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Max Heart Rate Calculator
Use this free max heart rate calculator to find your maximum heart rate from your age, using the Fox, Tanaka, and Gellish formulas. It also works as a target heart rate calculator and heart rate zone calculator: the table below shows your five training zones, each with its percentage of your max and its beats-per-minute range.
Age is the only number that matters for max heart rate. The formulas below are built for healthy adults; the sex choice does not change the result, it only adjusts the notes.
| Fox: 220 − age | 180 bpm |
| Tanaka: 208 − 0.7 × age | 180 bpm |
| Gellish: 207 − 0.7 × age | 179 bpm |
| Moderate target (60–70%) | 108–126 bpm |
Your training zones
| Zone 1 — Recovery | 50–60% | 90–108 bpm |
| Zone 2 — Endurance | 60–70% | 108–126 bpm |
| Zone 3 — Tempo | 70–80% | 126–144 bpm |
| Zone 4 — Threshold | 80–90% | 144–162 bpm |
| Zone 5 — Maximum | 90–100% | 162–180 bpm |
Zones are percentages of your Tanaka max heart rate. Zone 2 is where most of your weekly training should sit.
How it works
Your max heart rate is the fastest your heart can beat during all-out effort, measured in beats per minute (bpm). It falls steadily with age — roughly one beat per year — which is why every formula for it is built from age alone. No other input is needed, because fitness, weight, and resting heart rate change how hard exercise feels, but they do not change the ceiling by much.
This calculator runs three published formulas. The Fox formula, from 1971, is the one most people have heard: max heart rate equals 220 minus age. The Tanaka formula, from a large study published in 2001, says max heart rate equals 208 minus 0.7 times age, and it is generally the most accurate for healthy adults. The Gellish formula, from 2007, says 207 minus 0.7 times age, and it lands almost on top of Tanaka. For most ages the three answers sit within a few beats of each other.
Your training zones are percentages of your max heart rate, using the Tanaka value as the base. Zone 1 is 50 to 60 percent: easy walking, warm-ups, and recovery, where you can talk in full sentences. Zone 2 is 60 to 70 percent: steady endurance work, the zone where most of your weekly training should sit, because it builds aerobic fitness without wearing you out. Zone 3 is 70 to 80 percent: tempo pace, comfortably hard, where you can speak in short sentences. Zone 4 is 80 to 90 percent: threshold work, hard breathing, sustainable for minutes rather than hours. Zone 5 is 90 to 100 percent: maximum effort, short intervals only, where talking is out of the question. Your target heart rate for general fitness is usually Zone 2 to Zone 3 — about 60 to 80 percent of your max.
These formulas give an average for people your age, and real maximums vary by roughly 10 to 12 beats per minute in either direction. Trained athletes and people on certain medicines, such as beta blockers, can sit well outside the formula. The only way to know your true maximum exactly is a graded exercise test in a lab or clinic, pushing to exhaustion while your heart rate is recorded.
Worked example
A 40-year-old wants to know their max heart rate and training zones.
Step 1: Fox. 220 − 40 = 180 bpm.
Step 2: Tanaka. 208 − 0.7 × 40 = 208 − 28 = 180 bpm.
Step 3: Gellish. 207 − 0.7 × 40 = 207 − 28 = 179 bpm.
Step 4: Zones, from the Tanaka max of 180 bpm. Zone 1 is 50 to 60 percent: 90 to 108 bpm. Zone 2 is 60 to 70 percent: 108 to 126 bpm. Zone 3 is 70 to 80 percent: 126 to 144 bpm. Zone 4 is 80 to 90 percent: 144 to 162 bpm. Zone 5 is 90 to 100 percent: 162 to 180 bpm.
The tool shows the same result: a max heart rate of 180 bpm, with a moderate target of 108 to 126 bpm. For a steady run, this person should aim to keep their heart rate in Zone 2, around 108 to 126 bpm, and save Zone 4 and 5 for short intervals.
FAQ
What is max heart rate?
Max heart rate is the highest number of beats per minute your heart can reach during all-out effort. It falls with age, which is why every formula for it starts with your age. It is a ceiling, not a target: most training happens well below it, in heart rate zones that are percentages of your maximum.
Which max heart rate formula is most accurate?
The Tanaka formula, 208 minus 0.7 times your age, is generally the most accurate for healthy adults, because it was built from a large study of people of many ages. The older Fox formula, 220 minus age, is the best known but tends to overestimate for older people and underestimate for younger ones. Gellish, 207 minus 0.7 times age, is very close to Tanaka. For most people the three formulas land within a few beats of each other.
What are heart rate zones?
Heart rate zones split your range from resting to maximum into five bands. Zone 1 (50 to 60 percent of max) is easy recovery work, Zone 2 (60 to 70 percent) is steady endurance, Zone 3 (70 to 80 percent) is tempo work, Zone 4 (80 to 90 percent) is hard threshold work, and Zone 5 (90 to 100 percent) is maximum effort you can hold only briefly. This calculator shows your beats-per-minute range for each zone.
What is a good target heart rate for exercise?
For general fitness, aim for Zone 2 to Zone 3 — roughly 60 to 80 percent of your max heart rate — for most workouts. That is where you build endurance without exhausting yourself. Short bursts into Zone 4 or 5 are useful for interval training, and Zone 1 is for warm-ups, cool-downs, and easy recovery days.
Can I exceed my calculated max heart rate?
Yes, sometimes. The formulas give an average for people your age, and real maximums vary by about 10 to 12 beats per minute either way. If your heart rate monitor regularly shows numbers above your calculated maximum during hard effort, your true maximum is probably higher. Stop and seek medical advice if you feel chest pain, dizziness, or unusual breathlessness during exercise.