How to Calculate Target Heart Rate: Step-by-Step Guide

What You Need to Calculate Target Heart Rate

Before calculating your target heart rate, you'll need a few pieces of information:

Essential Information

• Your age: Used to estimate maximum heart rate
• Your fitness goal: Different goals require different intensity zones

For More Accurate Calculations (Optional)

• Resting heart rate: Needed for the Karvonen method
• Actual maximum heart rate: If you've tested it through exercise

Let's walk through both the simple method and the more accurate Karvonen method step by step.

Method 1: The Simple Percentage Method

This straightforward approach calculates target heart rate as a percentage of your estimated maximum heart rate.

Step 1: Calculate Your Maximum Heart Rate

Use this formula to estimate your maximum heart rate:

Max HR = 208 - (0.7 × your age)

Example: If you're 35 years old:

• Max HR = 208 - (0.7 × 35)
• Max HR = 208 - 24.5
• Max HR = 183.5, rounded to 184 BPM

Step 2: Determine Your Target Zone Percentages

Choose the percentages that match your fitness goal:

Step 3: Calculate Your Target Heart Rate Range

Multiply your max HR by the zone percentages to get your target range.

Example: For cardio fitness (70-80%) with a max HR of 184:

• Lower limit: 184 × 0.70 = 129 BPM
• Upper limit: 184 × 0.80 = 147 BPM
• Target heart rate zone: 129-147 BPM

Complete Example Calculation

Let's calculate all zones for a 45-year-old:

Step 1: Max HR = 208 - (0.7 × 45) = 208 - 31.5 = 177 BPM

Step 2 & 3: Calculate each zone:

Method 2: The Karvonen Method (Heart Rate Reserve)

The Karvonen method is more accurate because it accounts for your fitness level through your resting heart rate. This produces personalized zones that better reflect your actual working capacity.

Step 1: Measure Your Resting Heart Rate

Measure your heart rate first thing in the morning, before getting out of bed:

1. Wake up naturally without an alarm if possible
2. Stay lying down and relaxed for a minute
3. Find your pulse at your wrist or use a heart rate monitor
4. Count beats for 60 seconds (or 30 seconds × 2)
5. Repeat for several mornings and take the average

Typical resting heart rates:

• Athletes: 40-60 BPM
• Fit adults: 55-70 BPM
• Average adults: 60-80 BPM
• Less fit adults: 70-100 BPM

Step 2: Calculate Your Maximum Heart Rate

Use the same formula as the simple method:

Max HR = 208 - (0.7 × your age)

Step 3: Calculate Your Heart Rate Reserve

Heart Rate Reserve (HRR) is the difference between your max HR and resting HR:

HRR = Max HR - Resting HR

Example: Max HR of 184, Resting HR of 62:

• HRR = 184 - 62 = 122 BPM

Step 4: Calculate Target Heart Rate

Apply the Karvonen formula:

Target HR = (HRR × intensity%) + Resting HR

Example: For 70% intensity with HRR of 122 and resting HR of 62:

• Target HR = (122 × 0.70) + 62
• Target HR = 85.4 + 62
• Target HR = 147 BPM

Complete Karvonen Example

Let's calculate all zones for a 35-year-old with a resting heart rate of 58 BPM:

Step 1: Resting HR = 58 BPM

Step 2: Max HR = 208 - (0.7 × 35) = 184 BPM

Step 3: HRR = 184 - 58 = 126 BPM

Step 4: Calculate each zone:

Notice how the Karvonen zones are higher than simple percentage zones at lower intensities. This is because the Karvonen method accounts for the fact that your heart rate can't go below your resting rate during exercise.

Comparing the Two Methods

Let's see how the simple method and Karvonen method compare for the same person (35-year-old, resting HR 58):

Key observation: The methods produce similar results at higher intensities but differ significantly at lower intensities. The Karvonen method produces more realistic low-intensity zones - a Zone 1 of 92 BPM from the simple method is barely above resting for someone with a 58 BPM resting heart rate and would barely constitute exercise.

Calculating Target Heart Rate for Specific Goals

The examples below show manual calculations, but you can also reference a target heart rate chart for pre-calculated zones, or see our breakdown of exercise heart rate by age for age-specific guidance.

For Weight Loss

Target Zone 2-3 (60-80% intensity) for most workouts:

1. Calculate your max HR: 208 - (0.7 × age)
2. For fat burning focus: Multiply max HR by 0.60 and 0.70
3. For higher calorie burn: Multiply max HR by 0.70 and 0.80

Example (40-year-old):

• Max HR = 208 - 28 = 180 BPM
• Fat burning zone: 108-126 BPM
• Cardio zone: 126-144 BPM

For General Fitness

Target Zone 3 (70-80% intensity) for the majority of workouts:

1. Calculate your max HR
2. Multiply by 0.70 for lower limit
3. Multiply by 0.80 for upper limit

For Endurance Events

Build aerobic base in Zone 2, with Zone 4 work for performance:

• Long runs/rides: 60-70% of max HR
• Tempo workouts: 75-85% of max HR
• Threshold intervals: 85-90% of max HR

For High-Intensity Training

Work intervals in Zone 4-5, recover in Zone 1-2:

• Work intervals: 85-95% of max HR
• Recovery intervals: 50-65% of max HR

How to Monitor Your Heart Rate During Exercise

Once you've calculated your target zones, you need to monitor your heart rate during workouts.

Heart Rate Monitors

Chest strap monitors: Most accurate option. Detects electrical signals from your heart. Essential for precise training and high-intensity work.

Wrist-based optical monitors: Convenient and increasingly accurate. Built into most fitness watches. May struggle during intense activities or with poor fit.

Tips for accuracy:

• Wet chest strap sensors for better conductivity
• Wear wrist monitors snugly but not too tight
• Allow 1-2 minutes for readings to stabilize at workout start
• Check positioning if readings seem erratic

Manual Pulse Check

If you don't have a monitor:

1. Find your pulse at your wrist (radial artery) or neck (carotid artery)
2. Count beats for 10 seconds
3. Multiply by 6 to get beats per minute
4. Check periodically during steady-state exercise

The Talk Test

Use conversation ability to estimate intensity:

• Zone 1-2: Can hold normal conversation easily
• Zone 3: Can speak in sentences but need occasional breaths
• Zone 4: Can only say a few words at a time
• Zone 5: Cannot talk

Quick Reference: Target Heart Rate Formulas

Keep these formulas handy for quick calculations. For a deeper dive into the differences between these approaches, see our guide to max heart rate formulas.

Maximum Heart Rate

• Tanaka (recommended): 208 - (0.7 × age)
• Traditional: 220 - age
• Women (Gulati): 206 - (0.88 × age)

Simple Target HR

Target HR = Max HR × intensity percentage

Karvonen Target HR

Target HR = ((Max HR - Resting HR) × intensity%) + Resting HR

Heart Rate Reserve

HRR = Max HR - Resting HR

Common Calculation Mistakes to Avoid

Using the Wrong Formula

The traditional 220-age formula is less accurate than 208-(0.7×age), especially for older adults. Use the Tanaka formula for better results, or the Gulati formula for women.

Not Measuring Resting HR Correctly

For Karvonen calculations, measure resting HR first thing in the morning before getting up. Measuring after coffee, stress, or activity gives inaccurate results.

Forgetting to Add Resting HR Back

In the Karvonen method, you must add resting HR back after multiplying HRR by intensity percentage. A common error is forgetting this step.

Confusing Percentages

When calculating, convert percentages to decimals: 70% = 0.70, not 70. Using 70 instead of 0.70 will give wildly incorrect results.

Not Recalculating as Fitness Changes

As your fitness improves, your resting heart rate typically decreases. Update your Karvonen calculations every few months or when you notice significant resting HR changes.

When Calculated Zones Don't Feel Right

If your calculated zones don't match how you feel during exercise:

Zones Feel Too Hard

• Your actual max HR may be lower than formula estimates
• You may be deconditioned - start easier and progress gradually
• External factors (heat, altitude, illness) may be affecting you
• Try the Gulati formula if you're female

Zones Feel Too Easy

• Your actual max HR may be higher than formula estimates
• You may be very fit - consider testing actual max HR
• Try the HUNT formula (211 - 0.64 × age) for higher estimates

Adjusting Based on Experience

Formulas are estimates. If Zone 3 feels like Zone 2 or vice versa, trust your body and adjust. Pay attention to:

• Breathing rate and difficulty
• Ability to speak (talk test)
• Perceived effort on a 1-10 scale
• Whether you can sustain the pace

Frequently Asked Questions

Conclusion

Calculating your target heart rate is straightforward once you understand the process:

1. Estimate your maximum heart rate using 208 - (0.7 × age)
2. Choose your target intensity based on your fitness goals
3. Calculate your zone using either the simple percentage method or Karvonen method
4. Monitor during exercise using a heart rate monitor or manual pulse checks
5. Adjust based on experience if zones don't match perceived effort

For quick calculations without the math, use our target heart rate calculator which performs both methods instantly and shows all your training zones. With your personalized zones in hand, you can train smarter and achieve your fitness goals more effectively.

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