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The Behavioral Observations Podcast with Matt Cicoria

The Behavioral Observations Podcast with Matt Cicoria

Train Smarter, Not Harder: Heart Rate Zones, VO2 Max, and Better Fitness: Session 329 with Nick Green

Apr 8, 2026 · 1h 1m

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About this episode

In Session 329, I'm joined once again by Dr. Nick Green , Ph.D., BCBA-D, who's been doing some really interesting work at the intersection of fitness and behavior science. In this episode, Nick walks us through the basics of heart rate training zones and why simply "working out" isn't always enough. We talk about the general recommendation of 150 minutes of moderate to vigorous activity per week, but more importantly, how to make sure that time is actually spent in the right zones—particularly Zones 2 through 4—where you're going to see real cardiovascular benefits. From there, we get into VO2 max, what it is, why it matters, and how you can measure or estimate it—even without access to a…