Heart Rate Zone Calculator

Calculate your target heart rate training zones by age

Your Details

Age (years)

Used to calculate your maximum heart rate (220 − age)

Resting Heart Rate (bpm) optional

Typical resting HR: 60–100 bpm for adults

Enter your age and click Calculate

How to Use

Enter your Age in years.
Optionally, enter your Resting Heart Rate (count your pulse for 60 seconds first thing in the morning) for a Karvonen-adjusted calculation.
Click Calculate to see your 5 heart rate training zones with BPM ranges and benefits.
Use a chest strap or smartwatch during exercise to stay in your target zone.

Understanding Heart Rate Training Zones

Training at different heart rate intensities produces different physiological adaptations. Knowing your zones lets you train smarter — burning fat efficiently, building cardiovascular endurance, or improving peak performance — depending on your goal.

The 5 Training Zones

Zone	% of Max HR	Feel	Benefit
Zone 1 – Warm Up	50–60%	Very easy, can hold full conversation	Recovery, improves overall health
Zone 2 – Fat Burn	60–70%	Comfortable, can talk easily	Fat burning, aerobic base
Zone 3 – Cardio	70–80%	Moderate, breathing harder	Cardiovascular fitness
Zone 4 – Threshold	80–90%	Hard, only short sentences	Speed, lactate threshold
Zone 5 – Peak	90–100%	Maximum effort, unsustainable	Max performance, VO2 max

Max Heart Rate Formula

The standard formula is: Max HR = 220 − Age. This gives an estimate accurate to ±10–12 bpm for most people. A more accurate formula is Tanaka: Max HR = 208 − (0.7 × Age) — more accurate for older adults.

Fat Burning Myth Clarified

Zone 2 (60–70%) is called "fat burn" because the percentage of calories from fat is higher at lower intensities. However, higher zones burn more total calories per minute. For fat loss, higher intensity exercise burns more total fat despite a lower fat-burning percentage — but Zone 2 is more sustainable and better for recovery.

Frequently Asked Questions

Options from least to most accurate: (1) Manual — count pulse at wrist or neck for 10 seconds × 6. (2) Finger pulse oximeter — clips on fingertip, cheap and reasonably accurate at rest. (3) Optical HR watch/smartwatch — convenient, ±5–10 bpm accuracy during exercise. (4) Chest strap monitor (Polar, Garmin) — most accurate during exercise, similar to ECG.

For adults: 60–100 bpm is normal. Well-trained athletes often have resting HR of 40–60 bpm — a lower resting HR generally indicates better cardiovascular fitness. Consistently above 100 bpm at rest (tachycardia) or below 40 bpm without being an athlete warrants a doctor visit. Resting HR is best measured lying down, first thing in the morning before getting up.

This is a common misconception. While Zone 2 (fat burn, 60–70%) burns a higher percentage of calories from fat, higher zones burn more total calories per minute. For fat loss, total calorie deficit matters most. A mix of Zone 2 (for sustainability, recovery, and aerobic base) and Zone 3–4 (for efficiency and calorie burn) is optimal. Zone 5 is reserved for very short intervals.

The 220-age formula has a standard deviation of ±12 bpm — meaning your actual max HR could be significantly higher or lower. More accurate formulas: Tanaka (208 − 0.7 × age) works better for older adults. The only way to know your true max HR is a supervised maximal exercise test. For training purposes, the formula is a reasonable starting point.