Heart Rate Zone Calculator
Find your maximum heart rate and the five training zones from your age.
years
- 1
Universal age-based constant
220Fox formula (1971): the empirical population average maximum heart rate starts at 220. - 2
Estimated max heart rate
220 − 30 = 190
Formula
How this is calculated
The only input is your age in whole years. The calculator first estimates your maximum heart rate (Max HR) — the highest beats per minute (bpm) your heart can reach during all-out effort — using the classic Fox formula: Max HR = 220 − age. So a 30-year-old gets an estimated 190 bpm. This is a population average, not a measured value.
It then splits the range below that maximum into five training zones, each defined as a fixed percentage band of Max HR: Zone 1 is 50–60%, Zone 2 60–70%, Zone 3 70–80%, Zone 4 80–90%, and Zone 5 90–100%. Each band's bpm limits are Max HR multiplied by the low and high percentages, rounded to the nearest whole beat.
The method assumes a linear, percentage-of-maximum model and ignores resting heart rate, fitness, medication, and individual variation, so actual max HR can differ by 10–20 bpm. For a precise figure, use a measured maximum from a stress test and consider the Karvonen heart-rate-reserve method.
Examples
| Input | Result |
|---|---|
| Age 30 | Max HR ≈ 190 bpm; Zone 2 ≈ 114–133 bpm |
About this calculator
Heart rate training zones divide the range up to your maximum heart rate into bands that target different fitness adaptations. The simple and widely used estimate for maximum heart rate is 220 minus your age. Multiplying that maximum by each zone percentage gives the beats-per-minute range to aim for during a workout.
Lower zones (1–2) suit warm-ups, recovery, and building an aerobic base while burning a higher proportion of fat. Middle zones (3) improve aerobic capacity, and higher zones (4–5) develop speed and anaerobic power but should be used sparingly. Because the 220-minus-age formula is an estimate that varies between individuals, treat these numbers as a guide and adjust based on how you feel and on data from a chest-strap monitor.
Frequently asked questions
It is a population average and can be off by 10–20 bpm for an individual. A measured maximum from a stress test is more precise.
Zone 2 burns a higher percentage of calories from fat, but higher zones burn more total calories, so both support fat loss differently.
Most endurance plans spend the bulk of time in zones 1–2 with short, focused efforts in zones 4–5.
Also known as
TG we-Calculate Editorial Team. (2026). Heart Rate Zone Calculator [Online calculator]. TG we-Calculate. https://we-calculate.com/calculator/heart-rate-zone-calculator
TG we-Calculate Editorial Team. "Heart Rate Zone Calculator." TG we-Calculate. 2026. https://we-calculate.com/calculator/heart-rate-zone-calculator.
TG we-Calculate Editorial Team, "Heart Rate Zone Calculator," TG we-Calculate, 2026. [Online]. Available: https://we-calculate.com/calculator/heart-rate-zone-calculator
@misc{wecalculate_heart_rate_zone_calculator, title = {Heart Rate Zone Calculator}, author = {{TG we-Calculate Editorial Team}}, howpublished = {\url{https://we-calculate.com/calculator/heart-rate-zone-calculator}}, year = {2026}, note = {TG we-Calculate} }
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