Calculating your target heart rate is straightforward once you know the Karvonen Heart Rate formula and what each input means. This guide explains the method in plain language, walks through a manual calculation, and gives worked examples you can follow — then you can do it instantly with the Karvonen Heart Rate Calculator.
What is Karvonen Heart Rate?
The Karvonen Heart Rate calculation tells you your target heart rate from a few simple inputs. The figure you are solving for here is the target heart rate.
The Karvonen Heart Rate formula
The core formula is:
Target heart rate = ((220 - Age) - Resting heart rate) × Training intensity ÷ 100 + Resting heart rateHere is what each input means:
- Age — a value measured in years. Example: 30 years.
- Resting heart rate — a value measured in bpm. Example: 60 bpm.
- Training intensity — a percentage, such as an annual rate. Example: 7%.
How to calculate it step by step
- Write down the age (for example, 30 years).
- Write down the resting heart rate (for example, 60 bpm).
- Write down the training intensity (for example, 7%).
- Apply the formula above to get your target heart rate.
- Double-check the result with the Karvonen Heart Rate Calculator.
Worked examples
Example 1
| Input / Output | Value |
|---|---|
| Age | 30 years |
| Resting heart rate | 60 bpm |
| Training intensity | 7% |
| Target heart rate | 151 |
| Heart rate reserve | 130 |
With age of 30 years, resting heart rate of 60 bpm and training intensity of 7%, the target heart rate works out to 151.
Example 2
With age of 60 years, resting heart rate of 60 bpm and training intensity of 7%, the target heart rate works out to 130.
| Result | Value |
|---|---|
| Target heart rate | 130 |
| Heart rate reserve | 100 |
Example 3
With age of 15 years, resting heart rate of 60 bpm and training intensity of 7%, the target heart rate works out to 162.
| Result | Value |
|---|---|
| Target heart rate | 162 |
| Heart rate reserve | 145 |
Tips for an accurate result
- Keep your units consistent — mixing, say, months with years or grams with kilograms is the most common source of error.
- Round only at the very end. Rounding inputs early can shift the final answer noticeably.
- Re-run the numbers whenever an input changes, rather than estimating from an old result.
- These figures are general estimates, not medical advice — check with a qualified professional before acting on them.
Prefer not to do the maths by hand? — the Karvonen Heart Rate Calculator does it instantly, for free, with the formula and a worked example built in.
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