Target Heart Rate Calculator
Target training heart rate from age, resting pulse, and effort intensity.
What it does
Target heart rate tells you how fast your heart should beat during a workout to hit a specific effort level. It is figured from heart rate reserve, which is max heart rate minus resting pulse, then scaled by the intensity you choose.
The tool above computes max heart rate with Tanaka or 220 minus age, subtracts resting pulse to get reserve, and returns the target beats per minute at your chosen intensity. It also prints the full 50 to 85 percent training band for context.
Easy days sit near 50 to 60 percent of reserve, tempo efforts near 70 to 80 percent, and intervals near 90 percent and above. Match the zone to the session goal rather than chasing the highest number.
These are estimates. Medication, heat, stress, and fatigue all move real heart rate, so use perceived effort and breathing as a second check alongside the number.
How to use
- Enter your age in years.
- Enter your resting pulse in beats per minute.
- Pick the intensity you plan to train at, in percent.
- Pick Tanaka or standard for max heart rate.
- Read max heart rate, target heart rate, and the training band.
Formula
- age
- Age in years.
- resting
- Resting pulse in beats per minute.
- intensity
- Effort intensity as a percent of reserve.
- target
- Target heart rate in beats per minute.
Target heart rate scales with reserve, so two people with the same max but different resting pulses get different targets at the same intensity. The 50 to 85 percent band is the standard aerobic training window.
Worked example
Example: age 40, resting 60 bpm, 70 percent intensity
Age 40, resting pulse 60 bpm, 70% intensity, Tanaka formula.
- Max heart rate: 208 - 0.7 x 40 = 180 bpm.
- Reserve: 180 - 60 = 120 bpm.
- Target at 70%: 60 + 120 x 0.70 = 144 bpm.
- Band 50-85%: 60 + 120 x 0.50 to 60 + 120 x 0.85 = 120 to 162 bpm.
- Tool shows max 180 bpm, target 144 bpm, band 120 - 162 bpm.
Reference table
| Intensity | Target heart rate | Zone feel |
|---|---|---|
| 50% | 120 bpm | Very easy, conversation flows |
| 60% | 132 bpm | Easy, steady aerobic |
| 70% | 144 bpm | Moderate, talking in phrases |
| 80% | 156 bpm | Hard, short sentences |
| 85% | 162 bpm | Near threshold, breathy |
Limits
- Formulas are estimates and can miss by 10 to 15 beats for an individual.
- Beta blockers and other rate limiting drugs lower real heart rate.
- Heat, dehydration, and stress push heart rate above the formula number.
- Pregnancy, illness, and recent training all shift the number day to day.
Common mistakes
- Using raw percent of max instead of percent of reserve.
- Picking an intensity without considering fitness and fatigue.
- Training in the top band every day instead of mixing easy and hard.
- Ignoring medication that blunts heart rate response.
- Chasing the target number instead of how the effort feels.
Try it yourself
Quick checks. Answers sit tucked under each question.
Age 30, rest 70, 60% intensity, Tanaka target?
Max 187, reserve 117, target 130 bpm (70 + 117 x 0.60).
Age 50, rest 65, 80% intensity, standard formula?
Max 170, reserve 105, target 149 bpm (65 + 105 x 0.80).
Age 40, rest 60, 50% intensity, Tanaka?
Target 120 bpm (60 + 120 x 0.50).
Questions
What is target heart rate?
The beats per minute you aim for during exercise, based on heart rate reserve and intensity.
How is it different from max heart rate?
Max is the ceiling. Target is a working zone below the ceiling, sized by your resting pulse.
Which intensity should I pick?
50-60% for easy days, 70-80% for tempo, 85%+ for intervals. Match the session goal.
Does the formula choice matter?
Tanaka fits older adults better; standard 220 minus age is simpler. The difference is a few beats.
Can I trust this on medication?
No. Rate limiting drugs such as beta blockers make the formula unreliable. Follow your clinician.
Should I train at target every day?
No. Mix easy, moderate, and hard days. Easy days build the base that hard days need.
Sources
- American Heart Association: Target Heart Rate
- Centers for Disease Control and Prevention: Physical Activity