Health And Fitness: How to Calculate Training Zone Heart Rates

Wednesday 6 February 2013

How to Calculate Training Zone Heart Rates

Today let’s calculate your Target Heart Rate (THR) for athletic training purposes. The following acronyms will be used in this article:

HR = heart rate

RHR = resting HR
MHR = maximum HR
THR = target HR
HRR = heart rate reserve
NASM = National Academy of Sports Medicine

Calculating MHR

Standard Formula: MHR = 220 – Age

Newer Formula: MHR = 208 – 0.7 *Age

Calculating Target HR (THR)

Heat Rate Reserve Method:

First, calculate your MHR using one of the methods above (or use your measured max heart rate). Next, calculate your heart rate reserve (HRR) using the equation:

HRR = MHR – RHR

Next, calculate your desired percentages of MHR using the following formula:

THR = %MHR*HRR + HRR

Written in longhand the equation looks like this:

Target Heart Rate = [(Desired Percentage of Max Heart Rate) * (Max Heart Rate – Resting Heart Rate)] + Resting Heart Rate

The National Academy of Sports Medicine (NASM) uses the following three training zones in its athletic programs:

Zone 1 (65-75%)

65% MHR = [0.65 * HRR] + RHR

75% MHR = [0.75 * HRR] + RHR

Remember HRR = MHR – RHR

Zone 2 (80-85%)

80% MHR = [0.80 * HRR] + RHR
85% MHR = [0.85 * HRR] + RHR

Zone 3 (86-90%)

86% MHR = [0.86 * HRR] + RHR

90% MHR = [0.90 * HRR] + RHR

Example Calculation

48-year-old woman with a resting heart rate of 60 and an actual (measured) maximum heart rate of 180 who wants to train in Zone 1:

65% MHR = 0.65(180-60) + 60 = 138

75% MHR = 0.75(180-60) + 60 = 150

Zone 1 for this woman is 138 – 150

*Note that this woman has a measured MHR, which is higher than predicted using the standard age formula. Your MHR is your maximumheart rate so if you have observed a higher heart rate during exercise, do not rely upon the rule of thumb formulas, which often underestimate your MHR.