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! Calculators

MAXIMUM HEART RATE & PULSE RATE

ZONES

Gender

Age

37 years

Resting heart rate

66 beats/minute

Weight

92 kg

Maximum heart rate (according to Edwards):

185 Beats/minute
Maximum heart rate for trained athletes
(according to Spanaus): 190 Beats/minute

Optimal training heart rate: 138 to 162

beats/minute

The results are average values depending on

fitness, genetic predisposition, training level
and external factors, this can deviate by +/-
10 beats or more!

Your heart rate zones

HEART EFFORT TRAINING DESCRIPTIO
RATE ZONE TYPE

50-60% of th
maximum
heart rate
RECOM
93 up Fitness (Regeneration Strengthenin
to of the
zone &
111 Compensation) circulatory
system.
Perfect for
beginners.

60-70% of th
maximum
heart rate
Maximum
calories burn
111 Fat BE 1 (Basic from fat.
up to burning Endurance Strengthenin
130 zone training 1) of the
circulatory
system and
improvemen
of fitness.

70-80% of th
maximum
heart rate
Improvemen
130 Aerobic BE 1/2 (Basic of respiratio
up to Endurance
zone and
148 training 1 to 2) circulation.
Ideal for
increasing
endurance.

80-90% of th
maximum
heart rate
Body can no
longer meet
oxygen
148 Anaerobic BE 2 (Basic requirement
up to Endurance Competitive
zone
167 training 2) athletes trai
for short
periods in th
range for
maximal
performance
increase.

Over 90% of
the maximum
heart rate.
CSE Approaching
over (Competition the maximum
Red zone Specific heart rate.
167 Endurance May be
training) harmful to th
heart in
recreational
athletes!

» LEARN MORE ABOUT HEART RATE

» CALORIES BURNED CALCULATOR
» RUNNING PACE CALCULATOR

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TABLE OF CONTENTS
1. Resting heart rate and maximum heart
rate
2. How to measure your own pulse
3. Calculating the maximum heart rate
3.1. Empirical formula
3.2. Sally Edwards Formula
3.3. Winfried Spanaus Formula
4. Optimal training heart rate

The heart rate is an important measurement for

training theory, since it provides optimal
guidelines for different training zones. So that you
can define these zones precisely, you must know
your own maximum heart rate. There are different
options for determining this, which we will expand
on in the following article.

RESTING HEART RATE AND MAXIMUM

HEART RATE
The two opposite poles of the heart rate are the
resting heart rate and the maximum heart rate. As
the name suggests, the resting heart rate is the
heartbeat at rest. In healthy adults this should be
between 50 and 100. Trained athletes can fall
below this range and achieve a minimum heart
rate of 30 beats per minute. But if you have a
resting heart rate of over 100 beats per minute,
this is known as tachycardia, and you should get
checked out by your doctor.

The maximum heart rate on the other hand

indicates the upper limit which our heartbeat can
reach. The maximum heart rate is a very individual
value and is dependent on age, gender, genetic
predisposition, training level and daily variation.
Because of this high level of variability, it is not
possible to make exact predictions about whether
a high maximum heart rate is good or bad. You
should however exercise caution. If you trains for
too long or too often in the maximum heart rate
zone, this can quickly lead to a overtraining. For
hobby athletes doing interval training once or a
short training session at a continuous intensity is
sufficient.

HOW TO MEASURE YOUR OWN PULSE

There are different methods for determining
individual values. The first of these is measuring
by hand, by placing with the index, middle and ring
finger on the throat, and counting the beats for 15
seconds. Then multiply this value by four and you
have your heart rate. This method is useful for
determining your resting heart rate. This should
ideally be measured in the morning after waking
up, since at this time we are not yet really active.
You can also wear a sports watch with a heart rate
strap and determine your heart rate in real time.

This method of pulse measurement can also be

used for determining the maximum heart rate. As a
rule you should do maximum capacity training
under medical supervision, for what is known as a
performance diagnostic, which means that you
are subjected to increasingly high stresses on a
treadmill undergoes, until you finally reach a
performance dropout. The pulse at this point is
defined as the maximum heart rate.

Since not everyone wants to run in order to get a

performance diagnostic, which is also too
expensive for most, there are different calculation
models to help you try to determine your
maximum pulse using approximations.

HOW TO CALCULATE THE MAXIMUM

HEART RATE
Over the years, various panels, researchers and
trainers have tried to develop a formula for the
maximum heart rate. As previously mentioned, the
high level of individual variability is always a factor.
The values which our calculator produces are
predominately approximate average values, but
they are actually reasonably accurate, because of
the inclusion of age, resting heart rate and body
weight.

EMPIRICAL FORMULA
Maximum heart rate = 220 - age

It is easy to go wrong using this formula. It has

very simple constraints and is therefore also very
imprecise.

MAXIMUM HEART RATE ACCORDING TO SALLY

EDWARDS
This formula forms the basis of our calculator and
integrates the variables of gender, age and body
weight into the calculation.

Men: Maximum heart rate = 214 - 0.5 × age - 0.11 ×

bodyweight in kg
Women: Maximum heart rate = 210 - 0.5 × age -
0.11 × bodyweight in kg

MAXIMUM HEART RATE ACCORDING TO

WINFRIED SPANAUS
The Winfried Spanaus formula was developed in a
test using 600 subjects and is aimed at well-
trained athletes.

Men: Maximum heart rate = 223 - 0.9 × age

Women: Maximum heart rate = 226 - 0.9 × age

THE OPTIMAL TRAINING PULSE

Theory is all well and good – but how do we now
find the actual ideal heart rate for training? For
this you can use the so-called Karvonen Formula.
The criterium here is the heart rate reserve, that is
the difference between the resting and maximum
heart rates (according to Edwards). The formula is:

Training heart rate = (max HR - resting

heart rate) × factor + resting heart rate

There are of course different types of endurance

training – e.g. basic endurance training or aerobic
endurance training – so here we need to introduce
a factor which changes the result. According to
Karvonen the factors are as follows:

For intense endurance training: 0.8

For extensive endurance training at a
more relaxed pace: 0.6
And for the untrained: 0.5

So if we have a theoretical resting heart rate of 70,

a maximum heart rate of 190 and are fairly
untrained, we should begin to train with a pulse of
around 130 beats per minute. In modern training
science the so-called exercise zones have proven
helpful. These give a percentage of the maximum
heart rate. Depending on the source, these zones
are also called training zones. These range from
RECOM (Regeneration and Compensation) through
BE1, BE2 and BE3 (BE = Basic Endurance) up to
CSE (Competition Specific Endurance).

Heart rate zones

% OF THE
MAXIMUM EFFORT TRAINING DES
HEART ZONE TYPE
RATE

Stre
RECOM of t
Fitness (Regeneration circ
50 - 60 % zone & sys
Compensation) Per
beg

Max
calo
from
BE 1 (Basic Stre
Fat Burning
60 - 70% Endurance of t
Zone training 1) circ
sys
imp
of f

Imp
of r
BE 1/2 (Basic and
Aerobic
70 - 80% Endurance circ
zone training 1 to 2) Idea
incr
end

Bod
long
oxy
req
BE 2 (Basic Per
Anaerobic
80 - 90% Endurance ath
zone training 2) for
per
zon
per
imp

App
the
CSE
Competition hea
(Competition
specific May
90 - 100% Specific
endurance har
Endurance
zone hea
training) rec
ath

It quickly becomes obvious, that the CORRECT

training heart rate always depends on the
workout. If you are a beginner and want to
strengthen your circulatory system, the health
zone would be the correct heart rate range. If on
the other hand you want to improve your speed, it
makes sense to train in the anaerobic zone. You
should also direct your training according to the
type of sport you practise. A sprinter will use
anaerobic training more often than a marathon
runner, for whom training in the aerobic zone is
more important. On top of this, your form on the
day as well as many other individual factors will
effect your heart rate, meaning that your pulse will
differ somewhat from day to day.

As a rule, once you stop exerting yourself, your

heart rate quickly drops under the 100 beats per
minute mark. If your pulse stays elevated, and
after several minutes is still above 100
beats/minute, this suggests that you might be in
poor training condition. Such overtraining should
be avoided, since this places an unnecessary
stress on the circulatory system. If the pulse is
behaving unusually, you should always consult a
doctor.

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