Heart rate zone calculator for running and cycling
Enter your age or your max heart rate and see which heart rate belongs to which training zone, separately for running and cycling, with resting heart rate if you know it. It all runs in your browser and nothing is stored.
Heart rate zone calculator
Age or max heart rate in, five zones in bpm out.
Age only gives an estimate (208 minus 0.7 × age). A max heart rate you measured yourself is more accurate. These values do not apply with a heart condition or on beta blockers.
| Zone | % of max | Heart rate (bpm) |
|---|---|---|
| Z1 Recovery | 50–60% | 90–108 |
| Z2 Endurance | 60–73% | 109–131 |
| Z3 Tempo | 73–82% | 132–148 |
| Z4 Threshold | 82–90% | 149–162 |
| Z5 VO2max | 90–100% | 163–180 |
| Age | Max | Z2 endurance | Z4 threshold |
|---|---|---|---|
| 20 | 194 | 117–142 | 160–175 |
| 25 | 191 | 116–139 | 158–172 |
| 30 | 187 | 113–137 | 154–168 |
| 35 | 184 | 111–134 | 152–166 |
| 40 | 180 | 109–131 | 149–162 |
| 45 | 177 | 107–129 | 146–159 |
| 50 | 173 | 105–126 | 143–156 |
| 55 | 170 | 103–124 | 140–153 |
| 60 | 166 | 101–121 | 137–149 |
| 65 | 163 | 99–119 | 135–147 |
| 70 | 159 | 96–116 | 131–143 |
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What the calculator does for you
- At a max heart rate of 180, running zone 2 is 109–131 bpm and threshold (zone 4) is 149–162 bpm.
- Max heart rate from age: 208 minus 0.7 × age. At 40 that is 180 bpm, though individuals sit a good 10 beats above or below.
- A max heart rate you measured yourself beats any formula.
How to calculate your heart rate zones
Each zone is a percentage range of your max heart rate, so you multiply. At 180 bpm the top of zone 2 is 180 × 0.73, or 131 bpm. The ranges below are for running. On the bike the middle boundaries sit slightly lower: zone 2 ends at 70% and zone 3 at 80%.
- Zone 1 recovery, 50–60%: warm-ups, cool-downs and very easy days
- Zone 2 endurance, 60–73%: most of your training; you can talk in full sentences
- Zone 3 tempo, 73–82%: brisk; talking is down to short sentences
- Zone 4 threshold, 82–90%: hard; typical for intervals of 8 to 20 minutes
- Zone 5 VO2max, above 90%: short intervals of a few minutes
Finding your max heart rate: formula or test
The formula 208 minus 0.7 × age (Tanaka) fits the average better than the familiar 220 minus age, but it says little about you personally. The easiest source is your highest reading of the past few months, such as the finishing sprint of a race, and a chest strap is more reliable than a wrist sensor. To test it: warm up well, go hard uphill for three minutes, jog briefly, then repeat with the last minute as fast as you can. Only test if you are healthy. With heart or circulatory conditions, during pregnancy or on medication such as beta blockers these formulas do not apply, so talk to your doctor.
Why your heart rate is lower on the bike than on the run
When you run you carry your own weight and work more muscle. On the bike you are seated, and many people's max heart rate is a few beats lower. That is why the calculator has two variants. It is most accurate when you enter a separate max heart rate for each sport.
When heart rate doesn't tell the whole story
Heart rate responds to more than effort, so never compare sessions on one number alone, and don't expect it to rise straight away in short intervals.
- Heat, poor sleep, caffeine and an oncoming infection push it up
- On long sessions it creeps up at the same pace
- In short intervals it lags behind the effort, so use pace or power there
How YOUB uses your heart rate zones
YOUB starts with an estimate from your age and replaces it as soon as you truly hit your limit in a session: max heart rate is measured from hard efforts, separately for running and cycling. When your numbers change, YOUB recalculates your zones and sends the workouts on your watch again with the new targets. If you have a lab value, just tell your coach. Try it free for 4 weeks.
Free heart rate zone calculator
Heart rateHow do I calculate my heart rate zones?
Take your max heart rate and work out the percentage boundaries: zone 1 50–60%, zone 2 60–73%, zone 3 73–82%, zone 4 82–90%, zone 5 90–100%. At a max of 170, running zone 2 runs from 103 to 124 bpm. On the bike, zone 2 ends at 70% and zone 3 at 80%.
Heart rateWhat heart rate is zone 2?
60–73% of your max heart rate when running and 60–70% on the bike. At 180 bpm that is 109–131 bpm running and 109–126 bpm cycling. A good cross-check is that you can still talk in full sentences.
Heart rateIs 220 minus age accurate?
As a rough estimate yes, for you personally often not, and it gets less accurate with age. At 60 it gives 160 bpm, while 208 minus 0.7 × age gives 166 bpm. Both only describe an average, and your real value can be a good 10 beats away.
Heart rateWhat is the Karvonen formula?
It uses your heart rate reserve, which is max minus resting heart rate: target = resting + (max − resting) × percentage. At a max of 180 and a resting heart rate of 55, running zone 2 becomes 131–146 bpm. These numbers are higher than plain percentages of max. On easy days, the lower number is the safer choice.
Heart rateWhy do Garmin and Apple Watch show different zones?
Every manufacturer divides them differently. By default Garmin uses even 10% steps from 50 to 100% of max heart rate, while Apple Watch calculates its zones automatically from your Health data. You can enter the boundaries by hand on both; on Apple Watch that is in the Workout settings.
Heart rateWhy is my heart rate lower cycling than running?
On the bike you are seated, you don't carry your own weight and you work less muscle, so your heart has less blood to move. Many people therefore reach a slightly lower max heart rate on the bike. Use the cycling variant of the calculator, or better, a max you measured on the bike.
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