Heart rate zones
Training zones from your max and resting heart rate, or from a 30-minute threshold test, with separate run and bike zones.
Your heart rate
Resting HR: measure lying down just after waking, over a few mornings. Max HR: the highest you've seen at the end of an all-out effort is better than any formula.
Your zones
Estimated from age as 208 − 0.7 × age (Tanaka et al. 2001). Real max heart rates often differ by 10 bpm or more, so your zones can be off too. Enter a measured max if you have one.
ResearchHeart rate reserve zones
| Zone | bpm | Use for |
|---|---|---|
| Zone 1 · Recovery | 118–130 | Warm-ups, recovery days |
| Zone 2 · Endurance | 130–143 | Long rides and runs; most of your training |
| Zone 3 · Tempo | 143–155 | Steady and "comfortably hard"; long-course race effort |
| Zone 4 · Threshold | 155–168 | Hard intervals; short-race effort |
| Zone 5 · Max | 168–180 | Short, very hard repeats |
Each zone is resting HR + a share of your heart rate reserve (Karvonen et al. 1957). The five 10% bands are a common coaching split, not a research finding.
Heart rate drifts up in heat and over long efforts, so use zones as a guide alongside pace or power. Not medical advice: if you have a heart condition or take medication that affects heart rate, ask your doctor.
Heart rate reserve
Heart rate reserve is the gap between your resting and maximum heart rate. Each zone is your resting HR plus a share of that gap (Karvonen et al. 1957). It suits people with a low resting heart rate better than a plain percentage of max.
Max heart rate
If you don't know yours, 208 − 0.7 × age is a better estimate than the old 220 − age (Tanaka et al. 2001). It's still only an average: individuals vary by 10 bpm or more.
Threshold zones
Zones from your lactate threshold heart rate are popular in triathlon because bike and run thresholds differ. The percentages come from coaching practice (Friel). More in the methodology.