Calculating your maximum heart rate is straightforward once you know the Target 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 Target Heart Rate Calculator.
What is Target Heart Rate?
The Target Heart Rate calculation tells you your maximum heart rate from a few simple inputs. The figure you are solving for here is the maximum heart rate.
The Target Heart Rate formula
The core formula is:
Maximum heart rate = 220 - AgeHere is what each input means:
- Age — a value measured in years. Example: 30 years.
How to calculate it step by step
- Write down the age (for example, 30 years).
- Apply the formula above to get your maximum heart rate.
- Double-check the result with the Target Heart Rate Calculator.
Worked examples
Example 1
| Input / Output | Value |
|---|---|
| Age | 30 years |
| Maximum heart rate | 190 |
| Moderate zone – lower (50%) | 95 |
| Moderate zone – upper (70%) | 133 |
| Vigorous zone – upper (85%) | 162 |
With age of 30 years, the maximum heart rate works out to 190.
Example 2
With age of 60 years, the maximum heart rate works out to 160.
| Result | Value |
|---|---|
| Maximum heart rate | 160 |
| Moderate zone – lower (50%) | 80 |
| Moderate zone – upper (70%) | 112 |
| Vigorous zone – upper (85%) | 136 |
Example 3
With age of 15 years, the maximum heart rate works out to 205.
| Result | Value |
|---|---|
| Maximum heart rate | 205 |
| Moderate zone – lower (50%) | 103 |
| Moderate zone – upper (70%) | 144 |
| Vigorous zone – upper (85%) | 174 |
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 Target Heart Rate Calculator does it instantly, for free, with the formula and a worked example built in.
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