Target Heart Rate Calculator
Estimate max heart rate with Tanaka, Fox, Gellish or Gulati, then get moderate and vigorous ranges and five training zones by % of max or Karvonen.
The interactive tool loads here when JavaScript runs.
About this toolWhat is the Target Heart Rate Calculator?
The Target Heart Rate Calculator shows the beats per minute that match moderate exercise, vigorous exercise and five common training zones. Enter your age, choose a maximum heart rate formula, and add your resting heart rate if you want the Karvonen method, which scales zones from the gap between resting and maximum rather than from maximum alone.
The four formulas are listed with their result for your age so you can see how much they differ. If you have a measured maximum from a lab test or an all-out field test, type it in and it replaces the estimate. The moderate and vigorous ranges follow the American Heart Association bands of 50 to 70% and 70 to 85% of maximum.
All calculations are local to your browser and update as you type.
- Four maximum heart rate formulas compared at your age
- Measured maximum override
- Karvonen heart rate reserve or % of max zones
- AHA moderate and vigorous ranges
- Five-zone table with copyable summary
How to use the Target Heart Rate Calculator
- Choose Karvonen (needs resting heart rate) or % of max heart rate.
- Enter your age and, for Karvonen, your resting pulse measured on waking before you get up.
- Pick a maximum heart rate formula, or type a measured maximum to override it.
- Read your maximum, the AHA moderate and vigorous ranges, and the five zones in beats per minute.
- Open How this was calculated to see the reserve and the 70% example worked through with your numbers.
Worked examples
Age 40, resting 65, Karvonen
Input
Age 40, resting heart rate 65, Tanaka
Output
Max 180 bpm; moderate 123 to 146; vigorous 146 to 163; zone 2 134 to 146
Heart rate reserve is 180 − 65 = 115. Seventy per cent is 65 + 0.7 × 115 = 145.5, shown as 146.
Same person, % of max
Input
Age 40, Tanaka, % of max heart rate
Output
Moderate 90 to 126 bpm; vigorous 126 to 153 bpm
Without the resting rate the bands sit about 20 to 30 bpm lower. Most people find 90 bpm too easy to count as exercise, which is one reason coaches prefer Karvonen.
Age 55 with different formulas
Input
Age 55
Output
Fox 165, Tanaka 170 (169.5), Gellish 169 (168.5), Gulati 158 (157.6)
A 12 bpm spread between formulas at one age. A woman using Gulati would set every zone noticeably lower.
Background and insight
The 220 minus age rule is usually credited to Fox, Naughton and Haskell in 1971, but it was a line drawn by eye through older data rather than a fitted regression. Tanaka, Monahan and Seals tested it in 2001 with a meta-analysis of 351 studies covering about 18,700 adults and a lab study of 514 people, and proposed 208 − 0.7 × age. Gellish and colleagues found 207 − 0.7 × age in 2007 from repeated treadmill tests, and Gulati and colleagues found 206 − 0.88 × age in 2010 from 5,437 women. At age 40, Fox and Tanaka both give 180; they diverge with age, and by 60 Tanaka is 6 bpm higher.
Every formula has a standard deviation of about 10 bpm, so two people of the same age can have true maximums 40 bpm apart. That is why a measured maximum always beats a formula, and why the zones here are a starting point to check against how the effort feels.
Martti Karvonen's heart rate reserve method dates from 1957. Target = resting + intensity × (max − resting). Because it adds resting heart rate back in, Karvonen zones are higher than simple percentage zones at the same intensity, and they track fitness: as resting heart rate drops with training, the zones shift.
Common use cases
Setting up a sports watch
Copy the five zones into a Garmin, Polar or Apple Watch profile instead of the default 220 minus age.
Meeting activity guidelines
Know which heart rates count as moderate or vigorous toward the 150 or 75 minutes a week public health targets.
Easy-run discipline
Keep zone 2 runs in the right range to build aerobic base without accumulating fatigue.
Returning to exercise
Start in the lower half of the moderate range and use it as a ceiling while fitness comes back.
Tips and limitations
- Measure resting heart rate on three mornings and average them. A single reading after coffee can be 10 bpm too high.
- Beta blockers, some calcium channel blockers and other medicines blunt heart rate. Use perceived effort and ask your doctor for targets.
- Heat, dehydration and caffeine raise heart rate at the same pace. Expect zone readings to drift upward on hot days.
- Wrist optical sensors lag and misread during intervals. A chest strap is more reliable for zone work.
- If you do a maximal field test, warm up thoroughly and only do it if you are already exercising regularly and have no heart symptoms.
Frequently asked questions
What is my target heart rate for fat burning?
The so-called fat-burning zone is roughly 60 to 70% of maximum, zone 2 here. Fat supplies a larger share of energy at that intensity, but harder exercise burns more total calories per minute. For weight loss, total weekly activity matters more than the zone.
Is 220 minus age accurate?
It is a rough guide with an error of about 10 bpm either way. Tanaka's 208 − 0.7 × age fits large data sets better, especially after 40. Neither replaces a measured maximum.
What is the Karvonen formula?
Target heart rate = resting heart rate + intensity × (maximum − resting). At 70% intensity with a resting rate of 60 and a maximum of 180: 60 + 0.7 × 120 = 144 bpm.
What heart rate counts as moderate exercise?
The American Heart Association describes moderate intensity as about 50 to 70% of maximum heart rate and vigorous as about 70 to 85%. For a 40-year-old with a maximum of 180, that is 90 to 126 and 126 to 153 bpm on the simple percentage method.
Is it dangerous to exceed my maximum heart rate?
If you see a number above your formula maximum, the formula was probably wrong for you, not your heart. Stop and get checked if a high heart rate comes with chest pain, dizziness, unusual breathlessness or palpitations at rest.
What is a good resting heart rate?
For adults 60 to 100 bpm is the usual normal range, and trained endurance athletes often sit between 40 and 60. A resting rate that rises by 5 to 10 bpm over a few days can signal illness, poor sleep or overtraining.
Should women use a different max heart rate formula?
Gulati's 206 − 0.88 × age came from women and gives lower values than Tanaka after about age 30. It is a reasonable choice for women; the difference from Tanaka is around 5 to 10 bpm in middle age.
Is there an in-depth guide to the Target Heart Rate Calculator?
Yes. “Training Numbers Explained: Pace, Heart Rate Zones, 1RM and METs” covers the background, how it works, common pitfalls and worked examples. Read the full guide.
Related Tools You May Like
Free, in-browser tools that pair well with this one.