If you’ve been on the Peloton bike, you’ve probably seen Power Zone training rides. But what exactly are they?
Power Zone training is type of class on the Peloton bike that focuses on training in specific power zones, determined by your individual fitness level and goals.
These zones are based on percentages of your maximum output, with Zone 1 being the easiest and Zone 7 being the most challenging.
If it sounds confusing don’t worry – I’ve put together all the resources and information you need to get started with Power Zone rides.
Peloton Power Zone Training
Here at Champagne and Coffee Stains, I’ve been working hard to put together all the resources you need to learn all about Power Zone rides.
I’ve been using my Peloton for over 5 years and the biggest game changer for me has been learning about the Power Zone program.
This type of training is a great way to get personalized training on the Peloton bike because it uses personalized zones based on your fitness level.
While this training might sound complicated, it’s actually really easy and anyone at any fitness level can join in!
Once you try Power Zone training you’ll be hooked!
Not only does it provide a challenging and effective workout, but you’ll also have access to a supportive community of riders who are on the same journey as you.
Plus, with regular Power Zone Pack Challenges, you’ll have even more motivation and support to reach your fitness goals.
These challenges allow you to ride with a team and earn badges for reaching milestones.
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The following items can be found in my home gym and are items I use every day! Simply click on the one that interests you – yes, they do contain affiliate links.
Or, if you prefer training alone, these are great structured workouts that can be done in your own time on Peloton on Demand.
How to Get Started with Power Zone Training
To get started with training, you’ll want to take a 20 minute Peloton Power Zone Test, also called the FTP Test. The results of this test will be used to create your zones.
The FTP test can be taken at any time and is recommended to be taken after 6-8 weeks to make sure your zones are up to date.
If you already took the test but it’s been a while since you’ve done this type of cycling, here is how to return to Power Zone training without taking the FTP test.
Before you take the test, make sure you read my Peloton FTP Test Strategy to learn how to improve your output as much as possible.
After you’ve done this type of training for a while, you’ll want to learn how to improve your output.
Not all Peloton instructors are Power Zone Instructors. Only a select few do this style of class, with more added every few years.
Types of Power Zone Classes
There are 3 types of Power Zone classes:
Power Zone Endurance Rides are the most popular. They are a good active recovery class and focus spending the class in the lower zones.
Power Zone classes up to the instructor. They generally will be the middle ranges of zones, but can vary with higher and lower zones mixed in.
Here’s a helpful post on the differences between Power Zone vs. Power Zone Endurance rides so you can decide which is best for you.
Power Zone Max are the hardest classes. These are similar to interval cycling classes and focus on most time in the highest zones.
Peloton Power Zone Program
Peloton has created a 3 part Power Zone program:
Discover Your Power Zones is the first in the program. You start with establishing your zones and then work over 5 weeks to improve.
Once you complete that program, it’s recommended to move on to Build Your Power Zones. This is another 5 week challenge designed to improve your oput even more.
After that challenge, it’s time for the final one called Peak Your Power Zones. This is an 8 week challenge with even more intense classes.
What Are Power Zone Pack Challenges?
The Power Zone Pack is a very popular group in Power Zone training that puts together popular free challenges.
Stay on Track With Your Goals with These Planners
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The Power Zone Pack challenges run for 6 weeks, and the goal of the challenges is at the end to improve your FTP test. There are Power Zone Challenge rules and they stay the same for every challenge.
The challenges are usually 4 rides a week, but recently they came out with a Time Crunch challenge that allows for 3.
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How to Create a Power Zone Training Schedule
The best way to create a balanced training schedule is to use TSS scores for each class.
Here is my guide that will walk you through exactly how to create a custom Power Zone training schedule and things you’ll want to consider as you write your training program.
Power Zone Training Gear
To get the most out of your training, you’ll want to make sure you have the right gear.
The most important thing to add to your bike is the Power Zone bar at the bottom of your screen. This is a free feature on the Peloton Bike that will display your custom zones after you take the FTP test.
I’ve put together a list of resources that I’ve found helpful on my Power Zone journey. I pulled Amazon affiliate links for these because they are sometimes hard to find in stores.
Peloton Core Sweat Towel SetGU Energy GelEnerbone 32 oz Water BottleFan for Peloton BikeNeoprene Monitor CoverSHOKZ OpenFit
Did you know you can pair your Garmin watch with a Peloton bike and use it as a heart rate monitor? This will help calculate a Strive Score for your workouts.
You can also pair Coros with the bike as well.
Another great feature is that you can pair your AirPods to the Peloton Bike so you don’t wake anyone up during early morning rides.
More Peloton Resources
While I love my Peloton bike, I also love the variety of classes that Peloton offers. Here are a few popular class types:
If you’re a runner, you can use Peloton to train for a race. Or if you’re running a marathon, I would recommend looking into the Road to 26.2 program that is specifically made for the marathon.
