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What Is a Target Heart Rate Calculator?
The Target Heart Rate Calculator helps you identify the training zones that match your fitness goals. By entering details such as age, gender, and resting heart rate, you’ll receive personalised heart rate ranges for recovery runs, aerobic base building, tempo workouts, threshold training, and VO₂ Max efforts.
Which Calculation Method Should You Choose?
Different methods exist for estimating target heart rate. The calculator offers three approaches, so you can select the one that best suits your needs:
- Karvonen Method – Uses both your maximum heart rate and resting heart rate to provide the most accurate and personalised zones. Best if you know your resting HR from a morning measurement.
- Max HR Method – A straightforward approach based on a percentage of your maximum heart rate. Useful if you prefer simplicity and don’t have resting HR data available.
- Age-Predicted – A quick estimate based only on your age. While less precise, it still provides a solid starting point for new runners.
Why Resting Heart Rate Matters
Your resting heart rate (RHR) is an important indicator of cardiovascular fitness. Measuring it first thing in the morning, before caffeine or activity, gives the most reliable result. A lower RHR often reflects stronger heart efficiency. Including this value in the calculator improves accuracy for setting training zones, particularly with the Karvonen Method.
Training Zones Explained
Each training zone serves a different purpose. Understanding them helps you make the most of your sessions:
- Zone 1 – Recovery: Very light activity, great for rest days and warm-ups.
- Zone 2 – Aerobic Base: The foundation of endurance training. Long runs often sit here.
- Zone 3 – Tempo: “Comfortably hard” efforts, building lactate threshold.
- Zone 4 – Threshold: Sharpening speed and stamina for race paces.
- Zone 5 – VO₂ Max: Short, fast intervals to develop top-end capacity.
How to Use the Results
Once you’ve calculated your zones, you’ll see your maximum heart rate, resting heart rate, and heart rate reserve, along with the method used. These values allow you to:
- Plan easy runs that promote recovery rather than fatigue.
- Structure tempo sessions at the right intensity.
- Control your pace on long runs by effort, not just speed.
- Progressively increase training loads while reducing the risk of overtraining.
Practical Tips
Heart rate training works best when paired with consistency. Here are a few tips:
- Recalculate zones every few months as your fitness improves.
- Repeat resting heart rate measurements across several mornings for accuracy.
- Use a chest strap monitor for reliable readings, especially during intervals.
- Factor in conditions such as heat, hydration, and stress when interpreting data.
Next Steps
Now that you’ve found your target zones, put them into practice. Combine them with structured training using our Running Plan Generator or explore different types of sessions in our workouts library. This way, every run is matched to your goals.
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