Target Heart Rate Calculator

Your heart rate is a direct window into how hard your cardiovascular system is working during exercise. By targeting specific heart rate zones, you can tailor your workouts to burn fat, build endurance, or improve speed.

Heart Rate Zone Breakdown

• Zone 1 (Warm Up / Active Recovery): 50% to 60% of your maximum heart rate. Great for recovering after hard workouts, flushing lactate out of muscles, and building basic metabolic health.
• Zone 2 (Fat Burn / Aerobic Base): 60% to 70% of max. This is where your body is highly efficient at burning fat as a primary fuel source. Running or biking in this zone builds mitochondrial density and endurance foundation.
• Zone 3 (Aerobic / Cardio Endurance): 70% to 80% of max. Improves overall cardiorespiratory fitness. This zone is moderately hard and helps increase heart volume and blood circulation efficiency.
• Zone 4 (Anaerobic / Lactate Threshold): 80% to 90% of max. Muscular fatigue starts to set in. Training here trains your body to recycle lactate quickly, helping you run or cycle faster for longer durations.
• Zone 5 (Redline / Speed Peak): 90% to 100% of max. Maximum effort sprints and high-intensity interval training (HIIT). Increases maximum aerobic capacity (VO2 max) and peak power output.

The Tanaka Formula vs. Standard Formula

The standard maximum heart rate formula (220 - Age) is simple and widely used, but it can be less accurate for older adults. The Tanaka method (208.63 - 0.7 × Age) was developed based on extensive clinical studies to provide a better estimate of maximum heart rate across varying age distributions.