. Also something about resistance on a trainer vs. real climbs with the weight shifted would be interesting.
So just to summarize the important bits for me. Each Zone from Zone 2 and up Zone 2 - Mitochonrdria primarily using fat oxidation as a primary fuel source Zone 3 - Fat oxidation starts dropping because fatty acids are not fast enough to synthesize ATP. Glucose can produce ATP faster, but you also get less, so you have a mixture of glucose and fat oxidation, and fast twitch muscles are being recruited at this point. Zone 4 - (lactate threshold, FTP, etc) - Fat oxidation is minimized, energy system is almost all glycolytic. Glucose enters the cell at high speed, and converted into pyruvate to be uptaken by mitochondria. However, mitochondria cannot take up all the pyruvate, and therefore the excess is then converted to lactate. This is when you see an increase in levels in the blood. Also, the lactate that is produced by the fast twitch muscles now travels to the slow twitch muscles and the mitochondria in the slow twitch muscles use that lactate as a fuel source (lactate is a preferred fuel over glucose due to the multiple steps required to break down glucose). The more efficient your mitochondria is, the better your slow twitch muscles can absorb (or clear) lactate. Zone 5 - VO2 max (high intensity 2-4 minutes) - glucose starts becoming limited in converting to energy, so then you start recruiting ATP that is stored in your muscles (this is done without oxygen, hence anaerobic). Zone 6 - Sprinting - only available fuel is muscle-stored ATP (can last for less than a minute). Why does it take time to reset back to Zone 2? - The reason why if you break out of Zone 2 and do higher efforts that it takes a while to "reset" your body to Zone 2 - is because high lactate levels bind to fat cells to prevent lipolysis (breakdown of fatty acids). High lactate levels also inhibits mitochondria transporter CPT1 and CPT2 that transports fatty acid into the mitochondria. Taken the two together, the lack of break down of fats and the inhibition of the transport of fatty acids to mitochondria, it prevents you from using Zone 2's primary fuel source until your body resets, depending on the lactate levels you produced. Even if the heart rate goes down, physiologically/metabolically you're still recovering from the increased lactate levels until that clears.
Just a technical detail - VO2Max is by definition not anaerobic - it's maximal oxygen uptake. Anaerobic is zone 6 (and Zone 7 neuromuscular power if using the Coggan model). Otherwise, an excellent summary that I have borrowed for my own notes. Thankyou. 💕
aerobic and anaerobic energy sources contribute across the board, its the proportion that of each that varies. e.g. Intensities that attain VO2max in 2-4 mins will have a sizeable contribution from anaerobic sources, similarly a "zone6" effort will still have an underlying aerobic contribution.
Z2-3, or the crossover point (where glucose becomes the primary fuel source) can be low or high depending on your “base” fitness. An efficient rider will have that crossover point closer to Z4 than Z2. This means the rider can burn more fat and spare the carbs for higher intensity.
This is the most interesting video GCN has *ever* released. I cannot remember the last time I learned so much in 30 minutes. Thank you Dr. Iñigo San Millán and GCN!
@@zikaperic2133 if you really didn't hear anything in this video that you didn't already know then you really must know a lot about metabolics and biomechanics!
@@cowieson well, I can say in the same, do you live under the rock? Most of things he said are repeated on the youtube/youtube by many PTs. You sounded like he said something spectacular, so I asked nicely what he said that so profound.
What I love about this discussion is that it flat out contradicts the pseudo-science that is pushed around about Z2. People think Z2 is training your heart but it's clear that your heart rate is merely an indicator of what kind of muscles you are using (fast vs slow twitch). Love it
I'm 72 now. Back in the 60's it was miles in the winter and all out in the Summer. In the 90's Heart Rate came into its own, Train the Engine not the Bike. Along came Power Training and Watts came into our vocabulary. I am not knocking Power training because it does have its place but as the good doctor says, we have moved away from the Engine and concentrated more on the Bike. Ours is a Bio-Chemical Engine and the greatest clue to its functioning is Heart Rate and Lactate thus we have to tune it to what we want it to do. Block training using Heart Rate and Lactate measurement programmed to your goals is a great way to go. Obviously, if you are training for a 200 k sportif lactate removal at lower heart rate is far more important than Zone 5 efforts needed for a Cyclo Cross event or a 10,25 time trial. Now I have to go practice what I preach. Great Video with Dr. Inigo San Millan.
I absolutely LOVE this type of training. I started doing massive amounts of zone 2 over the past 6 months or so and toss in some zone 4-5 in there as well. I was a self-flogger for years and this is producing MUCH better results and I feel better too!! Love interviews with Dr. Inigo!! That man is a genius!!
I'm on the cusp of moving away from flogging towards more zone 2. Can you talk about what structure is working for you? I recognize that it should change as race season approaches, but I'm thinking about 3 Z2 rides per week, plus one threshold or VO2 max workout plus one hard saturday group ride.
@@zacharymorford1846 "conventional thinking" is for 75-80% Z2 and then the rest (20-25%) at higher intensities as you mention. In your sample week. So long as the Saturday ride has enough Z2 in there so you don't go too far away from the percentage of your total week. That sounds fine. The issue is when your Saturday ride becomes 2-3 hours of smashing it (the ego can take over in group rides, especially club ones ime) And then you aren't getting enough Z2 to maximise the benefits.
@@rych7852 Its exactly what any expert on endurance training will tell you, but people won't listen. We have an Olympic champion in our bike club. His expert trainer hold a talk telling all us oldies to do polarization. 80% in zone 2 and 20% of the rest in zone 3-4-5. People still try to go full gas on the weekend zone 2 group ride. It's understandable because 3-5 hours in zone 2 can be quite boring. But I rode a lot of zone 2 ten years ago and had the best results ever.
My profesor once told us if a person can't explain you complex topics in simple terms, it means that person doesn't understand it either. Very clear explanation and great analogies from professor Iñigo!
More, more, more. This was great. Thanks Dr Inigo and Si. Totally different- I have listened to some nutrition podcasts with Aitor Viribay (Ineos) and that was very interesting at the time and changed my on the bike nutrition strategy in line with the intensity of riding. The initial video with Dr Inigo was great. I knew zone 2 was always important and formed the foundation of a solid training plan but that further confirmed it.
@@gcn I know it's running but please talk to Kipchoge 's coach. It would be great to learn of endurance racing training is different or not with cycling
Si really knows how/what to ask questions. Such talk videos can only get as good as the one who asks. Now zone 2 is an overly myth-ed/hype-ed thing that everyone is talking about. I saw a lot of guys talking about "walking into that zone 2" and believe that they can do zone 2 training by "walking". It's really good to see these myths got cleared by a real pro. My experience in regards to zone1/zone2 is when in zone 1 and lower zone 2 I got "tired", "boring" and "sleepy", while in zone 2 you feel energized, active and "clear-minded", but you don't need to "hold" using mental power. When in zone 3 you feel the same energetic but you have to "hold" while your body will give you a negative signal to "slow" down. You "hold", you endup in zone 3 and much fatigue. You don't "hold", you fallback into that right zone 2 and you feel energized afterwards. Now a hilarious scene is for serious training guys the problem is they tend to go "too hard" and ended up in zone 3. While for the greater general population, it's the opposite. A whole lot of seniors and low-athletic-level "active" people are doing it "too easy" into zone 1, and believe that they can become world-class endurance athlete just with easy everything.
honestly the way this man explains the science behind training is so refreshing . As a scientist in another field of study i find that many science communicatiors dont highlight literature and or limitations or execptions to the rule and make general sweeping statments . this guy talks about science and explains it in a way that people can clearly understand.
Outstanding. I wish this was available when I was racing more years ago. It’s funny because I had a friend who used to be a world class Marathon runner. He was from Somalia and he said when he came here for college the coaches used to force him to do a lot of high intensity intervals. He had terrible results. He finally convinced his coaches that he could train himself on the way he used to run in Africa, primarily zone 2. He said his results turned around and he had a successful season with places in major college events and marathons. This reminded me of the story Ahmed told me those years ago.
This was the perfect middle ground from the interview he conducted with Peter Attia! Very concise for the cycling layman. Would love to see a Zwift Zone 2 variation series workout implemented off the back of this🤞
I started cycling 3 years ago and didn't know how to prepare for the season. Last year I did a Zwift training plan (bulild me up) mixing with some outside rides but I felt that the Zwift training plan was random (either too easy or too hard) but I started the spring with a better shape than the year before (random outside ride and just riding hard on zwift once a week without structure). This year I have watched lots of videos of Dr Iñigo San Millán and then did lots of sustained Z2 training (1h-1h30-2h) 2-3x per week mixed with some outside ride without going too hard and some 7-8 min sweet spot interval or 12-15min tempo (with +- 20min Z2 warmup). It's only January and I did my best ever max 5s - 10s - 15s & 20s power (at the end of a 3hour ride with lots of headwind). I'am joining the Z2 cult
This was one of the best videos regarding Zone 2 riding out there. Absolutely Loved Dr. Indigo’s openness and willingness to share all his knowledge, this does not happen ever often. Thank you GCN team for making this interview possible. Simply beautiful 🤩
I've watched most of the interviews with Dr. San Millan beginning with Peter Attia and now the GCN ones, and this was by far the most informative mainly because of the questions! There is a lot of contradictory info on UA-cam as to what "level" of Zone 2 is best for mitochondrial adaptation and he did a good job of explaining the need for working in the upper level of the zone. Thank you for a great interview.
The deconstruction Dr. Inigo makes on the subject is, especially for a true ( and aged ) amateur like me, all so enlightening, helping me to somewhat understand the perceived sensations on the bike while riding. Fascinating. Thanks to Inigo, Simon and GCN.
I love how instead of just saying to Si "you didn't periodize properly" he explains what Si could have done to prepare for his cross race. One thing I'm going to have to re-re-watch this for was his answer to the question Si asked about if the body adapts to zone 2. It sounds like his answer is no but he's so good at explaining why and I think that's the part I need to hear again. Thanks for having him on! I first fell in love with this dude when he was showing up in keto spaces about 5 years ago.
Biggest take away from this video ride at the "high end" of zone 2 for the majority of time and if doing zone 2 with an interval session leave the interval for the last 3rd of the ride to get all the benefit of zone 2 and high intensity session. GREAT STUFF !!
Outright the best explanation of what the Zones mean and why they exist that I have ever had the pleasure of watching or hearing, usually talks on the subject make me Zone Out. Thank you for this !!
This video is so informative that I can't passively watch it while eating breakfast. I'm going to have to set aside time to actually watch this so I can take in the information.
Great discussion. The aerobic gains of high-volume zone 2 training should be considered the foundation one builds their zone 4+ engine upon (it's called base season for a reason!) As race day approaches the workouts get more specific to the event. So yes, use it or lose it still applies and it's important to realize the order of training is important to the specific race type.
Well… worked for me. In 2019 I started TrainerRoad. Great for max power but I nearly overtrained and burned out. Then I did polarized training, lots of Z2 with VO2Max added in at then end of the session and I ended up setting my distance PR for 1 hour and 3 hours rides. My FTP is still the same but I have my max power back but since I don’t race and prefer to ride alone, then it’s irrelevant.
After a winter of staring at numbers and zwift graphs, I think I can realistically correlate my heart rate and some degree of "feel" for which zone I'm in. His model makes so much sense when I think about my training over the past few months.
@Global Cycling Network 3 to 4 zone 2 days a week. Other two either race or interval days with one rest day. I'm a huge believer now in zone 2 training making up the majority of time on the bike. Pushed through a plateau this past month and I think a lot of it has to do with shifting more of my training time into zone 2.
Another great video with Dr Iñigo San Millán! I changed my training after the last video with him and it's just much more enjoyable when you are more disciplined on staying in zone 2 for most of the rides, and fitness is starting to improve substantially as well :)
Hi, it is so great to hear a trainer that has the scientific foundation on the cellular level of what happens during work. I have also enjoyed a conversation between Inigo San Milan and Stephen Seiler who works with i.e. norwegian cross-country skier. Try to get an interview with Seiler!
Great content! I learned why you don't want to do intense segments inside a Zone 2. What I always want to hear after these Zone 2 expert talks is a more specific Zone 2 centric training plan for the fast, amateur endo rider. Someone middle-aged, who wants to hang on faster club rides and periodically pop off a respectable century.
The knowledge and quality behind this video is pure gold! Amazing overview by Dr Iñigo, brilliant questions by Simon... Such a powerful content to enhace our training! Many thanks, GCN!
Great talk and everything even made sense. By shear coincidence I have been mixing in my higher zone training efforts in at the end of my zone 2 rides. This feels better to me than trying to do a short warm up and then pushing into higher zone training. I do the later one day a week, but I feel I gain more from the high intensity efforts at the end of a long zone 2 session.
Outstanding, Simon. Really helpful in my quest to determine my zones and when/how to train them. Your and Ollie’s segment on finding HR zones a few weeks ago was also very helpful. Thanks again.
I love seeing videos like this so I can shove it in the face of my friends who feel that they didn't train properly after a zone 2 training, so most of the time they skip those sessions and go all out.
At 19:00, he could factor in the weather conditions. At high temperature the heart ❤️ works more to regulate temperature and the zone 2 threshold might drift. Cooling is necessary to recalibrate.
Right off the bat you know this is going to fascinating, yer going to have to concentrate hard. Oh,and, yer gonna have to watch it more than once. How I wish I had known this in my 20s in the 80's. Brilliant video.
This content was on point from start to finish and all of Si's questions, comments and real life experience was a mirror of my experience in starting in CX this winter. I related to all of Si's experiences in my training and also adapted my training as I felt my upper zones suffer from constant zone 2 training. Can't thank you guys enough for unlocking and unpacking the holy grail of cycling fitness. 👏🏼👏🏼
Again BAM! As a novice rider using cycling as a catalyst for weight loss and control I can absolutely connect with Dr. San Millan's articulation of understanding HOW our muscle systems work and to recognize the different stages when putting in the effort. Great, GREAT content! Thank you Dr. Inigo and GCN!
I really enjoyed that this video didn't try to simplify the information but gave full complexity. It's helpful to have more than you can fully process in the first go around.
WOW!! Absolutely stellar content!! (And I'm an unracer.) I love the metabolic /muscle science!! (Not just because I'm a retired RMT) I'll definitely use this information to structure my training sessions and keep my best full range of fitness. Inigo is so clear & matter of fact and down to earth. What an inspiration! A lotof what he says dovetails with Phil Clavell's Midlife Cyclist. Since I am 64, I really appreciate an extensive recap! I've bookmarked this video. Thanks for the great interviewing techniques Si! You asked our questions well and didn't get in his way. Hats off to you and gcn!
What an absolutely fantastic vid. What may be easily overlooked is what a great job Si did as an interviewer and conversationalist in order to open and keep the gate open for the flood of knowledge to come from Indigo; who too is a brilliant conversationalist and teacher. Bravo to everyone involved in this masterpiece video and thank you for a great learning lesson. Cheers!
That was fantastic Simon, great followup. These two about Zone 2 and the one you did concerning cardiac remodeling have been some of the more substantive high points of GCN lately. Thanks for that!
Thank you Dr Inigo for supporting what I have been telling everyone for years. You need BOTH HR monitor and Power Meter in training. I use my morning resting HR to measure recovery as well as monitoring in ride to see how my body is coping with the demands of the target power I want to ride at. The ideal situation is to produce the same watts at progressively lower HR. Only then can you increase the wattage to match the increased "fitness" or "adaption" to the training. I remember Sean Kelly when he was first exposed to a HR monitor he said "but does it measure suffering?" Well, yes it does as lactate and heart rate go hand in hand as Dr Inigo pointed out. Sean failed to realise this.. HR is essentially the measure of how well your body is coping with the power you are producing. I essentially track my average watts with average HR as a starting point to see if my body is adapting well to training.. you also have to take into account any stress from heat or cold and factor that in as well..
Brilliant, as an old biological scientist that was really informative, plenty of info to allow us to modify our cycling/training regimes so we are not stuck with FTP and/or HR as a single target to work to. Thank you. 😀
Great conversation. As Si asked in behalf of more average cyclists...Si is an elite cyclist of course who has been tested extensively on the bike and in the laboratory...how do we figure out our Zone 2? The professor explained why it is very difficult based upon an end point like FTP which is subject to testing error and he prefers lactate testing and the average cyclist isn't going to have access to this test methodology as Si responded. Will only express my personal conundrum because GCN has had this expert doctor on their show previously and what he speaks makes a lot of sense going back to the early days of Eddie Merckx when in the springtime, everybody stayed in their small chainring. Build the base first. How do you build the base? Zone 2. So, even if the science back in the day wasn't as understood and explainable, base training was widely respected and utilized. Because Zone 2 is so hard to define and an enigma to an average cyclist like me who has ridden for decades and I ride with heartrate...I don't seem to fit the profile, or if I do, still a bit baffling. I am 68 y.o., Si's size and ride almost every day. I can stay 'conversational' with my heartrate well into the 140's. My resting HR is about 52 or so. Max HR?...not sure but maybe 185-190 if balls to the wall....have only reached this a handful of times in the last 10 years. So really, my zone 2 is 145 bpm??...because I can comfortably talk on the bike at this HR...but how can this really be my zone 2 at 68 y.o.? Seems too high. I have always had a 'frisky heart' for my age. I am not particularly fast but fast relative to my age aka can generally keep up with younger cyclists but not national ranked level for my age. But I do subscribe to what the doctor explains and I stay now more away from 150-160 bpm out on the bike in my routine riding. I spend more time around 130-140 ish which is more fat burning but this may in fact really be my zone 1. For me, I really have to keep tabs on my HR with watch or head unit because even at 150 bpm, I am not breathing hard in the least. Just don't know and just wanted to share my confusion apparently shared with others as Si explained trying to figure out their zone 2. Thanks again for the great content.
Hi Luke. Thanks for dropping such an informative comment in, we love to hear from our community and it's great to see you really getting into Zone 2 training. You make a very good point about zone 2's similarities to the old days of riding riding riding. Turns out they were always right, Base is best! Sorry to hear you are struggling to find where your zone 2 fits but it sounds like you are on the right tracks. Have you checked out our video on how to find zone 2? 👉ua-cam.com/video/qWSMTbg0P3U/v-deo.html
Great video! I also made a lactate test, to find out the real zone 2 - which may vary with time. And, guess what, needed to lower my Z2 heart rates, both for cycling and then for running as well. By the way, the are not the same. So lactate testing is the way to go.
Awesome! Indulged the whole video with 100% concentration and the thought of how to change my training. Thank you for this video! Dr. Millan explained it in a very understandable way. A legend!
That was fantastic. I'm not English, but if I were I'd imagine saying ""Proper Quality, Bloody Brilliant!" because I thoroughly enjoyed that much depth on a topic I'm rather interested in. I'm really enjoying these kinds of interviews with Dr. San Millan and Dan Bigham GCN have been doing recently. More Please!
This was really informative, definitely clarified a couple of questions I had around energy systems and how the work together under different intensities. These explanations are invaluable because they don't pretend to hand out magic formulas that will work for everyone. It is better to understand why something can't be blanket prescribed than to just throw out some generalizations and please the people who want things simple. At least you can understand what is happening and why, and even lacking the tools, have a better chance of working out where these physiological boundaries are for yourself.
Thank you for this wonderful video! I have been watching it several times because it is so interesting. I graduated with a degree in biology with a stress on human physiology in 1993. Dr. San Millan has answered many of the questions I had way back then. Please continue doing videos like this.
Your last interview was my introduction to this man. I watched all the content I could from him for a couple weeks. And Si's lactate test vid provided a good example of a zone 2 talk test to go off in that vid. Since then I've been training in zone 2 and its great. I feel amazing after a good zone 2 session. Only issue is I got caught up doing more mid ride climbs recently but this serves as a good reminder to fix that. Having Inigo on the channel is always enjoyable.
Zone 2 works - when my wife decided to start serious cycling I reduced my effort to cycle with her and lost weight! My previous training philosophy was "Go hard or go Home". Still trying to use Zone 2 to lose weight but I live in a very hilly area of North Yorkshire so it`s not easy - especially as my wife has developed into a good cyclist and only weighs 52Kg and I have to push to keep up!
What a great interview. I learned so much in this half hour. Dr. San Millan is such a pleasure to listen to and learn from. Very difficult concepts explained in terms so easy to understand. Thanks so much. And great job Si -- excellent questions.
Best questions I've heard on this topic and the answers weren't too shabby either 😁.. Probably the reason Lydiard told his runners to do at least 100 miles a week.Nobody is going to be flogging themselves regularly at that dose .
Amazing content and information. Me as an intermediate amateur rider in combination with Keto and intermittent fasting, I always felt best at the edge of Zone 2 without even knowing the science and mitochondrial biochemistry behind it. I also did longer rides even without food. And now knowing all of this information, I know it was the proper way of riding and improving my fitness and stamina at my age of 43. Thank you Dr. San Millán and GCN.
Great interview, I’ve seen most of the other interviews, and this one nailed it. These are the great questions I wanted to know. Other interviews I’ve seen with Dr. Millan get bogged down. I’ve been doing Z2 for a few months now, and it does make a difference IMO. He really makes physiology fascinating!
Excellent, informative interview Si, packed with physiology relevant to all endurance athletes. I hope at some point to hear Dr. San Milan's take on "junk miles" as discussed in a recent UA-cam video by Dylan Johnson. Specifically, Johnson's data research led him to conclude that it's important to avoid efforts greater than Zone 2 on endurance ride days, even if the total workout average is well within Zone 2. The point was that even short efforts in Zone 3 or higher on endurance level days interfere with ANS recovery and adaptation from high intensity workouts. This model of training stresses an 80/20 ratio of endurance level training to zone 4 or 5 training, whether in a polarized or pyramidal system by making sure that the 20% is done strictly on days intended on planned hard days.
I am at the difficult pace spot in my improving. I can walk break neck on flat ground zone 2, but I can't quit run slow enough. But I I can hike w/ pack and hold it down to zone 2 . I am sure a level up is in my near future. And I burst lol not always intentionally. This is super informative, I had to watch 3 times so far .thank you
Really enjoyed the conversation and questions answered during the discussion. After many years of bike training and racing, I am learning more from conversations on Z2 now, than I have through reading many books, thanks to GCN and their access to subject matter experts. Great to see this I information openly shared. Chapeau! I hope to see more videos like this one, Si!
Good question. Si spoke to a key issue, along with Dr San Millian, about turning Z2 to race specific training. Most of use in the Northern Hemisphere, have started our base season training. I am in my third block. “Build Blocks” will begin in April for a July race peak. How does one use the Z2 training concepts to effectively plan and execute on the plan to reach their goals? I think of Neal Henderson as a guess for that discussion. Even Trevor Connor of the “Fast Talk” podcast who backs up his claims with science, race, and coaching experiences. Plus, I never get tired listening to Dr San Millian. I did already share this video with a riding buddy and we plan to together to discuss the video over a beer on Monday to review our current training, and make plans for Spring riding once the weather breaks. Good stuff👊
This was a good one, like me as a gearhead i see my body like a engine and now i understand the zone's better in what gear i have to be to burn the different feul supply....
Great video. Using the interplay between all 3 data point - HR, W and PE - during training is a great way to manage your effort, and paying attention to the relationship between them really gives great insights to your capability over time and form in the moment.
Such a fascinating subject. I could listen all day! I watched the first part and have since incorporated Zone 2 into my regime and I've gotta say it's working great. I'm doing a pretty intense program at the moment getting myself in shape for some big rides this year. 7 days on 2 days off for a block of 4 then 4 days off. I do 4 zone 2 rides in the 7 days on. The Zone 2 efforts get harder through the block of 4 X 7. In the last of my 7 days on my legs are really really burning but my HR is steady. This is doing great for my endurance which is my main aim. I only do 2 sets of high intensity in the 7 days and 1 long endurance ride on day 7. I feel good, fit, healthy and happy all the time. In the past I've got to points where I just feel worn out and knackered. Zone has put and end to that. You have to be very patient though. Sticking to zone 2 when you feel like smashing it isn't easy! Believe in the method 👍
An outstanding discussion! It IS a complex issue, but if you paid attention there were some nice simple take away messages, hints and tips. Thanks to everyone involved.
Great video! It’s very satisfying to know how to train for optimal fitness considering our limited time. Si the questions you asked are exactly the questions I had after viewing your other great video with Dr. Iñigo. Many thanks.
A lot of this was way over my head, but, what I could get my head around was very interesting. This is a video that I'm going to have to keep watching to take on board the logic behind it, even for a purley average rider like myself.
A general training principle is technique before speed before strength before endurance. I would say first a 45min Z3/4/5 followed by 15min Z1 recovery followed by 60min Z2 satisfies all metabolic requirements and works well as it burns excess carbs away before going to fat burning metabolism. Or go fasted into 90min Z2 directly.
What other deep dive videos would you like to see us make on the channel? 🧐
A video explaining that lower pressure on a tire with the same width is faster.
Not your own scientific test videos (which I like a lot 😁).. not theoretical calculations either.. but the scientific data that shows that lower pressure is faster in a tire of the same width.. on a road bicycle 👍
@@Jari1973 Nice thinking, Do you know of any big names in the world of tyre pressure that we should interview? 👀
@@gcn The only one I know is Jarno Bierman - Bicycle Rolling Resistance.
That's partly why I made the suggestion that "real data" seems to be only available to teams and tire manufacturers?!
A deep dive into nutrition before, during an after training, especially it would be nice to hear from a scientist similar to Millán. Polarized Training With Dr. Stephen Seiler would also be great
I‘d like to see more about muscle recruitment. I have started to do low cadence work and in the first session it was horrible and I had the sorest glutes ever the next day but as I progress, I get better and don‘t pedal squares any more. Also something about resistance on a trainer vs. real climbs with the weight shifted would be interesting.
Whoever at GCN is pushing for the expert explainer videos...keep up the great work!
So just to summarize the important bits for me.
Each Zone from Zone 2 and up
Zone 2 - Mitochonrdria primarily using fat oxidation as a primary fuel source
Zone 3 - Fat oxidation starts dropping because fatty acids are not fast enough to synthesize ATP. Glucose can produce ATP faster, but you also get less, so you have a mixture of glucose and fat oxidation, and fast twitch muscles are being recruited at this point.
Zone 4 - (lactate threshold, FTP, etc) - Fat oxidation is minimized, energy system is almost all glycolytic. Glucose enters the cell at high speed, and converted into pyruvate to be uptaken by mitochondria. However, mitochondria cannot take up all the pyruvate, and therefore the excess is then converted to lactate. This is when you see an increase in levels in the blood. Also, the lactate that is produced by the fast twitch muscles now travels to the slow twitch muscles and the mitochondria in the slow twitch muscles use that lactate as a fuel source (lactate is a preferred fuel over glucose due to the multiple steps required to break down glucose). The more efficient your mitochondria is, the better your slow twitch muscles can absorb (or clear) lactate.
Zone 5 - VO2 max (high intensity 2-4 minutes) - glucose starts becoming limited in converting to energy, so then you start recruiting ATP that is stored in your muscles (this is done without oxygen, hence anaerobic).
Zone 6 - Sprinting - only available fuel is muscle-stored ATP (can last for less than a minute).
Why does it take time to reset back to Zone 2?
- The reason why if you break out of Zone 2 and do higher efforts that it takes a while to "reset" your body to Zone 2 - is because high lactate levels bind to fat cells to prevent lipolysis (breakdown of fatty acids). High lactate levels also inhibits mitochondria transporter CPT1 and CPT2 that transports fatty acid into the mitochondria. Taken the two together, the lack of break down of fats and the inhibition of the transport of fatty acids to mitochondria, it prevents you from using Zone 2's primary fuel source until your body resets, depending on the lactate levels you produced. Even if the heart rate goes down, physiologically/metabolically you're still recovering from the increased lactate levels until that clears.
Just a technical detail - VO2Max is by definition not anaerobic - it's maximal oxygen uptake. Anaerobic is zone 6 (and Zone 7 neuromuscular power if using the Coggan model). Otherwise, an excellent summary that I have borrowed for my own notes. Thankyou. 💕
aerobic and anaerobic energy sources contribute across the board, its the proportion that of each that varies. e.g. Intensities that attain VO2max in 2-4 mins will have a sizeable contribution from anaerobic sources, similarly a "zone6" effort will still have an underlying aerobic contribution.
Z2-3, or the crossover point (where glucose becomes the primary fuel source) can be low or high depending on your “base” fitness. An efficient rider will have that crossover point closer to Z4 than Z2. This means the rider can burn more fat and spare the carbs for higher intensity.
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Thanks for summarising it 😊 helpful for non native english speakers.
Free lecture about ATP and training zones from a relevant professor. Thanks GCN.
This is the most interesting video GCN has *ever* released. I cannot remember the last time I learned so much in 30 minutes. Thank you Dr. Iñigo San Millán and GCN!
could u say what in particular u learned?
@@zikaperic2133 watch the video :)
@@cowieson i did i did not hear something special so I am curious 🧐
@@zikaperic2133 if you really didn't hear anything in this video that you didn't already know then you really must know a lot about metabolics and biomechanics!
@@cowieson well, I can say in the same, do you live under the rock? Most of things he said are repeated on the youtube/youtube by many PTs. You sounded like he said something spectacular, so I asked nicely what he said that so profound.
What I love about this discussion is that it flat out contradicts the pseudo-science that is pushed around about Z2. People think Z2 is training your heart but it's clear that your heart rate is merely an indicator of what kind of muscles you are using (fast vs slow twitch). Love it
I'm 72 now. Back in the 60's it was miles in the winter and all out in the Summer. In the 90's Heart Rate came into its own, Train the Engine not the Bike. Along came Power Training and Watts came into our vocabulary. I am not knocking Power training because it does have its place but as the good doctor says, we have moved away from the Engine and concentrated more on the Bike. Ours is a Bio-Chemical Engine and the greatest clue to its functioning is Heart Rate and Lactate thus we have to tune it to what we want it to do. Block training using Heart Rate and Lactate measurement programmed to your goals is a great way to go. Obviously, if you are training for a 200 k sportif lactate removal at lower heart rate is far more important than Zone 5 efforts needed for a Cyclo Cross event or a 10,25 time trial. Now I have to go practice what I preach. Great Video with Dr. Inigo San Millan.
Years ago, I guy turned up to our local timetrials after years of loaded bike touring. Crushed everyone. Bike touring is almost totally Zone 2.
I absolutely LOVE this type of training. I started doing massive amounts of zone 2 over the past 6 months or so and toss in some zone 4-5 in there as well. I was a self-flogger for years and this is producing MUCH better results and I feel better too!! Love interviews with Dr. Inigo!! That man is a genius!!
I'm on the cusp of moving away from flogging towards more zone 2. Can you talk about what structure is working for you? I recognize that it should change as race season approaches, but I'm thinking about 3 Z2 rides per week, plus one threshold or VO2 max workout plus one hard saturday group ride.
@@zacharymorford1846 "conventional thinking" is for 75-80% Z2 and then the rest (20-25%) at higher intensities as you mention. In your sample week. So long as the Saturday ride has enough Z2 in there so you don't go too far away from the percentage of your total week. That sounds fine.
The issue is when your Saturday ride becomes 2-3 hours of smashing it (the ego can take over in group rides, especially club ones ime) And then you aren't getting enough Z2 to maximise the benefits.
@@rych7852 so hard to not go smash with friends on Saturday mornings!
Also noticed that too - more Z2 training produced a better effort during the harder days.
@@rych7852 Its exactly what any expert on endurance training will tell you, but people won't listen. We have an Olympic champion in our bike club. His expert trainer hold a talk telling all us oldies to do polarization. 80% in zone 2 and 20% of the rest in zone 3-4-5. People still try to go full gas on the weekend zone 2 group ride. It's understandable because 3-5 hours in zone 2 can be quite boring. But I rode a lot of zone 2 ten years ago and had the best results ever.
My profesor once told us if a person can't explain you complex topics in simple terms, it means that person doesn't understand it either. Very clear explanation and great analogies from professor Iñigo!
More, more, more. This was great. Thanks Dr Inigo and Si. Totally different- I have listened to some nutrition podcasts with Aitor Viribay (Ineos) and that was very interesting at the time and changed my on the bike nutrition strategy in line with the intensity of riding. The initial video with Dr Inigo was great. I knew zone 2 was always important and formed the foundation of a solid training plan but that further confirmed it.
So great that you enjoyed this interview🙌 Who should we talk to next?
Dr Phil!! :()
Also check out Stephen Seiler videos on UA-cam
@@gcn I know it's running but please talk to Kipchoge 's coach. It would be great to learn of endurance racing training is different or not with cycling
Si really knows how/what to ask questions. Such talk videos can only get as good as the one who asks. Now zone 2 is an overly myth-ed/hype-ed thing that everyone is talking about. I saw a lot of guys talking about "walking into that zone 2" and believe that they can do zone 2 training by "walking". It's really good to see these myths got cleared by a real pro. My experience in regards to zone1/zone2 is when in zone 1 and lower zone 2 I got "tired", "boring" and "sleepy", while in zone 2 you feel energized, active and "clear-minded", but you don't need to "hold" using mental power. When in zone 3 you feel the same energetic but you have to "hold" while your body will give you a negative signal to "slow" down. You "hold", you endup in zone 3 and much fatigue. You don't "hold", you fallback into that right zone 2 and you feel energized afterwards. Now a hilarious scene is for serious training guys the problem is they tend to go "too hard" and ended up in zone 3. While for the greater general population, it's the opposite. A whole lot of seniors and low-athletic-level "active" people are doing it "too easy" into zone 1, and believe that they can become world-class endurance athlete just with easy everything.
That was awesome advise to locate the z2. Thx a lot!
honestly the way this man explains the science behind training is so refreshing . As a scientist in another field of study i find that many science communicatiors dont highlight literature and or limitations or execptions to the rule and make general sweeping statments . this guy talks about science and explains it in a way that people can clearly understand.
Outstanding. I wish this was available when I was racing more years ago. It’s funny because I had a friend who used to be a world class Marathon runner. He was from Somalia and he said when he came here for college the coaches used to force him to do a lot of high intensity intervals. He had terrible results. He finally convinced his coaches that he could train himself on the way he used to run in Africa, primarily zone 2. He said his results turned around and he had a successful season with places in major college events and marathons. This reminded me of the story Ahmed told me those years ago.
Absolutely the best thing on exercise I’ve listened to in years.
This was the perfect middle ground from the interview he conducted with Peter Attia! Very concise for the cycling layman. Would love to see a Zwift Zone 2 variation series workout implemented off the back of this🤞
I started cycling 3 years ago and didn't know how to prepare for the season. Last year I did a Zwift training plan (bulild me up) mixing with some outside rides but I felt that the Zwift training plan was random (either too easy or too hard) but I started the spring with a better shape than the year before (random outside ride and just riding hard on zwift once a week without structure).
This year I have watched lots of videos of Dr Iñigo San Millán and then did lots of sustained Z2 training (1h-1h30-2h) 2-3x per week mixed with some outside ride without going too hard and some 7-8 min sweet spot interval or 12-15min tempo (with +- 20min Z2 warmup). It's only January and I did my best ever max 5s - 10s - 15s & 20s power (at the end of a 3hour ride with lots of headwind).
I'am joining the Z2 cult
This was one of the best videos regarding Zone 2 riding out there. Absolutely Loved Dr. Indigo’s openness and willingness to share all his knowledge, this does not happen ever often.
Thank you GCN team for making this interview possible.
Simply beautiful 🤩
Simon you are a telepath! You asked all the specific questions I was still having about zone 2! The best interview! Thanks a lot! 👍👍👍
Great session! I would like Dr. Milan’s view on the impact of high heat and humidity on the ability to sustain Zone 2 for long periods.
This is by far the best explanation regarding the aerobic-anaerobic concepts. There are so many wrong info and advices on the web.... thanks a lot!
Dr Millan is both an excellent source of informative, but a good person and interactive on social media. Thanks!
I've watched most of the interviews with Dr. San Millan beginning with Peter Attia and now the GCN ones, and this was by far the most informative mainly because of the questions! There is a lot of contradictory info on UA-cam as to what "level" of Zone 2 is best for mitochondrial adaptation and he did a good job of explaining the need for working in the upper level of the zone. Thank you for a great interview.
These are the best videos GCN has done. This and the one with Dan Bigham. Please continue to add more videos like this.
The deconstruction Dr. Inigo makes on the subject is, especially for a true ( and aged ) amateur like me, all so enlightening, helping me to somewhat understand the perceived sensations on the bike while riding. Fascinating. Thanks to Inigo, Simon and GCN.
Glad we could help! Have you seen our other interviews with Dr Inigo? 👉ua-cam.com/video/at3MPoK53dU/v-deo.html
I love how instead of just saying to Si "you didn't periodize properly" he explains what Si could have done to prepare for his cross race. One thing I'm going to have to re-re-watch this for was his answer to the question Si asked about if the body adapts to zone 2. It sounds like his answer is no but he's so good at explaining why and I think that's the part I need to hear again. Thanks for having him on! I first fell in love with this dude when he was showing up in keto spaces about 5 years ago.
Biggest take away from this video ride at the "high end" of zone 2 for the majority of time and if doing zone 2 with an interval session leave the interval for the last 3rd of the ride to get all the benefit of zone 2 and high intensity session. GREAT STUFF !!
Outright the best explanation of what the Zones mean and why they exist that I have ever had the pleasure of watching or hearing, usually talks on the subject make me Zone Out. Thank you for this !!
This video is so informative that I can't passively watch it while eating breakfast. I'm going to have to set aside time to actually watch this so I can take in the information.
Hahahah it's a thinker this one 🙌 We hope you get some great tips out of the video!
Great discussion. The aerobic gains of high-volume zone 2 training should be considered the foundation one builds their zone 4+ engine upon (it's called base season for a reason!) As race day approaches the workouts get more specific to the event. So yes, use it or lose it still applies and it's important to realize the order of training is important to the specific race type.
Well… worked for me. In 2019 I started TrainerRoad. Great for max power but I nearly overtrained and burned out. Then I did polarized training, lots of Z2 with VO2Max added in at then end of the session and I ended up setting my distance PR for 1 hour and 3 hours rides. My FTP is still the same but I have my max power back but since I don’t race and prefer to ride alone, then it’s irrelevant.
After a winter of staring at numbers and zwift graphs, I think I can realistically correlate my heart rate and some degree of "feel" for which zone I'm in. His model makes so much sense when I think about my training over the past few months.
Nice work, putting the time in on Zwift always pays in the end! Have you been doing lots of zone two workouts? 👀
@Global Cycling Network 3 to 4 zone 2 days a week. Other two either race or interval days with one rest day. I'm a huge believer now in zone 2 training making up the majority of time on the bike. Pushed through a plateau this past month and I think a lot of it has to do with shifting more of my training time into zone 2.
What a fascinating interview
Great video. My favorite of all times. Prof has capability to explain easily without oversimplifyng. Fantastic!
This makes me want to get my college biology books out again. I’ve learned so much from this video, thanks for taking the time for the interview!
Another great video with Dr Iñigo San Millán! I changed my training after the last video with him and it's just much more enjoyable when you are more disciplined on staying in zone 2 for most of the rides, and fitness is starting to improve substantially as well :)
That's what we like to hear! Slow is the way to go 🙌
Hi, it is so great to hear a trainer that has the scientific foundation on the cellular level of what happens during work. I have also enjoyed a conversation between Inigo San Milan and Stephen Seiler who works with i.e. norwegian cross-country skier.
Try to get an interview with Seiler!
Great content! I learned why you don't want to do intense segments inside a Zone 2. What I always want to hear after these Zone 2 expert talks is a more specific Zone 2 centric training plan for the fast, amateur endo rider. Someone middle-aged, who wants to hang on faster club rides and periodically pop off a respectable century.
That was so helpful. I’m a long time HIIt fan and just starting zone 2 training. You answered all my questions. Thank you for sharing your knowledge.
The knowledge and quality behind this video is pure gold! Amazing overview by Dr Iñigo, brilliant questions by Simon... Such a powerful content to enhace our training! Many thanks, GCN!
The guy is simply the king. I could listen to him allllll day. May have to watch this a few times to make sure I’ve got it all haha
Great talk and everything even made sense. By shear coincidence I have been mixing in my higher zone training efforts in at the end of my zone 2 rides. This feels better to me than trying to do a short warm up and then pushing into higher zone training. I do the later one day a week, but I feel I gain more from the high intensity efforts at the end of a long zone 2 session.
Outstanding, Simon. Really helpful in my quest to determine my zones and when/how to train them. Your and Ollie’s segment on finding HR zones a few weeks ago was also very helpful. Thanks again.
Thanks for watching! We hope it helps with your training 🙌 What would you like to see us cover next?
Completely changes how I approach my training now! This was great!
I love seeing videos like this so I can shove it in the face of my friends who feel that they didn't train properly after a zone 2 training, so most of the time they skip those sessions and go all out.
9 beers in at 1:41pm this is beyond fascinating, to the extent that I understood it, meaning that I'll have to re watch it tomorrow
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At 19:00, he could factor in the weather conditions. At high temperature the heart ❤️ works more to regulate temperature and the zone 2 threshold might drift. Cooling is necessary to recalibrate.
One of the best GCN videos. Simon - you asked perfect questions!
Right off the bat you know this is going to fascinating, yer going to have to concentrate hard. Oh,and, yer gonna have to watch it more than once. How I wish I had known this in my 20s in the 80's. Brilliant video.
This content was on point from start to finish and all of Si's questions, comments and real life experience was a mirror of my experience in starting in CX this winter. I related to all of Si's experiences in my training and also adapted my training as I felt my upper zones suffer from constant zone 2 training. Can't thank you guys enough for unlocking and unpacking the holy grail of cycling fitness. 👏🏼👏🏼
Again BAM! As a novice rider using cycling as a catalyst for weight loss and control I can absolutely connect with Dr. San Millan's articulation of understanding HOW our muscle systems work and to recognize the different stages when putting in the effort. Great, GREAT content! Thank you Dr. Inigo and GCN!
Just brilliant - arguably the best rendition of this critical, metabolic theory on the web - really fantastic
I really enjoyed that this video didn't try to simplify the information but gave full complexity. It's helpful to have more than you can fully process in the first go around.
WOW!! Absolutely stellar content!! (And I'm an unracer.) I love the metabolic /muscle science!! (Not just because I'm a retired RMT) I'll definitely use this information to structure my training sessions and keep my best full range of fitness. Inigo is so clear & matter of fact and down to earth. What an inspiration! A lotof what he says dovetails with Phil Clavell's Midlife Cyclist. Since I am 64, I really appreciate an extensive recap! I've bookmarked this video. Thanks for the great interviewing techniques Si! You asked our questions well and didn't get in his way. Hats off to you and gcn!
What an absolutely fantastic vid. What may be easily overlooked is what a great job Si did as an interviewer and conversationalist in order to open and keep the gate open for the flood of knowledge to come from Indigo; who too is a brilliant conversationalist and teacher. Bravo to everyone involved in this masterpiece video and thank you for a great learning lesson. Cheers!
That was fantastic Simon, great followup. These two about Zone 2 and the one you did concerning cardiac remodeling have been some of the more substantive high points of GCN lately. Thanks for that!
Thank you Dr Inigo for supporting what I have been telling everyone for years. You need BOTH HR monitor and Power Meter in training. I use my morning resting HR to measure recovery as well as monitoring in ride to see how my body is coping with the demands of the target power I want to ride at. The ideal situation is to produce the same watts at progressively lower HR. Only then can you increase the wattage to match the increased "fitness" or "adaption" to the training. I remember Sean Kelly when he was first exposed to a HR monitor he said "but does it measure suffering?" Well, yes it does as lactate and heart rate go hand in hand as Dr Inigo pointed out. Sean failed to realise this.. HR is essentially the measure of how well your body is coping with the power you are producing. I essentially track my average watts with average HR as a starting point to see if my body is adapting well to training.. you also have to take into account any stress from heat or cold and factor that in as well..
Brilliant, as an old biological scientist that was really informative, plenty of info to allow us to modify our cycling/training regimes so we are not stuck with FTP and/or HR as a single target to work to. Thank you. 😀
Dr San Millán's ability to simplify what is clearly an incredibly complex subject is amazing. Excellent video. Thank you.
Thank you GcN and Dr. Inigo. I really appreciate this wealth of knowledge 🙏🏽
Thanks a lot for yet another treat! I started zone 2 training because of these interviews and after years I feel I‘m improving again!
Great conversation. As Si asked in behalf of more average cyclists...Si is an elite cyclist of course who has been tested extensively on the bike and in the laboratory...how do we figure out our Zone 2? The professor explained why it is very difficult based upon an end point like FTP which is subject to testing error and he prefers lactate testing and the average cyclist isn't going to have access to this test methodology as Si responded.
Will only express my personal conundrum because GCN has had this expert doctor on their show previously and what he speaks makes a lot of sense going back to the early days of Eddie Merckx when in the springtime, everybody stayed in their small chainring. Build the base first. How do you build the base? Zone 2. So, even if the science back in the day wasn't as understood and explainable, base training was widely respected and utilized.
Because Zone 2 is so hard to define and an enigma to an average cyclist like me who has ridden for decades and I ride with heartrate...I don't seem to fit the profile, or if I do, still a bit baffling.
I am 68 y.o., Si's size and ride almost every day. I can stay 'conversational' with my heartrate well into the 140's. My resting HR is about 52 or so. Max HR?...not sure but maybe 185-190 if balls to the wall....have only reached this a handful of times in the last 10 years.
So really, my zone 2 is 145 bpm??...because I can comfortably talk on the bike at this HR...but how can this really be my zone 2 at 68 y.o.? Seems too high. I have always had a 'frisky heart' for my age. I am not particularly fast but fast relative to my age aka can generally keep up with younger cyclists but not national ranked level for my age. But I do subscribe to what the doctor explains and I stay now more away from 150-160 bpm out on the bike in my routine riding. I spend more time around 130-140 ish which is more fat burning but this may in fact really be my zone 1. For me, I really have to keep tabs on my HR with watch or head unit because even at 150 bpm, I am not breathing hard in the least. Just don't know and just wanted to share my confusion apparently shared with others as Si explained trying to figure out their zone 2.
Thanks again for the great content.
Hi Luke. Thanks for dropping such an informative comment in, we love to hear from our community and it's great to see you really getting into Zone 2 training. You make a very good point about zone 2's similarities to the old days of riding riding riding. Turns out they were always right, Base is best! Sorry to hear you are struggling to find where your zone 2 fits but it sounds like you are on the right tracks. Have you checked out our video on how to find zone 2? 👉ua-cam.com/video/qWSMTbg0P3U/v-deo.html
@@gcn Will check it out, thank you. Love your channel and high quality productions. Impressive what you do.
What an ABSOLUTE MASTERCLASS !!!
Great video! I also made a lactate test, to find out the real zone 2 - which may vary with time. And, guess what, needed to lower my Z2 heart rates, both for cycling and then for running as well. By the way, the are not the same. So lactate testing is the way to go.
Awesome! Indulged the whole video with 100% concentration and the thought of how to change my training. Thank you for this video! Dr. Millan explained it in a very understandable way. A legend!
This is such a great video, and Dr. Iñigo is fantastic. Thanks for producing and sharing this.
I am loving this content. Only so many videos can be made about clipping in but this is a great long form video.
That was fantastic. I'm not English, but if I were I'd imagine saying ""Proper Quality, Bloody Brilliant!" because I thoroughly enjoyed that much depth on a topic I'm rather interested in.
I'm really enjoying these kinds of interviews with Dr. San Millan and Dan Bigham GCN have been doing recently.
More Please!
Hahaha "Proper quality, bloody brilliant!" That is high praise indeed! Who would you like to see us interview next? 👀
@@gcn Stephen Seiler
This was really informative, definitely clarified a couple of questions I had around energy systems and how the work together under different intensities. These explanations are invaluable because they don't pretend to hand out magic formulas that will work for everyone. It is better to understand why something can't be blanket prescribed than to just throw out some generalizations and please the people who want things simple. At least you can understand what is happening and why, and even lacking the tools, have a better chance of working out where these physiological boundaries are for yourself.
Lets do Dr Ferrari next
That would be DOPE
And the orange juice diet!
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Thank you for this wonderful video! I have been watching it several times because it is so interesting. I graduated with a degree in biology with a stress on human physiology in 1993. Dr. San Millan has answered many of the questions I had way back then. Please continue doing videos like this.
Amazing questions, Simon. It's like you read my mind before the interview. This video/interview is extremely valuable!
Your last interview was my introduction to this man. I watched all the content I could from him for a couple weeks. And Si's lactate test vid provided a good example of a zone 2 talk test to go off in that vid. Since then I've been training in zone 2 and its great. I feel amazing after a good zone 2 session. Only issue is I got caught up doing more mid ride climbs recently but this serves as a good reminder to fix that. Having Inigo on the channel is always enjoyable.
Zone 2 works - when my wife decided to start serious cycling I reduced my effort to cycle with her and lost weight! My previous training philosophy was "Go hard or go Home". Still trying to use Zone 2 to lose weight but I live in a very hilly area of North Yorkshire so it`s not easy - especially as my wife has developed into a good cyclist and only weighs 52Kg and I have to push to keep up!
What a great interview. I learned so much in this half hour. Dr. San Millan is such a pleasure to listen to and learn from. Very difficult concepts explained in terms so easy to understand. Thanks so much. And great job Si -- excellent questions.
Best questions I've heard on this topic and the answers weren't too shabby either 😁.. Probably the reason Lydiard told his runners to do at least 100 miles a week.Nobody is going to be flogging themselves regularly at that dose .
Amazing content and information. Me as an intermediate amateur rider in combination with Keto and intermittent fasting, I always felt best at the edge of Zone 2 without even knowing the science and mitochondrial biochemistry behind it. I also did longer rides even without food. And now knowing all of this information, I know it was the proper way of riding and improving my fitness and stamina at my age of 43. Thank you Dr. San Millán and GCN.
I found this conversation to be more useful than the Peter Attia interview. You asked all the questions I had, thanks!
Glad it was helpful! Who should we interview next? 👀
probably the two most interesting videos on cycling training i've seen!!
Certainly one of the most interesting videos you have produced/released in a long time.
Great interview, I’ve seen most of the other interviews, and this one nailed it. These are the great questions I wanted to know. Other interviews I’ve seen with Dr. Millan get bogged down. I’ve been doing Z2 for a few months now, and it does make a difference IMO. He really makes physiology fascinating!
Excellent, informative interview Si, packed with physiology relevant to all endurance athletes. I hope at some point to hear Dr. San Milan's take on "junk miles" as discussed in a recent UA-cam video by Dylan Johnson. Specifically, Johnson's data research led him to conclude that it's important to avoid efforts greater than Zone 2 on endurance ride days, even if the total workout average is well within Zone 2. The point was that even short efforts in Zone 3 or higher on endurance level days interfere with ANS recovery and adaptation from high intensity workouts. This model of training stresses an 80/20 ratio of endurance level training to zone 4 or 5 training, whether in a polarized or pyramidal system by making sure that the 20% is done strictly on days intended on planned hard days.
I am at the difficult pace spot in my improving. I can walk break neck on flat ground zone 2, but I can't quit run slow enough. But I I can hike w/ pack and hold it down to zone 2 . I am sure a level up is in my near future. And I burst lol not always intentionally. This is super informative, I had to watch 3 times so far .thank you
Really enjoyed the conversation and questions answered during the discussion. After many years of bike training and racing, I am learning more from conversations on Z2 now, than I have through reading many books, thanks to GCN and their access to subject matter experts. Great to see this I information openly shared. Chapeau! I hope to see more videos like this one, Si!
So great to hear you've enjoyed this content! Who should we get on next? 👀
Good question. Si spoke to a key issue, along with Dr San Millian, about turning Z2 to race specific training. Most of use in the Northern Hemisphere, have started our base season training. I am in my third block. “Build Blocks” will begin in April for a July race peak.
How does one use the Z2 training concepts to effectively plan and execute on the plan to reach their goals?
I think of Neal Henderson as a guess for that discussion. Even Trevor Connor of the “Fast Talk” podcast who backs up his claims with science, race, and coaching experiences.
Plus, I never get tired listening to Dr San Millian.
I did already share this video with a riding buddy and we plan to together to discuss the video over a beer on Monday to review our current training, and make plans for Spring riding once the weather breaks.
Good stuff👊
This was a good one, like me as a gearhead i see my body like a engine and now i understand the zone's better in what gear i have to be to burn the different feul supply....
I think this is one of the most interesting videos I watched , ever. Thank you GCN❤
This was some really valuable information for me. Big Thank you to Dr Inigo and Si.
Is there anything else you would like us to do a deep dive into? 👀
Great video. Using the interplay between all 3 data point - HR, W and PE - during training is a great way to manage your effort, and paying attention to the relationship between them really gives great insights to your capability over time and form in the moment.
Such a fascinating subject. I could listen all day! I watched the first part and have since incorporated Zone 2 into my regime and I've gotta say it's working great. I'm doing a pretty intense program at the moment getting myself in shape for some big rides this year. 7 days on 2 days off for a block of 4 then 4 days off. I do 4 zone 2 rides in the 7 days on. The Zone 2 efforts get harder through the block of 4 X 7. In the last of my 7 days on my legs are really really burning but my HR is steady. This is doing great for my endurance which is my main aim. I only do 2 sets of high intensity in the 7 days and 1 long endurance ride on day 7. I feel good, fit, healthy and happy all the time. In the past I've got to points where I just feel worn out and knackered. Zone has put and end to that. You have to be very patient though. Sticking to zone 2 when you feel like smashing it isn't easy! Believe in the method 👍
An outstanding discussion! It IS a complex issue, but if you paid attention there were some nice simple take away messages, hints and tips. Thanks to everyone involved.
Thankyou GCN, so much better than seeing Dr san Milan on Peter Attia's, you listened to the expert well and drew out the important points for cyclists
As a Coloradan, I approve! 😊 Excellent questions from Si.
Absolutely enjoyed this interview and the previous overtraining interview. Thank you.
This was absolutely informative, and very helpful. Well done, appreciated the professional content, keep it coming.
Watching this right before my long z2 ride. Wow. Please more of this! Extremely interesting, well explained, very technical yet easy to understand
thanks Si , Doc and crew.......he is very cool , and easy to understand his method.
Great video! It’s very satisfying to know how to train for optimal fitness considering our limited time. Si the questions you asked are exactly the questions I had after viewing your other great video with Dr. Iñigo. Many thanks.
What a fantastic series of videos. Soo informative. Dr Inigo is legendary. Keep it up GCN
A lot of this was way over my head, but, what I could get my head around was very interesting. This is a video that I'm going to have to keep watching to take on board the logic behind it, even for a purley average rider like myself.
A general training principle is technique before speed before strength before endurance.
I would say first a 45min Z3/4/5 followed by 15min Z1 recovery followed by 60min Z2 satisfies all metabolic requirements and works well as it burns excess carbs away before going to fat burning metabolism.
Or go fasted into 90min Z2 directly.