Estimate your maximum heart rate in beats per minute from your age and sex, compare five age-based formulas side by side, and see the heart rate that matches each training-intensity level.
Typical age presets
Sex (sets the recommended formula)
Formula used for the headline result
| Formula | HRmax | Equation and notes |
|---|
The classic Fox equation (220 - age) tends to overestimate the maximum heart rate of younger people and underestimate it in older adults; the newer equations were fitted to larger and more recent population data.
Each row is a share of your chosen maximum heart rate. Use these as rough effort anchors; a full five-zone training plan is a separate exercise.
| % of HRmax | Heart rate | Typical effort |
|---|
For beginners: how to read this result
To get a result, pick an age preset or type your own age, then choose your sex. The sex button sets the recommended formula automatically, and you can override it with the formula buttons if you want to compare a specific equation.
How maximum heart rate is estimated
Maximum heart rate is the highest rate your heart can reach during all-out effort. It cannot be calculated exactly, only estimated, and every common method links it to age because the maximum falls steadily as people get older. This tool uses five published equations:
- Fox (classic): 220 minus age. Simple and widely quoted, but it overestimates the maximum in younger people and underestimates it in older adults.
- Tanaka: 208 minus 0.7 times age. Drawn from a large meta-analysis and used here as the general default.
- Gulati: 206 minus 0.88 times age. Derived from a women-only cohort, so it is recommended when sex is set to female.
- Nes: 211 minus 0.64 times age. Based on a large study of healthy adults.
- Gellish: 207 minus 0.7 times age. From a long-term study covering a wide age range.
Why the formulas disagree
For the same age the five equations can differ by 10 to 15 beats per minute. The scale in the calculator plots all five so you can see the spread at a glance, and the comparison table lists each equation with a short note. The headline number uses one formula, but no single value is exact: real maximum heart rate varies by 10 to 20 beats per minute between people of the same age because of genetics, fitness and other factors.
Reading the intensity anchors
The intensity table multiplies your chosen maximum heart rate by 50, 60, 70, 80, 85 and 90 percent. These are rough effort anchors: lower percentages suit warm-ups and easy aerobic work, the middle band suits steady endurance, and the higher percentages mark hard tempo and interval efforts. This is a quick reference only, not a full five-zone training program with target durations and zone names.
What this estimate does not cover
An age-based formula cannot account for your individual physiology, current fitness, medication, body composition or any heart condition. It is not a measured value and not medical advice. A true maximum heart rate is best confirmed by a supervised test, and anyone with a cardiac condition or symptoms during exercise should speak to a qualified clinician before training at high intensity.