CALCULATOR
Target Heart Rate Calculator
Your five training zones in beats per minute, using age-predicted max and the heart rate reserve method.
Age-predicted maximum has a wide individual spread. Stop and seek advice if you feel chest pain, dizziness or unusual breathlessness.
Training zones and what they are for
Heart rate zones divide effort into bands as a percentage of your maximum, giving a simple way to control intensity. This calculator uses the Tanaka equation, 208 minus 0.7 times age, which fits modern data better than the older 220 minus age rule, though both carry a wide individual spread of roughly ten to twelve beats either way.
If you know your resting heart rate, the heart rate reserve method personalises the zones considerably. It works from the gap between resting and maximum rather than from maximum alone, which accounts for the large differences in resting rate between trained and untrained people.
The common mistake is spending most training time in zone 3: too hard to recover from easily, not hard enough to drive strong adaptation. Most endurance plans put the bulk of volume in zones 1 and 2 and reserve small amounts for zones 4 and 5.
Estimating maximum heart rate
Example, age 30:
208 - 21 = 187 bpm
Example: HRmax 187, resting 60, 70% intensity
((187 - 60) x 0.70) + 60 = 149 bpm
The Tanaka equation fits modern population data better than 220 minus age, which systematically underestimates maximum in older adults and overestimates it in the young. Both carry an individual spread of roughly ten to twelve beats either side, so treat any age-based figure as a starting point rather than a fact about your heart.
The five training zones
| Zone | Percent of max | Feels like | Trains |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 Recovery | 50-60% | Very easy, full conversation | Blood flow, recovery |
| 2 Endurance | 60-70% | Easy, can talk in sentences | Aerobic base, fat oxidation |
| 3 Tempo | 70-80% | Moderate, short sentences | Aerobic capacity |
| 4 Threshold | 80-90% | Hard, few words | Lactate threshold |
| 5 Maximal | 90-100% | Very hard, cannot talk | VO2 max, anaerobic power |
Zone boundaries by age
| Age | Est. max HR | Zone 2 (60-70%) | Zone 4 (80-90%) |
|---|---|---|---|
| 20 | 194 bpm | 116-136 bpm | 155-175 bpm |
| 30 | 187 bpm | 112-131 bpm | 150-168 bpm |
| 40 | 180 bpm | 108-126 bpm | 144-162 bpm |
| 50 | 173 bpm | 104-121 bpm | 138-156 bpm |
| 60 | 166 bpm | 100-116 bpm | 133-149 bpm |
How to distribute your training
A well-established pattern in endurance training is to spend roughly 80 percent of total volume in zones 1 and 2 and the remaining 20 percent in zones 4 and 5, with relatively little time in zone 3. Zone 3 is often called the grey area: demanding enough to accumulate fatigue, not demanding enough to drive the adaptations that hard intervals produce.
- Zone 2 should feel too easy. Most people ride or run their easy sessions too hard, which compromises the hard sessions later in the week.
- Resting heart rate is a useful trend. Measure it on waking; a sustained rise of five or more beats can indicate accumulated fatigue or illness.
- Heat, altitude, caffeine and stress all raise heart rate at the same effort, so zones drift day to day.
- Medication matters. Beta blockers and some other drugs blunt heart rate response entirely, making zones meaningless without medical guidance.
- Stop if something feels wrong. Chest pain, dizziness, unusual breathlessness or an irregular beat during exercise warrant stopping and speaking to a doctor.
Frequently asked questions
Is 220 minus age accurate?
Which zone burns the most fat?
What is zone 2 training?
When should I stop and seek advice?
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General information, not medical advice. Consult a qualified professional before changing your diet, especially with a medical condition.