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Indoors Zone 2 cardio "replacement"

barna284

Level 2 Valued Member
Until a few weeks ago, I was doing a rather minimalist program of bodyweight training (with Tom Furman's "Armor of War") and very brisk walking (Z2 cardio basically). However, winter is in full swing here and temperatures have dropped quite a bit. Usually I'd just soldier on, but me and my family have already been through some respiratory issues this autumn, so I'd rather be extra careful and avoid exercising outside in the cold for the time being.

I'm pretty decent with the KB swing, so I was thinking of using that as a replacement for my prior brisk walk days. Which program/modality would more closelyt resemble Z2 work? I know it can never be a perfect replacement, but I'm looking for similar effects as much as possible. I've heard about A+A and Q&D, but not sure what is the difference between this sort of protocols and which of them more closely resembles Z2 work.

Thanks in advance!
 
go lighter and swing 5 reps every 30 seconds.

go very light and snatch walk. snatch step, snatch step. after about 5 reps, switch hands. take a slow deliberate pace.

EDIT: Also, I use the steps at my house to do box stepping.
 
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Hello,

If you are proficient at it, you can use jump rope. Otherwise, there is rowing (which can also be done with a resistance band, at least to a degree). Prison burpees and their jumpless variation (IronWolf and StrongAndConditioned training for instance).

Kind regards,

Pet'
 
One idea I am considering using is a concept from Derek toshner from ATC

It's his "carry day" & essentially you take a light kb and set a timer say 20min... You simply just mix and match movements the entire 20min without setting the bell down

Keep it light & keep it moving
 
I couldn't get zone 2 walking, at the moment i do my workout then either 20-30min ruck or step ups with the same backpack, as hr is already on the go it doesn't take much to keep it in z2
 
Brisk walking got you to Z2? Nice. Even with brisk rucking my HR almost never got above 90 BPM.

Step Ups are an option:
www.strongfirst.com

“Step Up” Your Adventure Training | StrongFirst

Do you like good food? I mean really good food? I love great food! Have you ever had an epic meal that was so good you could recall exactly when and where it was, even years later? The best meal I have had in years was during my visit to Italy with my comrades from StrongFirst™ Germany, when...
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A bit (...) silly looking but nonetheless valid is heavy hands / panaerobics. Marty Gallagher used this.


(Use light weights in your hands and do exagerated movements: Marching, shadow boxing, shadow skiing, etc. Using your own music will greatly enhance the experience ;-) )

Snatch Walking:
www.strongfirst.com

The Snatch Walking Protocol for Ultra-Athletes | StrongFirst

A growing population of endurance/ultra-athletes and coaches are moving towards StrongFirst programming. These athletes and coaches bring questions on program design utilizing Strong EnduranceTM protocols. In this article, I will share the snatch walking plan I’ve designed using one of these...
www.strongfirst.com

[Offtopic: Any news on how Mia is doing @Derek Toshner ?]
 
barna284 said:
Until a few weeks ago, I was doing a rather minimalist program of bodyweight training (with Tom Furman's "Armor of War") and very brisk walking (Z2 cardio basically). However, winter is in full swing here and temperatures have dropped quite a bit. Usually I'd just soldier on, but me and my family have already been through some respiratory issues this autumn, so I'd rather be extra careful and avoid exercising outside in the cold for the time being.

I'm pretty decent with the KB swing, so I was thinking of using that as a replacement for my prior brisk walk days. Which program/modality would more closelyt resemble Z2 work? I know it can never be a perfect replacement, but I'm looking for similar effects as much as possible. I've heard about A+A and Q&D, but not sure what is the difference between this sort of protocols and which of them more closely resembles Z2 work.

Thanks in advance!
Click to expand...
Kettlebell Simple and Sinister gets my vote.

With a HR monitor, one idea I like is choosing parameters that keep your HR where you want it for the first few sets but then you don’t recover sufficiently and try, over time, to improve your recovery. Or recover every time but then try to keep the same recovery quality but gradually shortening the rest periods.

Adachi said:
go lighter and swing 5 reps every 30 seconds
Click to expand...
I like this idea, too.

-S-
 
james_1127 said:
One idea I am considering using is a concept from Derek toshner from ATC

It's his "carry day" & essentially you take a light kb and set a timer say 20min... You simply just mix and match movements the entire 20min without setting the bell down

Keep it light & keep it moving
Click to expand...
We used to do this on my wrestling team years ago. Except it was 45lb plate and it was 45 minutes - 45 for 45 we’d call it. It’s fun to do with a friend and take turns coming up with movements. Rest is walking with the weight in different positions.
 
I’ve experimented with alternating sets of marching in place with high knees and sets of light swings. I like it because it works the hip flexor muscles and core a bit more similar to running in addition to the value of swings. I have no specific plan for it though.
 
Bauer said:
Brisk walking got you to Z2? Nice. Even with brisk rucking my HR almost never got above 90 BPM.

Step Ups are an option:
www.strongfirst.com

“Step Up” Your Adventure Training | StrongFirst

Do you like good food? I mean really good food? I love great food! Have you ever had an epic meal that was so good you could recall exactly when and where it was, even years later? The best meal I have had in years was during my visit to Italy with my comrades from StrongFirst™ Germany, when...
www.strongfirst.com

A bit (...) silly looking but nonetheless valid is heavy hands / panaerobics. Marty Gallagher used this.


(Use light weights in your hands and do exagerated movements: Marching, shadow boxing, shadow skiing, etc. Using your own music will greatly enhance the experience ;-) )

Snatch Walking:
www.strongfirst.com

The Snatch Walking Protocol for Ultra-Athletes | StrongFirst

A growing population of endurance/ultra-athletes and coaches are moving towards StrongFirst programming. These athletes and coaches bring questions on program design utilizing Strong EnduranceTM protocols. In this article, I will share the snatch walking plan I’ve designed using one of these...
www.strongfirst.com

[Offtopic: Any news on how Mia is doing @Derek Toshner ?]
Click to expand...


Hahaha I was going to post this exact video. It's fantastic, but I'm scared to do it where people will see me so I flail away indoors like some kind aerobic quasimodo
 
bike plus trainer
bike plus rollers
dedicated bike erg
row erg
ski erg
treadmill
stairmaster
used nordictrack
etc etc
 
barna284 said:
I'm pretty decent with the KB swing, so I was thinking of using that as a replacement for my prior brisk walk days. Which program/modality would more closelyt resemble Z2 work? I know it can never be a perfect replacement, but I'm looking for similar effects as much as possible. I've heard about A+A and Q&D, but not sure what is the difference between this sort of protocols and which of them more closely resembles Z2 work.
Click to expand...
You can get some aerobic benefits from those protocols, but zone 2, they are not, imo. There are a couple points here. First, an elevated heart rate does not equate one-to-one with aerobic adaptation. Second, zone two is meant to be done for a prolonged period of time. That is, not only does your heart rate need to remain around 70% (give or take) HRmax, but the training modality needs to include large muscle groups moving in a rhythmic fashion, AND it must be done for an extended period. My own understanding of this type of training is that the idea is to circulate blood steadily through the heart and body.

TLDR: if you just need to get by during the cold season, any of those protocols are probably fine. I wouldn't consider them zone 2 training, but that doesn't mean you won't get or maintain cardio adaptations. HIIT protocols are another way, but done more along the lines of actual Tabata, meaning your whole session should be intense enough that it only takes you 4-5 minutes to do.

For more "actual zone 2 work," I enjoy an indoor bike trainer right now. You could also do one of those step up protocols.
 
barna284 said:
Until a few weeks ago, I was doing a rather minimalist program of bodyweight training (with Tom Furman's "Armor of War") and very brisk walking (Z2 cardio basically). However, winter is in full swing here and temperatures have dropped quite a bit. Usually I'd just soldier on, but me and my family have already been through some respiratory issues this autumn, so I'd rather be extra careful and avoid exercising outside in the cold for the time being.

I'm pretty decent with the KB swing, so I was thinking of using that as a replacement for my prior brisk walk days. Which program/modality would more closelyt resemble Z2 work? I know it can never be a perfect replacement, but I'm looking for similar effects as much as possible. I've heard about A+A and Q&D, but not sure what is the difference between this sort of protocols and which of them more closely resembles Z2 work.

Thanks in advance!
Click to expand...
How cold are we talking about here…?
 
Pavel.Kosenkov said:
I have done 40 min once. I don't recommend. Calves get sore. Plus - the impact of jumping.
Click to expand...
doing anything 'once' for too long is dangerous. you have to build up to it. would you suddenly do 40min of snatches then complain that it broke your forearm?

Skipping done right should not create extreme impacts. you should move your feet while your center-of-gravity does not move up&down too much. there ARE moves which create high impact (e.g. double unders) but these are a few reps in the session, and if you do it correctly (not like me) then you still don't have an extremely high impact...the motion should be in the legs, while your center of gravity is stable

umm. I'm on a skipping mission again;) I can fit it into a warmup routine rather than being the focus of the entire training. in my post-kungfu and pre-kettlebell decade I would alternate skipping+hula hoop+easy stretching for 30-45 minutes for my off-days (I was running up to 3or4 days/week)
 
bluejeff said:
needs to include large muscle groups moving in a rhythmic fashion, AND it must be done for an extended period
Click to expand...
I didn't know the Z2 concept back then but some years ago I did sun salutations building from 2 minutes to 24 minutes followed by corpse pose half amount of salutation time (24+12) by adding 2 min every week. Includes large muscle groups and time can be easily extended by adjusting the pace/effort. I don't know if it was Z2 since I didn't monitor my heart rate (I guess it could be) but I liked it a lot, just setting the timer and immersing in the rhythmic movement.
 
mikko said:
I didn't know the Z2 concept back then but some years ago I did sun salutations building from 2 minutes to 24 minutes followed by corpse pose half amount of salutation time (24+12) by adding 2 min every week. Includes large muscle groups and time can be easily extended by adjusting the pace/effort. I don't know if it was Z2 since I didn't monitor my heart rate (I guess it could be) but I liked it a lot, just setting the timer and immersing in the rhythmic movement.
Click to expand...
Love this idea combining yoga and aerobic work, I know personally I have to slow down or stop in certain poses to get my breathing back on track (I’d try 5s in 5s out) so it could be a very valid Z2 workout.
 
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