Heart Rate Zones Calculator
Your zones are personal: they depend on your maximum and resting heart rate, not a chart on the gym wall. Get all five zones in both common methods.
Last updated October 25, 2026
How to use this calculator
- Measure your resting heart rate in the morning, right after waking — that single number sharpens everything.
- Enter your age; we estimate max heart rate with the Tanaka formula (208 − 0.7 × age).
- Use the Karvonen column for training targets — it accounts for your resting rate, %-of-max does not.
How your zones are built
Maximum heart rate is estimated with the Tanaka formula (2001), which fits measured data better than the old 220 − age:
max HR = 208 − 0.7 × ageTwo ways to turn that into zones. % of max is the simple chart method. Karvonen (heart-rate reserve) anchors to your resting heart rate and matches perceived effort much better:
target HR = resting + % × (max − resting)The five zones
| Zone | Name | % of max HR | What it is for |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Recovery | 50–60% | Warm-up, cooldown, active recovery |
| 2 | Endurance | 60–70% | Easy miles — the base ~80% of training |
| 3 | Tempo | 70–80% | Steady, comfortably hard work |
| 4 | Threshold | 80–90% | Intervals, lactate-threshold work |
| 5 | Maximum | 90–100% | Sprints and VO₂max, seconds to minutes |
Maximum heart rate by age (chart)
The table below uses the Tanaka formula so you can read a heart-rate chart without entering anything — the Karvonen columns above still need your resting heart rate for full accuracy.
| Age | Max HR (bpm) | Zone 2 range (60–70%) | Zone 4 range (80–90%) |
|---|---|---|---|
| 20 | 194 | 116–136 | 155–175 |
| 25 | 191 | 114–133 | 152–171 |
| 30 | 187 | 112–131 | 150–168 |
| 35 | 184 | 110–128 | 147–165 |
| 40 | 180 | 108–126 | 144–162 |
| 45 | 177 | 106–123 | 141–159 |
| 50 | 173 | 104–121 | 138–155 |
| 55 | 170 | 102–118 | 135–152 |
| 60 | 166 | 100–116 | 133–149 |
| 65 | 163 | 97–114 | 130–146 |
| 70 | 159 | 95–111 | 127–143 |
Max HR is individual — the formula carries a ±10 bpm standard deviation. Use the chart as a map, your own measured or resting-calibrated numbers as the territory.
Frequently asked questions
Is 220 minus age accurate?
Not really — it overestimates young hearts and underestimates older ones, with a ±12 bpm standard deviation. The Tanaka formula (208 − 0.7 × age) fits lab data better, which is why we use it.
Which column should I train by?
Karvonen (heart-rate reserve) if you know your resting heart rate — it lines up with perceived effort. % of max is fine for a rough guide or when comparing with chart-based training plans.
How do I measure my resting heart rate?
Right after waking, before getting up or caffeine: count your pulse for 60 seconds, or wear an overnight tracker and read the sleep-average. A few mornings' average is better than one.
My watch shows different zones — who is right?
Watches often guess zones from 220 − age or auto-calibrate from runs. Use whichever method you pick consistently; the Karvonen numbers here are the defensible baseline.