These calculators let you calculate Critical Power and power-based training zones (bike) and Critical Speed and pace-based training zones (swim and run). You can also calculate heart rate based training zones in all three disciplines if you add heart rate data. Furthermore, W' (bike) and D' (swim and run) are also calculated. These are measures of your anaerobic work capacity.
- Perform a minimum of two all-out time trials in the discipline you are testing. The duration of all tests must be between 2 and 20 minutes. For example, a 5-minute and a 20-minute test is a good option for a two-test protocol in biking and running. In swimming you could opt for e.g. 400 and 800 metres. For three-test protocols, you could do 3, 5 and 20 minutes in biking and running, or 200, 400 and 800 metres in swimming. You can perform up to 5 time trials and add all of those results, but for practical reasons, using 2 or 3 trials is normally the best choice.
- Note that all time trials need to be performed in similar conditions. For example, all swim tests in the same pool size (and the same pool), all bike and run tests either outdoors or indoors, all run tests in the same shoes or at least very comparable shoes, or bike tests either in the TT-position or sitting up, etc.
- Note that all time trials need to be maximum efforts and represent your best possible performance closely. That is, if you pace poorly and leave a lot on the table through poor pacing, this data will not be representative of your best effort even if your actual exertion level was maximal.
- Make sure your equipment and data collection is on point. Calibrate your power meter before all trials. Do not use wrist-based heart rate monitoring. Perform any run trials either in an environment with controlled distances (track, treadmill) or where you can ensure good GPS-data without dropouts.
- With all tests done, enter your input data in the relevant calculator (swim, bike or run) below and click Calculate.
- You will get Critical Power (Speed), W' (D') and Max Heart Rate as output data, along with power (pace) zones and heart rate zones (if you choose to calculate heart rate training zones).
- Training platforms like Training Peaks (and others) typically let you input your thresholds and training zones. Note that these platforms may have their own methods of calculating thresholds or training zones, but if you want to use the thresholds and zones here, you should input them manually, which most platforms (including Training Peaks) allow.
- Critical Power and W' (bike) is calculated using the linear work-time relationship.
- Critical Speed and D' (swim and run) is calculated using the linear speed-time-1 relationship.
- "Calculated best 3-minute power/pace" (see tables below) is calculated using Critical Power/Speed and W'/D', using the relationship P = CP + W' / t, where P = the power we're looking for and t = 3 minutes. For running we use the corresponding relationship v = CS + D' / t, where v is the velocity we're looking for and t = 3 minutes.
Swim Pace Zones
ZONE | RANGE |
|---|---|
Zone 1: Low intensity | (CS + 5 s per 100 m/yds) and slower |
Zone 2: Moderate intensity | (CS + 4 s per 100 m/yds) to CS |
Zone 3: High intensity | (CS - 1 s per 100 m/yds) and faster |
Bike Power Zones
ZONE | RANGE |
|---|---|
Zone 1: Endurance - Easy | 55% of CP and below |
Zone 2: Endurance - Steady | (Top of Z1 + 1W) to 75% of CP |
Zone 3: Tempo | (Top of Z2 + 1W) to 90% of CP |
Zone 4: Threshold | (Top of Z3 + 1W) to CP |
Zone 5: VO2max | (CP + 1W) to (calculated best 3-minute power) |
Zone 6: Anaerobic/Neuromuscular | (Top of Z5 +1W) and above |
Run Pace Zones
ZONE | RANGE |
|---|---|
Zone 1: Endurance - Easy | 75% of CS and slower |
Zone 2: Endurance - Steady | (Top of Z1 - 1 s per km/mile) to 85% of CS |
Zone 3: Tempo | (Top of Z2 - 1 s per km/mile) to 93% of CS |
Zone 4: Threshold | (Top of Z3 - 1 s per km/mile) to CS |
Zone 5: VO2max | (CS - 1 s per km/mile) to (calculated best 3-minute pace) |
Zone 6: Anaerobic/Neuromuscular | (Top of Z5 - 1 s per km/mile) and faster |
Swim, Bike and Run Heart Rate Zones
ZONE | RANGE |
|---|---|
Zone 1: Endurance - Easy | 70% of Max HR and lower |
Zone 2: Endurance - Steady | (Top of Z1 + 1 bpm) to 80% of Max HR |
Zone 3: Tempo | (Top of Z2 + 1 bpm) to 85% of Max HR |
Zone 4: Threshold | (Top of Z3 + 1 bpm) to 90% of Max HR |
Zone 5: VO2max | (Top of Z4 + 1 bpm) to Max HR |
Critical Speed and Training Zones Calculator (Swim)
Critical Power and Training Zones Calculator (Bike)
Critical Speed and Training Zones Calculator (Run)
Related calculators
- Running heart rate and pace zone calculator — pace and heart rate zones for running, from a 5K, a 20-minute Time Trial, or any Time Trial or race between 15 to 30 minutes in duration.
- FTP and bike training zones calculator — power and heart rate zones for the cycling, from a 20-minute test.
- See all training zone calculators