Heart rate zone calculator
Enter a client’s age and resting heart rate. You get the estimated maximum, the heart rate reserve and the target range for any intensity, with every step shown.
Target heart rateEstimated
137-155bpm
60% to 75% of heart rate reserve (120 beats) plus the resting rate
- Maximal heart rate
- 185 bpm (220 - age)
- Heart rate reserve
- 185 - 65 = 120 beats
| Intensity | Heart rate |
|---|---|
| 50% | 125 bpm |
| 55% | 131 bpm |
| 60% | 137 bpm |
| 65% | 143 bpm |
| 70% | 149 bpm |
| 75% | 155 bpm |
| 80% | 161 bpm |
| 85% | 167 bpm |
| 90% | 173 bpm |
| 95% | 179 bpm |
The method in three lines
- Estimate the maximal heart rate: 220 minus age, or 208 minus 0.7 times age.
- For percent of max, multiply the maximum by the intensity.
- For heart rate reserve, multiply (maximum minus resting rate) by the intensity, then add the resting rate.
Then test yourself
Heart rate, blood pressure and the cardio tests sit in the Assessment domain, 16% of the exam. The free practice test covers all six domains in 15 minutes.
Questions people ask
How do you work out a target heart rate with heart rate reserve?
Subtract the resting heart rate from the maximal heart rate to get the reserve, multiply the reserve by the intensity, then add the resting rate back. For a maximum of 185, a resting rate of 65 and 70%: (185 - 65) x 0.7 + 65 = 149 beats a minute.
Which maximal heart rate formula should I use?
220 minus age is the simplest and most widely known. The Tanaka formula, 208 minus 0.7 times age, gives a slightly higher estimate for older adults. Both are estimates; a client's true maximum can differ.
How are training zones set in NASM's cardio model?
NASM's study guide describes four zones set by the two ventilatory thresholds rather than by age: zone 1 below VT1, zone 2 from VT1 to the midpoint, zone 3 from the midpoint to VT2, and zone 4 above VT2. The talk test estimates where those thresholds fall.
Is this the same as the exam?
The exam can ask you to calculate a target heart rate from a maximum and a resting rate. This calculator shows each step so you can check your own working.