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Heart rate zone calculator — your 5 training zones.
Your heart rate zones are five effort bands that turn max heart rate into exact bpm targets. This calculator estimates max HR two ways — the classic 220 − age and the Tanaka 208 − 0.7 × age — then builds all five zones by percent of max or the Karvonen heart-rate-reserve method. Enter your age below — results update instantly, no signup.
Your 5 heart rate zones
The bpm range for each training zone, built from your max heart rate. Zones 1–2 build your aerobic base; zones 4–5 push your ceiling.
| Zone | % of max | Target bpm | What it trains |
|---|---|---|---|
| Zone 1 — recoveryVery easy | 50–60% | — | Warm-ups, cool-downs, active recovery; can hold a full conversation. |
| Zone 2 — aerobic baseEasy | 60–70% | — | Fat-burning base miles; builds aerobic engine. Comfortable, nose-breathing pace. |
| Zone 3 — tempoModerate | 70–80% | — | Steady, "comfortably hard" work; improves aerobic capacity and efficiency. |
| Zone 4 — thresholdHard | 80–90% | — | Lactate-threshold intervals; raises the pace you can hold before fatigue spikes. |
| Zone 5 — VO2 maxMaximal | 90–100% | — | Short, all-out intervals; develops top-end power and VO2 max. Unsustainable for long. |
The formulas, explained.
No black box. Max HR from a named age equation, zones by percent of max or by heart-rate reserve — here they are in full.
HRmax = 220 − age The familiar estimate. Simple, but overpredicts for the young and underpredicts for older adults. Age 30 → 190 bpm.
HRmax = 208 − 0.7 × age A regression from a 2001 meta-analysis of 351 studies — more accurate across ages. Age 30 → 187 bpm.
bpm = rest + %×(HRmax − rest) Heart-rate reserve is HRmax minus resting HR; each zone is a percent of that reserve added to rest.
Worked example — age 30, resting HR 60. Tanaka HRmax = 208 − 0.7 × 30 = 187 bpm. Zone 2 by percent of max is 60–70% → 112–131 bpm. By Karvonen, reserve is 187 − 60 = 127, so Zone 2 is 60 + 0.60×127 to 60 + 0.70×127 → 136–149 bpm. Age-based estimates carry a ±10–12 bpm spread — a maximal field effort gives your true max.
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How do I calculate my maximum heart rate?
Two named formulas are standard. The classic estimate is 220 minus your age. The Tanaka equation, 208 minus 0.7 times your age, is more accurate across a wide age range and reads slightly higher for older adults. This calculator shows both, and every zone can be built from either one.
What are the 5 heart rate training zones?
The five zones are recovery (50 to 60 percent of max HR), aerobic base (60 to 70), tempo (70 to 80), threshold (80 to 90), and VO2 max (90 to 100). Each zone trains a different energy system, so a balanced week spends most time in zones 1 and 2 and a smaller share in zones 4 and 5.
What is the Karvonen (heart rate reserve) method?
The Karvonen method personalises zones using your resting heart rate. It works out heart rate reserve as max HR minus resting HR, then sets each zone as resting HR plus a percentage of that reserve. Because it accounts for resting fitness, Karvonen zones are usually a few beats higher than plain percent-of-max zones.
Should I use %HRmax or the Karvonen method?
Use plain percent of max HR for a quick estimate; use the Karvonen method when you know your resting heart rate and want tighter, fitter-adjusted zones. Karvonen is preferred by many endurance coaches because two people with the same max HR but different resting rates should not train at identical bpm targets.
What is Zone 2 training and why does it matter?
Zone 2 is a low, conversational intensity at roughly 60 to 70 percent of max heart rate. Training there builds aerobic base, mitochondrial density, and fat oxidation with low fatigue cost, which is why endurance athletes spend the majority of their weekly volume in Zone 2 and reserve harder zones for a smaller share of sessions.
How accurate is an age-based heart rate zone estimate?
Age-based max HR formulas carry a standard deviation of about 10 to 12 beats per minute, so your true max can sit well above or below the estimate. Treat the zones as a starting point; a lab test or a maximal field effort gives your real max HR, and a chest-strap monitor tracks your response more reliably than a wrist sensor.
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