β€οΈ Heart Rate Zones Calculator
Get your estimated max heart rate and all 5 Karvonen training zones.
Estimated Maximum Heart Rate (Tanaka)
These are estimates for planning and education only, not medical advice. Talk to a qualified professional before changing your training or health routine.
How to Use This Calculator
Enter your age and resting heart rate. The calculator estimates your max heart rate and builds five personalized training zones with the Karvonen method.
Enter your age in years.
Enter your resting heart rate in beats per minute, measured on a calm morning.
Read your estimated max heart rate and your heart rate reserve.
Match your workouts to the five zones, from recovery in Zone 1 to max effort in Zone 5.
The Tanaka and Karvonen Formulas
The classic 220 minus age formula is simple but rough. Tanaka fits real measured data better, so this calculator uses 208 - 0.7 x age. Then the Karvonen method personalizes each zone: instead of taking a flat percentage of max, it takes a percentage of your heart rate reserve (the working range between resting and max) and adds resting back on. A fitter person with a lower resting heart rate gets lower, easier-to-hit zone boundaries than someone of the same age who is detrained, which matches how training actually feels.
Worked Example
Age 30, resting heart rate 60. Tanaka max = 208 - 0.7 x 30 = 208 - 21 = 187 bpm. Heart rate reserve = 187 - 60 = 127. Zone 2 spans 60 to 70 percent: lower bound = 127 x 0.6 + 60 = 76.2 + 60 = 136.2, rounded to 136; upper bound = 127 x 0.7 + 60 = 88.9 + 60 = 148.9, rounded to 149. So Zone 2 is 136 to 149 bpm. The full set: Zone 1: 124 to 136, Zone 2: 136 to 149, Zone 3: 149 to 162, Zone 4: 162 to 174, Zone 5: 174 to 187.
Training With Your Zones
A widely used pattern is the 80/20 rule: about 80 percent of training time in Zones 1 and 2, and about 20 percent in Zones 3 to 5. Zone 2 deserves special attention because it builds the aerobic base that makes everything else possible, and most runners undercook it by going too hard on easy days. Use Zone 1 for warmups, cooldowns, and recovery days. Spend short, structured intervals in Zones 4 and 5 rather than drifting there by accident. These are estimates for planning and education only, not medical advice. Talk to a qualified professional before changing your training or health routine.
Frequently Asked Questions
Which max heart rate formula is best, 220 minus age or Tanaka?
The Tanaka formula, 208 - 0.7 x age, fits measured data better than the classic 220 - age across a wide age range. For a 30-year-old, 220 - age gives 190 while Tanaka gives 187. Neither formula replaces a real lab or field test, and individual max heart rates can differ by 10 to 20 beats from any estimate, so treat the zones as a starting point and adjust by feel.
What is the Karvonen formula?
The Karvonen method personalizes training zones using your heart rate reserve, the gap between max and resting heart rate: target = (HRmax - HRrest) x intensity + HRrest. Because it accounts for your resting heart rate, two people of the same age with different fitness levels get different, more accurate zones than a simple percentage of max would give them.
What does each heart rate zone train?
Zone 1 (50 to 60 percent) is active recovery that boosts blood flow without fatigue. Zone 2 (60 to 70 percent) builds aerobic base and fat-burning efficiency, and most endurance athletes spend the bulk of their training here. Zone 3 (70 to 80 percent) is tempo work that improves sustained speed. Zone 4 (80 to 90 percent) raises lactate threshold. Zone 5 (90 to 100 percent) develops maximum aerobic power in short intervals.
How do I measure my resting heart rate correctly?
Wear your monitor to bed and check the reading right after waking, while still lying down, before coffee, conversation, or a stressful news scroll. Take the lowest of three mornings in a row. A cheaper method: sit quietly for five minutes, then count your pulse at the wrist for 60 seconds. Repeat on two or three calm mornings and average the results.
Do these zones work for cycling and swimming too?
The method works for any steady cardio, but max heart rate is sport-specific: it typically runs 5 to 10 beats lower on a bike and 10 to 15 beats lower in the pool than when running, because less muscle mass is engaged. If you train across sports, either measure a sport-specific max or shift the zones down by those rough amounts for cycling and swimming.