Aerobic Capacity Program
Looking to improve your endurance and stamina? Are you participating in the Concept 2 Fall Meter Challenge but not sure what to do day to day? Keep reading! This 4-week program will help you slowly build up your capacity before/after your normal class routine — and help you log lots of meters.
This program should be performed as an ADDITION to your regular classes, not a substitute. You can perform this work on any Concept 2 machine. (If you’re doing the meter challenge, stick to the rower or Ski Erg. Assault Bike doesn’t count toward our team total.)
Developing your aerobic capacity has many benefits — aesthetically, as well as improving recovery time between sets, workouts and training days. You’re also able to go harder for longer with further development of your aerobic system, so you might be able to say goodbye to the huffing and puffing during 15 to 20 minute AMRAPs!
The workouts are designed by heart rate zone. Use the guide below to gauge how hard you’re working. It’s not necessary to measure your actual heart rate — go by feel.
Ready? Let’s dive in!
Zone 1 — 50 to 60% of max heart rate. This zone corresponds to an athlete’s aerobic base and is typically reserved for a warm-up and cool down. (SUPER SLOW)
Zone 2 — 60 to 70% of max heart rate. This is an aerobic zone where an athlete can run comfortably and utilize fat as a primary fuel source. (Moving but can still hold a conversation)
Zone 3 — 70 to 80% of max heart rate. This is the last aerobic zone before crossing the anaerobic threshold. Training in this zone is challenging but sustainable for most athletes. (Think 5k pace, working hard but able to recover and continue)
Zone 4 — 80 to 90% of max heart rate. This is an anaerobic zone which by definition implies the absence of O2 resulting in a negligible amount of fat metabolism. Athletes in Zone 4 may mutter only a few words at a time. (Hard to recover from, have to push yourself and mentally lock in)
Zone 5 — 90 to 100% of max heart rate. This is the top of the heart rate chain and leaves you gasping for air after only 10 to 20 seconds of work. (ALL OUT EFFORT)
WEEK 1
| Day 1 | Day 2 | Day 3 |
| 5 minutes Zone 1 5 minutes Zone 2 then 3 Rounds: 2 minutes Zone 4 2 minutes Zone 1 then 5 minutes Zone 1 |
10 minutes in Zone 1 10 minutes in Zone 1/2 |
5 minutes Zone 1 5 minutes Zone 2 5 minutes Zone 3 5 minutes Zone 2 5 minutes Zone 1 |
WEEK 2
| Day 1 | Day 2 | Day 3 |
| 5 minutes Zone 1 5 minutes Zone 2 Then 5 Rounds: 1 minute Zone 5 2 minutes Zone 1 Then 5 minutes Zone 1 |
10 minutes in Zone 1 5 minutes in Zone 2 10 minutes in Zone 1 |
5 minutes Zone 1 10 minutes Zone 2 5 minutes Zone 1 5 minutes Zone 3 5 minutes Zone 1 |
WEEK 3
| Day 1 | Day 2 | Day 3 |
| 5 minutes Zone 1 5 minutes Zone 2 Then 4 Rounds: 2 minutes Zone 4 2 minutes Zone 1 Then 5 minutes Zone 1 |
5 minutes in Zone 1 20 minutes in Zone 2 5 minutes in Zone 1 |
5 minutes Zone 1 10 minutes Zone 2 5 minutes Zone 3 5 minutes Zone 1 10 minutes Zone 2 5 minutes Zone 3 |
WEEK 4
| Day 1 | Day 2 | Day 3 |
| 5 minutes Zone 1 5 minutes Zone 2 Then 6 Rounds: 1 minute Zone 5 2 minutes Zone 1 Then 5 minutes Zone 1 |
5 minutes in Zone 1 25 minutes in Zone 2 5 minutes in Zone 1 |
5 minutes Zone 1 25 minutes Zone 2 10 minutes Zone 3 |
2018 09 17