At 30 your maximum heart rate is about 187 bpm by the Tanaka formula, not the 190 the old 220-minus-age rule gives. Enter your resting rate too and the zones use the Karvonen method.
Maximum heart rate
—
Maximum heart rate—
Classic formula (220 − age)—
Method used for the zones—
Zone
Heart rate
What it trains
How this was worked out
Indicative result. Maximum heart rate formulas carry a margin of error of around 12 beats. If you train seriously, a stress test gives the real figure.
The formula
Tanaka: 208 − 0.7 × age
Where it comes from
The familiar 220 minus age was never derived from research; it was an approximation from a 1970s review that stuck. Tanaka's 2001 formula, fitted to a large meta-analysis, is more accurate across the age range, and the gap between them widens for older athletes.
How to work it out by hand
Multiply your age by 0.7
Subtract it from 208
If you know your resting heart rate, subtract it for your heart rate reserve
Apply each zone's percentage to the reserve and add the resting rate back
What is worth knowing
Both formulas describe an average, and individual maximums vary by around 12 beats either side, which is enough to put you in the wrong training zone entirely. The Karvonen method, which uses your resting heart rate, gives more personal zones because resting rate reflects your actual fitness. If your training depends on getting this right, a graded stress test is the only way to know your real maximum. For most people, perceived effort is a more reliable guide than an estimated number: zone 2 is a pace you could hold a conversation at, and if you cannot, you are not in zone 2 regardless of what the watch says.
Frequently asked questions
Is 220 minus age wrong?
It is a rough approximation that was never properly derived. Tanaka's 208 − 0.7 × age fits the data better, especially for older people.
How accurate are these formulas?
The standard deviation is about 12 beats, so your real maximum could be well above or below the estimate. Only a stress test gives the true figure.
What is the Karvonen method?
It works zones out from your heart rate reserve — maximum minus resting — rather than from maximum alone, which makes them more personal.
Which zone should I train in?
Most endurance training should sit in zone 2, easy enough to hold a conversation. High intensity has its place but not as the bulk of the week.
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