How to Use Peloton Power Zones for Weight Loss?

To help you monitor your progress, the Peloton bike categorized individuals’ cycling intensity into zones, and each zone shows your fitness and difficulty level. The zones are measured by your power output and Functional Threshold Power (FTP) score; this is also the same as quantifying your cycling’s duration and intensity. 

About Peloton Power Zones

The Peloton power zones have seven levels which show your intensity level with 1 being the lowest or easiest. Your power zone level will help you regulate your training sessions, ensuring you do not over-exercise or underexercise. The power zone uses the power output (combination of resistance and cadence to determine the appropriate zone for each individual.

The Peloton power zone has a training session with over 400 classes appropriate for each individual’s power output and zone. And before you start any training, you have to enable the Power zone bar settings. You will get suggestions based on your gender and age, but to get the most appropriate zone, you can take a 20-minute FTP test, and determine your zone from the result. 

Zone 1

Zone 1 is the easiest. It is called the Active Recovery zone. Its intensity is  <55% of your FTP. It is more like a warm-up zone. 

Zone 2

Zone 2 has a moderate difficulty level. It is called the Endurance zone. The instructor explains it as something you can do all day; long ride pace and conversational intensity. Its intensity is between 56 to 75% of your FTP.

Zone 3  

Zone 3 is the sustainable zone. You can not do it all day, but you can sustain it for an hour or two. It is also called the  Tempo zone. In this zone, holding a conversation is possible, but it becomes more difficult. Its intensity is between 76 to 90% of your FTP.

Zone 4

Now the difficulty level has reached the Challenging stage. It is also called the Lactate Threshold level; which is because your body is producing more lactate than it can flush out within that time. And even though you can sustain or endure it, you can only endure it for about an hour.  Its intensity level is between 91 to 105% of your FTP. 

Zone  5

Now, this is when you can call it hard. At this stage, your VO2 production is maximum, and that determines how much oxygen your body uses up during the exercise. You barely catch your breath at this level, and you can only sustain it for a maximum of 15 minutes. But the difficulty level pays off because it is good for cardiovascular fitness. Its intensity level is between 106 to  120% of your FTP.

Zone 6

At this stage, you reach your body’s anaerobic maximum capacity, that is you are using more oxygen than your body can take in, and you are moving without enough oxygen in your body. The maximum sustainable time for this zone is 5 minutes, which is why instructors rarely push you beyond 3 minutes at this level. Its intensity level is between 121 to 150% of your FTP level.

Zone 7

This stage is the maximum effort possible; you reach your maximum neuromuscular power and capacity. And you can only do this for a few seconds. You only get to this level during power zone max rides. 6Its intensity level is > 151% of your FTP. 

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How to Enable Peloton Power Zone

To start with your power zone training, you have to enable it. The power zone is an in-built feature that you can easily enable in your bike’s settings. 

• On your Peloton’s bike HD,  click on your username located by your bottom left corner.
• You will notice a gray gear representing settings, near the Find members tab above your profile picture, click on it.
• Then select preferences,  and scroll down.
• Click on the power zone settings, and enable it by checking the box.
• For the Peloton bike to determine your zone, input your average output from the FTP test. And if you have not taken your FTP test, you can use the average power output result from a 20-minutes ride. 

How to Use Peloton Power Zone for Weight Loss

Peloton power zone rides are very effective to achieve your weight loss goals, because it boosts the demand for oxygen in your body, making it burn fat more quickly than normal. To use the Peloton power zone for your weight loss goal

• Enable the Peloton power zone with the steps stated above.
• Then click on Power zone and create a plan
• There are five instructors, choose one, or choose a training/ program.
• Go on with the training till you achieve your goals.  

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Benefits of Peloton Power Zone

It has a good training structure

To lose weight, consistency is essential, so if you keep going from one training to another, you might not notice a lot of improvement. Peloton power zone has a structure that helps you improve, and gives you suitable exercises for your level of improvement. 

It has good coaching styles

Peloton power zones have 5 instructors and a lot of training. You have many options to choose from, which gives you a chance to choose your preferred style of coaching. Some are therapeutic, while some are motivational, and others focus mainly on training. You can go with whichever style makes your workout journey easier.

It is personalized

The peloton power zone uses your metrics to personalize your training, offering each workout and training according to their cadence and resistance score. The Peloton power zone ensures that you do not under exercise or over-exercise, this makes it easier and faster to reach your goals. 

It has advanced features

 Peloton power zones have advanced features that encourage you and make you reach your goals faster. The peloton training sets a performance goal for your activity, and it shows you your progress. This makes it easy to keep fit even after you lose your desired weight. 

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Conclusion

If you wish to lose weight, the Peloton power zone ride is a good option for you. It helps you maintain your heart rate in the process of exercising, ensures you burn fat, and puts it in structures that enable you to burn fat in the minimum time possible, without pushing you harder than you can go. 

Peloton power zone also ensures that you are not only working hard but are also working smart to achieve your weight loss goal. It has provisions  (in-built sounds/ songs) to make your sessions more interesting and personalized. Try out the Peloton power zone to ensure you have a great weight loss journey. 

Frequently Asked Questions

How often should I do Peloton Power Zone Classes?

The frequency of the exercises you take depends on the training volume, your fitness level, and how fast you recover from each session. An average person can take the classes 3 to 5 times a week, while trained riders can take 4 to 6 sessions a week. 

Can you do power zone rides without a peloton bike?

Yes, you can do a power zone ride without a peloton bike, the only disadvantage is that you will not be able to see your output. The Peloton bike has a built-in meter that shows you your power output. So, if you join the class (which you can without the bike), you will not be able to see your metrics. 

However, you can get external devices like a heart rate monitor, and a Bluetooth cadence sensor to measure and calculate your output. The cadence sensor can be put on a side of your pedal and connected to your Peloton app, where it will show your speed and revolutions per minute (RPM). Pairing the heart rate monitor to the app will show your heart rate and effort level. 

What is the maximum training time in the peloton power zone?

Each training or class has a curriculum it follows, and you can preview it before starting. However, the maximum time you can go on a peloton power zone training is three hours. Though, most times, especially in zone 2 and 3, you go for about an hour.

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