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Target Heart Rate Calculator

Find your training heart-rate zones from age or a tested max, with optional resting heart rate (Karvonen), Haskell/Tanaka/Nes max-HR formulas, and Borg RPE scales.

Estimate maximum heart rate from your age, then build training zones.

ExampleSample values — edit any field to see your result.

years

Used with the formula in Settings (Haskell & Fox is 220 − age).

bpm

Optional. Measure it sitting quietly, or first thing in the morning. Leave blank to use a simple percent of max heart rate; filling it in uses the Karvonen heart-rate-reserve method.

Results update as you type.

Target heart rate (50–85%)

130–172 bpm

Estimated result

Resting heart rate
70bpm
Heart rate reserve
120bpm
Method
Karvonen formula (heart rate reserve)

Training zones

ZoneIntensityHeart rateTypical use
Zone 150–60%130–142 bpmModerate activity (maintenance / warm-up)
Zone 260–70%142–154 bpmWeight control (fitness / fat burning)
Zone 370–80%154–166 bpmAerobic (cardio / endurance)
Zone 480–90%166–178 bpmAnaerobic (hardcore training)
Zone 590–100%178–190 bpmVO2 max (maximum effort)
Target heart rate (50–85%)130–172 bpm

Find the heart-rate range that matches the workout you want. Enter your age (or a tested max) and, if you know it, your resting heart rate. The result is your maximum heart rate, heart-rate reserve, a 50–85% training window, and five zones — or a Borg RPE table if you switch the intensity scale in Settings.

Formula

Maximum heart rate from age:

Haskell & Fox (1971):  MHR = 220 − age
Tanaka (2001):         MHR = 208 − 0.7 × age
Nes et al. (2013):     MHR = 211 − 0.64 × age

Heart rate reserve and Karvonen target:

HRreserve = MHR − RHR
THR       = RHR + HRreserve × intensity

If resting HR is blank, intensity is applied to MHR alone (THR = MHR × intensity). Borg 6–20 uses (RPE − 6) / 14 as the intensity; Borg CR10 uses RPE / 10. Displayed bpm values are rounded to the nearest beat.

Age formulas are averages. Individual max heart rates vary widely — even among elite athletes of the same age. Use a tested max when you have one, and talk to a clinician before high-intensity training if you have heart disease or are new to exercise.

Training zones

ZoneIntensityTypical use
Zone 150–60%Moderate activity, warm-up, cool-down
Zone 260–70%Weight control, fat burning, endurance
Zone 370–80%Aerobic / cardio, speed and strength
Zone 480–90%Anaerobic, hardcore training
Zone 590–100%VO2 max, maximum effort

Examples

Age 30, resting HR 70 (Karvonen, Haskell)

MHR = 220 − 30 = 190 bpm. Reserve = 190 − 70 = 120 bpm. The 50–85% window is 130–172 bpm. Zone 3 (70–80%) is 154–166 bpm.

Age 36, resting HR 70, moderate 70–80%

MHR = 184. Reserve = 114. 0.70 × 114 + 70 = 150 bpm, 0.80 × 114 + 70 = 161 bpm (the calculator.net Karvonen walkthrough).

Age 36 with no resting HR

Zones are a percent of 184. Moderate 70–80% is 129–147 bpm.

Borg somewhat hard at MHR 190, RHR 60

THR = 60 + (190 − 60) × (13 − 6) / 14 = 125 bpm. On Borg CR10, RPE 4 is 112 bpm.

Frequently asked questions

How is maximum heart rate estimated?
The default Haskell & Fox (1971) formula is 220 minus age. Settings also offer Tanaka, Monahan, & Seals (2001) — 208 − 0.7 × age — and Nes, Janszky, Wisloff, Stoylen, Karlsen (2013) — 211 − 0.64 × age. These are population averages; a supervised stress test is more accurate for an individual. The theoretical human maximum is 300 bpm.
What is the Karvonen formula?
Karvonen uses heart rate reserve (maximum minus resting). Target HR = resting HR + (max − resting) × intensity. Filling in resting heart rate turns the five training zones into Karvonen zones. Leaving it blank uses a simple percent of max heart rate instead.
What are the five training zones?
Zone 1 (50–60%) is warm-up and easy days. Zone 2 (60–70%) is fat-burning and endurance. Zone 3 (70–80%) builds speed and aerobic strength. Zone 4 (80–90%) is hard, near-max work. Zone 5 (90–100%) is all-out effort you can hold only briefly. The 50–85% headline is a common overall training window.
How do I measure resting heart rate?
Sit or lie quietly for several minutes — ideally first thing in the morning before getting up — and count your pulse for a full minute. A typical adult resting rate is about 50–90 bpm. Very fit athletes often sit lower. Do not use this calculator's estimate in place of medical advice if your resting rate is unusually high or low.
What is the Borg scale?
Rating of perceived exertion (RPE) lets you judge intensity by how hard the work feels. The original Borg scale runs from 6 (no exertion) to 20 (maximal). Target HR = resting + (max − resting) × (RPE − 6) / 14. The modified Borg CR10 scale runs 0–10, with target HR = resting + (max − resting) × RPE / 10. Both require a resting heart rate.

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