Zone-2 Cardio
30-60 min steady-state cardio at 60-70% HRmax. Bicycling, rowing, or brisk walking. Zone-2 base — the foundational cardio adaptation. ~45 min default duration.
Estimated session
- Movements 1
- Loads Coach-filled
- Progresses Every session
Every movement, in order
Each lift with its working sets and target, in the order you run them. The coach sets the loads from your training and moves them up as the work gets easier.
| Order | Exercise | Sets | Target | Rest |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 01 | Bicycling Stationary 30-60 minutes at 60-70% HRmax. Use a heart-rate monitor or perceived effort 5-6/10. You should be able to hold a conversation. Substitute Rowing Machine, Walking Treadmill, or outdoor brisk walk if preferred. 1 × 30:00 · rest 0s | 1 | 30:00 | 0s |
The coach sets the loads and moves them up — these are the schemes
When to reach for this template
Prescribe the HR ceiling, not pace: cap effort at 60-70% HRmax (RPE 5-6, full-sentence talk-test). Treat drift above 70% HRmax as the trigger to cut intensity — bias low; under-shooting the zone beats over-shooting it into junk threshold work. HR/RPE governs; the chosen modality (per exercise notes) does not change the target. Hold the same 60-70% band on any substitute. Progress duration not intensity: if last session held the band for full duration at RPE ≤6, add ~5 min, ramping 45 toward 60. Equipment swaps. No machines: Stationary Bike -> ride, run, row, skip or walk a hill outdoors at the same effort for the same duration. In every case match the prescribed effort, not the implement: choose a load, band tension, tempo or pace that puts each set on the target RPE or duration.
Every workout
The coach reads your log, tunes the loads and volume to where you are today, and tells you when to add weight.
Programs that use this template
This session is scheduled across a week and progressed over the mesocycle in the programs below.
- LongevityBase Conditioning — 2-Day Steady-State
- LongevityCardio Base — 8 Week Conditioning
- BeginnerCouch-to-Strong — Deconditioned On-Ramp
- LongevityLongevity Three-Pillar
- Women's FocusPeri & Post-Menopausal Strength + Power
- General FitnessRace Engine — 12-Week Fitness Racing Prep
- General FitnessRoad & Rack — 4-Day Run + Lift Base
- General FitnessStanding Watch — 12-Week Concurrent Base
Common questions
The facts most people check before they drop this session into a week.
01When should I use the Zone-2 Cardio template?
Prescribe the HR ceiling, not pace: cap effort at 60-70% HRmax (RPE 5-6, full-sentence talk-test). Add it to your week in Squatly and the coach schedules it, sets the loads from your training, and tells you when to move up.
02How many working sets is Zone-2 Cardio, and how long does it take?
Zone-2 Cardio runs 1 movement and about 1 working set, roughly 38 minutes once warm-ups are in. The full per-exercise scheme — sets, reps or RPE, and rest — is in the session table above.
Built on the Squatly method
Every set count, rep target, and rest period here comes from how the coach weighs volume, intensity, and fatigue. See where the numbers come from.
Read the methodVolume, intensity, and fatigue — read per lift, every session.
Last updated: June 2026
Keep moving forward.
Add this template to your week. The coach reads your training, sets the loads, and tells you when to push.
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Aleks · Coach
Proposal — add weight