Heart rate zone calculator
Work out your five training zones three ways: % of max heart rate, heart-rate reserve or threshold heart rate.
The three methods
% of max heart rate
Each zone is a share of your max heart rate: Zone 1 is 50–60%, Zone 2 60–70%, Zone 3 70–80%, Zone 4 80–90% and Zone 5 90–100%. It's simple and needs only one number, which is why most watches use it by default.
Heart-rate reserve (Karvonen)
Your reserve is max minus resting heart rate. Each zone is resting heart rate plus the same percentages of the reserve. Two runners with the same max but different resting heart rates get different zones, so it fits fitter runners better.
Threshold heart rate
Zones are shares of your threshold heart rate, the highest you can hold for about an hour: Zone 1 below 85%, Zone 2 85–90%, Zone 3 90–95%, Zone 4 95–100% and Zone 5 above 100%.
Example
A runner with max 185, resting 55 and threshold 168 gets these Zone 2 ranges:
| Method | Zone 2 |
|---|---|
| % of max heart rate | 111–130 bpm |
| Heart-rate reserve | 133–146 bpm |
| Threshold heart rate | 143–151 bpm |
The method matters: the same "easy run in Zone 2" can mean very different efforts. Pick one method for an athlete and stick with it.
For coaches
Athelista works out zones for every athlete with the method you choose, and sends "Zone 2" to their Garmin as their own heart-rate range, so the watch and the plan always agree. See how it works for running coaches.
Questions
Which heart rate zone method is best?+
Threshold heart rate is the most accurate for trained runners because it's tied to a real effort. Heart-rate reserve suits most people once they know their resting heart rate. % of max heart rate is the simplest and is what most watches use by default.
How do I find my max heart rate?+
The 208 − 0.7 × age formula is a fair starting point, but individuals vary by 10 beats or more. A better number is the highest heart rate you've seen at the end of a hard race or hill repeats.
How do I find my threshold heart rate?+
Run 30 minutes as hard as you can hold on your own, and take your average heart rate for the last 20 minutes. A recent 10K race average also works.
How should I measure resting heart rate?+
Take it on waking, before getting out of bed, on a few mornings, and use the lowest typical number.
What zone should easy runs be in?+
Mostly Zone 2, with some Zone 1. Many coaches aim for about 80% of weekly running time in Zones 1–2.