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Heart Rate Zones Calculator

From your age (Tanaka formula): maximum heart rate plus recovery, fat-burn, aerobic, threshold and maximum zones.

Calculated using the Tanaka formula: 208 − 0.7 × age.

Result

180 bpm
Zone % Range
Zone 1 — Recovery50–60%90–108 bpm
Zone 2 — Fat Burn60–70%108–126 bpm
Zone 3 — Aerobic70–80%126–144 bpm
Zone 4 — Threshold80–90%144–162 bpm
Zone 5 — Maximum90–100%162–180 bpm

How it is calculated

Maximum heart rate is estimated with the Tanaka formula: max HR = 208 − 0.7 × age, with age in whole years, rounded to the nearest beat. The five zones are fixed percentages of that maximum: Zone 1 50–60%, Zone 2 60–70%, Zone 3 70–80%, Zone 4 80–90% and Zone 5 90–100%. Each zone limit is round(max HR × percent) in beats per minute. Age must be between 1 and 120. The formula is a population average, so individual maximum rates can differ by many beats; it does not use resting heart rate, so it is not the Karvonen method.

Worked example

Age 40. Max HR = 208 − 0.7 × 40 = 208 − 28 = 180 bpm. Zone 1 is 50–60% = 90–108 bpm. Zone 2 (60–70%) is 108–126 bpm. Zone 3 (70–80%) is 126–144 bpm. Zone 4 (80–90%) is 144–162 bpm. Zone 5 (90–100%) is 162–180 bpm.

Try this example →

Common mistakes

  • Treating the estimated maximum as your measured maximum; the formula is an average and can be off by many beats.
  • Using the zones with a resting-heart-rate based method such as Karvonen, which gives different numbers.
  • Entering age in months or a birth year instead of years.
  • Training in Zone 5 for long periods; the top zone is meant for short efforts.

Sources

About this calculator

This calculator estimates your maximum heart rate using the Tanaka formula (208 − 0.7 × age), a widely cited alternative to the older "220 minus age" rule that tends to be more accurate across a broad adult age range. From that maximum, it derives five training zones — recovery, fat-burn, aerobic, threshold and maximum — each defined as a percentage band of your max heart rate.

Runners, cyclists and gym-goers use heart rate zones to structure workouts with a purpose: staying in the low zones builds an aerobic base and burns fat efficiently, the aerobic and threshold zones improve cardiovascular fitness and lactate tolerance, and the maximum zone is reserved for short, high-intensity efforts. Coaches and fitness apps rely on the same zone boundaries to prescribe interval training and recovery days.

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Comments (1)

  • Editorial team

    Treat the maximum as a population estimate and check it against real life. If your watch has recorded a higher peak during a hard effort, trust that over the formula, and shift the zones accordingly. A simple cross-check for the lower zones is the talk test: you should manage full sentences in zone 2. Some heart medications blunt heart rate, so ask your doctor before training by these numbers. What max does your device show compared with the one calculated here?

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