Heart Rate Zone Calculator

Calculate your five cardio training zones from your age. Shows the beats-per-minute range for each zone as a percentage of maximum heart rate.

Independently verified for accuracy

Calculator by Toolsloft ↗
Maximum heart rate
190 bpm
Zone 1 (recovery)
95 to 114 bpm
Zone 2 (endurance)
114 to 133 bpm
Zone 3 (tempo)
133 to 152 bpm
Zone 4 (threshold)
152 to 171 bpm
Zone 5 (maximum)
171 to 190 bpm

Cardio plans are usually written in zones, from easy recovery efforts up to all-out intervals. This tool estimates your maximum heart rate from your age and splits it into the standard five zones so you know the beats-per-minute band for each.

How this is calculated

Maximum heart rate is estimated as 220 minus age. Each zone is a band as a percentage of that maximum: zone 1 is 50 to 60 percent, zone 2 is 60 to 70, zone 3 is 70 to 80, zone 4 is 80 to 90, and zone 5 is 90 to 100. These are the widely used percentage-of-maximum zones. For a zone based on resting heart rate too, use the Karvonen method.

How to use

  1. Enter your age.
  2. Read your estimated maximum heart rate and the five zone ranges.
  3. Pick the zone that matches your workout goal, from easy recovery to hard intervals.

Examples

  • Age 30: Max 190 bpm; zone 2 (endurance) 114 to 133 bpm
  • Age 50: Max 170 bpm; zone 2 (endurance) 102 to 119 bpm

FAQ

What are the five heart rate zones for?
Zone 1 is easy recovery, zone 2 builds aerobic endurance, zone 3 is tempo, zone 4 raises your lactate threshold, and zone 5 is short high-intensity work. Most training time is spent in zones 1 and 2.
Is 220 minus age accurate?
It is a useful average but can be off by 10 to 20 beats for an individual. A lab test or a hard field test gives a more personal maximum.

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