Target Heart Rate Calculator
Calculate heart rate training zones for fat burning, aerobic cardio, and peak athletic performance.
Count your pulse for a minute on waking. With it, zones use the Karvonen (heart-rate reserve) method.
Heart Rate Zones
Medical disclaimer. This calculator is for general information and education only. It is not medical advice, not a diagnosis, and not a substitute for professional care. Age-predicted maximum heart rate carries a standard deviation of roughly 10 to 12 beats per minute, so zones derived from it are approximate. Anyone with a cardiac condition, or taking beta blockers or other rate-limiting medication, needs zones set clinically rather than by formula.Speak to a doctor or another qualified clinician about any health decision.Last reviewed .
Frequently asked questions
How is maximum heart rate calculated?
This calculator estimates maximum heart rate with the Tanaka formula, 208 minus 0.7 times your age, which fits measured maxima better than the older 220 minus age. Add a resting heart rate to get Karvonen zones.
How is maximum heart rate estimated?
The familiar 220 minus age is simple but imprecise, with a standard deviation of 10-12 beats per minute. The Tanaka equation, 208 minus 0.7 times age, fits observed data better, particularly in older adults where 220 minus age under-predicts. Both are population averages, and an individual max can sit 20 beats either side.
What are the training zones?
Roughly: 50-60% of max for very light activity, 60-70% for the fat-burning or easy aerobic zone, 70-80% for aerobic endurance, 80-90% for anaerobic threshold work, and 90-100% for maximal efforts. The Karvonen method, which works from heart rate reserve rather than raw maximum, gives more individualised zones because it accounts for resting heart rate.
Is the fat-burning zone the best way to lose fat?
It burns a higher proportion of fat but fewer total calories per minute. Higher intensity burns more of both in the same time. For fat loss, the total energy deficit is what matters, so the best zone is the one you will actually sustain for the duration you have.