Power-Zone Workouts Are Officially My New Favorite Peloton Classes

A little over a month ago, I was trying to find a new cycling class to take on my Peloton bike that piqued my interest. I didn't quite know what I was in the mood for, but as I was scrolling through my options, I saw a few classes labeled as Power Zone Rides. Unsure of what that meant, I took to Google, which told me all about Peloton's Discover Your Power Zones five-week training program and how its goal was to help you get faster and stronger on the bike.

At that point, I'd had my Peloton bike for a little over two years and used it as my main form of exercise, but I was feeling a bit stagnant in my progress. This new (to me) training program sounded perfect to build my fitness and keep me motivated to work out each week.

But before I tell you all about my experience using the training program, let's back up a bit. To get a clearer picture of what it's all about and its benefits, I chatted with Peloton instructor Olivia Amato to get the details.

Olivia Amato is a Peloton instructor who teaches power-zone classes.

"Peloton Power Zones are simply output ranges that are determined by how hard you are working," Amato tells me. "There are seven zones, one being the easiest and seven being the toughest."

Here's a breakdown:

You can enable the Power Zone bar (which lists each zone in a line across the bottom of your screen) before you take any of the classes in the program, which shows you which zone you're in as you pedal. For instance, if you're pedaling along at a light resistance (say, 20 to 30) at a quick cadence (say, 70 to 90), Zone 1 may light up. If you increase cadence and resistance, your output increases, as does the zone you're in.

To figure out your specific power zones, you'll need to take a functional threshold power (FTP) test. This is a max-effort ride that automatically calculates your average output over 20 minutes, which becomes your FTP score. Your FTP score represents the highest power you can maintain for one hour on the bike without fatiguing, Amato explains — and your power zones are a percentage of that FTP score. "FTP serves as a performance benchmark in finding your personal zones and is specific to your current level of fitness," she says. "It's also a great goal-setting tool, as it's information on where you are in your fitness journey."

It's important to take an FTP warm-up ride before your test, not only to prep your muscles for work they're about to do, but to get tips from the instructor on the best way to approach the test. After you've gotten your FTP score, the zones in your Power Zone bar should be accurate enough to complete the program. (I say "accurate enough" because factors like lack of sleep, muscle soreness, and what you've eaten that day — to name a few — could affect the results of your FTP test. If you feel you didn't perform at your best, you can retake the FTP test at any time.)

Once you start the program, there will be a weekly schedule to follow with classes that range from 20 to 60 minutes where you can spend anywhere from 30 seconds to close to 10 minutes in certain power zones to build up your strength and endurance.

"Power-zone training is like personal training at scale," Amato says. "When you discover your power zones, they are completely specific to you and no one else. Having this starting point can help [you] be clear about where [you] currently are versus where [you] are trying to go."

Additionally, power-zone training leads to improved performance and overall health. Increasing your heart rate above where it is when you're at rest strengthens your heart, which helps it pump oxygen to your muscles more efficiently and also helps to lower your blood pressure, cholesterol, blood sugar, and more, according to the Cleveland Clinic.

Lastly, "the workouts are efficient and effective with clear benchmarks for progress," Amato says. "It's a 'you versus you' mentality."

Taking my first FTP test was humbling, to say the least. Ideally, you're in Zone 4 for the first five minutes, Zone 5 for the next five minutes, Zone 6 for the next five minutes, and then you go as hard as you possibly can for the last five minutes. I genuinely am not sure if I've ever felt so mentally and physically exhausted — even during my days of being on various sports teams in high school and college.

My FTP score was 105, and to be honest, I didn't bother to look up whether or not it was a "good" score. Denis Morton, the instructor whose FTP test I did, made it clear that this isn't a game of comparison with others, which falls in line with what Amato said about it being just "you versus you." I really wanted to honor that (and not get upset about having a lower score than others).

When it came to starting my first class in the program, I noticed the warm-ups were way longer than in "regular" cycling classes. Amato says that's because it's important to gradually increase your heart rate, rather than going from 0 to 100. "It helps the muscles warm up and activate, which reduces the risk of injury, and it also allows you to really connect the body to the mind so that you are mentally prepared," she says.

Next came the actual workout portion of the class, where I spent minutes at a time in various zones. This part was mentally tough for me rather than physically tough — I'm not going to lie, I was pretty bored. I was so used to the way the "normal" rides were set up, where you're constantly changing up your cadence and resistance levels. To stay at the same cadence and resistance for four whole minutes was a challenge for my brain.

But after a few power-zone workouts, I really started to appreciate these longer efforts because they made the classes feel more structured. Instead of just bouncing around between what seemed to me like random speeds and cadences in the "regular" cycling classes, the power-zone classes made way more sense. Moving to Zone 3 from Zone 2 was the logical next step, and being in these zones for a few minutes each made me feel like I was truly focusing on one goal: improving my endurance.

Another thing I noticed: While I felt like I was getting a better workout with these endurance-focused rides (staying in Zone 5 for five minutes is no joke), my metrics (like total miles and total output) tended to be the same or lower than if I were taking a class like "30-Minute Classic Rock Ride." Amato says it's a misconception that you need to set a personal record in every class. In fact, you likely won't — and that's perfectly OK. "In power-zone training, it's more important to maintain the zone the instructor calls out than to push yourself as hard as possible," according to Peloton's website.

Once I completed the five-week program, it was time to retake my FTP test. I was very anxious about this because the test is, quite frankly, not a good time, and I really didn't want to put myself through it again. However, at the end of my second test, I felt like I'd done a better job. For instance, toward the end of my first test, I had to dial everything way back and spend a few minutes in Zone 2 because I simply could not keep going in the higher zones and needed a bit of a break. In my second test, I continued to ramp up my zones, even peeking into Zone 7 for a little bit, without feeling like I needed that same recovery.

The results? My FTP score went up one point. Again, I didn't want to check to see if this was "normal" because I really wanted to revel in the fact that there was some sort of improvement, no matter how small. (Though I would be curious to take the FTP test again on a day where my legs were truly fresh, because I did take a treadmill class the day before. Oops!)

Better yet, though, I've found a new favorite type of Peloton class. I love taking power-zone classes on days where I want to take a cycle. And even when I take a "regular" class, the benefits still pay off. The workout feels easier than it did before I started the Discover Your Power Zones program.

What's more, I haven't run in at least a year, but I've found myself able to hold the paces in my treadmill class once a week — and I fully credit the power-zone training program for that. If you're looking to build your endurance and improve performance, I can't recommend it more.

Danielle Zickl is a freelance writer who has 10 years of experience covering fitness, health, and nutrition. You can find her work here on PS and in many other publications, including Self, Well+Good, Runner's World, Outside Run, Peloton, Women's Health, and Men's Fitness.