Target Heart Rate Calculator

How target heart rate works

When you exercise, your heart speeds up to meet the demand for oxygen. Training in the right heart rate zone lets you get the benefit you're after — fat burning, endurance, or speed — without overworking your heart. Your maximum heart rate is estimated with the classic formula 220 − age, and each zone is a percentage band of that maximum. For general fitness, the American College of Sports Medicine recommends exercising between 60% and 85% of your maximum.

If you enter your resting heart rate, the calculator also applies the Karvonen method, which personalises zones using your heart rate reserve — useful because two people of the same age can have very different fitness levels.

How to take your pulse

• Wrist (radial): place two fingers on the inside of your wrist, below the thumb, and press lightly.
• Neck (carotid): place two fingers gently at the side of your neck, just below the jaw. Be careful not to press hard — pressure here can slow the heart and cause dizziness in some people.
• Count the beats for 15 seconds and multiply by 4. During exercise, check within a few seconds of pausing, as your rate drops quickly.

Best time to measure your true resting heart rate: in the morning before getting out of bed. Typical adult values are 60–100 bpm, and well-trained people are often below 60.

Using zones in real training

A simple, effective weekly pattern is to spend most cardio time in Zones 2–3 (comfortable, sustainable) and add one or two shorter Zone 4 sessions once you have a base. Chasing Zone 5 daily is a fast route to burnout and injury. Pair your zone training with the right fuel — your calorie needs and TDEE rise on heavy training days.