Training Observatory

Daily exercise minutes — 30 days

Hypothesis: Zone 2 volume above 150 min/week predicts better recovery scores. Tracking with Whoop × Strava data.

Hypothesis · Under test Whoop recovery × Strava Zone 2 minutes — 30+ weeks

This is the single strongest signal in the dataset. Zone 2 is the tide that lifts every other metric.

Training volume breakdown

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Zone 2 min/week

Target: 150 min/week (WHO + Attia). HR 114–133 bpm. Highest-evidence longevity modality.

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Total min (30d)

All modalities: cardio, strength, walks, rucks. Four sources merged nightly.

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Weekly avg sessions

Consistency over intensity. The platform flags weeks below 4 sessions.

Zone 2 data is derived from Garmin heart rate zones during outdoor activities. No Strava Premium subscription is needed.

Activity breakdown (30 days)

Walking & steps

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Avg daily steps

From Garmin. WHO recommends 7,000–10,000 steps/day for longevity benefits.

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Walking sessions (30d)

— total miles. Avg pace: — min/mi.

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Rucking sessions (30d)

— min Zone 2 from walking. Rucking yields the highest Z2 efficiency.

Daily steps — 30 days

Weekday

Weekend

7d avg

7.5k

10k

Breathwork

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Sessions (30d)

Captured via Apple Health breathwork integration.

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Total minutes (30d)

Avg session: — min.

This week’s movement

Advanced metrics (populates at week 4+)

Fitness-fatigue model (Banister)

The Banister model separates training load into fitness (slow-building, long-lasting) and fatigue (fast-accumulating, fast-decaying). The difference is form — when it is positive, performance rises.

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CTL · Fitness

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ATL · Fatigue

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TSB · Form

CTL (fitness)

ATL (fatigue)

TSB (form)

Acute:Chronic workload ratio

ACWR compares this week's training load to the 4-week rolling average. Below 1.2 is the sweet spot. Above 1.5 means injury risk climbs sharply.

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Loading workload ratio...

Calculating acute and chronic training loads.

0.00.81.21.52.0+

Heart rate recovery trend

How quickly heart rate drops after peak exertion — the strongest exercise-derived mortality predictor. A faster drop means a fitter autonomic nervous system.

12-week training volume

Total min

Zone 2 min

Centenarian decade targets

Peter Attia's framework: what strength do you need at 85 to remain independent? Work backwards from that number to find today's targets.

Deadlift

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Target: 315 lb

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Squat

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Target: 265 lb

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Bench Press

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Target: 185 lb

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Overhead Press

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Target: 135 lb

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1RM progress over time

Estimated 1-rep max via Brzycki formula, tracked from Hevy workout logs. The slope matters more than the number.

Deadlift 1RM

Squat 1RM

Bench Press 1RM

OHP 1RM

Training balance framework Attia's 5 pillars: Zone 2, strength, stability, Zone 5, sport

Training balance — Attia pillars

Five pillars of physical preparedness. A balanced pentagon is the goal — most people over-index on one or two.

Zone 2

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Strength

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Stability

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Zone 5

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Sport

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Session timing analysis

When I train

Distribution of training sessions by hour. As data accumulates, the platform will cross-reference workout timing with sleep and recovery scores.

GPS routes

Recent routes

GPS traces from Strava activities. Minimalist outlines — distance and duration at a glance.

Pending data — GPS routes appear here as outdoor activities are logged to Strava.

Milestones

Capability milestones

Numbers on a screen mean nothing without real-world proof. These are the moments the data became tangible.

Milestones appear here as benchmarks are crossed and personal records are set.

Hypotheses under test (4) Zone 2 volume, rucking yield, back-to-back strain, consistency vs intensity

Training Hypotheses Under Test

H-01

Zone 2 volume predicts next-week recovery better than any other variable

Testing: 150+ min/week target → tracking Whoop recovery correlation

H-02

Back-to-back high strain days suppress HRV

Testing: consecutive strain >18 → tracking HRV response over 48h

H-03

Morning workouts produce better sleep scores than evening sessions

Testing: workout time × Whoop sleep score → needs 90+ day dataset

H-04

Rucking yields the highest Zone 2 percentage per hour of any modality

Testing: comparing Z2% across Walk, Ruck, Ride, Run from Strava HR data

About this observatory The story behind this page and what training means in this experiment

When I’m in it, I’m all in — 5am sessions, compound lifts, rucking mountains at the weekend. The problem has never been the training. It’s always been the fall — how fast the void fills when routine breaks. The data doesn’t stop that from happening. But it makes the absence visible, and visibility shortens the distance back.

Rucking is the highest Zone 2 yield per hour — 92% of ruck time in Zone 2 vs 61% walking. The most efficient calorie burn too.

N=1 · Correlational Garmin HR zones × Strava activity type — 90+ day dataset

Back-to-back strain above 18 tanks HRV for 48 hours — a 20% drop that erases the sleep gains from the night before.

N=1 · Correlational Whoop strain × HRV — consecutive high-strain day pairs

Running

The data infrastructure is ready. When the first run happens, this section auto-populates with pace trends, distance progression, and running-specific Zone 2 analysis.

Training protocol

150+ min/week Zone 2 — walking, cycling, rucking. HR 114–133. Highest-evidence longevity modality.

3x/week compound lifts — squat, deadlift, bench, OHP. Progressive overload toward centenarian benchmarks.

ACWR <1.5 — Acute:Chronic Workload Ratio guards against injury spikes.

Recovery-gated intensity — Whoop <34% triggers deload suggestion in daily brief.

80/20 polarization — 80% low intensity, 20% high. No Zone 3 junk miles.