Heart Rate Zone Calculator
This free heart rate zone calculator finds your five training zones from your age alone — or with Karvonen-adjusted zones if you add your resting heart rate. Pick the classic 220-minus-age formula or the more accurate Tanaka formula, and every zone recalculates instantly as you type.
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Enter your age to see your training zones.
How to use this calculator
Enter your age and choose a formula — the classic 220 − age or the more accurate Tanaka (208 − 0.7 × age). Every result updates instantly as you type; there is nothing to submit. If you also enter your resting heart rate, the calculator adds a second set of zones computed with the Karvonen method, which adjusts for your current fitness level and usually gives better training targets than plain percentages of maximum heart rate.
Use the zone table to plan sessions: warm up in Zone 1, do most of your steady cardio in Zone 2, push aerobic fitness in Zone 3, work your lactate threshold in Zone 4, and save Zone 5 for short intervals only. Compare results with a fitness wearable during your next workout — if your watch disagrees by more than ~10 bpm, trust the watch.
Pair your zones with fuel numbers: the calories burned calculator estimates what a session in each zone costs you, and the TDEE calculator turns that into a daily eating target.
How it works
Everything starts from an estimated maximum heart rate (MHR). Two published formulas are available:
Classic: MHR = 220 − age
Tanaka: MHR = 208 − 0.7 × age
For example, at age 30 the classic formula estimates MHR = 220 − 30 = 190 bpm, while Tanaka gives 208 − 0.7 × 30 = 187 bpm. Both are population estimates with a typical error of about ±10–12 bpm — your true maximum can only be found with a supervised exercise test.
The five standard zones are fixed percentage bands of that estimate:
| Zone | Intensity | Training purpose |
|---|---|---|
| Zone 1 | 50–60% | Recovery — very light effort, warm-up, cool-down, active recovery |
| Zone 2 | 60–70% | Fat burn — light effort, long steady sessions |
| Zone 3 | 70–80% | Cardio — moderate effort, builds aerobic fitness |
| Zone 4 | 80–90% | Threshold — hard effort, raises lactate threshold |
| Zone 5 | 90–100% | Peak — maximum effort, short intervals only |
For example, Zone 2 for a 30-year-old on the classic formula is 60–70% of 190 bpm: 190 × 0.60 = 114 bpm to 190 × 0.70 = 133 bpm.
If you enter a resting heart rate, the calculator also applies the Karvonen method (heart rate reserve):
Zone boundary = (MHR − resting HR) × intensity + resting HR
So Zone 2 for the same 30-year-old with a resting heart rate of 62 bpm becomes (190 − 62) × 0.60 + 62 ≈ 139 bpm to (190 − 62) × 0.70 + 62 ≈ 152 bpm — noticeably higher, because the method accounts for how low the heart rate starts.
Important: these are estimates, not medical advice. Maximum heart rate formulas ignore fitness, medications (especially beta blockers), and heart conditions. If you are new to exercise, have a heart condition, or take medication that affects your heart rate, talk to a doctor or qualified professional before training in these zones.
Frequently asked questions
What are the 5 heart rate training zones?
The five zones are percentage bands of your maximum heart rate. Zone 1 (50-60%) is recovery, Zone 2 (60-70%) is the fat-burn zone, Zone 3 (70-80%) is aerobic cardio, Zone 4 (80-90%) is the lactate threshold zone, and Zone 5 (90-100%) is maximum effort. These are estimates based on population averages, not direct measurements of your individual physiology.
Which formula should I use: 220 minus age or Tanaka?
The classic 220-minus-age formula is the most widely known and is the default here. The Tanaka formula (208 - 0.7 x age) was derived from a large meta-analysis and tends to be more accurate, especially for adults over 40, where 220-minus-age underestimates maximum heart rate. Use the formula selector above to compare both; the difference is usually just a few beats per minute.
What is the Karvonen method, and do I need my resting heart rate?
The Karvonen method calculates zones from your heart rate reserve instead of your maximum heart rate alone: zone boundary = (max HR - resting HR) x intensity + resting HR. Because it accounts for your current fitness level, it often gives more useful training targets than plain percentages. Enter your resting heart rate (measured first thing in the morning) above and this heart rate zone calculator will show Karvonen-adjusted zones alongside the standard ones.
Is this heart rate zone calculator medical advice?
No. Maximum heart rate formulas are population estimates with a margin of error of roughly plus or minus 10-12 beats per minute, and heart rate zones do not account for medications, health conditions, or individual fitness. If you are new to exercise, have a heart condition, or take medication that affects heart rate, talk to a doctor or qualified professional before training in these zones.