Find your 5 personal exercise heart-rate zones — Karvonen and % of MaxHR methods. Use for cardio, fat burn, threshold, and max training.
A target heart rate calculator finds your personal exercise heart-rate zones from your age and resting heart rate. Maximum heart rate is estimated as 220 minus your age, and your five training zones are derived either as percentages of that maximum or via the Karvonen formula, which uses your resting heart rate to set a more accurate lower bound. The five standard zones range from very-light warm-up (50% of max) to maximum effort (90-100% of max), each with a different training purpose.
Average: 60–80 BPM
Estimated maximum heart rate: 190 BPM(220 − 30)
| Zone | % of MaxHR | Target BPM | Description |
|---|---|---|---|
| Zone 1 — Very Light | 50–60% | 128–140 | Warm-up, recovery, very easy effort |
| Zone 2 — Light | 60–70% | 140–153 | Fat burn, endurance base, conversational pace |
| Zone 3 — Moderate | 70–80% | 153–165 | Aerobic cardio, controlled breathing |
| Zone 4 — Hard | 80–90% | 165–178 | Lactate threshold, race pace |
| Zone 5 — Maximum | 90–100% | 178–190 | VO2 max, all-out effort, short intervals only |
The 220 − age formula has a margin of error of about ±10 BPM. For more accuracy, use a measured max HR from a graded exercise test. The Karvonen method uses your resting HR for more personalized zones.
Cross-checked against authoritative formulas (IRS, NIST, ACM) and updated for 2025/2026 tax years and rates.
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A target heart rate calculator is a free fitness tool that estimates your personal exercise heart-rate zones from your age and resting heart rate. Our target heart rate calculator uses both the standard percentage-of-max-HR method (220 − age) and the more accurate Karvonen formula (which uses your resting heart rate). The target heart rate calculator shows your five training zones with their BPM ranges and training purpose.
How it works
Our target heart rate calculator computes your five exercise heart-rate zones from your age and resting heart rate, using both the percentage-of-max and Karvonen methods.
Type your age. The target heart rate calculator estimates max HR as 220 minus your age.
Measure your resting heart rate first thing in the morning for the most accurate reading. Average is 60–80 BPM; athletes often have 40–60 BPM. The target heart rate calculator uses your resting HR to apply the Karvonen formula for more accurate zones.
Pick Karvonen (uses resting HR) for more accurate personalized zones, or % of MaxHR for the simpler standard model. The target heart rate calculator shows both approaches.
The target heart rate calculator shows your max HR and the five training zones with their BPM ranges: Zone 1 (50–60%, warm-up), Zone 2 (60–70%, fat burn), Zone 3 (70–80%, cardio), Zone 4 (80–90%, threshold), Zone 5 (90–100%, max effort). Use these to pace runs, rides, and cardio machine workouts.