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October 23, 2025
Why Strength Training Doesn’t Count As Zone 2 Exercise
Heart rate zones only apply to cardio exercise.When you track a strength training workout on a fitness watch, that watch will happily tell you what heart rate zones you were in during the workout. In fact, they'll do that for any workout, whether it makes sense or not. So you might be tempted to interpret ...
**Why Strength Training Doesn’t Count As Zone 2 Exercise**
If you’re striving for optimal fitness, you’ve likely heard about heart rate zones, especially the coveted “Zone 2.” This zone, typically associated with easy, conversational-paced cardio, is touted for its fat-burning benefits and ability to improve endurance. But what about strength training? Can your weightlifting sessions also contribute to Zone 2 gains? The answer, surprisingly, is no.
Many fitness trackers and smartwatches diligently record your heart rate during all kinds of workouts, including strength training. After a session of squats, deadlifts, and bench presses, your watch will cheerfully display a breakdown of the heart rate zones you supposedly occupied. It might even suggest you spent a significant portion of your workout in Zone 2. However, interpreting this data as equivalent to Zone 2 cardio is a common, and potentially misleading, mistake.
Heart rate zones are primarily designed and applicable for continuous, rhythmic activities like running, cycling, swimming, or brisk walking – in other words, cardio. These activities create a steady-state demand on your cardiovascular system, allowing your heart rate to reflect the intensity of the exercise in a predictable and meaningful way.
Strength training, on the other hand, involves short bursts of intense effort followed by periods of rest. While your heart rate certainly increases during a heavy lift, it’s a different physiological response than what occurs during sustained cardio. The heart rate spikes during strength training are often driven by the Valsalva maneuver (holding your breath during exertion) and the intense muscular contractions, rather than a consistent oxygen demand.
Therefore, even if your fitness tracker indicates you reached Zone 2 during a set of bicep curls, it doesn't translate to the same benefits as spending the same amount of time in Zone 2 while jogging. The metabolic and cardiovascular adaptations are distinct. Thinking otherwise could lead you to overestimate your Zone 2 training volume and potentially neglect the actual cardio needed for optimal endurance and fat burning. So, while monitoring your heart rate during strength training can still provide valuable insights into your overall effort and recovery, remember that Zone 2 principles are best reserved for your cardio workouts.
If you’re striving for optimal fitness, you’ve likely heard about heart rate zones, especially the coveted “Zone 2.” This zone, typically associated with easy, conversational-paced cardio, is touted for its fat-burning benefits and ability to improve endurance. But what about strength training? Can your weightlifting sessions also contribute to Zone 2 gains? The answer, surprisingly, is no.
Many fitness trackers and smartwatches diligently record your heart rate during all kinds of workouts, including strength training. After a session of squats, deadlifts, and bench presses, your watch will cheerfully display a breakdown of the heart rate zones you supposedly occupied. It might even suggest you spent a significant portion of your workout in Zone 2. However, interpreting this data as equivalent to Zone 2 cardio is a common, and potentially misleading, mistake.
Heart rate zones are primarily designed and applicable for continuous, rhythmic activities like running, cycling, swimming, or brisk walking – in other words, cardio. These activities create a steady-state demand on your cardiovascular system, allowing your heart rate to reflect the intensity of the exercise in a predictable and meaningful way.
Strength training, on the other hand, involves short bursts of intense effort followed by periods of rest. While your heart rate certainly increases during a heavy lift, it’s a different physiological response than what occurs during sustained cardio. The heart rate spikes during strength training are often driven by the Valsalva maneuver (holding your breath during exertion) and the intense muscular contractions, rather than a consistent oxygen demand.
Therefore, even if your fitness tracker indicates you reached Zone 2 during a set of bicep curls, it doesn't translate to the same benefits as spending the same amount of time in Zone 2 while jogging. The metabolic and cardiovascular adaptations are distinct. Thinking otherwise could lead you to overestimate your Zone 2 training volume and potentially neglect the actual cardio needed for optimal endurance and fat burning. So, while monitoring your heart rate during strength training can still provide valuable insights into your overall effort and recovery, remember that Zone 2 principles are best reserved for your cardio workouts.
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