Why the ‘Talk Test’ Is Better Than Heart Rate Zones

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Whether you cry or lift, it is too easy to do too much during your training. While I am a training on the marathon, 80% of my races are much easier than you expect. Lately, I was a big fan of the way my Garmin Forerunner 165 (that I See again here) I help me punctuate these deliberately slower races.

But you shouldn’t need a watch to be in contact with your body and know if you push too hard (or not hard enough) during your training sessions. There is a simple solution that does not require sophisticated gadgets or complex calculations: the conversation test.

What is the discussion test?

The discussion test is exactly what it looks like: Can you hold a conversation during the exercise? This method uses your respiratory models and your ability to speak as indicators of your body difficulty. The beauty of the discussion test lies in its simplicity: no heart rate monitors, no complicated areas to memorize; Just you and your ability to chain words.

Here’s how he breaks down:

• Easy conversation: You can speak in complete sentences without any problem.

• Breathless: You can speak, but in shorter sentences with a certain effort.

• Breathless: You can only manage a few words at a time.

• I can’t talk: You breathe too hard to talk at all.

Your body’s ability to speak during the exercise directly reflects how your cardiovascular and respiratory systems manage the workload. As the intensity increases and you cross an anaerobic territory (where your body cannot provide oxygen as effectively), speaking becomes much more difficult. This is what makes the conversation test so reliable – it is based on the natural physiological responses of your body, and not the arbitrary numbers which may not correspond to your level of individual fitness.

How to use the discussion test to find the right training intensity

Many beginners make the mistake of thinking that each training needs to leave them completely breathless. This mentality “no pain, no gain” often leads to professional exhaustion, injuries or simply to abandon entirely. The discussion test helps you to avoid this trap by keeping most of your training at a lasting intensity that you can keep in a coherent way over time.

Another current error is to be too rigid about the test. Look, some days you might feel talkative at a pace that normally leaves you breathless. Other days, you may have trouble talking about what is usually an easy pace. This is normal – factors such as sleep, stress, time and hydration all affect how your body reacts to the exercise. If you are new to exercise or feel overwhelmed by contradictory advice on the intensity of training, here are some simple ways to use the discussion test:

• Build fitness (alias 80% of your training). Most of your training should occur at a conversational rate. Yes, it may seem “too easy” at first, especially if you are used to thinking that the exercise must be painful to be effective. You should be able to speak in short sentences, even if you need to breathe between them. If you drop for air or if you can only grow the answers, slow down.

• Push your limits (20% of your training). Sometimes you will want to work harder – during interval training, hill climbs or when you feel hard. During these efforts, speaking should be difficult, if not impossible. These more difficult efforts are important, but they should not constitute most of your training time.

• I’m just starting. If you start with an exercise routine and you can only maintain the rhythm of the conversation for 10 minutes, then it is your starting point. Do not worry about what others do or what a training plan says that you “should” manage. Your conversational pace will naturally become faster and will last longer as your physical shape improves.

Understand the conversational rhythm

When the athletes speak of “conversational rhythm”, they refer to this Sweet Spot where you can always maintain a conversation, even if you work a little stronger than a quiet walk. This is where many people are confused, especially when they hear about training areas.

The conversational pace is not the same as the “Zone 2” training, which you may have read online. First of all, zone 2 is overrated. While zone 2 is generally described as an easy -based aerobic building intensity, the conversational pace also includes most of the area 3. You could breathe a little louder and speak in shorter sentences, but as long as you can always chat with a training partner, you are still in this conversational range.

Think about it this way: if you walk with a friend and you could easily discuss weekend plans, it’s an easy pace of conversation. If you were fast hiking and you could still ask “how do you feel?” And get an answer, but longer conversations require a certain effort, it’s always conversational, just at the upper end.

The bottom line

The beauty of the discussion test is that you can use it anywhere, at any time, with any type of exercise. Whether you walk, bike, swimming or dance in your living room, your ability to speak (or in the case of swimming, how you think you could speak if you were not underwater, I suppose) gives you immediate comments on your level of effort.

If you usually do exercise alone, try the discussion test by speaking out of time from time to time, singing to music, or even paying attention to your respiratory rate. You will quickly develop an idea of ​​what the different intensities look like your body.

Remember that the objective is not to complicate the exercise – it must make it durable and effective. The discussion test gives you a simple and reliable way to make sure that you are working on the right intensity for your goals, without having to become an expert in heart rate areas. Easily start, stay conversational most of the time and trust that good intensity will take you much further than sporadic bursts of unsustainable efforts.