Find your 5 personalised training zones. Train in the right zone to build your aerobic base, burn fat efficiently or push your lactate threshold.
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If provided, uses Karvonen formula (more accurate). Measure first thing in the morning.
Use if you've measured your max HR in a recent max-effort test.
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Enter your age to calculate your personalised heart rate training zones.
Train in the right zone. A chest strap heart rate monitor gives far more accurate readings than wrist-based sensors, especially during intense exercise.
If you provide your resting heart rate (RHR), zones are calculated using the Karvonen formula: Target HR = RHR + (% × (Max HR − RHR)). This accounts for your heart rate reserve and is more accurate than simple % of max HR.
Without RHR, zones use standard % of maximum heart rate. Max HR is estimated as 220 − age (unless you enter a known value). The 5-zone model: Zone 1 (50–60%): Recovery | Zone 2 (60–70%): Fat burn/aerobic base | Zone 3 (70–80%): Aerobic endurance | Zone 4 (80–90%): Lactate threshold | Zone 5 (90–100%): Maximum effort/VO2 max.
Frequently Asked Questions
Zone 2 (60–70% max HR) burns the highest percentage of calories from fat. However, higher zones burn more total calories — so overall fat loss depends on total energy expenditure, not the fat-burning ratio. For weight loss, consistency and volume matter more than which specific zone you train in.
The most accurate field test: after a thorough warm-up, do 3×800m intervals at maximum effort with 60 seconds rest. Record the highest HR reading. Alternatively, a 1-mile time trial at maximum effort will push most people close to their max. The 220−age formula is an average with high individual variation (±10–15 bpm).
The 80/20 rule (Polarised Training) has strong evidence: spend approximately 80% of training time in Zone 1–2 (easy, conversational) and 20% in Zone 4–5 (hard). Most recreational athletes do the opposite, training too hard too often. This leads to insufficient recovery and limits improvement.