Heart-rate zones calculator
Enter your threshold heart rate and see your five training zones in beats per minute.
| Zone | Heart rate | % of LTHR |
|---|---|---|
| Z1recovery | up to 112 bpmup to 68% | up to 68% |
| Z2endurance | 113–136 bpm69–83% | 69–83% |
| Z3tempo | 137–155 bpm84–94% | 84–94% |
| Z4threshold | 156–173 bpm95–105% | 95–105% |
| Z5VO2 max | 174 bpm and upabove 105% | above 105% |
Watt4 keeps these numbers up to date from every ride and plans your week around them. Free. Try Watt4
What threshold heart rate is
Lactate threshold heart rate, LTHR, is roughly the highest heart rate you can hold for an hour of hard, steady riding. It is a better anchor for zones than maximum heart rate, which varies a lot between people of the same age and is hard to measure safely.
How to find your LTHR
Warm up well, then ride 30 minutes as hard as you can hold evenly, alone and not in a race. Your LTHR is your average heart rate over the last 20 minutes. If you have just done a 20-minute FTP test, your average heart rate from it is a reasonable first estimate.
The zones on this page
These are Andrew Coggan's heart-rate zones, set as a share of LTHR. Their names match the first five power zones in Watt4. There is no heart-rate version of zone 6: efforts that short are over before your heart rate catches up. With an LTHR of 165 bpm, zone 2 runs from 113 to 136 bpm.
Heart rate drifts
Heat, fatigue, caffeine and dehydration all lift your heart rate on the same effort, and it climbs slowly through a long, steady ride. Treat the zones as a guide, and expect a minute or two for your heart rate to settle after you change pace.
What each zone is for
- Z1 recovery
- Very easy. Recovery spins and cool-downs.
- Z2 endurance
- Long, steady endurance riding. The bulk of most training weeks.
- Z3 tempo
- Tempo. Steady work you can sustain, but not chat through.
- Z4 threshold
- Around threshold. Long intervals and hard, sustained climbs.
- Z5 VO2 max
- Above threshold. Short, hard intervals; heart rate may only get here near the end.
Questions
Why threshold heart rate instead of max heart rate?
Two riders with the same maximum can have very different thresholds, so zones from max heart rate can be off by a whole zone. Threshold heart rate reflects your fitness, and it is safer to measure.
Can I use 220 minus my age?
It is a rough average across the population, and can easily be 10 beats or more off for one person. Measure your LTHR instead if you can.
Are cycling and running heart-rate zones the same?
No. For most people, threshold heart rate is a few beats higher running than cycling, so test each sport on its own.
Should I train by heart rate or power?
Power responds immediately and does not drift, so it is better for intervals. Heart rate is fine for steady riding, and the two together show how hard an effort really was.