Heart Rate Zone Calculator
Enter your age to see your estimated max heart rate and the heart rate for each training zone, from Z1 to Z5. Add your resting heart rate, your real max or your threshold heart rate for zones that fit you better.
| Zone | Intensity | Heart rate (bpm) |
|---|---|---|
| Z1Recovery | 50%–60% | — |
| Z2Aerobic base | 60%–70% | — |
| Z3Tempo | 70%–80% | — |
| Z4Threshold | 80%–90% | — |
| Z5Maximum | 90%–100% | — |
This is an estimate: your real max heart rate can be about 10 beats higher or lower. If you have a heart condition or take medication that lowers your heart rate (such as beta blockers), talk to your doctor before training by zones.
Know your threshold heart rate? Running zones
Your threshold is the hardest effort you can hold for about an hour. To find your threshold heart rate without a lab: warm up well and run for 30 minutes on your own, as hard as you can hold steadily. Your average heart rate over the last 20 minutes is your threshold heart rate; repeat the test every 6 to 8 weeks. With it, the table uses Joe Friel's running zones, a widely used coaching guideline, not a medical standard. Lactate can't be calculated: it can only be measured with a blood test.
Results are estimates. Solvemis accepts no responsibility for the results obtained or for how they are used. Always double-check the result and talk to a qualified professional before making decisions.
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How it works
How to use it
- Enter your age.
- If you know it, add your resting heart rate to use the Karvonen method.
- If you know your real max heart rate (from a stress test), enter it: it overrides the estimate.
- If you have done the 30-minute test, open the drop-down and enter your threshold heart rate.
- Read the heart rate for each zone in the table.
How it is calculated
Max heart rate estimated with the Tanaka et al. (2001) formula: 208 − 0.7 × age; the classic 220 − age is shown too. Zones at 50-60, 60-70, 70-80, 80-90 and 90-100% of max heart rate, or of heart rate reserve when resting heart rate is given (Karvonen): resting + % × (max − resting). With threshold heart rate, Friel's running zones: under 85%, 85-89, 90-94, 95-99 and 100% and up of threshold.
Sources
- Age-predicted maximal heart rate revisited (Tanaka, Monahan and Seals, 2001) — Journal of the American College of Cardiology
- Target Heart Rates Chart — American Heart Association
- Joe Friel's Quick Guide to Setting Zones — TrainingPeaks
About this calculator
The five zones
| Zone | Intensity | What for |
|---|---|---|
| Z1 Recovery | 50%–60% | Warm-ups, cool-downs, easy days |
| Z2 Aerobic base | 60%–70% | Long easy runs; you can talk in sentences |
| Z3 Tempo | 70%–80% | Steady effort; you talk in bits |
| Z4 Threshold | 80%–90% | Intervals and 10K race pace |
| Z5 Maximum | 90%–100% | Very short, hard efforts |
Many training plans have you spend most of your time in Z1 and Z2 and keep Z4 and Z5 for a few sessions a week.
Your max heart rate
The calculator uses the Tanaka formula (208 − 0.7 × age), which came from pooling data on thousands of people and fits better than the classic 220 − age, especially past 40. It is still an average: your real max can be about 10 beats higher or lower. If you know it from a stress test, enter it and the zones will use it.
With your resting heart rate
The Karvonen method doesn’t spread the zones from zero but over your heart rate reserve: the gap between your max and your resting heart rate. A fit person with a low resting heart rate has a bigger reserve, and their zones start higher. Measure your resting heart rate in the morning, lying down, before getting up, on several days.
With your threshold heart rate
Your (lactate) threshold is the hardest effort you can hold for about an hour: above it, lactate builds up in your blood faster than your body clears it, and you can’t last long. Training with zones based on your threshold heart rate has caught on with Hyrox and triathlon, because it fits your fitness better than your age does.
To find it without a lab, use Joe Friel’s field test:
- Warm up well, 10 to 15 minutes.
- Run 30 minutes on your own, as hard as you can hold steadily, as in a race.
- At 10 minutes, press lap on your watch. Your average heart rate over the last 20 minutes is your threshold heart rate.
Enter it in the calculator’s drop-down and the table switches to Friel’s running zones:
| Zone | % of threshold heart rate |
|---|---|
| Z1 | < 85% |
| Z2 | 85%–89% |
| Z3 | 90%–94% |
| Z4 | 95%–99% |
| Z5 | ≥ 100% |
They are a widely used coaching guideline, not a medical standard. Repeat the test every 6 to 8 weeks, as your threshold changes as you get fitter. Lactate itself can’t be calculated: it can only be measured with a blood test.
Before you train by zones
- If you take beta blockers or other medication that lowers your heart rate, the zones in the table don’t apply: your doctor will tell you which to use.
- If you have a heart condition, or are starting hard training after a long break, check with your doctor first.
- Heat, fatigue, caffeine or a bad night raise your heart rate: use the zones as a guide, together with how you feel.
Frequently asked questions
Why not just use 220 minus age?
Because it underestimates in older people and overestimates in younger ones. The Tanaka formula (208 − 0.7 × age), from a study of thousands of people, fits better. At 40 both give 180; at 60, Tanaka gives 166 and the classic one 160.
What is my resting heart rate for?
For the Karvonen method, which spreads the zones over your heart rate reserve (max minus resting). Two people of the same age but different fitness get different zones. Measure it in the morning, in bed, before getting up.
How accurate is the estimated max?
It is an average: yours can be about 10 beats higher or lower. If you know your real max from a stress test or a heart rate monitor, enter it and the calculator will use it.
Is it safe to train in zone 5?
For a healthy, trained person, in short bouts, yes. If you are just starting, have a heart condition or take medication that lowers your heart rate, check with your doctor first.
Can you calculate my lactate threshold?
No. Lactate can only be measured with a blood test, in a lab or with a portable meter; no formula gets it from your age or weight. What you can do is a 30-minute test to find your threshold heart rate and train with it.
Updated 2 October 2026
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