Heart Rate Zone Calculator
Find your five training heart-rate zones from age, with an optional resting rate for the Karvonen method.
220 − 30 = 190 bpm. This is a rough estimate (±10–12 bpm).
| Zone | Intensity | Target range |
|---|---|---|
| Zone 1 Recovery | 50–60% | 95–114 bpm |
| Zone 2 Easy / Fat-burn | 60–70% | 114–133 bpm |
| Zone 3 Aerobic | 70–80% | 133–152 bpm |
| Zone 4 Threshold | 80–90% | 152–171 bpm |
| Zone 5 Maximum | 90–100% | 171–190 bpm |
Zone 2 (easy / fat-burn) sits at 114–133 bpm — the endurance base where most easy training should happen.
At age 30 your estimated maximum heart rate is about 190 bpm (220 − 30). From that, the five training zones scale by percentage: Zone 2 — the easy, fat-burning endurance zone — is 60–70% of max, or roughly 114–133 bpm. Zone 5 (maximum effort) runs 90–100%, about 171–190 bpm.
What heart-rate zones are
Training heart-rate zones divide the range between rest and your maximum heart rate into five bands, each tied to a different training effect — from gentle recovery to all-out effort. Coaches use them to keep easy days genuinely easy and hard days hard, instead of grinding at one mediocre middle pace. The zones are anchored to your maximum heart rate (max HR), the fastest your heart can beat during flat-out exercise.
The classic estimate is 220 − age. It is convenient but rough; the Tanaka formula (208 − 0.7·age) fits large populations a little better, especially for older adults. For a more personal result, the Karvonen method works from your heart-rate reserve — the gap between max and resting heart rate — so a fitter heart with a lower resting rate shifts every zone.
Percent-of-max scales each zone by maxHR × %. Karvonen scales the reserve, then adds resting HR back.
Worked example: age 30
Take a 30-year-old. Their estimated max HR is 220 − 30 = 190 bpm. Here is how Zone 2 comes out under each method:
- 1 Estimate maximum heart rate. maxHR = 220 − age. For age 30: 220 − 30 = 190 bpm.
- 2 Pick a method. Percent of max HR is simplest. Karvonen is more personal but needs your resting heart rate.
- 3 Percent-of-max Zone 2. 60–70% of 190 = 190 × 0.60 to 190 × 0.70 = 114–133 bpm.
- 4 Karvonen Zone 2 (resting 60). HRR = 190 − 60 = 130. Then 0.6·130 + 60 to 0.7·130 + 60 = 138–151 bpm.
- 5 Repeat for the other zones. Apply 50–60% (Z1), 70–80% (Z3), 80–90% (Z4), and 90–100% (Z5) the same way.
The five heart-rate zones
Percentages apply to max HR (percent-of-max method) or to heart-rate reserve (Karvonen).
| Zone | % range | What it trains |
|---|---|---|
| Zone 1 — Recovery | 50–60% | Warm-up, cool-down, and active recovery between hard sessions. |
| Zone 2 — Easy / Fat-burn | 60–70% | Aerobic base and fat metabolism; the bulk of easy endurance work. |
| Zone 3 — Aerobic | 70–80% | Aerobic fitness and stamina at a moderate, sustainable effort. |
| Zone 4 — Threshold | 80–90% | Lactate threshold and speed; hard but repeatable intervals. |
| Zone 5 — Maximum | 90–100% | Peak power and VO₂ max in short, all-out bursts. |
How to read the numbers
Treat these zones as a guide, not a rule. The 220 − age formula is a population average: an individual’s true max HR can sit ±10–12 bpm away, so someone the same age as you may have a genuinely different ceiling. Heart rate also drifts with heat, caffeine, stress, sleep, and dehydration, and it lags behind sudden efforts. If you know your true max from a supervised test, use that instead of the estimate.
This tool is for general information, not medical advice. Talk to a doctor before starting intense exercise, especially if you have a heart condition, take medication that affects heart rate, or have been inactive.