The Color Code to Crushing Your Workout

 

If You’re Always in the Red Zone… You’re Doing It Wrong

One of our members—we’ll call him “Steve”—was so excited about his new MyZone belt that he ran around the dojo before class started just to “get a head start on his red zone.”

By the end of the warm-up, Steve was already cooked. When the combos started, he looked at his screen, yelled “I PEAKED TOO EARLY,” and collapsed onto his bag like a defeated gladiator.

Lesson learned: it’s not about staying in red. It’s about pacing and hitting your personal sweet spot (green and yellow are your best friends).

Read on, get to know the MyZone color chart, and learn how not to “Steve” yourself.

 

What do all those colors actually mean?

Let’s break it down:

  • Gray (50–59%) – Light effort. Warm-up or cool-down.

  • Blue (60–69%) – Easy cardio. Good for recovery.

  • Green (70–79%) – Steady effort. Builds endurance.

  • Yellow (80–89%) – High intensity. Burn fat and build stamina.

  • Red (90–100%) – Max effort. Short bursts only.

Most of our class keeps you in the green and yellow zones, with quick pushes into red. The goal isn’t to go harder all the time—it’s to train at the right level for results.

Do it Right

If you’re always in red, your body doesn’t have time to recover or adapt. You’ll burn out, plateau, or worse—get injured.

By cycling through zones (green → yellow → quick bursts of red), you:

  • Improve your cardio and recovery

  • Build real, lasting endurance

  • Burn more fat, not just sugar

  • Train smarter without wiping yourself out

Red zone has its place—but it’s not the whole show. Think of it like hot sauce: a little goes a long way.

Each heart rate zone serves a different purpose:

  • Green builds your engine—this is where your cardio system learns to go longer.

  • Yellow boosts endurance and fat burn—challenging but sustainable.

  • Red is for short, explosive pushes—think sprints, not marathons.

At Santa Barbara Dojo, we teach you how to train in the right zones, push when it matters, and recover like a pro, so you get stronger, faster, and feel amazing doing it.

Whether you're here to lose weight, build confidence, or just hit something after a long day at work, our kickboxing program meets you where you are, and helps you level up.

You don’t have to go it alone. Our coaches, our community, and your heart rate monitor will all have your back.

 
BlogAustin Curtisfitness