Turbo - Zone 2 HR Training

As per https://intervals.icu/ (donate-ware site), set your Lactate Threshold Heart Rate as 98% of what your recent best 20min effort.

For me, that's currently 162bpm from a Coospo chest strap hrm (my watch hrm is quite frankly awful). Intervals settings page says that z2 hrm is 133-150bpm.

My FTP is currently set at 239W, albeit I've had another respiratory infection recently, z2 power is 119-161W.

Sounds reasonable do do z2 for power and hrm at same time to me.

I have a Garmin but never really dig into the metrics.
Is the HR zones set for running or cycling or both? Maybe the Garmin values are based on running and not cycling? Just a guess, but would expect average HR to be a bit higher when running at a given level compared to a bike ride.

How are you feeling when riding? My understanding is that Z2 should be pretty easy & able to hold a conversation throughout.

If I am understanding correctly......Sounds like you need to set your Garmin and Strava HR zones to be the same ranges and they are speaking the same language. You can probs set different cycling HR zones and running HR zones.  You can probably do the same for your power zones too (based off your FTP - do you have an accurate estimate?).

You might find that if you not using rouvy regularly, that you're legs are working a bit harder than you realise (your FTP might be overestimated), and hence your RPE/HR is a bit higher than you expect. As you get fitter you might find your HR gets better at coping with the power, and your FTP rises so Z2 gets easier. 

There is a lot of confusion in the various articles between HR zones and Power Zones.  They are not interchangeable and IMO it’s best to stick to one or the other and not try to mix.  

I base my indoor zone rides entirely on power zones, easy with the likes of Zwift, either in ERG mode or on a robopacer ride. I do find indoor that my HR zones are usually lower than my Power zones, for example I might do a ride that’s 50/50 Power zones 2/3 and my HR will be 95% Z2. 

More commonly I’ll use ERG on the Wattbike to do an hour or so in Power Z2 as I believe that’s best use of my training time. 

Definitely an issue between the various bits of software and what/how they are calculating. 

This is a bit like measuring tyre pressure, you need to pick one gauge and stick to it!

And secondly, I'd suggest just chilling out a bit, getting some (virtual) miles under your legs and whilst the numbers are very useful, you need to just think about what your feeling, using the old RPE scale for instance. 

Are you just confusing HR Zones and Power Zones? FWIW I have 7 Power Zones configured and 5 HR Zones. There's not a 1:1 correlation. 

Trying to use HR for zone training doesn’t really work I don’t think, it’s to variable day to day to be much use. And remember that unless you’ve done a lactate threshold test you are taking a wild stab in the dark at what your zone 2 power is anyway 

It gets tricky to use power alone tho'.  If you go and do equal zone 2 (for example) workouts on different days you might see very different HR's , indicating more/less fatigue.  The two need to be linked , but it might not be 1:1

My understanding would be use z2 power until your heart rate drifts up as it will when you get tired and then knock down power.....having said that z2 on a turbo would be like torture for me so I don't bother

Using HR for Zone 2 is what (most) runners do as (most) don't use any sort of power meter. 

Training forums are full of pages of people arguing over what z2 actually means so there's an excellent chance one could drive oneself insane trying to do a z2 workout.

My understanding is that the guidance not to go over a certain exertion level are there to protect people doing loads of volume from generating too much fatigue. If you're doing it on the turbo a couple of times a week then just do the workout that your chosen platform has served you and then go about your day.

My approach to aerobic endurance - turn off ERG (not that I ever use it) and spin nice and light.

Keep HR below 75% of MHR which I believe is roughly LT1 - ignore 'traditional' HR zones

Power is whatever it is, but usually ends up comfortably in Z2

Thanks for the responses - I did reply yesterday but appears to have just disappeared ?!!?

I started thinking that riding a Zone 2 (FTP) erg workout would keep me ticking along nicely in in Zone 2 HR. As above and through a few attempts Ive realised its not one and the same thing. Part of the reason I use erg mode as opposed to just riding is because the bike is old and knackered and erg mode means I dont need to change gear 🤣 

I've also now aligned all my HR zones on different devices ie Garmin, Strava, Rouvy (they were all different).

Naturally on the turbo Ive always done more HIIT type intervals so doing a Zone 2 feels very alien and the Zone 3 HR on strava was making me think I was working too hard.

I have reduced my overall FTP a bit. Ive been on and off the bike for a few weeks with various bugs etc so I know my fitness isnt where it was. 

The Trainer will work on Resistance/power typically (%age of FTP), but can be set up to base a workout on a target HRZ. 

Doing a workout that gauges on power, but measuring it on HR zone is always going to confuse things. 

Either train to power or train to HR, but mixing the two up just won't work. 

In an ideal world HR and power zones would be perfectly aligned, but I very much doubt anyone has their zones nailed down to that extent.

FTP (self) testing/estimation often tends to land a bit on the higher side where people maybe want to claim a bigger W/kg number for whatever reasons. HR Zones are maybe a more "accurate" way to gauge your own level of physical effort (how hard your heart is working at any given point), while power zones are a good way of measuring output and naturally any changes as a result of training. 

You should do varied workouts based on both methods of measurement:

Targeting a specific HRZ (perhaps better for recovery or maintenance i.e. Z2 for 1-2hrs or "tempo" workouts in ~Z3-Z4), and maybe undertake different interval workouts using specific "power zones" or %FTP where you're trying to build targeted increases in capacity (i.e. climbing, sprinting, etc). 

(All IMO/IME and I have no great achievements of my own, or relevant qualifications of course)