# Target Heart Rate Calculator (Karvonen)

> Training heart-rate range from your maximum and resting heart rate using the Karvonen heart-rate reserve method.

Page: https://freecalculator.tech/tools/target-heart-rate-calculator
Last reviewed: 2026-11-03

## Formula

Karvonen: target HR = (HRmax − HRrest) × intensity + HRrest. HRmax − HRrest is the heart-rate reserve.

- Source: Karvonen MJ, Kentala E, Mustala O (1957), Ann Med Exp Biol Fenn 35(3):307–315.
- No maximum heart rate is assumed; enter one you measured or chose.
- Karvonen: target HR = (HRmax − HRrest) × intensity + HRrest. HRmax − HRrest is the heart-rate reserve.
- Inputs used: Maximum heart rate, Resting heart rate, Lower intensity, Upper intensity.

## Inputs

- Maximum heart rate
- Resting heart rate
- Lower intensity
- Upper intensity

## Worked example: Max 190, rest 60, 50–70%

Range ≈ 125 – 151 bpm.
1. Reserve = 190 − 60 = 130 bpm.
2. 50%: 130 × 0.5 + 60 = 125 bpm.
3. 70%: 130 × 0.7 + 60 = 151 bpm.

## Common questions

### Why not just use 220 − age?

Age-based maximum heart rate formulas carry large individual error, so the calculator asks you to enter a maximum rather than assume one.

### How do I measure resting heart rate?

Count your pulse for a full minute after waking, before getting up, on several mornings.

### Do medications affect this?

Yes. Beta-blockers and other medicines change heart rate response; ask your clinician for targets.

### How do I use the Target Heart Rate Calculator (Karvonen)?

Enter the required values for Maximum heart rate, Resting heart rate, Lower intensity, Upper intensity. The calculator applies the formula on this page and shows the main result with any supporting breakdown so you can check the arithmetic.

### What formula does the Target Heart Rate Calculator (Karvonen) use?

Karvonen: target HR = (HRmax − HRrest) × intensity + HRrest. HRmax − HRrest is the heart-rate reserve. The visible formula section above lists the calculation path and the edge cases the page handles, so the result can be checked without relying on the form alone.

### Can the Target Heart Rate Calculator (Karvonen) be used for exact decisions?

Use it as a calculation aid, not as a substitute for checking the underlying rule, contract, policy, or professional advice that applies to your situation. When a result depends on local rules, personal details, prices, or dates, enter those values yourself and confirm them before acting.

## Limitations and assumptions

- Not medical advice or an exercise prescription.
- Accuracy depends on the maximum heart rate entered.
- For general fitness education only — not medical advice, diagnosis or a training prescription. Prediction equations are population estimates; speak with a qualified professional before changing exercise or diet, especially with a health condition.
- The result depends on the values you enter for this target heart rate calculator (karvonen); it does not supply missing rates, rules, prices, dates, or assumptions for you.

## Sources

- Annales Medicinae Experimentalis et Biologiae Fenniae — https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/13470504/

## Cite this page

- APA: Free Calculator. (2026, November 3). Target Heart Rate Calculator (Karvonen). https://freecalculator.tech/tools/target-heart-rate-calculator
- MLA: "Target Heart Rate Calculator (Karvonen)." Free Calculator, 3 Nov. 2026, https://freecalculator.tech/tools/target-heart-rate-calculator.
- Link: Target Heart Rate Calculator (Karvonen) — Free Calculator, https://freecalculator.tech/tools/target-heart-rate-calculator