Free Max Heart Rate Calculator
Estimate your maximum heart rate using the standard, Tanaka, or Karvonen formulas, and see your personalised training zones for light, moderate, and hard effort exercise.
Understanding Maximum Heart Rate
Your maximum heart rate is the highest number of times your heart can safely beat per minute during exercise. It’s the foundation for setting effective, personalised training zones for any cardio workout.
Common Formulas Explained
Three ways to estimate your maximum heart rate
The Standard Formula (220 − Age)
The simplest and most widely known estimate: subtract your age from 220. It’s quick to calculate but tends to be less accurate for older adults and highly trained athletes.
The Tanaka Formula
Developed from a broader research sample, Tanaka’s formula (208 − 0.7 × age) is generally considered more accurate across a wider range of ages than the standard formula.
The Karvonen Formula (Heart Rate Reserve)
This method factors in your resting heart rate alongside your maximum heart rate, producing training zones tailored to your individual fitness level rather than age alone.
Training Zones
Once you know your maximum heart rate, training zones split a percentage range of it into bands — from light recovery effort up to maximum, all-out intensity.
Max Heart Rate Calculator
Enter your details to see your zones
How to Use Your Heart Rate Zones
Knowing your zones is only useful once you apply them to actual training. Follow these steps to put your numbers to work.
Choose the Right Formula for You
Use the standard formula for a quick estimate, Tanaka for a more research-backed figure, or Karvonen if you know your resting heart rate and want zones tailored to your fitness level.
Match Zones to Your Goal
Lower zones build aerobic base and aid recovery, middle zones improve cardiovascular fitness, and the highest zones develop speed and power — pick the zone that fits your session’s purpose.
Track Your Actual Heart Rate
Use a heart rate monitor, fitness watch, or chest strap during exercise to see which zone you’re actually training in, then adjust your pace or intensity to stay in the target range.
Recalculate as Your Fitness Changes
Resting heart rate tends to drop as fitness improves, so if you’re using the Karvonen formula, re-check your resting rate periodically and recalculate your zones to keep them accurate.
Heart Rate Training Zones
A summary of the five standard training zones, based on percentage of maximum heart rate, and what each is generally used for.
| Zone | % of Max Heart Rate | Typical Use |
|---|---|---|
| Zone 1 — Very Light | 50–60% | Warm-up, recovery, and general health benefits. |
| Zone 2 — Light | 60–70% | Fat-burning and building basic aerobic endurance. |
| Zone 3 — Moderate | 70–80% | Improving overall cardiovascular fitness. |
| Zone 4 — Hard | 80–90% | Increasing speed and lactate threshold. |
| Zone 5 — Maximum | 90–100% | Short, high-intensity efforts and peak performance. |
| Which zone should beginners use? | Most beginners should spend the majority of training time in Zones 1–2 before progressing to harder zones. | |
Max Heart Rate FAQ
Answers to the most frequently asked questions about maximum heart rate and training zones.
The most common estimate subtracts your age from 220. More refined formulas, such as the Tanaka equation, adjust this slightly to better reflect how maximum heart rate actually declines with age.
The 220 minus age formula is a simple, widely used estimate of maximum heart rate calculated by subtracting your age in years from 220. It is easy to use but can be less accurate for some individuals.
The Karvonen formula, also called the heart rate reserve method, factors in your resting heart rate as well as your maximum heart rate, producing training zones that are more personalised to your individual fitness level.
Formula-based estimates of maximum heart rate can vary from a person’s true maximum by ten beats per minute or more, so they should be treated as a useful guide rather than an exact medical measurement.
Heart rate training zones divide a percentage range of your maximum heart rate into bands, such as light, moderate, and hard effort, helping you structure workouts around specific fitness or endurance goals.