Heart Rate Zone Calculator
Training zones divide the gap between your resting and maximum heart rate — your heart rate reserve — into five slices. The Karvonen method anchors each zone to your own resting pulse, which is why two runners of the same age can have very different zone 2 numbers.
- Accurate
- Real-time
- Easy to use
- 100% free
Estimated maximum heart rate
190 bpm
Zone 2 — Endurance (60–70%)
138–151 bpm
Details
Updates as you typeMeasure your pulse for a full minute before getting out of bed.
Summary
Good — 55 to 65 bpmEstimated maximum heart rate
190 bpm
- Zone 1 — Recovery (50–60%)
- 125–138 bpm
- Zone 2 — Endurance (60–70%)
- 138–151 bpm
- Zone 3 — Tempo (70–80%)
- 151–164 bpm
- Zone 4 — Threshold (80–90%)
- 164–177 bpm
- Zone 5 — VO2 max (90–100%)
- 177–190 bpm
- The 220 − age formula carries a standard deviation of roughly 10–12 bpm, so these zones are a starting point, not a measurement. A lab test or a hard field effort gives a far better maximum.
- Medications such as beta blockers lower both resting and maximum heart rate, which shifts every zone downward.
How this is calculated
- Age
- 30 years
- Maximum heart rate = 220 − age
- 190 bpm
- Resting heart rate
- 60 bpm
- Heart rate reserve = max − resting
- 130 bpm
- Easy end of the aerobic base (60% of reserve)
- 138 bpm
- Lactate threshold estimate (85% of reserve)
- 171 bpm
- One percent of reserve
- 1.30 bpm
Compare scenarios
See how one change moves the result
- CurrentYour inputs as they stand190 bpmCurrent
- Ageyears 38182 bpm
For informational purposes only. This is not medical advice — consult a healthcare professional about your health.
Frequently asked questions
What is the Karvonen method?
It sets each target heart rate as your resting pulse plus a percentage of your heart rate reserve, where the reserve is your maximum heart rate minus your resting heart rate. Because it starts from your own floor, it fits a fit person better than a flat percentage of maximum.
How accurate is 220 minus age?
It is a rough population average with a standard deviation of about 10 to 12 beats per minute, so an individual can easily sit 20 bpm either side of it. Use it to get started, then refine your zones from a lab test or a maximal field effort.
Which zone should I train in most?
Endurance athletes typically spend around 70 to 80 percent of their weekly time in zones 1 and 2, with the remainder in zones 4 and 5. That polarised split builds an aerobic base while keeping hard sessions genuinely hard and recovery genuinely easy.
How do I measure my resting heart rate?
Count your pulse for a full 60 seconds first thing in the morning, before you get out of bed or drink coffee, and average three or four mornings. A wearable that samples overnight gives a similar figure with less effort.
Why does my resting heart rate change day to day?
Sleep debt, alcohol, illness, heat, dehydration, and hard training the day before all push it up by several beats. A resting pulse that is five or more beats above your own norm is a common signal to take an easier day.