Heart Rate Zone Calculator

Enter your age to estimate your maximum heart rate and the five training zones in beats per minute. Add your resting heart rate to use the more personalized Karvonen (heart-rate-reserve) method.

Enter your age, then press Calculate zones.

How heart rate zones are found

Training zones are slices of your maximum heart rate (MHR), the fastest your heart can safely beat. A simple estimate is the classic formula, with a slightly more accurate alternative from Tanaka:

MHR ≈ 220 − age (or 208 − 0.7 × age)

The basic method takes percentages of MHR for each zone. The Karvonen method is more personal: it uses your heart-rate reserve (MHR − resting HR) and adds back your resting rate, so two people of the same age with different fitness get different zones.

target = ((MHR − RHR) × intensity%) + RHR

Worked example

Age 35, resting HR 60:

MHR: 220 − 35 = 185 bpm.
Reserve: 185 − 60 = 125 bpm.
Zone 3 (70–80%): Karvonen gives about (125 × 0.70 + 60) to (125 × 0.80 + 60) = 148–160 bpm.

What each zone trains

Zone 1 (50–60%) is very light, for warm-ups and recovery. Zone 2 (60–70%) builds aerobic base and burns a high proportion of fat. Zone 3 (70–80%) improves aerobic capacity. Zone 4 (80–90%) raises your lactate threshold and speed. Zone 5 (90–100%) is maximal, used for short intervals. The 220 − age formula is a population average with a wide spread, so use a chest strap and how you feel as reality checks. Talk to a doctor before intense training if you have any heart concerns.

Tip: pairing cardio with a plan? Estimate calories with the calories burned calculator and pace with the running pace calculator.

Frequently asked questions

How is maximum heart rate estimated?

The familiar estimate is 220 minus your age; a slightly more accurate one is 208 − 0.7 × age (Tanaka). Both are population averages, so an individual's true max can be 10–20 bpm higher or lower.

What is the Karvonen method?

It personalizes zones using your heart-rate reserve — maximum minus resting heart rate. The target is (reserve × intensity%) + resting HR, so fitter people with lower resting rates get different, more individualized zones.

Which zone burns the most fat?

The lower aerobic zones (about 60–70% of max) burn the highest proportion of calories from fat. But higher-intensity work burns more total calories, so overall energy expenditure — not just the fat fraction — drives weight loss.

Do I need a resting heart rate?

No — without it the calculator uses simple percentages of your maximum. Adding your resting heart rate switches to the Karvonen method, which tailors the zones to your fitness level.

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Mustafa Bilgic · Editor, Calcool
Uses the 220 − age and Tanaka MHR estimates and the Karvonen heart-rate-reserve method. Educational, not medical advice. Everything runs in your browser — nothing you enter is uploaded, logged or stored.

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