How do you calculate your Maximum Heart Rate?

The most widely used formula to estimate your Maximum Heart Rate is subtracting your current age from 220.

What is the Karvonen formula?

The Karvonen formula calculates target heart rate zones by factoring in your Resting Heart Rate. It uses your Heart Rate Reserve (Max HR - Resting HR) to provide much more accurate, personalized training zones.

Which heart rate zone is best for fat loss?

Zone 2 (60% to 70% of your maximum capacity) is widely considered the best fat-burning zone. At this low-to-moderate intensity, your body primarily metabolizes stored fat for energy rather than carbohydrates.

Heart Rate Zone Calculator

Athlete Profile

Age

Resting HR (BPM)

Calculation Method

Target Training Zone

Training Targets

Target Heart Rate Range

0 - 0 BPM

Max Heart Rate

0 BPM

Heart Rate Reserve

0 BPM

Training Focus

A Heart Rate Zone Calculator is an essential tool for runners, cyclists, and fitness enthusiasts aiming to optimize their workouts. By training in specific heart rate zones, you can precisely target different physiological adaptations, whether you want to build foundational endurance, burn fat, or increase your anaerobic threshold.

Understanding the Five Heart Rate Zones

Zone 1 (50-60%): Recovery. Very light intensity. Used for warming up, cooling down, and active recovery days. It helps promote blood flow without fatiguing the muscles.
Zone 2 (60-70%): Base & Fat Burn. Light intensity. This is where you should spend the majority of your endurance training. It trains your body to efficiently utilize body fat as its primary fuel source and builds a massive aerobic engine.
Zone 3 (70-80%): Aerobic. Moderate intensity. Improves overall cardiovascular fitness and muscular endurance. Breathing becomes harder, and lactic acid begins to slowly accumulate.
Zone 4 (80-90%): Anaerobic. Hard intensity. This zone pushes your lactate threshold. Training here teaches your body to withstand high levels of lactic acid and increases maximum performance capacity.
Zone 5 (90-100%): VO2 Max. Maximum intensity. This is an all-out effort used for very short sprints to improve sheer speed and neuromuscular power.

Karvonen Formula vs. Standard Max HR

The Standard Method simply takes your estimated Maximum Heart Rate (220 minus your age) and calculates straight percentages. While easy, it completely ignores your current fitness level.

The Karvonen Formula (Heart Rate Reserve) is much more advanced. It factors in your Resting Heart Rate (RHR). Because a fitter athlete has a lower resting heart rate, their working range (reserve) is larger. The Karvonen formula provides highly personalized training zones tailored to your exact cardiovascular efficiency.

How to Find Your Resting Heart Rate

For the most accurate calculation, measure your resting heart rate first thing in the morning before you get out of bed. Simply place two fingers on your wrist or neck, count the beats for 60 seconds, and enter that number into the calculator.