Heart Rate Zones Calculator

We very often use heart rate zones with our coaching clients, and we often discuss various heart rate zone-based training protocols in our content, so we created a free heart rate zones calculator to allow you to calculate your own heart rate zones! Heart rate zones are a fundamental concept in exercise physiology that help individuals and fitness professionals tailor training intensity to achieve specific goals. These zones are based on the relationship between heart rate, exercise intensity and the energetics of the exercise, and they provide a structured framework for optimising cardiovascular fitness, endurance, and performance.

Understanding heart rate zones allows coaches and trainees to create targeted training plans, specific to their goals. Once we have a specific training goal or adaptation in mind, we can be very specific with the types of training programs we recommend. While we could spend an age breaking down all the nuances of what exactly each zone is and what it does, the goal of this article is to provide you with a heart rate zones calculator, so you can quickly calculate the specific heart rates you should be at for each zone.

Now, to determine these zones accurately, you would actually have to undergo a maximal exercise test, like a VO2 max test and/or get the metabolic byproducts in your blood tested and/or get more comprehensive oxygen/carbon dioxide levels in your breath tested. Unfortunately, most people don’t have access to these kinds of testing, however, this shouldn’t stand in the way of utilising heart rate zones in our programming. We can still get a pretty decent approximation of where each zone is by virtue of knowing what our maximum heart rate is. Ultimately, we only really care about this data to help us create some rough guidelines for our training programs, and we would always adjust the actual program based on the real-world response.

Heart Rate Zones Calculator

Our heart rate zones calculator uses the formula “211 – (0.64 x age)” to calculate your max heart rate, unless you already know what your max heart rate is (in which case, you can provide that and it will default to using that). This formula seems to be more accurate than the often-used “220 minus your age” formula, especially for athletes. However, it is important to understand that your max heart rate may be different that what is calculated, and ideally we would just use actual max heart rate data that we obtained via testing. We will talk about how you would do this in a moment. If you haven’t been training, your max heart rate is probably lower. If you have been training, it could also be higher. Max heart rate tends to decrease with age, and that is why we can use age as a bit of a predictor of max heart rate, but naturally enough, you would expect the max heart rate of a 70-year-old who has been training for marathons his whole life, to be different than a 70-year-old who has never trained before. So the calculated max should really only be seen as a rough approximation, and you should just use it as a rough starting point. 

The calculator does give you the ability to enter your max heart rate, if you already know it. Naturally, if you have actually measured your max heart rate, and you know what it is, then that is going to be more accurate than the calculated estimate. The calculated max heart rate is generally pretty accurate, but if you are someone who is quite well-trained, or quite untrained, it may not be all that accurate.

The best way to test your max heart rate is to get a VO2 max test done in a laboratory. There are slightly different protocols depending on where you get tested, but the basic premise of the VO2 max test is that you run on a treadmill and the laboratory technician periodically increases the speed/power until you reach (self-assessed) complete exhaustion. Throughout the test, a lot of data is gathered about your physiology, including your max heart rate (and usually a lot of other really helpful data, such as your oxygen uptake, VO2 max, lactate and potentially a host of other things too). A VO2 max test is incredibly useful, as it not only gives you your max heart rate, but it can also provide you with more tailored heart rate zones, rather than calculated heart rate zones. The downside of VO2 max testing is that it is potentially expensive, and not everyone has access to the facilities required to test VO2 max.

Luckily, you can test your own max heart rate, without needing any fancy equipment, other than a heart rate monitor. You can use a heart rate monitoring watch, however, these tend to use optical sensors, which can be pretty inaccurate at maximal heart rates, and they can also be inaccurate depending on your skin colour and how you actually wear the device. So if you are going to try to test your heart rate max yourself, then we would generally recommend using a chest strap monitor that uses ECG to track your heart rate.

To test your max heart rate yourself, a very simple method is to do some form of 5km running test. If you are well-trained and used to running, you should be able to complete the 5km in less than 20 minutes, but if you aren’t, then you can simply set a timer for 20 minutes. For this test, you are going to need to push yourself quite hard, so you will need to warm up quite well before you start. Don’t just try to go out there and start running at full speed straight out of the gate, you need to warm up first. For the test, you need to have a device that monitors and tracks your heart rate. What you will usually see is that within the first 3-5 minutes, you will be able to get your heart rate up to around 90% of your max, and as you continue to run, you will likely be able to get up to above 95% of your max inside of 10 minutes. Continue to push it, and then for the last kilometre (or the last 3-5 minutes if you are running to the 20-minute mark), really try to push the pace and give it your all. You should be able to get up to your max heart rate. It is important to remember that testing this does result in a rather large recovery demand, so don’t just randomly test your heart rate frequently, or during periods of time when you are actually trying to execute a training plan or you have competition(s) coming up.

If you are untrained, you may not be able to push yourself this hard, especially not for the required 20 minutes, so we generally just recommend using the calculated method instead. Generally, if you haven’t been training, it isn’t wise to just try to run to your absolute max heart rate, just so you can get a reading of what your max heart rate is.

Heart Rate Zones Explained

Now, calculating your heart rate zones is pretty useless, if you don’t actually know what to do with that information. So, we need to briefly touch on heart rate zones, just so you have a basic understanding of what each heart rate zone signifies, and why you would potentially train in that zone. This is just a brief overview, and you can really go deep with this stuff, and be very specific with your training, if you know precisely what adaptations you are looking to target.

Zone 1

Zone 1 (50-60% of max heart rate) is often called the recovery zone, or the low-intensity zone as it is the zone you will be in when you are doing very light activity, such as walking. In this zone, you are predominantly using fat for fuel, and there will be very low levels of lactate in the blood (signifying that you aren’t utilising much carbohydrate for fuel, and you have sufficient oxygenation of your tissues).

Training in this zone can support recovery, can aid in improving circulation to the various tissues of the body, can improve stress and facilitate fat-burning and calorie expenditure.

Zone 2

Zone 2 (60-70% of max heart rate) is often called the aerobic zone, and it is still light activity, which you can do for a very long period of time. You are still predominantly utilising fat for fuel in this zone, and blood lactate levels will be low (unless you are approaching the very edge of the zone, before you move into zone 3, in which case they will be starting to rise).

The benefit of training in this zone is improved fat burning, improve aerobic capacity, improve capillary density, improved VO2 max, improved training efficiency and cardiovascular health (strengthens the heart muscles, improves stroke volume (the amount of blood pumped per heartbeat), and lowers resting heart rate). Zone 2 training generally makes up the bulk of most athletes’ training. The downside of training in this zone is that you need to train in this zone for a longer period of time to really get the adaptations.

Zone 3

Zone 3 (70-80% of max heart rate) is often called the “tempo” zone. This is where the intensity starts to increase, and you really start producing more lactate and you start using more and more carbohydrates for fuel. However, while lactate levels are increasing, zone 3 is still at a level where your body can still deal with the lactate.

Training in this zone is beneficial for improving your anaerobic performance, improving your anaerobic threshold, improving your ability to handle and buffer acidosis while also clearing lactate, improving your fatigue resistance, and improving your cardiovascular health (strengthens your heart, increases cardiac output, and improves stroke volume). The downside of training in this zone is that it is more fatiguing than the previous zones.

Zone 4

Zone 4 (80-90% of max heart rate) is often called the “threshold” zone. In this zone, you really start producing more lactate and utilising more carbohydrates for fuel. 

Training in this zone leads to improvements in anaerobic capacity, VO2 max, muscular endurance and capacity to handle acidosis, and improvements in cardiovascular fitness (increased cardiac output and stroke volume). The downside of training in this zone is that it is actually really quite fatiguing and requires a lot more recovery time.

Zone 5

Zone 5 (90-100% of max heart rate) is often just called the “maximal” or “anaerobic” zone. This is the zone where you are really pushing the intensity and you are working as hard as you can.

Training in this zone leads to improvements in maximal power output, enhanced anaerobic capacity, improvements in muscular and metabolic parameters, improvements in VO2 max, and cardiovascular fitness (increased cardiac output).

Modifying Your Heart Rate Zones 

It is important to understand that the zones are actually trainable to some extent, and they don’t fall exactly as predicted for everyone. You may be able to train at a much higher heart rate, and still be below the level of lactate that we would generally assign to zone 3, for example. This makes it incredibly difficult to decipher conversations online when people discuss different heart rate training zones, as they may be using a lactate monitor or have gotten more precise testing to determine their exact zones, whereas you may have to just go off of the calculated zones. As a result, we tend to just use ratings of perceived exertion and our lived experience of the training, to more accurately determine where our specific heart rate zones actually are.

In general, when we set someone’s training up, we are just using these heart rate zones as rough guidelines. They are merely a starting point from which we can refine things more specifically, based on the individual’s response. We use a combination of the “talk test” and rating of perceived exertion (RPE) to ensure that we are actually training in the right heart rate zone. To do this yourself, you need to understand how hard/intense each training zone should feel.

Now, there are actually many methods for gauging the intensity of your cardiovascular training, and different coaches like different methods. What I tend to use is a kind of modified Borg scale. There are many of these modified Borg scales, and various RPE scales, so don’t get too caught up on the exact numbers, instead, try to focus on the general vibe of what is being described.

In general, at rest (sometimes called zone 0), you should be at an RPE of 0 up to maybe 1, if you are doing some very light moving around. For zone 1, you are going to be at an RPE of 2-3, and this is a pace you could pretty much do all day long, as it really isn’t all that fatiguing. For zone 2, you are likely to be somewhere between an RPE of 4-5, and although you know you are exercising, you can usually go for a very long time in this zone. Zone 3 then is where most people really start to feel like they have to put in a bit more effort, as you will be working at an RPE of 5-7. Zone 4 is usually described as intense to very intense, and you are working at an RPE of 7-9, depending on the exact protocols being used. Zone 5 is the most intense, this is an RPE of 9-10 and this is where you are basically emptying the tank and giving everything you have got.

Using RPE can be incredibly helpful for really refining your heart rate zones, as you may use the heart rate zones calculator above, and get a nice read out of where your zones should be, but then when you actually try to train at those zones, you may have very different RPEs. For example, you may be someone who has done a lot of endurance training, and the heart rate that is supposed to be associated with zone 3 is actually only an RPE of ~3 for you. As a result, you would just need to adjust your heart rate zones accordingly. Alternatively, for example, you may be someone who has never done any cardiovascular training, and what should be a zone 2 for you feels like an RPE of >5. So you would just have to adjust the heart rate zones accordingly. This can all be a bit tricky at first, but once you get into a rhythm of using RPE to help you gauge your training, you do get better at using it and you can more easily modify your training accordingly.

However, what can also be helpful in this process is to also use a talk test. You may just be unable to accurately gauge whether you are at an RPE 5 or and RPE 7, especially if you are not familiar with using RPE or you aren’t as familiar with cardiovascular training. However, most of you can simply use your ability to talk to help you gauge your intensity. At rest (zone 0), I am going to go out on a limb and assume you can speak relatively easily, and not get out of breath. Assuming this is correct, we can use this as our baseline. As the intensity of exercise increases, and we get into zone 1, you can probably still relatively easily hold a conversation. You have probably gone for a leisurely stroll with someone before, and while you were exercising, you likely weren’t short of breath. As the intensity of the exercise increases and you get into zone 2, it probably becomes a little bit more difficult to hold a complex conversation, but you can still talk fairly freely to someone. If you were on the phone to someone, they would probably be aware that you were exercising, but they would still be able to have a conversation with you. As the intensity of exercise increases into zone 3, this is where you start to struggle to hold a conversation. You are likely breathing heavier, and if you are deeper into zone 3, you are probably only able to say 1-2 sentences at a time, before needing to breathe heavily. As you get into zone 4, you are unlikely to be able to speak in full sentences, and you are likely only able to speak in very broken sentences or even just syllables, interspersed with very heavy breathing. Then as you get into zone 5, well, you likely can’t really speak at all, and you are likely breathing very, very heavily or potentially gasping for air.

So, a combination of the RPE scale and the talk test can be incredibly useful for helping you ensure that you are training at the correct training intensity, and to modify the information you get from the heart rate zones calculator to better match your actual physiology.

Heart Rate Zones Sample Programs

Now, the reason you are likely using a heart rate zone calculator is because you want to ensure you are training at the right heart rate for your goals. However, very often I see people use a calculator like this, get a nice looking graph of their zones, and then not know what to do with it. So I have provided a number of sample workouts below for each zone. These are somewhat generic, and you would naturally modify them to your specific goals, but these all roughly follow the same concepts we utilise in our coaching practice and that we often discuss on our podcast and YouTube videos.

Zone 1

Here’s an example of a Zone 1 workout:

Warm Up

You don’t necessarily need an extensive warm-up if you are just going to be training in zone 1, but it is good practice to have one included.

• 5-10 minutes of gentle, low-intensity cardio (such as walking or slow cycling) to get your blood flowing.

Zone 1 Workout

• Aim for an effort level of around 50-60% of your maximum heart rate or a perceived exertion level of about 2-3 out of 10.
• Choose low-impact activities that promote blood flow and gentle movement, such as walking, easy cycling, or swimming at a leisurely pace.
• Perform the chosen activity for 20+ minutes, maintaining a comfortable and conversational pace.

Cool Down

Similarly to the warm up, you don’t necessarily need an extensive cool down if you are just going to be training in zone 1, but it is good practice to have one included.

• 5-10 minutes of light, easy movement to gradually lower your heart rate.

Zone 1 workouts are ideal for active recovery days, where the goal is to just stimulate recovery by virtue of getting some blood flowing to the muscles. Remember that Zone 1 workouts are meant to be easy and relaxing, so avoid pushing yourself too hard during these sessions. You should not be leaving these workouts feeling tired.

Zone 2

Here’s an example of a Zone 2 workout:

Warm Up

• 5-10 minutes of light cardio (jogging, cycling, brisk walking) to raise the heart rate and warm up the muscles.

Zone 2 Workout

• Aim for a sustained effort at around 60-70% of your maximum heart rate or a perceived exertion level of about 4-5 out of 10.
• Choose an activity like cycling, running, swimming, or rowing.
• Duration: 30-90 minutes (depending on your fitness level and goals).
• Maintain a conversational pace where you can talk comfortably while exercising.

Cool Down

• 5-10 minutes of light cardio to gradually bring down the heart rate.

Remember, consistency is key. Aim to include Zone 2 workouts in your routine 2+ times per week to enhance aerobic endurance and overall cardiovascular fitness. For most people, the vast majority of their cardiovascular training is going to be performed in zone 2.

Zone 3

Here’s a workout targeting Zone 3:

Warm Up

• 5-10 minutes of light cardio followed by dynamic stretches to prepare your muscles for the workout.

Zone 3 Workout

• Aim for an effort level of around 70-80% of your maximum heart rate (MHR) or a perceived exertion level of about 5-7 out of 10.
• Choose an activity like running, cycling, or rowing.
• You have the option here of performing intervals or a steady-state effort in Zone 3 for 20-30 minutes, depending on your fitness level and specific goals.
• Intervals: Alternate between 3-5 minutes in Zone 3 and 1-2 minutes of active recovery in Zone 2.
• Steady-state: Maintain Zone 3 effort for the entire duration.

Cool Down

• 5-10 minutes of light cardio to bring the heart rate back down. 
• It isn’t necessary, but I will often get my clients to do some deep slow breath work after a zone 3 training session, as they can be quite fatiguing, and it can be beneficial to get ahead of the disturbance to the system that they can cause (you can read more about breathwork and stress here).

Zone 3 workouts are challenging and help you build the ability to maintain a faster pace over extended periods. I would only really aim to incorporate Zone 3 workouts into your routine 1-2 times per week, allowing adequate recovery between sessions, as they can be quite fatiguing. 

Zone 4

Here’s a workout targeting Zone 4:

Warm Up

• 5-10 minutes of light cardio followed by dynamic stretches to prepare your muscles for the intense workout ahead.
• Slowly begin to ramp up the intensity for another 5-10 minutes until you are comfortably in zone 3.

Zone 4 Workout

• Aim for an effort level of around 80-90% of your maximum heart rate (MHR) or a perceived exertion level of about 7-9 out of 10.
• Choose an activity that allows for high-intensity efforts, such as interval running, cycling, or high-intensity circuit training.
• Perform intervals in Zone 4 for 20 seconds to 2 minutes (the exact time will be dictated by your goals and fitness level), followed by active recovery in Zone 2 or walking for 1-2 minutes.
• Repeat the intervals 4-10 times, depending on your fitness level and goals.

Cool Down

• 5-10 minutes of light cardio to gradually bring down your heart rate.
• As described in the zone 3 workout, doing some breathwork and really trying to switch the body away from being in that sympathetic nervous system state after a workout like this can be very beneficial.

Zone 4 workouts are demanding and while they help improve your anaerobic capacity and overall performance, they do require significant recovery. We would generally only aim to incorporate Zone 4 workouts into your routine 1-2 times per week, with sufficient rest between sessions.

Zone 5

Here’s a sample workout targeting Zone 5:

Warm Up

• Start with a 10-minute warm-up in and around Zone 2 to raise your heart rate and prepare your muscles.
• Transition into Zone 3 for a short segment to further elevate your heart rate.
• Include a few short bursts of higher-intensity efforts to prepare your body for the upcoming intense workout.

Zone 5 Workout

• Aim for an effort level close to 90-100% of your maximum heart rate (MHR) or a perceived exertion level of 9-10 out of 10.
• Choose activities that allow for explosive efforts, such as sprinting, hill sprints, or plyometric exercises.
• Perform short bursts of maximum effort in Zone 5, lasting 10-30 seconds.
• Allow ample recovery between efforts, focusing on quality over quantity (generally, 2-5 minutes depending on your goals and fitness levels).

Cool Down

• 5-10 minutes of light cardio to gradually lower your heart rate.

Zone 5 workouts are extremely demanding and they should only be incorporated sparingly, perhaps once a week or every two weeks, to avoid the risk of injury or burnout. 

Heart Rate Zones Calculator FAQs

Rather than just give you a generic summary or conclusion, I want to use this final section to answer a few questions about heart rate based training, as it can be quite confusing and as a result, many people really don’t know what to do after using a heart rate zones calculator. There are lots of little questions that frequently get asked, so I have just collated them all here. Hopefully, it helps! If you do ever need any more specific help with your training, we do offer online coaching.

Should I use a heart rate tracking watch or a chest strap for tracking my heart rate zones?

Ideally, we would recommend using a chest strap that measures the electrical impulses from your heart rather than an optical sensor on a heart rate tracking watch. Heart rate tracking watches can be quite inaccurate, especially if you have darker skin or you don’t wear the watch correctly. This is more of a concern for the higher heart rates, but less of a concern when you are working below zone 3.

Is it dangerous to train at your max heart rate?

If done correctly, it isn’t dangerous, assuming you ave no underlying heart conditions. However, training at your max heart rate is quite fatiguing, and the heart is a muscle, and like any muscle, it does need sufficient recovery time after maximal exertion. We generally recommend most people not to train at their max heart rate unless their is a very specific reason to do so, and if you are beginning your health and fitness journey, it is probably best to get medical clearance from your doctor.

Do I have to train all the zones each week?

No, you don’t need to train all the heart rate zones each week. This is a common thought process when you first learn about heart rate zones, but it simply isn’t necessary for you to train all the heart rate zones. For most people, they would be better off spending some time getting very specific with their goals and thus the types of adaptations they want, and then training the heart rate zones that accomplish these goals. If you are unsure of how to do this, then we would recommend getting professional coaching.

How do I use an online heart rate zone calculator for my workouts?

An online heart rate zones calculator like the one in this article should be used to give you a rough idea of where your heart rate zones are, and then you can design workouts around that, depending on your specific goals. So you would simply use the calculator to give you a rough idea of what heart rates correspond to each zone, and then program your workouts appropriately, depending on your specific goals.

Why is it important to train within specific heart rate zones?

Training within specific heart rate zones is important because it allows you to tailor your workouts to achieve specific adaptations. It also allows you to minimise the risk of overtraining, and potentially also injury. Regardless of it you specifically calculate your heart rate zones or not, you are still training within the zones, you just aren’t being as specific with your training as you can be.

Can I rely on online heart rate zone calculators for accurate results?

The information you get from a heart rate zones calculator should always be seen as a rough approximation. You will need to modify this information based on how your body actually responds and we generally do this with a combination of RPE and the talk test.

How can an online heart rate zone calculator help me reach my fitness goals faster?

This is a very common question, especially from people who have never really utilised heart rate zones in their training. Using a calculator to work out your heart rate zones will allow you to design a training program that is more precise and targeted, rather than just using a shotgun approach and hoping your training leads to the adaptations that you want.

Can an online heart rate zone calculator help with weight loss goals?

To an extent it can, as it will help you design a more specific training program to your specific goals. However, people often mistakenly think that when fat loss is the goal, they should be working in the target heart rate zones that maximise fat burning. However, just because fat is being used for fuel, doesn’t say anything about whether or not fat loss will occur. For fat loss to occur, you need to create a calorie deficit, and while training can facilitate that, the vast majority of the work will be done with a good diet. This article explaining more about calories can also help you understand the topic better.