Calculate Your Heart Rate Training Zones
Find your 5 training zones based on max heart rate. Optimize fat burn, endurance, and performance.
The 5 Heart Rate Zones
Zone 1 (50-60% max): Very easy, recovery pace. Used for warm-ups and active recovery days. Zone 2 (60-70%): Aerobic base building and fat burning. You can hold a conversation. Most training should be here. Zone 3 (70-80%): Moderate effort, tempo pace. Builds cardiovascular fitness. Zone 4 (80-90%): Hard effort, lactate threshold. Race pace for 10K-half marathon. Zone 5 (90-100%): Maximum effort, sprint intervals. Sustainable for only 1-3 minutes.
The 80/20 Rule
Elite endurance athletes spend approximately 80% of training time in Zone 1-2 (easy) and only 20% in Zones 3-5 (hard). Recreational athletes typically do the opposite — going too hard on easy days and not hard enough on hard days. Following the 80/20 polarized approach significantly improves endurance performance while reducing injury risk.
Resting heart rate is one of the best indicators of cardiovascular fitness. Average is 60-80 bpm. Fit individuals: 50-60 bpm. Elite endurance athletes: 35-50 bpm. A decreasing resting heart rate over weeks of training is one of the most reliable signs that your fitness is improving.
