Heart Rate Zones Calculator
Calculate your personalized heart rate training zones based on age, resting heart rate, or lactate threshold. Train with precision by targeting the right intensity zones.
Heart Rate Training Zones
Calculate your optimal heart rate training zones to improve your cardiovascular fitness and running performance
Calculate Your Zones
Used to estimate Max HR if unknown
Measure when completely at rest
If unknown, use the age estimate
Uses heart rate reserve (max HR - resting HR) for more personalized zones
Detailed zones for targeted training
Training with Heart Rate Zones
Heart rate training enables you to train at the right intensity for your specific goals:
- Lower zones (1-2): Improve fat metabolism and build endurance
- Middle zone (3): Develop aerobic capacity and efficiency
- Upper zones (4-5): Increase lactate threshold and VO2 max
For optimal training, most of your runs (about 80%) should be in the lower zones, with only 20% at higher intensities.
Understanding Heart Rate Training Zones
Heart rate training provides a personalized approach to training intensity by using your heart's response to exercise. By training in specific heart rate zones, you can target particular physiological adaptations and optimize your training results. Here's what each zone means for your training:
Zone 1: Recovery (50-60% of Max HR)
Perceived Effort: Very easy, barely noticeable.
Benefits: Active recovery, improves capillary density, enhances fat metabolism.
When to use: Warm-up, cool-down, recovery days, or between harder intervals.
Zone 2: Base/Aerobic (60-70% of Max HR)
Perceived Effort: Easy, conversational pace.
Benefits: Builds aerobic endurance, improves fat utilization, and enhances mitochondrial function.
When to use: Long runs, easy runs, and majority of training volume.
Zone 3: Aerobic/Endurance (70-80% of Max HR)
Perceived Effort: Moderate, still conversational but with effort.
Benefits: Improves aerobic capacity, enhances cardiac output, and increases stroke volume.
When to use: Steady-state runs, marathon pace runs, and moderate efforts.
Zone 4: Threshold (80-90% of Max HR)
Perceived Effort: Hard, limited conversation possible.
Benefits: Improves lactate threshold, develops mental toughness, and increases buffering capacity.
When to use: Tempo runs, threshold intervals, and race-specific training.
Zone 5: VO2max/Anaerobic (90-100% of Max HR)
Perceived Effort: Very hard to all-out effort, no talking possible.
Benefits: Maximizes aerobic capacity, improves speed, and develops anaerobic systems.
When to use: Short intervals, speed work, and final sprint efforts.
Heart Rate Calculation Methods
There are several ways to calculate your heart rate training zones:
1. Age-Based Formula (Simplest)
Estimates maximum heart rate as 220 - your age. While simple, this method has limitations as it doesn't account for individual variations.
2. Heart Rate Reserve (Karvonen Method)
Incorporates your resting heart rate to create more personalized zones using the formula: [(Max HR - Resting HR) × Zone%] + Resting HR. This provides better personalization.
3. Lactate Threshold Heart Rate (LTHR)
The most accurate method, using your lactate threshold (determined through a field test) as the anchor point for setting zones. This provides a physiologically relevant reference that accounts for individual training status.
Tips for Effective Heart Rate Training
- Be patient with Zone 2 training: It may feel too easy at first, but this foundational training brings significant long-term benefits
- Account for daily variations: Heart rate can be affected by sleep, stress, temperature, hydration, and caffeine
- Periodically reassess: As your fitness improves, your heart rate zones may change
- Combine with perceived effort: Learn how each zone feels to better gauge your effort
- Consider cardiac drift: Heart rate naturally rises during extended efforts, even at constant pace
How to Find Your LTHR
Lactate Threshold Heart Rate (LTHR) provides the most accurate basis for setting heart rate zones. Here's a simple field test to find yours:
30-Minute Time Trial
- Warm up thoroughly for 10-15 minutes
- Run hard for 30 minutes at the fastest pace you can sustain
- Record your average heart rate for the final 20 minutes
- This is your approximate LTHR
For best results:
- Choose flat terrain without interruptions
- Avoid extreme weather conditions
- Perform when well-rested
- Repeat every 4-6 weeks during training
Zone Training Distribution
For most recreational runners, the recommended training distribution: