About Target Heart Rate Calculator

What This Calculator Does

Target Heart Rate Calculator is a free online tool designed to help you understand and optimize your cardiovascular training. Our calculator provides four specialized tools, each serving a distinct purpose in your fitness journey:

Max HR Calculator: This tab calculates your maximum heart rate using four different scientifically-developed formulas. Simply enter your age and optionally select your gender to see results from the Standard formula (220 - age), the Tanaka formula (208 - 0.7 × age), the Gulati formula designed for women (206 - 0.88 × age), and the HUNT formula for fit adults (211 - 0.64 × age). The calculator automatically recommends the most appropriate formula based on your inputs and shows you a quick preview of your training zones.

Target HR Calculator: This tab helps you find the specific heart rate range for your workout goal. Choose between Fat Burn (60-70% of max HR), Cardio (70-80%), or Performance training (80-90%), and the calculator determines the exact BPM range you should maintain during exercise. You can also enter a known maximum heart rate if you've had it professionally measured. See our step-by-step guide for more on calculating target heart rate.

Training Zones Calculator: This comprehensive tab displays all five heart rate training zones with their corresponding BPM ranges personalized to your physiology. The zones include Warm-up (50-60%), Fat Burn (60-70%), Cardio (70-80%), Hard (80-90%), and Peak (90-100%). If you provide your resting heart rate, the calculator automatically switches to the more accurate Karvonen method for zone calculation.

Karvonen Method Calculator: This advanced tab uses your Heart Rate Reserve (HRR) to calculate more personalized training targets. By factoring in your resting heart rate, the Karvonen method accounts for your current fitness level, providing targets that are typically more accurate than simple percentage-of-max calculations. The calculator shows you the difference between Karvonen and simple methods so you can understand how your fitness level affects your training zones.

Quick Reference: Our Four Calculators

The Science Behind It

Heart rate-based training has been a cornerstone of exercise physiology for decades. The relationship between heart rate and exercise intensity allows athletes and fitness enthusiasts to train more effectively by staying within specific physiological zones.

Maximum Heart Rate Estimation: Your maximum heart rate (Max HR) represents the highest number of beats per minute your heart can achieve during maximum physical exertion. While the only way to know your true Max HR is through a supervised maximal exercise test, estimation formulas provide a practical alternative for most people.

Our calculator implements four peer-reviewed formulas. The Tanaka formula (208 - 0.7 × age) emerged from a meta-analysis of 351 studies and is generally considered more accurate than the traditional 220-age formula, particularly for older adults. The Gulati formula (206 - 0.88 × age) was developed specifically from research on women and may provide more accurate estimates for female users. The HUNT formula (211 - 0.64 × age) was derived from the HUNT Fitness Study in Norway and may be more accurate for physically active individuals.

Formula Comparison by Age

The formulas can produce different results, especially at older ages. Here's a comparison:

For a detailed analysis of each formula's strengths and limitations, see our complete formula comparison guide.

Heart Rate Reserve and the Karvonen Method: The Karvonen formula represents a more sophisticated approach to calculating training zones. Rather than using simple percentages of maximum heart rate, it uses your Heart Rate Reserve (HRR)—the difference between your maximum and resting heart rate. The formula is: Target HR = (HRR × desired intensity) + Resting HR. This method is considered more accurate because it accounts for individual fitness levels; a well-trained athlete with a low resting heart rate will have different zone boundaries than a beginner, even if they're the same age.

Training Zones: The five-zone model used in this calculator is based on the widely-accepted physiological thresholds that occur at different exercise intensities. Each zone corresponds to different metabolic processes and training adaptations, from aerobic base building at lower intensities to anaerobic capacity development at higher intensities.

The Five Training Zones at a Glance

Learn more about each zone in our complete training zones guide, or see age-specific zone values in our target heart rate chart.

Who This Is For

This calculator is designed for anyone interested in cardiovascular fitness, including:

• Fitness beginners who want to understand safe and effective exercise intensities — see our beginner's guide
• Runners and cyclists looking to structure their training around heart rate zones
• People focused on weight management who want to understand the fat-burning zone
• Fitness enthusiasts using heart rate monitors or smartwatches who want to know what their numbers mean
• Personal trainers and coaches who need quick calculations for their clients
• Anyone returning to exercise after a break who wants to train at age-appropriate intensities

Whether you're training for a marathon, trying to improve your general fitness, or simply curious about heart rate training, this calculator provides the information you need to train smarter.

Our Methodology

All calculations in this tool are based on established formulas from exercise physiology research. Here's exactly how each calculation works:

Maximum Heart Rate: We calculate your estimated Max HR using all four formulas simultaneously. By default, we recommend the Tanaka formula for general use, as research suggests it provides better estimates across age groups than the traditional 220-age formula. When female is selected, we recommend the Gulati formula, which was specifically validated on women.

Training Zones: Zone boundaries are calculated as percentages of your maximum heart rate. Zone 1 (Warm-up) spans 50-60%, Zone 2 (Fat Burn) spans 60-70%, Zone 3 (Cardio) spans 70-80%, Zone 4 (Hard) spans 80-90%, and Zone 5 (Peak) spans 90-100%. These percentages align with the heart rate zone models used by major fitness organizations and sports science institutions.

Karvonen Calculations: When you provide a resting heart rate, we first calculate your Heart Rate Reserve (Max HR minus Resting HR). We then apply the intensity percentage to your HRR and add back your resting heart rate. This produces training targets that account for your cardiovascular fitness level.

All results are rounded to the nearest whole number, as heart rate monitors and the natural variation in heart rate make decimal precision unnecessary for practical training purposes.

Limitations & Disclaimer

This calculator provides estimates only. The formulas used are population-based averages, and individual maximum heart rates can vary significantly from estimated values—sometimes by 10-20 beats per minute or more.

Individual circumstances vary. Factors that can affect your actual maximum heart rate and training zones include genetics, current fitness level, medications (particularly beta-blockers and other heart medications), caffeine intake, hydration status, temperature, altitude, stress, and fatigue. These formulas cannot account for these individual variables.

This is not medical advice. The information provided by this calculator is for general educational and fitness purposes only. It is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease or health condition.

Consult qualified professionals. Before beginning any exercise program, especially if you have cardiovascular disease, high blood pressure, diabetes, or other health conditions, consult with a healthcare provider. If you want to know your true maximum heart rate, consider a supervised maximal exercise test conducted by qualified exercise physiologists or sports medicine professionals.

Listen to your body. Heart rate is just one metric. Perceived exertion, breathing rate, and how you feel are also important indicators of exercise intensity. If something feels wrong during exercise, stop and seek appropriate guidance.

How to Use the Calculator

Using the Max HR Calculator:

1. Navigate to the "Max HR" tab (selected by default)
2. Enter your age in years
3. Optionally select your gender—selecting "Female" will use the Gulati formula as the primary recommendation
4. Click "Calculate Max Heart Rate"
5. View your estimated maximum heart rate and compare results across all four formulas

Using the Target HR Calculator:

1. Click the "Target HR" tab
2. Enter your age
3. If you know your actual maximum heart rate from testing, enter it in the optional field
4. Select your workout goal: Fat Burn, Cardio, or Performance
5. Click "Calculate Target Heart Rate"
6. Note the BPM range to maintain during your workout

Using the Training Zones Calculator:

1. Click the "Training Zones" tab
2. Enter your age
3. For more accurate results, enter your resting heart rate (measure first thing in the morning before getting out of bed)
4. Click "Calculate Training Zones"
5. View all five zones with their personalized BPM ranges

Using the Karvonen Calculator:

1. Click the "Karvonen" tab
2. Enter your age and resting heart rate
3. Adjust the minimum and maximum intensity percentages for your desired training range
4. Click "Calculate with Karvonen Formula"
5. Compare the Karvonen result with the simple percentage method to see the difference

Why We Built This

We created Target Heart Rate Calculator because we believe useful fitness tools should be accessible to everyone. Here's what makes this calculator different:

Completely free. All features are available at no cost, with no premium tiers or locked functionality.

No signup required. Use the calculator immediately without creating an account, verifying an email, or providing any personal information.

Privacy-focused. All calculations happen entirely in your browser using JavaScript. Your age, heart rate data, and calculation results are never sent to any server. We don't track your inputs or store your health information.

No ads interrupting your experience. The calculator loads fast and works without distractions.

Works offline. Once the page loads, the calculator functions without an internet connection—useful at the gym or on the trail.

We believe that understanding your heart rate zones shouldn't require expensive apps or subscriptions. Whether you're a seasoned athlete optimizing your training or someone just starting their fitness journey, you deserve access to the same scientifically-grounded calculations that professionals use.

Questions or feedback? Contact us.

Learn More: Our Guides

We've created comprehensive guides to help you get the most out of heart rate training. Whether you're just getting started or looking to refine your approach, these resources cover everything from basic concepts to advanced methods: