Training Heart Rate
1. Enter your Age.
2. Enter your Resting Heart Rate.
3. Select Male or Female.
4. Select the sport Run or Swim and press Calculate.
When changing numbers, please click on RESET button first to clear the formula.
For a complete description of your Training Heart Rate, read the article below.
It's called the Training Heart Rate. That's how fast your heart should be beating to get the most out of every workout. Follow these three steps to figure out how to maximize a traditional cardio workout.
STEP ONE: Find out your Resting Heart Rate. Before you get out of bed in the morning, place two fingers (your middle and index finger) under your ear, then slide them down until they are directly under your jawbone, pressing lightly. You should feel your pulse. Count the beats for one minute. This number is your Resting Heart Rate. To help ensure accuracy, take your Resting Heart Rate over three mornings in a row and average the three heart rates together.
STEP TWO: Decide which of the zones below you're going to train in. For traditional cardio, there are four primary intensity levels or Zones. Here's what they mean.
60% to 70% is the Energy Efficient or Recovery Zone. Training within this zone helps increase your aerobic capacity, develops basic endurance, burns fat and allows your body to replenish glycogen* that has been depleted during faster-paced workouts.
* Glycogen is the main form of carbohydrate storage in humans. It is readily converted to glucose to satisfy the body's energy needs.
70% to 80% is the Aerobic Zone. Train in this zone, and you will develop your cardiovascular system improving your body's ability to transport oxygen.
80% to 90% is the Anaerobic Zone. If you train in this zone, the amount of fat your body burns remains high, but you also burn glycogen stored in your muscles so your body can provide enough energy to keep you moving.
90% to 100% is the Red Line Zone and also known as your VO2 Max. Training in this zone is possible for only short periods. It develops fast-twitch muscle fibers and helps develop speed. This zone is reserved for the very fit and INTERVAL TRAINING only.
STEP THREE: Once you decide which zone you're going to train in and you know your Resting Heart Rate, you will need to put those figures into a formula. You can use our calculator by clicking HERE, or figure it out by following the steps below.
The Formula
For MALES: 214 - Your Age = Maximum Heart Rate
For FEMALES: 209 - Your Age = Maximum Heart Rate
Take the Maximum Heart Rate - Resting Heart Rate = DIFFERENCE
Take the DIFFERENCE and multiply it by the Zone you want to train in. If you want to train in the 60% range multiply DIFFERENCE by .60, if you want to train in the 70% range multiply DIFFERENCE by .70.
Add your Resting Heart Rate, and you get your Training Heart Rate.
(Please Note: This formula gives you the LOWER number in the Maximum Range of your Training Heart Rate. The automatic calculator gives you the HIGHER number in the Maximum Range of your Training Heart Rate. Both numbers are valid! You should use the lower number as your initial goal and work toward getting up to the higher number.)
ALTERNATE FORMULA: Scientists in Norway have come up with a formula they feel yields a more accurate number. That formula is below for your consideration. If clinical trials show it's more effective, we'll change our automatic calculation above. Until then, we'll continue using the formula that's considered the gold standard in clinical trials.
211 - (your age x 0.64)
CAUTION: Some medications affect your exercise heart rate. Before beginning any exercise program, check with your doctor or health care professional first.
