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Zone 2 Cardio for Heart Health

In the realm of cardiovascular fitness, Zone 2 training has emerged as a powerful tool to optimize endurance, enhance fat metabolism, and promote overall cardiovascular health. This blog post aims to shed light on the benefits, principles, and practical applications of Zone 2 cardio, guiding fitness enthusiasts toward a more effective and sustainable training regimen. Understanding Zone 2 Cardio There are 5 Zones of Aerobic activity. Zone 2 refers to a specific heart rate zone that falls within a moderate intensity range—typically around 60-70% of your maximum heart rate. This zone allows individuals to train at an intensity where the body primarily utilizes fat as its primary energy source, promoting endurance and minimizing reliance on carbohydrates. Benefits of Zone 2 Cardio Exercise within the Zone 2 level of intensity provides a range of benefits. Improved Aerobic Capacity Training in Zone 2 enhances your aerobic capacity by strengthening the cardiovascular system. This leads to increased oxygen delivery to muscles, improving endurance and stamina. Efficient Fat Metabolism The moderate intensity of Zone 2 cardio encourages the body to burn fat for fuel, making it an excellent choice for those aiming to lose weight or improve body composition. Enhanced Recovery Zone 2 workouts are less stressful on the body compared to higher-intensity training. This allows for more frequent sessions and quicker recovery, reducing the risk of overtraining. Better Endurance Performance By developing a strong aerobic base, athletes can improve their performance in endurance activities such as running, cycling, and swimming. Principles of Zone 2 Training As with all things training, there are key principles you want to follow to optimize your results. For Zone 2 training, we'd suggest the following: Calculate Your Zone 2 Heart Rate Determine your [...]

By |2024-05-27T09:56:14-04:00December 28th, 2023|Training Info|0 Comments
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The Fountain of Youth: High-Intensity Interval Training and Longevity

Is High-Intensity Interval Training (HIIT) the fountain of youth of exercise - the magic pill for performance and longevity? Introduction In our quest for a long and healthy life, we often find ourselves exploring various diets, supplements, and lifestyle changes. One increasingly popular method gaining recognition for its positive impact on longevity is High-Intensity Interval Training. HIIT is not just about building muscles or shedding pounds; it has the potential to be the secret sauce for extending our lifespan. In this blog post, we'll delve into the remarkable benefits of HIIT on longevity. What is High-Intensity Interval Training (HIIT)? HIIT is a workout strategy that alternates short, intense bursts of exercise with brief periods of rest or low-intensity recovery. HIIT training is sometimes referred to as WODs (Workouts of the Day) or MetCons (Metabolic Conditioning). These workouts typically last between 10 and 30 minutes, making them efficient and accessible for people with busy schedules. HIIT can be applied to various forms of exercise, such as running, cycling, swimming, and even strength training. Athletic Lab's Mike Young has discussed the benefits of these workout types in both fitness and performance settings. The Longevity Link Cellular Rejuvenation: One of the keys to longevity is maintaining healthy cells. HIIT stimulates autophagy, a process that helps the body break down and remove damaged or dysfunctional cellular components. This cellular "clean-up" is crucial for preventing age-related diseases and promoting longevity. Improved Cardiovascular Health: HIIT is renowned for its ability to enhance cardiovascular health. It boosts your heart's efficiency, increases stroke volume, and lowers resting heart rate. These improvements reduce the risk of heart disease, which is a leading cause of premature death worldwide. Enhanced Metabolism: HIIT elevates your metabolic rate, [...]

By |2024-08-14T08:37:07-04:00September 22nd, 2023|Training Info|0 Comments
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Off Season Endurance Training for Team Sport Athletes By Jan Alexander

[This is a guest blog by Jan Alexander. Jan is a Certified Strength and Conditioning Specialist through the National Strength and Conditioning Association. His athletic background includes running, cycling, triathlon, and basketball. He is currently taking part in the Athletic Lab Coaching Mentorship program.] In July of this year, news broke that Lebron James, yes the four time NBA, NBA Finals MVP, and NBA Champion with 18 all-star selections, had invested in Canyon bikes. Canyon is a global leader in cycling with a mission to be “the world’s most inspiring and innovative bike company.” In 2012 the media also learned of James’s habit of commuting to American Airlines Arena for Miami Heat home games by bike, and as a member of the Los Angeles Lakers he has talked about riding the bike trails around his new hometown with friends. While these specific outings aren’t designed to elicit any aerobic training adaptation, the benefits of aerobic conditioning, even for athletes competing in speed and power based sports, is proven beneficial. Whether your athlete enjoys cycling, running, or some other endurance pursuit such as cross country skiing; the ability to strategically implement aerobic training during an off season can raise an athlete’s ceiling in their chosen sport. There are several adaptations that result from aerobic exercise that include strengthening the heart, but one of the most fundamental adaptive responses to endurance training is an increase in the aerobic capacity of the trained musculature. This adaptation allows the athlete to perform a given absolute intensity of exercise with greater ease (Haff et al 2021). It has also been reported, or over-reported, that the benefits of exercise reduces the risk of heart disease, diabetes, and arthritis; provides a longer [...]

By |2022-11-22T17:13:21-05:00November 22nd, 2022|Training Info|0 Comments
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Strength Training for Cycling Performance by Jason Winegar

[Jason is currently pursuing his masters degree from Marshall University in kinesiology with an emphasis on exercise physiology. He is a high performance tennis coach with experience coaching nationally and internationally ranked players all over the world. Jason is a certified High Performance Tennis Coach with the USTA and hold certifications with the USPTA and the iTPT. He is taking part in the Athletic Lab Coaching Mentorship program.] Cycling is a sport of very slim margins. Countless hours are dedicated to time in the saddle riding hundreds of miles a week, even in the most extreme conditions, all in an attempt to gain a few seconds here or a watt or two there. Traditionally, the way to improve at cycling was to cycle… a lot. Professional level cyclists average over 20 hours a week of riding. Even recreational riders at the competitive level average 10+ hours a week. Eventually, there is a point of diminishing returns. Over the last 20 years, the science of training has improved dramatically. Periodized training blocks with zone-specific interval training and load monitoring have led to more effective and efficient training. However, there is one area that research has shown can lead to dramatic gains that most cyclists completely ignore; that is getting off the bike and heading to the gym. Strength training, if done correctly, will lead to improvements in cycling performance [1-7]. Despite numerous scientific studies supporting this claim, cyclists have long avoided trading in time on the bike for some time in the gym. There are a few prominent arguments that seem to persist. One is the fear of bulking up. In cycling, weight matters. The more mass that must be moved, the more energy must be [...]

By |2022-02-14T18:24:19-05:00February 16th, 2022|Training Info|0 Comments
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Energy System Development: Developing Aerobic Capacity by Beau Hains

[Beau Hains, MS is the Director of Team Training at Athletic Lab] Aerobic capacity plays a very important role in sports, especially those that require athletes to run for extended periods of time without allowing for sufficient rest. Aerobic capacity can be defined as the maximum rate at which an athlete can produce energy through oxidation of energy sources (carbohydrates, fats, and proteins) and is usually expressed as a volume of oxygen consumed per kilogram of body weight per minute. While some sports do not necessarily require a high amount aerobic capacity, it should certainly not be overlooked or neglected. How can aerobic capacity be developed? To quote one of my professors, there are many ways to skin a cat. Just as there are many ways to skin a cat, there are also many ways one can develop aerobic capacity. Aerobic conditioning methods can involve lower intensity efforts that are sustained for longer periods of time, as well as higher intensity intervals. Both options may be appropriate, but it ultimately depends on the needs of the individual athlete to progress from a general improvement in aerobic capacity to a more specific competition-based development. Therefore, it is up to the context of the level of the athlete or phase of training, to determine which method is most appropriate. Although this is certainly not an all-inclusive list, different methods for developing aerobic capacity can include methods such as: Low Intensity Steady State (LISS) Extensive Tempo Running MAS Intervals Long Intervals High Intensity Interval Training Fartlek Training Tabata Training And more Low Intensity Steady State (LISS) Of the above training methods, one of the most common and simple methods for improving general aerobic ability for all sports is [...]

By |2020-04-18T12:07:53-04:00April 18th, 2020|Training Info|0 Comments
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High Intensity Interval Training by Matty Golden

[Matty Golden is in his third year as a sports strength and conditioning student in Setanta College, Ireland and is due to graduate in May 2018. He is currently an Athletic Development Intern at the Athletic Lab.] High intensity interval training is a method used to supplement maximal efforts in training. This is a method of training that involves repeated bouts of high intensity efforts that range from 5 seconds to 8 minutes followed by recovery periods of varying length of time. It is quick, intense bursts of exercise followed by rest periods. HIIT trains the body at high heart rates which aids the burning of fat in shorter periods of time. As quoted in a study done by Martin, J Gbala, High Intensity Interval Training is a little pain for a lot of gain. Billat (2001) points out that as early as 1912 that Olympic long distance runner, Hannes Kolehmainen, was employing interval training in his workouts. Often times high intensity interval training is emphasised as less is more. Meaning a fast paced 30 minute workout is more beneficial to fat loss then something of a slower pace with a longer duration. In a paper done by Micah Zuhl and Len Kravitz they explain how HIIT can not only provide performance benefits but it can also improve the health of recreational exercisers. They go on to state that it is also very suitable for endurance training or continuous aerobic exercise. HIIT is a method of training I have used in Ireland both with sport teams and individuals. With highly trained athletes and individuals, increasing volume of the training does not appear to further enhance their endurance performance or peak their oxygen uptake. I am [...]

By |2017-04-19T09:47:11-04:00April 18th, 2017|Training Info|0 Comments
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The matches are over but we`d like to congratulate Patrick Kypson on competing at Wimbledon where he earned a spot in the main draw after breaking into the ATP Top 100 earlier this year and continuing his rise on the professional tour.

Patrick reached a major milestone, earning a Grand Slam main draw victory with an impressive four-set win over fellow American Mackenzie McDonald, 3-6, 6-1, 6-4, 6-4. 

Patrick advanced to the second round before facing world No. 6 Taylor Fritz on Court 2 at the All England Club. While Fritz earned the victory, Patrick battled throughout the match and showcased the level of play that has made him one of the country`s top rising professionals.

Athletic Lab has had the privilege of being a part of Patrick`s performance journey, and we`re incredibly proud to see his hard work and dedication rewarded on one of the biggest stages in tennis. Reaching Wimbledon is a testament to years of disciplined training, perseverance, and an unwavering commitment to improvement.

Congratulations, Patrick, on an outstanding achievement!

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Open post by athleticlab with ID 18060967151501744
The matches are over but we'd like to congratulate Patrick Kypson on competing at Wimbledon where he earned a spot in the main draw after breaking into the ATP Top 100 earlier this year and continuing his rise on the professional tour. Patrick reached a major milestone, earning a Grand Slam main draw victory with an impressive four-set win over fellow American Mackenzie McDonald, 3-6, 6-1, 6-4, 6-4.  Patrick advanced to the second round before facing world No. 6 Taylor Fritz on Court 2 at the All England Club. While Fritz earned the victory, Patrick battled throughout the match and showcased the level of play that has made him one of the country's top rising professionals. Athletic Lab has had the privilege of being a part of Patrick's performance journey, and we're incredibly proud to see his hard work and dedication rewarded on one of the biggest stages in tennis. Reaching Wimbledon is a testament to years of disciplined training, perseverance, and an unwavering commitment to improvement. Congratulations, Patrick, on an outstanding achievement!

Congratulations to @tim_usaw on an outstanding performance at the @usa_weightlifting Junior National Championships in Colorado Springs, Colorado earlier this month, where he earned a gold medal in one of the nation’s most competitive junior divisions. Tim is a long time member of the @athleticlab_weightlifting Team coached by USA Weightlifting National Coach @j.t.nobbe_

Weightlifting National Championships Week brings together the country’s top youth, junior, U25, and senior lifters, making every medal hard-earned. Tim rose to the challenge with a personal record in the clean & jerk to secure the top spot on the podium.

Congratulations, Tim on becoming a USA Weightlifting Junior National Champion! We are incredibly proud of your accomplishment and look forward to seeing what comes next as you continue to represent Athletic Lab on the national stage.

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Open post by athleticlab with ID 17933162355339138
Congratulations to @tim_usaw on an outstanding performance at the @usa_weightlifting Junior National Championships in Colorado Springs, Colorado earlier this month, where he earned a gold medal in one of the nation’s most competitive junior divisions. Tim is a long time member of the @athleticlab_weightlifting Team coached by USA Weightlifting National Coach @j.t.nobbe_ Weightlifting National Championships Week brings together the country’s top youth, junior, U25, and senior lifters, making every medal hard-earned. Tim rose to the challenge with a personal record in the clean & jerk to secure the top spot on the podium. Congratulations, Tim on becoming a USA Weightlifting Junior National Champion! We are incredibly proud of your accomplishment and look forward to seeing what comes next as you continue to represent Athletic Lab on the national stage.

Get your stretch on! Our MoMo (Movement & Mobility) classes are offered Thursdays at 5pm. In our MoMo classes, we work on asymmetries, imbalances, and restrictions that may be limiting performance or increasing the likelihood for injuries. Paying attention to these seemingly little things allows you to keep your goals big.

#athleticlab #iloveal #cary #fitness #mobility

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Open post by athleticlab with ID 18073644527314654
Get your stretch on! Our MoMo (Movement & Mobility) classes are offered Thursdays at 5pm. In our MoMo classes, we work on asymmetries, imbalances, and restrictions that may be limiting performance or increasing the likelihood for injuries. Paying attention to these seemingly little things allows you to keep your goals big. #athleticlab #iloveal #cary #fitness #mobility

Happy Mother’s Day to all our strong moms. ⠀
⠀
#mothersday #strongasamutha #moms #gymlife #crossfit strongmoms fitmoms fitness strength

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Open post by athleticlab with ID 17903971887428527
Happy Mother’s Day to all our strong moms. ⠀ ⠀ #mothersday #strongasamutha #moms #gymlife #crossfit strongmoms fitmoms fitness strength

Most coaches stop sets based on how athletes look, rather than how they are actually moving. VBT allows you to set a simple cutoff by monitoring bar speed. A bar speed drop of more than 20% from the first rep is an indicator that no matter how the athlete looks or what percentage of 1RM they are supposed to be moving, that they are fatigued beyond the necessary output they need to reach the target stimulus. We shut down the set so that we don’t keep the athlete accumulating a bunch of junk reps.

#BeTheStandard

#velocitybasedtraining #vbt #powertraining #strengthandconditioning

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Open post by athleticlabacademy with ID 18578052283056183
Most coaches stop sets based on how athletes look, rather than how they are actually moving. VBT allows you to set a simple cutoff by monitoring bar speed. A bar speed drop of more than 20% from the first rep is an indicator that no matter how the athlete looks or what percentage of 1RM they are supposed to be moving, that they are fatigued beyond the necessary output they need to reach the target stimulus. We shut down the set so that we don’t keep the athlete accumulating a bunch of junk reps. #BeTheStandard #velocitybasedtraining #vbt #powertraining #strengthandconditioning

Top 5 Reasons to use VBT with your athletes: Reason #3: Objective load & zone prescription. Research over the years has mapped clear velocity zones for different strength qualities. Accelerative strength, strength speed, speed strength, and starting strength all live in different velocity zones. While percentage based training can target these qualities by prescribing an “ideal” load that can allow for different velocities, verifying the quality of the reps becomes a coaches visual interpretation and is subjective. Using VBT gives a clear picture of the athletes bar speed and verifies the quality of the bar speed and whether or not the target is hit on every rep. For the full series in more detail, follow @mikeyoungphd

#BeTheStandard

#velocitybasedtraining #vbt #morepower

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Open post by athleticlabacademy with ID 18088613996617480
Top 5 Reasons to use VBT with your athletes: Reason #3: Objective load & zone prescription. Research over the years has mapped clear velocity zones for different strength qualities. Accelerative strength, strength speed, speed strength, and starting strength all live in different velocity zones. While percentage based training can target these qualities by prescribing an “ideal” load that can allow for different velocities, verifying the quality of the reps becomes a coaches visual interpretation and is subjective. Using VBT gives a clear picture of the athletes bar speed and verifies the quality of the bar speed and whether or not the target is hit on every rep. For the full series in more detail, follow @mikeyoungphd #BeTheStandard #velocitybasedtraining #vbt #morepower

We know there are weight room activities - squats, cleans, plyos, etc that contribute to speed development but we also know that these activities don’t come close enough to the intensity of forces and contraction speeds seen during a max velocity sprint. Therefore the best way to become faster is…..to sprint.

To reach a proper stimulus, sprinting must be done at 95%+ of the athletes max velocity. Do not confuse this with EFFORT. An athlete can be at an RPE of 10 yet not sprinting at 95%+ of their max velocity. So even if an athlete is running fast, even running as fast as they can, it doesn’t mean they are sprinting.

🔹 More in-depth speed training guidelines are found in our CHPC L1 online course #linkinbio

#BeTheStandard

#strengthcoach #sportsperformance #trainingsession personaltrainer fitnesscoach physicalpreparation coachingeducation alca highperformance ltad athleticdevelopment weightroom weightliftingcoach strengthandconditioning exercisescience kinesiology speedtraining sprinttraining

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Open post by athleticlabacademy with ID 18003701174758349
We know there are weight room activities - squats, cleans, plyos, etc that contribute to speed development but we also know that these activities don’t come close enough to the intensity of forces and contraction speeds seen during a max velocity sprint. Therefore the best way to become faster is…..to sprint. To reach a proper stimulus, sprinting must be done at 95%+ of the athletes max velocity. Do not confuse this with EFFORT. An athlete can be at an RPE of 10 yet not sprinting at 95%+ of their max velocity. So even if an athlete is running fast, even running as fast as they can, it doesn’t mean they are sprinting. 🔹 More in-depth speed training guidelines are found in our CHPC L1 online course #linkinbio #BeTheStandard #strengthcoach #sportsperformance #trainingsession personaltrainer fitnesscoach physicalpreparation coachingeducation alca highperformance ltad athleticdevelopment weightroom weightliftingcoach strengthandconditioning exercisescience kinesiology speedtraining sprinttraining

CONTACT INFO

Athletic Lab
110 Competition Center Drive
Suite 150
Phone: 919.617.1472
Email: info@athleticlab.com
Web: athleticlab.com

athleticlabacademy

455 9,436

High performance coaching education for aspiring sport science experts & master practitioners.
#BeTheStandard
FREE SAMPLE of our CHPC L1 Course ⬇️

The matches are over but we`d like to congratulate Patrick Kypson on competing at Wimbledon where he earned a spot in the main draw after breaking into the ATP Top 100 earlier this year and continuing his rise on the professional tour.

Patrick reached a major milestone, earning a Grand Slam main draw victory with an impressive four-set win over fellow American Mackenzie McDonald, 3-6, 6-1, 6-4, 6-4. 

Patrick advanced to the second round before facing world No. 6 Taylor Fritz on Court 2 at the All England Club. While Fritz earned the victory, Patrick battled throughout the match and showcased the level of play that has made him one of the country`s top rising professionals.

Athletic Lab has had the privilege of being a part of Patrick`s performance journey, and we`re incredibly proud to see his hard work and dedication rewarded on one of the biggest stages in tennis. Reaching Wimbledon is a testament to years of disciplined training, perseverance, and an unwavering commitment to improvement.

Congratulations, Patrick, on an outstanding achievement!

31 0
Open post by athleticlab with ID 18060967151501744
The matches are over but we'd like to congratulate Patrick Kypson on competing at Wimbledon where he earned a spot in the main draw after breaking into the ATP Top 100 earlier this year and continuing his rise on the professional tour. Patrick reached a major milestone, earning a Grand Slam main draw victory with an impressive four-set win over fellow American Mackenzie McDonald, 3-6, 6-1, 6-4, 6-4.  Patrick advanced to the second round before facing world No. 6 Taylor Fritz on Court 2 at the All England Club. While Fritz earned the victory, Patrick battled throughout the match and showcased the level of play that has made him one of the country's top rising professionals. Athletic Lab has had the privilege of being a part of Patrick's performance journey, and we're incredibly proud to see his hard work and dedication rewarded on one of the biggest stages in tennis. Reaching Wimbledon is a testament to years of disciplined training, perseverance, and an unwavering commitment to improvement. Congratulations, Patrick, on an outstanding achievement!

Congratulations to @tim_usaw on an outstanding performance at the @usa_weightlifting Junior National Championships in Colorado Springs, Colorado earlier this month, where he earned a gold medal in one of the nation’s most competitive junior divisions. Tim is a long time member of the @athleticlab_weightlifting Team coached by USA Weightlifting National Coach @j.t.nobbe_

Weightlifting National Championships Week brings together the country’s top youth, junior, U25, and senior lifters, making every medal hard-earned. Tim rose to the challenge with a personal record in the clean & jerk to secure the top spot on the podium.

Congratulations, Tim on becoming a USA Weightlifting Junior National Champion! We are incredibly proud of your accomplishment and look forward to seeing what comes next as you continue to represent Athletic Lab on the national stage.

45 3
Open post by athleticlab with ID 17933162355339138
Congratulations to @tim_usaw on an outstanding performance at the @usa_weightlifting Junior National Championships in Colorado Springs, Colorado earlier this month, where he earned a gold medal in one of the nation’s most competitive junior divisions. Tim is a long time member of the @athleticlab_weightlifting Team coached by USA Weightlifting National Coach @j.t.nobbe_ Weightlifting National Championships Week brings together the country’s top youth, junior, U25, and senior lifters, making every medal hard-earned. Tim rose to the challenge with a personal record in the clean & jerk to secure the top spot on the podium. Congratulations, Tim on becoming a USA Weightlifting Junior National Champion! We are incredibly proud of your accomplishment and look forward to seeing what comes next as you continue to represent Athletic Lab on the national stage.

Get your stretch on! Our MoMo (Movement & Mobility) classes are offered Thursdays at 5pm. In our MoMo classes, we work on asymmetries, imbalances, and restrictions that may be limiting performance or increasing the likelihood for injuries. Paying attention to these seemingly little things allows you to keep your goals big.

#athleticlab #iloveal #cary #fitness #mobility

57 1
Open post by athleticlab with ID 18073644527314654
Get your stretch on! Our MoMo (Movement & Mobility) classes are offered Thursdays at 5pm. In our MoMo classes, we work on asymmetries, imbalances, and restrictions that may be limiting performance or increasing the likelihood for injuries. Paying attention to these seemingly little things allows you to keep your goals big. #athleticlab #iloveal #cary #fitness #mobility

Happy Mother’s Day to all our strong moms. ⠀
⠀
#mothersday #strongasamutha #moms #gymlife #crossfit strongmoms fitmoms fitness strength

13 0
Open post by athleticlab with ID 17903971887428527
Happy Mother’s Day to all our strong moms. ⠀ ⠀ #mothersday #strongasamutha #moms #gymlife #crossfit strongmoms fitmoms fitness strength

CONTACT INFO

Athletic Lab
110 Competition Center Drive
Suite 150
Phone: 919.617.1472
Email: info@athleticlab.com
Web: athleticlab.com

Copyright 2026 Athletic Lab | All Rights Reserved

Copyright 2026 Athletic Lab | All Rights Reserved

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