justyourcalculatorTarget Heart Rate Calculator
Your target heart rate and training zones in beats per minute.
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Target Heart Rate Calculator
Heart rate zones with the Karvonen method
Count your pulse for 60 seconds on waking.
From a lab or field test; overrides the formula.
Target heart rate (50 - 85%)
125 - 167 bpm
Karvonen method, using your heart rate reserve
- Maximum heart rate
- 185 bpm
- Heart rate reserve
- 120 bpm
- Moderate intensity (50 - 70%)
- 125 - 149 bpm
- Vigorous intensity (70 - 85%)
- 149 - 167 bpm
Moderate and vigorous ranges follow the American Heart Association. Age formulas can be off by 10 to 12 bpm for individuals. Medicines such as beta blockers lower heart rate; check with your doctor before hard exercise if you have a heart condition.
- bpm
How it was calculated
- Heart rate reserve = max - resting = 185 - 65 = 120
- Target = reserve × intensity + resting
- 50%: 120 × 0.50 + 65 = 125 bpm
| Zone | Intensity | Beats per minute | Good for |
|---|---|---|---|
| Zone 1: very light | 50 - 60% | 125 - 137 | Warm-up, recovery |
| Zone 2: light | 60 - 70% | 137 - 149 | Endurance, fat burning |
| Zone 3: moderate | 70 - 80% | 149 - 161 | Aerobic fitness |
| Zone 4: hard | 80 - 90% | 161 - 173 | Threshold, speed |
| Zone 5: maximum | 90 - 100% | 173 - 185 | Short intervals |
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How the target heart rate calculator works
Maximum heart rate is estimated from age: 220 - age is the classic formula; Tanaka (208 - 0.7 × age) is more accurate for older adults; Gulati (206 - 0.88 × age) was built for women.
The Karvonen method uses your heart rate reserve (max minus resting): target = (max - resting) × intensity + resting. It accounts for fitness, since fitter people have lower resting rates. Without a resting rate, targets are simply a percent of the maximum.
Using and checking your result
Published by JustYourCalculator. Check the units and assumptions above, and compare a known example before relying on the output. Calculations use browser arithmetic and may round displayed values.
This tool provides an estimate, not a diagnosis, treatment plan or individualized medical advice. Population formulas may not fit children, pregnancy, athletes or people with health conditions. Discuss health decisions with a qualified clinician.
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