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Heart Rate Training Zone Calculator

Enter your Age, Resting Heart Rate (If Known) then click Calculate
- Age and resting heart  rate are required fields. 
- If maximum heart rate is entered that number is used in the calculations rather than age.  
- For new calculations you must clear maximum heart rate.

Age

Resting 
Heart Rate

Maximum 
Heart Rate

Healthy Heart (40-52%)
Zone 1		 Easy
(52-64%)
Zone 2

Aerobic
(64-76%)
Zone 3

Anaerobic
Threshold
(76-88%)
Zone 4

VO2 Max
(88-100%) Zone 5
 
Run Swim / Aerobics Walking Briskly Jogging Running Going Hard All Out
Male Female

   

 

Formulas Used  Running
Max Heart Rate (Male) = 214 - Age * 0.8          (Calculated)
Max Heart Rate (Female) = 209 - Age * 0.7

Formulas Used  Swimming or Aerobics
 Max Heart Rate (Male) = 198 - Age * 0.8
Max Heart Rate (Female) = 193 - Age * 0.7

Inline Skating, Cycling, Rowing heart rates would be slightly below Running and above Swimming

It is better and more accurate to calculate your maximum heart rate for the specific sport you are training in.

Example for 50%
50% Heart Rate =   (Max Heart Rate - Resting Heart Rate) * 50%

Note: Many books use the percentage of max heart rate to determine the zones, rather than deducting the resting heart rate.  It is much more accurate to deduct the resting heart rate when talking about percentages.   For Example 30% would be about your resting heart rate. 

 


Measuring Your Max Heart Rate 

You won't reach your Max HR with these tests, but they give you a range within which your  Max HR probably lies. Rate your fitness level as follows:   

• Poor shape. You have not exercised regularly during the last two months.

• Fair shape. You walk a mile or more or pursue any aerobic activity for twenty minutes at least three times per week.

• Good shape. You exercise regularly more than an hour a week or walk or run at least five miles a week.

The second step is take either or both of these tests.

TEST ONE.
One Mile
  Walk Test

 Find a track, perhaps at a local school, and walk four continuous, evenly paced laps as fast as you can in your current condition. The first three laps put you on a heart-rate plateau where you hold steady for the fourth lap.

Determine your average heart rate for this final lap. Then to predict your Max HR, add 40 bpm if you are in poor shape; for fair shape, add 50; and for good shape, add 60.

TEST TWO:
The Step Test

Use an eight-inch step. Warm up appropriately. Then, use this four count step sequence: right foot up, left up, right down, left down. Counting "up, up, down, down" as one set and keep a steady pace of 20 sets per minute.
Measure your average heart rate during the third minute, then predict your Max HR by adding 55 bpm if you are in poor shape, 65 for fair shape and 75 for good shape. That number is your predicted maximum heart rate.


SIDEBAR: BEFORE YOU START

If you have not been training regularly, answer these questions first:

• Are you a man over 40 or a woman over 50?
• Have you ever been told you have heart problems, high blood pressure, or a bone or joint problem, such as arthritis, that has been or could be aggravated by certain types of exercise?
• Do you frequently suffer from chest pains, feel faint or have dizzy spells?
• Are you taking prescription medication, such as those for high blood pressure?
• Is there another medical reason why you think perhaps you should not exercise?

If you answered "yes" to any of these questions, consult your healthcare provider before you begin training.