Heart Rate Zone Calculator
Find your personal heart rate training zones based on age and resting heart rate. Use the Karvonen method to target the right intensity for recovery, fat burn, cardio, and peak performance.
Estimated Max Heart Rate
190 BPM
Heart Rate Zones
Zone 1
Recovery / Warm-up
125-138 BPM
50-60% intensity
Zone 2
Fat Burn
138-151 BPM
60-70% intensity
Zone 3
Aerobic / Cardio
151-164 BPM
70-80% intensity
Zone 4
Anaerobic / Threshold
164-177 BPM
80-90% intensity
Zone 5
Maximum / VO2 Max
177-190 BPM
90-100% intensity
How to use
Enter your age and resting heart rate (measured first thing in the morning before getting out of bed). Click Calculate Zones to see your five heart rate training zones, each with a specific BPM range and training purpose. Use these zones to guide your workouts, lower zones for recovery and fat burning, higher zones for cardio fitness and peak performance.
Karvonen Formula
Max Heart Rate = 220 - Age
Heart Rate Reserve (HRR) = Max HR - Resting HR
Target HR = (HRR × Intensity%) + Resting HR
The Karvonen method is more accurate than simple percentage-of-max formulas because it accounts for your resting heart rate. A lower resting heart rate generally indicates better cardiovascular fitness. The five zones range from 50% to 100% of your heart rate reserve, each targeting different physiological adaptations, from active recovery to maximum VO2 max training.
When this calculator helps
Training by heart rate zones is one of the most effective ways to improve fitness, whether you are a beginner or an experienced athlete. This calculator is useful for runners, cyclists, swimmers, and anyone using a heart rate monitor during workouts. It helps you avoid overtraining on easy days and undertraining on hard days, the most common mistake recreational athletes make. Personal trainers use zone-based training to create structured programs, and endurance athletes rely on zones to periodize their training for race day performance.
Examples
Example 1: Beginner Runner, Age 35
Max HR = 220 - 35 = 185 bpm. Resting HR = 72 bpm. HRR = 113 bpm. Zone 2 (aerobic base) = 140-151 bpm. This runner should keep most easy runs at 140-151 bpm. If the watch shows 165 bpm on an "easy" run, they are working too hard and should slow down.
Example 2: Fit Cyclist, Age 28
Max HR = 192 bpm. Resting HR = 52 bpm. HRR = 140 bpm. Zone 4 (threshold) = 164-178 bpm. During interval training, this cyclist targets 164-178 bpm for threshold efforts and recovers in Zone 1 (122-136 bpm) between intervals.
Example 3: Active Senior, Age 60
Max HR = 160 bpm. Resting HR = 65 bpm. HRR = 95 bpm. Zone 1 (active recovery) = 113-122 bpm. For this person, a brisk walk at 115-120 bpm provides effective cardiovascular exercise. Zone 3 (aerobic fitness) targets 132-141 bpm for moderate-intensity activities.
Things to watch
- •The 220-minus-age formula is an estimate, your actual max heart rate could be 10-15 bpm higher or lower. A supervised max HR test gives more accurate zones.
- •Caffeine, stress, sleep deprivation, and dehydration can all elevate your heart rate by 5-15 bpm, making the same effort feel harder than normal.
- •Chest strap heart rate monitors are more accurate than wrist-based optical sensors, especially during high-intensity or interval training.
- •As your fitness improves, your resting heart rate will decrease, recalculate your zones every 2-3 months to keep them accurate.
- •Heart rate zones are individual. Two people the same age can have very different zones based on fitness level and genetics, never copy someone else's targets.
Sources and methodology
Last reviewed: Checked during calculator QA. We review formulas, default assumptions, and examples against public references when a formal source applies.
Method: This calculator uses the formula explained on this page. We also check example results by hand to catch obvious mistakes.
Found something off? Send a correction with the page URL, inputs, result, and expected result.
Common questions
- What are heart rate training zones?
- Heart rate zones are five ranges based on percentages of your maximum heart rate. Zone 1 (50-60%) is easy recovery, Zone 2 (60-70%) builds aerobic base, Zone 3 (70-80%) improves aerobic fitness, Zone 4 (80-90%) increases speed and lactate threshold, and Zone 5 (90-100%) is maximum effort.
- How do I calculate my maximum heart rate?
- The simplest formula is 220 minus your age. A 30-year-old would have an estimated max of 190 bpm. This is an approximation, actual max heart rate varies between individuals. The Karvonen method is more accurate as it also factors in resting heart rate.
- What is the best heart rate zone for fat burning?
- Zone 2 (60-70% of max heart rate) uses the highest percentage of fat for fuel. However, higher-intensity zones burn more total calories per minute. A 30-minute Zone 4 workout may burn more total fat than 30 minutes in Zone 2 because of the greater overall calorie burn and afterburn effect (EPOC).
- How do I measure my resting heart rate accurately?
- Measure first thing in the morning, before getting out of bed or drinking caffeine. Place two fingers on your wrist or neck and count beats for 60 seconds (or 30 seconds and multiply by 2). Repeat for 3-5 mornings and average the results. A typical resting heart rate is 60-100 bpm, while fit individuals may be 40-60 bpm.
- How long should I train in each heart rate zone?
- A balanced training plan typically includes 80% of training time in Zones 1-2 (easy/aerobic) and 20% in Zones 3-5 (tempo/threshold/VO2 max). Beginners should spend more time in Zones 1-2. Most recreational athletes overtrain in Zone 3, going too hard on easy days and too easy on hard days.