Training zones
Training zones are bands of intensity — from easy recovery to all-out sprinting — calculated from a personal threshold such as FTP, threshold pace, critical swim speed or threshold heart rate. They let a plan prescribe the same session to different athletes at the right effort for each.
Power zones from FTP
A widely used cycling model has seven zones: active recovery below 55% of FTP, endurance at 56–75%, tempo at 76–90%, threshold at 91–105%, VO2 max at 106–120%, anaerobic capacity at 121–150%, and neuromuscular sprints above that. Running pace and swim pace zones follow the same idea, anchored on threshold pace and CSS.
Why zones matter
Most endurance training should be easy, with a smaller share of hard work. Zones make that split visible and stop the common trap of doing every session at a moderately hard effort that is too hard to recover from and too easy to drive big gains.
In The Next Race
The Next Race builds your power zones from FTP and your run and swim pace zones from threshold pace and CSS. Plan targets are written against them, so they fit your current fitness.