Strava subscribers can use Training Zones to understand the load they’re taking on and how their training looks across different dimensions. Training Zones provide insights into your Heart Rate, Power, and pace, allowing you to track progress across sports, by category, and over various timeframes—7 days, 1 month, 3 months, 6 months, Year to date, 1 year, and a custom date range.
How Training Zones Work
Heart Rate Zones:
Zone 1 – Endurance
Zone 2 – Moderate
Zone 3 – Tempo
Zone 4 – Threshold
Zone 5 – Anaerobic
Heart rate zones indicate the intensity levels of exercise. When you upload an activity with heart rate data from a compatible device, your training will be categorized by one of the zones listed above. You can filter by sport to analyze how heart rate load varies across different activities.
Strava automatically calculates your heart rate zones based on your Max Heart Rate. By default, this is estimated as 220 minus your age. If no age is provided, Strava defaults to a Max Heart Rate of 190 bpm. Your zones will automatically update on your birthday unless you have manually set a Max Heart Rate. Subscribers have the option to set different heart rate zones for runs/other sports and rides. You can adjust your heart rate zones at any time on the Heart Rate Zones settings page.
To access your heart rate zones, connect a heart rate monitor or upload activities that include heart rate data.
Power Zones:
For cycling activities with power data, Strava breaks training into 7 Power Zones:
Zone 1 – Recovery
Zone 2 – Moderate
Zone 3 – Tempo
Zone 4 – Threshold
Zone 5 – VO₂ Max
Zone 6 – Anaerobic
Zone 7 – Neuromuscular
Power zones are determined by your Functional Threshold Power (FTP) and reflect the intensity distribution of your cycling workouts. If you have an FTP entered, your power zones are automatically calculated from it.
If no FTP is set:
Strava estimates your FTP based on your weight and gender.
The default weight used is 60 kg if no weight is entered.
If you upload activities with power data but no FTP:
Strava uses the last 6 weeks of your activity data to generate a Critical Power Curve.
Your FTP will automatically update as new data becomes available.
Your power zones can be adjusted at any time via the Power Zones settings page. A power meter for your bike is required to view your power zones.
Pace Zones
For running activities, Strava provides 6 Pace Zones:
Zone 1 – Recovery
Zone 2 – Endurance
Zone 3 – Tempo
Zone 4 – Threshold
Zone 5 – VO₂ Max
Zone 6 – Anaerobic
Pace Zones are used to measure training intensity in minutes per kilometer or minutes per mile, depending on your settings. To use Pace Zones, you must manually set them in the [Pace Zones settings page]. Zones are based on the most recent race results that you entered in training zones settings or custom range inputs and do not update automatically, regardless of your best efforts. Manual activities do not count toward Pace Zones. To view your Pace Zones, you must first add race times or manually set pace zones in your settings before viewing them. You must add race times or manually set pace zones in your settings to view your Pace Zones.
FAQs
Why are there limits when setting my zones?
To maintain accurate settings, Strava has the following guardrails: zones cannot overlap, and consecutive zones must differ by at least one unit of distance. The maximum values are: FTP, 500; Max Heart Rate, 230 bpm.
Can I view Training Zones beyond 3 months?
Yes, you can now view up to a year or select a custom date range.
When I change my zones, does Strava recalculate past activities?
Only the first time you set zones, Strava will recalculate historical activities. After that, changes apply only to future activities. If you’d like past data recalculated, contact our support team with the necessary details. At this time, we are only able to recalculate auto-calculated heart rate, race, and power zones.