Heart-Rate Training Zones
Five zones by percentage of heart-rate reserve
Training zones split effort by percentage of heart-rate reserve (max HR minus resting HR): Zone 1 50–60% (recovery), Zone 2 60–70% (aerobic base), Zone 3 70–80% (tempo), Zone 4 80–90% (threshold) and Zone 5 90–100% (VO2 max). Most training should be easy Zone 1–2, with smaller, deliberate doses of the hard zones.
| Zone | % HRR | How it feels | Purpose |
|---|---|---|---|
| Zone 1 — Recovery | 50–60% | Very easy, conversational | Active recovery, warm-up and cool-down. |
| Zone 2 — Aerobic / endurance | 60–70% | Easy, can hold a conversation | Builds aerobic base, fat metabolism and capillary density. |
| Zone 3 — Tempo | 70–80% | Moderately hard, short sentences | Improves aerobic efficiency and stamina. |
| Zone 4 — Threshold | 80–90% | Hard, only a few words at a time | Raises lactate threshold and race pace. |
| Zone 5 — VO2 max | 90–100% | Maximal, unsustainable | Develops peak aerobic power and speed. |
Source: Standard five-zone model (Karvonen heart-rate reserve).
Find your own zones
Enter your age and resting heart rate in the heart-rate zone calculator to get your personal bpm ranges, and match them to running effort with the pace calculator.
Frequently asked questions
What are the five heart-rate zones?
Zone 1 (50–60% of heart-rate reserve) is recovery, Zone 2 (60–70%) is aerobic base, Zone 3 (70–80%) is tempo, Zone 4 (80–90%) is threshold and Zone 5 (90–100%) is VO2-max effort.
How much time should I spend in each zone?
Many endurance plans follow a roughly 80/20 split: about 80% of training time easy (Zones 1–2) and 20% hard (Zones 4–5), with limited time at tempo (Zone 3). This balances aerobic development with recovery.