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Heart Rate
Training
Zone
Calculator
By MyProCoach

Use this simple calculator to estimate

your heart rate training zones based on
your age, or enter your exact maximal
heart rate if you know it. You can then
print your results or download as a PDF.
Also you can read below for more about
heart rate training zones and our best
tips when using them. Enjoy!

Maximum Heart Rate

Training Zone Calculator

How old are you?

26

Get Estimate Of
Step 1.
My Maximum Heart Rate

Now, enter your maximum heart rate into the

box below to work out your training zones.

(As a more accurate method of estimating

your max heart rate, you could base it on the
highest heart rate you’ve seen during a race in
the last six months. Or do this field test
instead).

Enter your Maximum Heart Rate

186

Calculate My
Step 2.
Heart Rate Zones

Heart Rate Heart Rate

Training (beats per
Zones Feel minute)

1 Easy 126 - 137

2 Steady 138 - 150

3 Moderately 151 - 163

Hard

4 Hard 164 - 174

5 Very Hard 175 - 186

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About Heart Rate Training

Back in the 1990’s, World Champion
IRONMAN triathletes like Paula Newby-
Fraser and Mark Allen were dominating
the sport, using heart rate (HR) for all
their key sessions.

Six-time World Champion Allen even

said: “During my 15 years of racing in the
sport of triathlons I searched for those
few golden tools that would allow me to
maximize my training time and come up
with the race results I envisioned. At the
top of that list was heart rate training.”

Heart rate training enables you to focus

in on different training intensities. For
Allen this meant training for several
months at a time below 155 beats per
minute, to develop his ability to use fat
as a fuel.

To begin training like this, you need to

establish your own set of personal heart
rate training zones.

Step 1. Work out your

maximum heart rate
Find a good hill that takes you about two
minutes to run up. The test begins
around five minutes before the hill.
Gradually accelerate towards the hill
achieving around 85% effort at the base
of the hill. As you hit the hill, maintain
your speed by increasing your effort.
Your heart rate will rise and you will
quickly tire. Keep an eye on your HR
watch and make a mental note of your
highest heart rate as you work towards
the top of the hill.

For a more accurate test (but slightly

more complex), you could try this one
instead.

Doing a maximum heart rate field test

while unprepared is a surefire way to end
up in maximum distress. If you are
unsure, consult your physician before
undertaking the test.

If you don’t want to do a fitness test, you

have two (less accurate) options.

Option 1: Just use the highest heart rate

you’ve seen during a race or high
intensity workout in the last six months.
Assume it’s close to being your maximal
heart rate.

Option 2: Calculate 220 minus your age,

to get an estimate of your max heart
rate. You can also do this via our heart
rate zone calculator (above).

Step 2. Work out your

heart rate zones
Once you’ve worked out your maximum
heart rate, you can divide your heart
rates into training zones using our zone
calculator above. Or simply use your
own handheld calculator, based on the
percentages below.

Zone 1: Easy – 68% to 73% of max HR.

Useful for encouraging blood flow, to aid
recovery after a tough workout.

Zone 2: Steady – 73% to 80% of max HR.

Training in this zone will boost endurance
and the efficiency with which you use fat
and carbohydrates as fuel.

Zone 3: Moderately Hard – 80% to 87% of

max HR. Training in the upper end of this
zone is thought to enable you to delay
fatigue caused by lactic acid. Repetitions
should be 10-20 minutes long, with
relatively short recoveries of 1 to 3
minutes.

Zone 4: Hard – 87% to 93% of max HR.

Boosts lactate threshold, but training in
this zone will soon lead to fatigue. Use
this zone for 3 to 10 minute repetitions
with 1-2 minute recoveries.

Zone 5: Very Hard – 93-100% of max HR.

Training in this zone is only possible for
short periods, and helps you develop
top-end speed. Train att this intensity for
short repetitions of 1 to 3 minutes, with a
similar amount of time as recovery.

Further Heart Rate Zone

Tips

Once you have your own set of

zones, you can start to differentiate
between your training intensities.
As a general rule of thumb, for
endurance sports such as running,
cycling and triathlon you should
aim to do 80% of your training in
Zones 1 to 2 (mainly Zone 2). And
the remaining 20% of your training
in Zones 3 to 5.

Note that your heart rate zones

may differ between sports, such as
cycling and running. For example,
cycling heart rate zones are
commonly 5-8 beats lower than
running heart rate zones. If you do
both sports, you may need to
create two different sets of zones,
based on your max heart rate in
each one. Or create yourself a set
of running zones, and then
subtract 5 to 8 heart-beats off
each zone, as an estimate of your
cycling zones.

Your heart rate is a reflection of

how hard your body is working, in a
given moment. Heart rate
monitoring is most useful during
steady-state workouts, in which
you mostly train at one intensity
throughout.

Heart rate monitoring is less useful

during workouts that involve short,
sharp efforts. This is because your
heart-rate may take minutes to
fully reflect changes in your
intensity. For example, you could
run at a steady-state fast pace for
30-seconds, where your heart rate
would be continually climbing
throughout. Therefore, during short,
hard efforts, it’s good to include
other measures like pace, power
output or Rate of Perceived
Exertion to help gauge your
intensity.

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Phil Mosley (Coach & Founder)

Phil is a recognised expert in the field,
having featured on many endurance
sports publications. He founded
MyProCoach in 2010 to sell premium
training plans complete with email
coach support for triathlons, duathlons,
running & cycling.

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