Your Heart Rate Zones
Enter your age and optional estimated maximum heart rate to see your training zones.
Understanding and Calculating Your Heart Rate Zones
Heart rate training is a cornerstone of effective exercise, allowing you to tailor your workouts to specific fitness goals. By understanding your heart rate zones, you can ensure you're training at the right intensity, whether you're aiming for fat burning, endurance improvement, or peak performance.
What are Heart Rate Zones?
Heart rate zones are ranges of your maximum heart rate that correspond to different exercise intensities and physiological benefits. Typically, there are five common zones, each targeting a different aspect of your fitness:
- Zone 1: Very Light (50-60% of Max HR) – Recovery, light aerobic activity.
- Zone 2: Light (60-70% of Max HR) – Endurance building, fat burning.
- Zone 3: Moderate (70-80% of Max HR) – Aerobic fitness improvement, increased stamina.
- Zone 4: Hard (80-90% of Max HR) – Anaerobic threshold, improved speed and power.
- Zone 5: Maximum (90-100% of Max HR) – Maximal effort, very short bursts, improving VO2 max.
How to Calculate Your Heart Rate Zones
The most common and straightforward method for estimating heart rate zones involves two key metrics: your age and your estimated maximum heart rate (MHR).
1. Estimating Your Maximum Heart Rate (MHR)
The most widely used formula to estimate MHR is the Tanaka formula, which is generally considered more accurate than the older Karvonen formula for a broader population. It's simple:
Estimated MHR = 208 – (1.096 x Age)
If you've had a professional fitness assessment or a stress test, you might have a more precise MHR value. In such cases, you can input that directly into the calculator.
2. Calculating the Heart Rate Zones
Once you have your Estimated MHR, you can calculate the target heart rate for each zone by multiplying your MHR by the zone's percentage range:
- Zone 1: MHR x 0.50 to MHR x 0.60
- Zone 2: MHR x 0.60 to MHR x 0.70
- Zone 3: MHR x 0.70 to MHR x 0.80
- Zone 4: MHR x 0.80 to MHR x 0.90
- Zone 5: MHR x 0.90 to MHR x 1.00
For example, if you are 30 years old:
Estimated MHR = 208 – (1.096 * 30) = 208 – 32.88 = 175.12 bpm. We'll round this to 175 bpm for simplicity.
- Zone 1 (50-60%): 88 – 105 bpm
- Zone 2 (60-70%): 105 – 123 bpm
- Zone 3 (70-80%): 123 – 140 bpm
- Zone 4 (80-90%): 140 – 158 bpm
- Zone 5 (90-100%): 158 – 175 bpm
Why Use Heart Rate Zones?
- Improved Efficiency: Train at the right intensity to achieve specific goals like weight loss, cardiovascular improvement, or race-day performance.
- Injury Prevention: Avoid overtraining by staying within appropriate zones for your current fitness level and recovery needs.
- Motivation: Tracking your heart rate and zones can provide clear targets and a sense of progress.
Remember that these are estimates. Your actual maximum heart rate can vary. Listen to your body and consider consulting with a fitness professional for personalized advice.
var calculateHeartRateZones = function() {
var age = document.getElementById("age").value;
var maxHeartRateInput = document.getElementById("maxHeartRate").value;
var resultDiv = document.getElementById("zonesResult");
resultDiv.innerHTML = "; // Clear previous results
var ageNum = parseFloat(age);
var maxHeartRateInputNum = parseFloat(maxHeartRateInput);
if (isNaN(ageNum) || ageNum 0) {
estimatedMaxHeartRate = maxHeartRateInputNum;
} else {
// Tanaka formula
estimatedMaxHeartRate = 208 – (1.096 * ageNum);
}
if (estimatedMaxHeartRate <= 0) {
resultDiv.innerHTML = "Calculated maximum heart rate is invalid. Please check your inputs.";
return;
}
// Round estimatedMaxHeartRate to nearest whole number
estimatedMaxHeartRate = Math.round(estimatedMaxHeartRate);
var zones = {
zone1: { min: estimatedMaxHeartRate * 0.50, max: estimatedMaxHeartRate * 0.60 },
zone2: { min: estimatedMaxHeartRate * 0.60, max: estimatedMaxHeartRate * 0.70 },
zone3: { min: estimatedMaxHeartRate * 0.70, max: estimatedMaxHeartRate * 0.80 },
zone4: { min: estimatedMaxHeartRate * 0.80, max: estimatedMaxHeartRate * 0.90 },
zone5: { min: estimatedMaxHeartRate * 0.90, max: estimatedMaxHeartRate * 1.00 }
};
// Round zone boundaries to nearest whole number
for (var zone in zones) {
zones[zone].min = Math.round(zones[zone].min);
zones[zone].max = Math.round(zones[zone].max);
}
var resultHTML = "
Based on an Estimated Maximum Heart Rate of " + estimatedMaxHeartRate + " bpm:
";
resultHTML += "
Zone 1 (Very Light): " + zones.zone1.min + " – " + zones.zone1.max + " bpm (50-60% MHR)";
resultHTML += "
Zone 2 (Light): " + zones.zone2.min + " – " + zones.zone2.max + " bpm (60-70% MHR)";
resultHTML += "
Zone 3 (Moderate): " + zones.zone3.min + " – " + zones.zone3.max + " bpm (70-80% MHR)";
resultHTML += "
Zone 4 (Hard): " + zones.zone4.min + " – " + zones.zone4.max + " bpm (80-90% MHR)";
resultHTML += "
Zone 5 (Maximum): " + zones.zone5.min + " – " + zones.zone5.max + " bpm (90-100% MHR)";
resultDiv.innerHTML = resultHTML;
};
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