Heart Rate Zone Calculator — Train in the Right Zone

Enter age and resting heart rate to get max HR and all five Karvonen zones — from warm-up to VO2 peak — with the honest truth about the “fat-burning zone”.

Quick answer: Free heart rate zone calculator: max heart rate and all 5 training zones using the accurate Karvonen method (resting HR included) — find your fat-burning and cardio zones.

Max HR (Tanaka)
Heart-rate reserve

💡 Zone 2 (conversational pace) builds aerobic base — most of your cardio time belongs there.

How to use

  1. Enter age — Tanaka formula computes max HR.
  2. Add resting HR — measure first thing in the morning, or leave the average default.
  3. Train by zone — get all five zones in bpm with what each one develops.

About this tool

Generic “220 minus age” charts ignore that hearts differ. This calculator uses the Tanaka formula (208 − 0.7 × age) for max heart rate and the Karvonen method, which builds zones from your heart-rate reserve (max − resting) — measurably more personal than plain percentages. You get all five zones (warm-up, fat burn, aerobic/cardio, hard/threshold, VO2 max) in bpm, with plain-English notes on what each feels like and what it trains. Also flag your real fat-burning window honestly: it's broad (about zones 2–3) — total energy expenditure matters more than staying in a magic band.

FAQ

Why Karvonen instead of simple percentages?
Karvonen uses your heart-rate reserve including resting HR, so zones fit YOUR heart — two 30-year-olds with different fitness get different Zone 2 ranges.
Which zone burns the most fat?
Percent-of-calories-from-fat peaks around Zone 2-3, but total calories burned matters for fat loss — hard intervals and long easy runs both work.
How do I measure resting heart rate?
Pulse for 60 seconds right after waking, several mornings, average the results. Fitbits/Apple Watch work too.