Maximum heart rate calculator — max HR and training zones
Your maximum heart rate sets the ceiling for effort-based training. This calculator estimates it from your age using several established formulas, then maps out the five training zones so you know which heart-rate range matches each type of workout. Add your resting heart rate and it switches to the more personalised Karvonen method.
How it works
The tool reports three age-based estimates — 220 − age, the Tanaka formula
208 − 0.7 × age, and the Gulati formula 206 − 0.88 × age for women. Zones are a
percentage of maximum heart rate. If you enter a resting heart rate, it uses the
Karvonen formula instead: target = ((max HR − resting HR) × intensity) + resting HR, which accounts for your individual fitness.
Worked example
A 30-year-old with the Tanaka formula:
- Max HR:
208 − 0.7 × 30 = 187 bpm - Zone 2 (60–70%):
112–131 bpm— the endurance and fat-burning range - Zone 4 (80–90%):
150–168 bpm— anaerobic threshold work
Practical tips
Prefer Tanaka over 220 − age. The 220 − age rule is easy to remember but less accurate; the Tanaka estimate is a better default for most adults.
Use resting HR for real precision. Measuring your resting heart rate first thing in the morning and entering it here gives zones tailored to your fitness rather than generic percentages.
Zones are guides, not limits. How you feel, breathing and pace all matter too. Use zones to structure easy versus hard days rather than as rigid rules.
These are estimates for general fitness, not medical guidance. All calculations run entirely in your browser — nothing is uploaded or stored.