Target Heart Rate
Calculator

It multiplies your estimated maximum heart rate by percentage bounds, commonly 50-85% for general cardio training, to get a lower and upper bpm target. Enter your age or known max heart rate to see the zone in beats per minute.

Lower percentages (50-60%) target fat-burning and recovery, moderate ranges (60-70%) build aerobic base, and higher ranges (70-85%+) improve performance and speed. Training exclusively in one zone limits the adaptations you can achieve.

It's a reasonable estimate, but percentage of heart rate reserve (Karvonen method) accounts for your resting heart rate too and is generally considered more personalized. Simple max-HR percentage zones are easier to use but slightly less precise for very fit or unfit individuals.

This can happen if your actual max heart rate is higher than the age-based estimate used to compute the zone, which is common in trained athletes. It can also reflect factors like heat, dehydration, or cardiac drift affecting how heart rate tracks with effort that day.

Not necessarily, since cycling typically produces a lower heart rate than running at the same perceived effort due to less body weight being actively moved. Many athletes use a slightly lower target zone for cycling to match a comparable training stimulus.