Heart Rate Zones

Train the right system at the right time.

Heart rate zones tell you exactly what your body is adapting to during every session. Gneta breaks down your Garmin HR data into actionable zone analytics so you can build a smarter, more polarized training plan.

Runner checking heart rate on a trail

Features

What you see in Gneta

Zone distribution per activity

See time spent in each zone with percentage breakdown for every workout. Instantly know if a session was easy, threshold, or mixed.

Weekly and monthly zone trends

Track your zone balance over time. Are you doing enough Zone 2? Gneta shows your polarization ratio week over week.

Resting heart rate tracking

Long-term resting HR trend with rolling averages. Spot overtraining, illness, or improving fitness before you feel it.

AI coach zone recommendations

The AI coach analyzes your zone distribution and recommends adjustments based on your goals: more base work, more threshold, or more recovery.

The 5-zone model

Understanding heart rate zones

The five-zone model divides effort by percentage of maximum heart rate. Each zone trains a different energy system. Knowing where you spend your time is the first step to training with purpose.

Zone 1Recovery50-60% max HR

Active recovery and warm-up. Promotes blood flow without adding training stress.

Zone 2Aerobic Base60-70% max HR

The engine builder. Improves fat oxidation, mitochondrial density, and cardiac efficiency. Where most training time should be spent.

Zone 3Tempo70-80% max HR

Moderate intensity. Improves muscular endurance and lactate clearance. The "comfortably hard" zone.

Zone 4Threshold80-90% max HR

Lactate threshold training. Raises the ceiling of sustainable effort. Interval and tempo race-pace work.

Zone 5VO2max90-100% max HR

Maximum effort. Improves VO2max and anaerobic capacity. Short intervals only. Very high training stress.

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FAQ

Common questions

How does Gneta calculate heart rate zones?

Gneta uses the zones synced from your Garmin device. If you have configured custom zones on your watch or in Garmin Connect, those are what Gneta uses. You can also override them manually in Gneta settings. By default, zones are based on percentage of your maximum heart rate.

How much time should I spend in Zone 2?

Most endurance coaches recommend 75-80% of total training time in Zone 2 for aerobic base building. Gneta tracks your weekly zone distribution so you can see whether you are hitting that balance or drifting too hard too often.

What is heart rate drift and why does it matter?

Heart rate drift is when your heart rate gradually rises during a steady-effort activity even though your pace or power stays the same. It indicates cardiovascular fatigue and dehydration. Gneta flags drift in your activity detail view so you can track aerobic efficiency over time.

Can I customize my zones in Gneta?

Yes. Gneta imports your Garmin zones automatically, but you can override them with custom thresholds based on lactate testing, field tests, or coach recommendations. Changes apply to future analysis and you can recalculate historical activities.

Ready to train by zones?

Connect your Garmin and see your heart rate zone distribution across every workout. AI coaching included.

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