Target Heart Rate Calculator
Quickly find your Heart rate zones with our free Target Heart Rate Calculator. Simple, fast, and accurate.
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Heart rate zones
What is a Target Heart Rate Calculator?
A Target Heart Rate Calculator estimates your optimal heart rate training zones based on your age and resting heart rate. Training within specific zones helps you achieve different fitness goals — from fat burning to cardiovascular endurance to peak performance.
How to calculate target heart rate manually (the formula)
Max HR method (percentage): max HR = 220 − age. Zone lower bound = max HR × lower intensity. Zone upper bound = max HR × upper intensity.
Karvonen method (heart rate reserve): target HR = ((max HR − resting HR) × intensity) + resting HR. This method accounts for your resting HR and gives more personalised zones.
Example calculation
A 30-year-old with a resting HR of 65 bpm wants the cardio zone (70–85%). Max HR = 220 − 30 = 190 bpm. Karvonen: lower = ((190 − 65) × 0.70) + 65 = 152.5 bpm. Upper = ((190 − 65) × 0.85) + 65 = 171.3 bpm. Target zone is 153–171 bpm.
Common mistakes
- Using 220 minus age too rigidly — The 220 − age formula is a population average. Your actual max HR can differ by 10–20 bpm from this estimate.
- Ignoring resting heart rate — The percentage-of-max method ignores fitness level. Two people of the same age get identical zones, even if one is a marathon runner and the other is sedentary.
- Training too hard too often — Spending all your time in the peak zone (85–95%) leads to burnout and overtraining. Most training should be done in zone 2 (fat-burn) and zone 3 (cardio).
Frequently asked questions
How do I calculate my maximum heart rate?
The simplest method is 220 minus your age. For a 30-year-old, max HR = 190 bpm. This is an estimate — actual max HR varies by individual fitness and genetics.
What are the different heart rate zones?
Warm-up (50–60% of max), fat burn (60–70%), cardio (70–85%), and peak (85–95%). Each zone produces different training adaptations.
Which zone is best for fat burning?
The fat-burn zone (60–70% of max HR) uses a higher percentage of calories from fat, but the cardio zone (70–85%) burns more total calories overall.
What is the Karvonen formula?
The Karvonen formula uses your resting heart rate to personalise zones: target HR = ((max HR − resting HR) × intensity) + resting HR. It is more accurate than the percentage method for fit individuals.
Should I use max HR or Karvonen zones?
If you know your resting heart rate, the Karvonen method is more personalised. Otherwise, the standard percentage-of-max method is simple and effective.
Can my max heart rate change?
Max HR decreases slightly with age and is largely genetically determined. However, your resting heart rate can improve significantly with aerobic training, which widens your training zones.