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Target Heart Rate Calculator

Calculate your target heart rate training zones using the Karvonen formula.

Result

Moderate (50–70%)
128–153 bpm
Vigorous (70–85%)
153–171 bpm
Max Heart Rate
190 bpm
200150100500BPM: 65BPM: 128BPM: 153BPM: 153BPM: 171BPM: 190RestingModerate LowModerate HighVigorous LowVigorous HighMax

About the Target Heart Rate Calculator

Training at the right heart rate intensity matters for hitting specific fitness goals, whether that's fat-burning, aerobic base-building, or high-intensity conditioning. Our Target Heart Rate Calculator finds your training zones using the Karvonen formula, which accounts for your resting heart rate for a more personalized result than age alone.

How It Works

The calculator finds your heart rate reserve (max heart rate minus resting heart rate), then calculates target zones as percentages of that reserve added back to your resting heart rate - a more individualized approach than simply taking a percentage of max heart rate alone.

Target HR = ((max HR − resting HR) × intensity%) + resting HR

Formula & Methodology

Named after Finnish physiologist Martti Karvonen, this method's key insight is using heart rate reserve - the actual range your heart rate can move through, from resting up to maximum - rather than a flat percentage of maximum heart rate alone. Two people with the same max heart rate but very different resting heart rates (reflecting different fitness levels) get meaningfully different target zones under Karvonen, since a fitter person's heart has more 'reserve' to work with at the same intensity percentage.

Step-by-Step: Calculating It By Hand

  1. 1Estimate maximum heart rate as 220 minus age (or use a measured value if available).
  2. 2Measure resting heart rate, ideally in the morning at rest.
  3. 3Subtract resting heart rate from max heart rate to find heart rate reserve.
  4. 4Multiply heart rate reserve by your target intensity percentage, then add back resting heart rate to find the target heart rate.

Examples

Moderate intensity zone

A 30-year-old with a 65 bpm resting heart rate has a moderate-intensity target zone (50-70% of heart rate reserve) of roughly 143-158 bpm.

Vigorous intensity zone

The same person's vigorous zone (70-85%) jumps to roughly 158-176 bpm - useful for structuring higher-intensity interval training.

Advantages

  • Uses the Karvonen method, which accounts for resting heart rate rather than just age-based max HR
  • Provides both moderate and vigorous training zones for different workout goals
  • More personalized than simple age-based heart rate zone calculators
  • Useful for structuring workouts to a specific target intensity

Common Mistakes

  • Using an inaccurate resting heart rate measurement, which skews the entire calculation
  • Relying on age-predicted max heart rate (220 minus age) as if it were measured precisely - it's a population average with real individual variation
  • Training exclusively in one zone without varying intensity across a training program
  • Not adjusting resting heart rate periodically as fitness improves over time

Edge Cases to Watch For

  • The 220-minus-age max heart rate estimate carries real individual variation - a measured max heart rate from a supervised max-effort test is more accurate for anyone able to safely obtain one.
  • Resting heart rate should be measured consistently (same time of day, same conditions) since day-to-day fluctuations shift the entire calculated zone.
  • Medications affecting heart rate (particularly beta-blockers) make heart-rate-based training zones unreliable, since the drug directly alters the heart rate response to exertion.
  • Perceived exertion is a useful cross-check against heart rate zones, especially in heat, at altitude, or when heart rate response is affected by factors like caffeine or dehydration.

Common Use Cases

  • Structuring workouts around specific heart rate training zones
  • Setting a moderate-intensity zone for steady-state cardio training
  • Setting a vigorous zone for higher-intensity interval training
  • Personalizing heart rate training more precisely than age-based methods alone
Written & fact-checked by the Calculateus TeamLast updated August 5, 2026How we verify our formulas

Frequently asked questions

Why does this use resting heart rate when heart-rate-zones doesn't?

This is the Karvonen method, which factors in your heart rate reserve (max minus resting) for a more personalized zone than the simple percent-of-max method used by the basic heart rate zones calculator.

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Conclusion

The Karvonen method's use of resting heart rate makes it a meaningfully better personalization than simple age-based zones. For a more granular five-zone breakdown across the full training intensity spectrum, our Heart Rate Training Zones Calculator provides that fuller picture.

References