Heart Rate Zone Calculator
Get all five training zones in beats per minute. You can estimate your max heart rate from your age with one of three formulas, enter a max heart rate you measured in a field test, or add your resting heart rate to switch the calculation to heart rate reserve, the Karvonen method. If you have done a 30-minute time trial, you can skip max heart rate altogether and base the zones on your lactate threshold heart rate instead.
Calculate your zones
Add resting HR for Karvonen zones (more accurate)
| Zone | Name | Range | % of max | Feel |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Recovery | 90–108 | 50–60% | Very easy, full conversation |
| 2 | Aerobic base | 108–126 | 60–70% | Easy, can talk in sentences |
| 3 | Tempo | 126–144 | 70–80% | Moderate, short sentences |
| 4 | Threshold | 144–162 | 80–90% | Hard, a few words |
| 5 | VO2 max | 162–180 | 90–100% | Maximal, no talking |
Zones use % of max HR (estimated with Tanaka: 208 − 0.7 × age)
These are estimates, not a medical assessment. Talk to a physician before hard training if you have a cardiovascular condition or any symptoms during exercise.
How this calculator works
Every zone is a percentage of a single anchor number: your maximum heart rate. Since most people have never measured theirs, the calculator offers three age formulas. Tanaka (208 − 0.7 × age) comes from a 2001 meta-analysis of 351 studies and is the default here. Fox (220 − age) is the classic rule of thumb from a 1971 review, still used by most watches. Gulati (206 − 0.88 × age) was derived from a large cohort of asymptomatic women and predicts lower maximums than Fox at most ages.
The second choice is what the percentages apply to. Percentage of max heart rate multiplies your max directly. Heart rate reserve, published by Karvonen in 1957, subtracts your resting heart rate first, takes the percentage of what is left, then adds resting back. The two methods disagree, and the gap grows the fitter you are. With a max of 185 bpm and a resting heart rate of 55 bpm, Karvonen puts zone 2 at 133–146 bpm, well above the 60–70% of max range. Enter a resting heart rate in the calculator and it uses Karvonen automatically.
| Zone | Name | % of max or HRR | Feel |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Recovery | 50–60% | Very easy, full conversation |
| 2 | Aerobic base | 60–70% | Easy, can talk in sentences |
| 3 | Tempo | 70–80% | Moderate, short sentences |
| 4 | Threshold | 80–90% | Hard, a few words |
| 5 | VO2 max | 90–100% | Maximal, no talking |
Zones from lactate threshold heart rate
The third method drops max heart rate entirely and anchors the zones to your lactate threshold heart rate, the intensity at which blood lactate starts accumulating faster than you clear it. Joe Friel's field test is a 30-minute time trial done alone, not in a race and not with training partners, at the hardest effort you can hold for the full 30 minutes. Your LTHR is your average heart rate over the last 20 minutes of it. The advantage over the age formulas is that you measure this number rather than predict it, so it describes you instead of a population average. At an LTHR of 160 bpm, zone 2 runs 136–142 bpm and zone 5 starts at 160 bpm.
Two things to know about the percentages below. They are Friel's running numbers, and he publishes a different set for cycling where zone 1 ends at 81% and zone 3 runs 90 to 93%, so cycling zones built from the same LTHR will not match. His full set also splits zone 5 into 5a, 5b and 5c at 100 to 102%, 103 to 106% and above 106%; this calculator shows those as one zone 5 of 100% and above. Because the percentages are whole numbers, adjacent zones leave a one-beat gap: at 160 bpm, zone 2 ends at 142 and zone 3 starts at 144.
| Zone | Name | % of LTHR | Feel |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Recovery | below 85% | Very easy, full conversation |
| 2 | Aerobic | 85–89% | Easy, can talk in sentences |
| 3 | Tempo | 90–94% | Moderate, short sentences |
| 4 | SubThreshold | 95–99% | Hard, a few words |
| 5 | VO2 max | 100%+ | Maximal, no talking |
- Tanaka H, Monahan KD, Seals DR. Age-predicted maximal heart rate revisited. J Am Coll Cardiol. 2001;37(1):153-156. doi:10.1016/S0735-1097(00)01054-8
- Gulati M, et al. Heart rate response to exercise stress testing in asymptomatic women: the St. James Women Take Heart Project. Circulation. 2010;122(2):130-137. doi:10.1161/CIRCULATIONAHA.110.939249
- Karvonen MJ, Kentala E, Mustala O. The effects of training on heart rate: a longitudinal study. Ann Med Exp Biol Fenn. 1957;35(3):307-315. PMID 13470504
- Fox SM, Naughton JP, Haskell WL. Physical activity and the prevention of coronary heart disease. Ann Clin Res. 1971;3(6):404-432. PMID 4945367
- Friel J. Joe Friel's Quick Guide to Setting Zones. TrainingPeaks. trainingpeaks.com
Heart rate zones by age
Maximum heart rates below use the Tanaka formula and the zones use percentage of max. Add your resting heart rate in the calculator above to get Karvonen zones instead, which will read higher.
| Age | Max HR | Zone 1 | Zone 2 | Zone 3 | Zone 4 | Zone 5 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 20 | 194 | 97–116 | 116–136 | 136–155 | 155–175 | 175–194 |
| 25 | 191 | 96–115 | 115–134 | 134–153 | 153–172 | 172–191 |
| 30 | 187 | 94–112 | 112–131 | 131–150 | 150–168 | 168–187 |
| 35 | 184 | 92–110 | 110–129 | 129–147 | 147–166 | 166–184 |
| 40 | 180 | 90–108 | 108–126 | 126–144 | 144–162 | 162–180 |
| 45 | 177 | 89–106 | 106–124 | 124–142 | 142–159 | 159–177 |
| 50 | 173 | 87–104 | 104–121 | 121–138 | 138–156 | 156–173 |
| 55 | 170 | 85–102 | 102–119 | 119–136 | 136–153 | 153–170 |
| 60 | 166 | 83–100 | 100–116 | 116–133 | 133–149 | 149–166 |
| 65 | 163 | 82–98 | 98–114 | 114–130 | 130–147 | 147–163 |
| 70 | 159 | 80–95 | 95–111 | 111–127 | 127–143 | 143–159 |
Why your Garmin zones look different
A Garmin watch calculates zones from whatever is stored in your user profile, and out of the box that is a max heart rate estimated with 220 − age plus zones expressed as a percentage of max. If you have never edited the profile, your watch is using the oldest and least accurate of the three formulas here, which is why its zone 2 ceiling often sits a few beats away from the number this calculator gives you.
You can change all of it in the user settings: enter a max heart rate you actually measured, set a lactate threshold heart rate, or switch the zone basis from percentage of max to heart rate reserve. If your watch already stores a lactate threshold heart rate, enter it in the calculator above to see the same number turned into Friel's running zones. The most useful of those is a real max heart rate, and the fastest way to get one is a maximal field test. Our heart rate zone training guide walks through the test protocol and what to do with the result.
Frequently asked questions
What are my heart rate zones for my age?
Estimate your max heart rate first, then take percentages of it. At 40, the Tanaka formula gives a max of 180 bpm, so zone 2 runs 108–126 bpm and zone 4 runs 144–162 bpm. The table above lists all five zones for ages 20 to 70. Individual max heart rates vary widely around any age prediction, so treat the numbers as a starting point.
How do I calculate my heart rate zone?
Take your max heart rate and multiply it by the zone percentage. Zone 2 is 60 to 70 percent of max, so a max of 180 bpm gives 108–126 bpm. If you also enter a resting heart rate, the calculator switches to the Karvonen method and works from your heart rate reserve, which is max minus resting. Karvonen produces higher bpm values for the same zone.
How do I find my lactate threshold heart rate?
Run a 30-minute time trial on your own, not in a race and without training partners, at the hardest effort you can hold for the whole 30 minutes. Press the lap button at 10 minutes: your average heart rate for the final 20 minutes is your lactate threshold heart rate. Unlike an age formula this is a measurement, which is why threshold zones usually fit better than predicted ones. Retest every few months, because LTHR moves as your fitness changes.
Is 150 bpm too high for zone 2?
For most people, yes. With a max heart rate of 180 bpm, zone 2 is 108–126 bpm by percentage of max, and 150 bpm sits in zone 4 at 144–162 bpm. 150 bpm only falls inside zone 2 if your max heart rate is about 215 bpm or higher. Adding your resting heart rate raises the zone 2 range, so check the Karvonen numbers before deciding you are running too hard.
Is 220 minus your age accurate?
It is a rough population average, not a measurement. The formula was popularized in the early 1970s from existing data rather than derived from a dedicated study, and it underestimates max heart rate in older adults. Tanaka's 208 − 0.7 × age fits the data better: at 60, Tanaka predicts 166 bpm against 160 bpm from 220 − age. A maximal field test beats both formulas if you are healthy enough to do one.
How long should a zone 2 workout be?
Long enough for the aerobic stimulus to accumulate, which usually means 45 to 90 minutes of continuous easy work. If you are new to structured training, start at 30 minutes and add time gradually. Most endurance plans put the majority of weekly hours in zones 1 and 2 and keep hard sessions to one or two per week.
Should cyclists use different zones than runners?
Yes, test each sport separately. Max heart rate on the bike is typically a few beats lower than running because you support less body weight and recruit less muscle mass. The zone percentages stay the same, but the resulting bpm ranges shift down. If you only have running zones, expect your cycling heart rate to read low for the same effort.
Stop doing the math
Coach reads your Garmin data, sets your zones from real workouts, and adjusts them as your fitness changes. Free 7-day trial, no card.
Further reading
- heart rate zone training guide — how to test your max heart rate and structure a week around the zones.
- TRIMP training load explained — how time in each zone turns into a single training load number.