Health
Heart Rate Zones Calculator
Enter age and resting heart rate to produce personalized training zones—from easy aerobic sessions to all-out efforts—with guidance on how to use each range.
Use the Karvonen method to target aerobic, tempo, or VO2max heart rate ranges.
Zone 1 · Recovery jog
50–60% of HRR
124–137 bpm
Zone 2 · Endurance
60–70% of HRR
137–150 bpm
Zone 3 · Tempo
70–80% of HRR
150–162 bpm
Zone 4 · Threshold
80–90% of HRR
162–175 bpm
Zone 5 · Max effort
90–100% of HRR
175–188 bpm
Karvonen heart rate reserve
HRmax = 220 − age. Target HR = HRrest + (HRmax − HRrest) × intensity. Intensities of 50–100% yield Zones 1–5.
The Karvonen method adjusts for your resting heart rate so the zones reflect your actual fitness rather than a generic age table.
How to use
- Enter age to estimate max heart rate (HRmax).
- Provide resting heart rate from a wearable or morning reading.
- Use the zone cards to plan recovery jogs, tempo sessions, or VO₂ max repeats with bpm targets.
Example
Input: Age = 34, Resting HR = 58
Output: HRmax ≈ 186 bpm, Zone 2 ≈ 135–148 bpm, Zone 5 caps near 186 bpm
Student-friendly breakdown
This walkthrough emphasizes the most searched ideas for Heart Rate Zones Calculator: heart rate zones calculator, karvonen formula calculator, training zones calculator, target heart rate zone. Start with the formula above, then follow the guided steps to double-check your work. For quick revision, highlight the givens, plug into the equation, and finish by verifying your units.
Need more support? Use the links below to open the long-form guide, browse additional examples, or hop into adjacent calculators within the same topic — each one is a quick way to double-check your work or handle a related question without starting from scratch.
Deep dive & study plan
Heart Rate Zones Calculator: Maps recovery through VO₂ max zones using the Karvonen method. It's built around heart rate zones, karvonen, training, so you can go from a raw question to a checked answer without switching tools.
The math behind it: The Karvonen method adjusts for your resting heart rate so the zones reflect your actual fitness rather than a generic age table. The core relationship is HRmax = 220 − age. Target HR = HRrest + (HRmax − HRrest) × intensity. Intensities of 50–100% yield Zones 1–5., shown above the calculator so you can see exactly how your inputs turn into the result.
To use it well: (1) Enter age to estimate max heart rate (HRmax). (2) Provide resting heart rate from a wearable or morning reading. (3) Use the zone cards to plan recovery jogs, tempo sessions, or VO₂ max repeats with bpm targets. Keep your units consistent as you go, and re-run a case you already know the answer to — it's the fastest way to catch a typo before it throws off a result you're relying on.
Worked example: entering Age = 34, Resting HR = 58 returns HRmax ≈ 186 bpm, Zone 2 ≈ 135–148 bpm, Zone 5 caps near 186 bpm. Try swapping in your own numbers next, especially a case you're unsure about, before you use this for something that matters.
Quick retention checklist
- Speak the formula aloud (or annotate it) so the relationships stick.
- Write each step in your own words and compare with the numbered list above.
- Swap in new numbers for the Example to make sure the calculator (and your logic) handles edge cases.
- Check at least one related calculator below — it's the fastest way to confirm your numbers still line up from a different angle.
FAQ & notes
Is 220 − age accurate for everyone?
It’s a long-standing approximation. Adjust with your lab-tested HRmax if you have one, or calibrate using hard workouts recorded on a chest strap.
How do I pair this with perceived exertion?
Think of Zone 1 as conversational pace, Zone 3 as comfortably hard, and Zone 5 as maximal. Use RPE to double-check what your heart rate monitor is reporting.
What formula does the Heart Rate Zones Calculator use?
The Karvonen method adjusts for your resting heart rate so the zones reflect your actual fitness rather than a generic age table.
How do I use the Heart Rate Zones Calculator?
Enter age to estimate max heart rate (HRmax). Provide resting heart rate from a wearable or morning reading. Use the zone cards to plan recovery jogs, tempo sessions, or VO₂ max repeats with bpm targets.