Heart Rate Zone Calculator: Max Heart Rate and Training Zones
Free heart rate zone calculator: find your maximum heart rate (Tanaka, Fox, Gellish, HUNT or your own tested max) and your five training zones, with the Karvonen method if you know your resting heart rate. Zone chart, pulse counter and zones by age.
Know your real maximum from a test? Enter it (more accurate than any formula)
With a resting heart rate the zones use the Karvonen (heart-rate reserve) method, which fits fitness level better than a plain percent of max.
Your zones
Count your pulse instead
What each zone is for
Most people get the best results with about 80% of training in zones 1–2 and 20% in zones 4–5 (the “polarised” approach), and little in zone 3.
Your zones through the years
Bands shift down as you age because maximum heart rate falls (about 0.7 beats a minute per year). The dashed line is your age.
Compare the formulas
How to find your heart rate zones
Your zones are slices of your maximum heart rate (the most beats per minute your heart can reach). The calculator estimates it from your age with a formula, then splits it into five zones. If you also enter your resting heart rate (measured sitting quietly, ideally first thing in the morning), it uses the Karvonen method: target = resting + % × (max − resting), which adjusts the zones to your fitness.
Example: age 40, Tanaka max = 208 − 0.7 × 40 = 180 bpm. With a resting rate of 60, zone 2 is 60 + 0.6 × 120 = 132 up to 60 + 0.7 × 120 = 144 bpm.
Which maximum heart rate formula is best?
The old “220 − age” rule has a large error (typically ±10–12 bpm) and is least accurate for older adults. Tanaka (208 − 0.7 × age) is a better default. Nothing beats a real test: a hard hill sprint or a supervised stress test shows your true maximum, which you can enter above.
Questions
- Which zone burns the most fat?
- Zone 2 burns the highest share of fat, but total calories burned matter more for weight loss, so harder zones burn more fat overall per minute. A mix works best.
- How do I take my pulse?
- Two fingers on the inside of your wrist or on the side of the neck. Count beats for 10, 15 or 30 seconds and use the counter above.
- Do beta blockers and other medicines change my zones?
- Yes. Beta blockers and some other drugs lower your heart rate. Use the talk test and perceived effort instead, and ask your doctor.
- Is my data private?
- Yes. Everything stays in this browser.
General information, not medical advice. Talk to a doctor before starting vigorous exercise if you have a heart condition, symptoms, or have been inactive. Related: Running Pace Calculator · BMR Calculator