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Target Heart Rate Calculator |
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Your training zone(click to read more) The target heart rate is a range that is a percentage of your maximum heart rate. This heart rate range indicates how fast your heart should beat during cardiovascular exercise. Knowing the heart rate range that you should be exercising in, helps you to ensure that you are exercising hard enough for weight loss.
To burn as many calories from fat as possible try to perform longer duration exercises at a moderate to high intensity. Basically step the intensity up to as high a level you are able to sustain for 30 – 60 minutes; this is YOUR training zone. Generally, this tends to be 60% (moderate intensity) – 80% (hard) of your maximum heart rate. If you have not exercised for a while, it is a good idea to start with a moderate intensity and increase it, as you get stronger and increasingly more fit. Interval training, is also a very effective fat burner.
Instructions (click to read more) Enter your age and resting heart rate (maximum heart rate
is optional), then click Calculate. If you prefer you can calculate these values yourself (click here). For your resting heart rate, count your pulse for 60 seconds as soon as you wake up in the morning – before you do anything. The algorithm used to determine your MHR is only a best guess and not a guarantee of your true MHR value. To determine your true MHR you should consider conducting a Stress Test.
You can take your pulse by feeling for it at your neck (carotid artery) or wrist (radial artery).
Beginners
(click to read more)Taking pulse from your neck: Place your index & middle fingers on the carotid artery, which is just below the angle of your jaw at the side of you neck. Do NOT feel for both carotid artery pulses at the same time, as this can cause severe slowing of the heart. 
Taking pulse from your wrist: Place your index & middle fingers on the radial artery, which is located on the lateral side (side of your thumb) of your wrist.
If you have been inactive for a long time, you may have to start at an intensity level lower than 60%. The more fit you become, the easier it becomes to exercise in your target heart rate (THR) range. It is also a possibility that your ideal exercise intensity may be higher than the THR for your age group. You know that you are working at the right intensity if you are sweating and breathing harder than normal, but not gasping for breath. You also need to sustain it for 30 – 60 minutes. The table below shows the level of fitness and its approximate corresponding maximum heart rate.
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If you are a beginner and don't have a heart rate monitor to keep track of your heart rate, you can start with antother method of assessing the intensity of your workout. You can use a scale of 1- 10 to judge the intensity of your effort during exercise, also known as the Rating of Perceived Exertion (RPE) scale (click here to view RPE scale). This scale does not require measuring heart rate. This can be easier to use for beginners who are not using the gym. If you are using equipment in the gym or have a heart rate monitor when doing outdoor activity, it is simple enough to use target heart rate as your intensity guide.
| Level 1 | Very, very light |
| Level 2 | Very light |
| Level 3 | Light, very easy |
| Level 4 | Low intensity, warm-up level, easy |
| Level 5 | Low to moderate intensity, still fairly easy |
| Level 6 | Moderate intensity, working and breathing a little hard |
| Level 7 | Moderate to high intensity, breathing harder, more challenging |
| Level 8 | High intensity, very challenging, breathing very hard, difficult to talk |
| Level 9 | Very high intensity, breathing seriously hard |
| Level 10 | Maximum intensity, feels like your heart will burst out of your chest |
