If you have tested your actual max HR, enter it here. Otherwise, the calculator estimates using 220 minus your age.
Calculation Method
The Karvonen method accounts for your resting heart rate, providing more personalized zones. The percentage method is simpler but less accurate for trained athletes.
Training Zones
Enter your details and click calculate.
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What This Calculator Does
This heart rate zone calculator computes your five training heart rate zones using either the Karvonen method (heart rate reserve) or simple percentage of maximum heart rate. Zones range from Zone 1 (recovery and warm-up) through Zone 5 (VO2 max and anaerobic). Training in the correct zone ensures you are working at the right intensity for your fitness goals, whether that is fat burning, endurance building, or speed development. The calculator uses either a known max HR or estimates it using the standard 220 minus age formula.
The Formula
The Karvonen method is more personalized because it accounts for your resting heart rate. Heart rate reserve (HRR) equals max HR minus resting HR. A lower resting HR (common in trained athletes) shifts zones upward. The simple percentage method only uses max HR and is less accurate for very fit or very unfit individuals. Max HR can be estimated as 220 minus age, though this has a standard deviation of plus or minus 10 to 12 BPM.
Step-by-Step Example
Enter age and resting HR
Age: 30. Resting HR: 65 BPM. Estimated max HR: 190 BPM. HR reserve: 125 BPM.
Select calculation method
Karvonen method selected for more personalized zones.
Review your five zones
Zone 1: 128-140 BPM (recovery). Zone 2: 140-153 BPM (fat burn). Zone 3: 153-165 BPM (aerobic). Zone 4: 165-178 BPM (threshold). Zone 5: 178-190 BPM (VO2 max).
Apply to training
For a long easy run, stay in Zone 2. For interval training, work in Zones 4-5 during efforts and Zone 1-2 during rest.
Real-World Use Cases
Endurance Training
Runners, cyclists, and swimmers use Zone 2 training to build aerobic base without overtraining. The 80/20 rule suggests 80% of training should be in Zones 1-2.
Weight Loss Optimization
Zone 2 maximizes fat oxidation as a percentage of calories burned. Higher zones burn more total calories but use more glycogen than fat.
HIIT Programming
Design interval workouts with work periods in Zone 4-5 and recovery periods in Zone 1-2 for maximum cardiovascular adaptation.
Common Mistakes to Avoid
Using 220 minus age as exact max HR. This formula has a large margin of error (plus or minus 10-12 BPM). A graded exercise test or field test provides a more accurate max HR.
Training too hard on easy days. Most recreational athletes spend too much time in Zone 3 (the "gray zone") instead of going truly easy in Zone 1-2 or truly hard in Zone 4-5.
Ignoring resting heart rate changes. As fitness improves, resting HR decreases, which shifts your Karvonen zones. Recalculate every few months.
Using someone else's zones. Heart rate zones are individual. Two people of the same age can have very different max heart rates and resting heart rates.
Frequently Asked Questions
Accuracy and Disclaimer
Heart rate zones are estimates and vary by individual. The 220 minus age formula has significant individual variation. Consult a healthcare provider before beginning a new exercise program, especially if you have cardiovascular conditions or are taking medications that affect heart rate (beta-blockers, calcium channel blockers).
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