Find Your Heart Rate Training Zones
Get your personalized cardio zones for fat burning, endurance, and performance
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Quick Guide
Zone 1-2: Easy pace, build base (60-80% time)
Zone 3: Moderate effort (10-20% time)
Zone 4-5: Hard intervals (10-20% time)
Your Training Zones
Zone 1: Recovery
Easy pace, promotes recovery and fat burning
Zone 2: Endurance
Comfortable pace, builds aerobic base
Zone 3: Aerobic
Moderate effort, improves cardiovascular fitness
Zone 4: Threshold
Hard effort, increases lactate threshold
Zone 5: VO2 Max
Maximum effort, improves peak performance
How to Use These Zones
80/20 Rule: Spend 80% of training time in Zones 1-2 (easy), 20% in Zones 3-5 (hard)
Zone 1-2: Long runs, recovery days, base building (30-120+ minutes)
Zone 3: Tempo runs, steady state cardio (20-60 minutes)
Zone 4-5: Intervals with rest periods (3-30 minutes total work)
Understanding Heart Rate Zones
Max Heart Rate
The 220-age formula provides an estimate. Actual max HR can vary ±10-20 bpm based on genetics and fitness level.
Why Zones Work
Each zone targets different energy systems. Low zones build aerobic base, high zones improve speed and power.
80/20 Principle
Elite athletes spend 80% of time in easy zones. This builds the foundation that supports high-intensity work.
How the Heart Rate Zones Calculator Works
Understanding training intensity through heart rate
The Zone-Based System
Heart rate zones divide training intensity into 5 distinct ranges based on percentage of maximum heart rate. Each zone targets different physiological adaptations: fat burning, aerobic base, lactate threshold, or peak power.
Our calculator uses the 220 - age formula for max HR estimation, then calculates zones as percentages. This provides personalized targets ensuring you train at correct intensity for your goals.
The 5 Heart Rate Zones:
- • Zone 1 (50-60%): Recovery, warm-up
- • Zone 2 (60-70%): Fat burn, aerobic base
- • Zone 3 (70-80%): Aerobic endurance
- • Zone 4 (80-90%): Lactate threshold
- • Zone 5 (90-100%): Max effort, VO2 max
Why Training Zones Matter
Different intensities create different adaptations. Zone 2 builds aerobic base and burns fat. Zone 4 improves lactate threshold. Zone 5 boosts VO2 max. Training at wrong intensity wastes time or causes overtraining.
What Each Zone Develops:
- • Zone 1-2: Fat oxidation, mitochondrial density
- • Zone 3: Cardiovascular efficiency, endurance
- • Zone 4: Lactate clearance, sustained speed
- • Zone 5: Max oxygen uptake, peak power
When to Use the Heart Rate Zones Calculator
Optimizing training intensity for your goals
Starting Cardio Training
Before beginning any cardio program, establish your training zones to ensure proper intensity and avoid overtraining or under-training.
Getting Heart Rate Monitor
When buying HR monitor or smartwatch, program your zones immediately for accurate real-time feedback during workouts.
Plateau Breaking
Endurance not improving? Check if you're training in correct zones. Most people train too hard in easy sessions.
Heart Rate Training Best Practices
Effective Zone Training:
- • 80% of training in Zone 2 (easy aerobic)
- • 20% in Zone 4-5 (hard intervals)
- • Use HR monitor for accurate tracking
- • Stay in target zone for entire interval
- • Recalculate zones every 6-12 months
- • Test resting HR weekly (morning baseline)
Common Zone Mistakes:
- • Training too hard in "easy" Zone 2 sessions
- • Not going hard enough in interval sessions
- • Ignoring HR data and training by "feel"
- • Using outdated zones (not recalculating)
- • Spending all time in moderate Zone 3
- • Not allowing HR to recover between intervals