Heart Rate Monitor Training (Karvonen)

How does Karvonen Use This Heart Rate Reserve to Establish the Heart Rate Monitor Training Zones?

How Does the Calculation Work?

To establish your heart rate monitor training zones you do the following:

1. Take your rest heart rate.

2. Then add the percentage of the heart rate reserve as above.

Unclear? Then follow the example below...

So, my maximum heart rate is 195.
My rest heart rate is 50.
My heart rate reserve is 145.

My zone 1 (long slow run, recovery runs) would be in between:
Low value: 50 + 60 % * 145 = 137 beats per minute
High value: 50 + 70 % * 145 = 151,5 bpm (round to 152 bpm)

My zone 2 (easy runs) would be in between:
Low value: 50 + 70 % * 145 = 151,5 bpm (round to 152 bpm)
High value: 50 + 75 % * 145 = 158,75 bpm (round to 159 bpm)

My zone 2 1/2 (steady state run) would be in between:
Low value: 50 + 75 % * 145 = 158,75 bpm (round to 159 bpm)
High value: 50 + 80 % * 145 = 166 bpm

My zone 3 (tempo run) would be in between:
Low value: 50 + 80% * 145 = 166 bpm
High value: 50 + 85% * 145 = 173,25 bpm (round to 173 bpm)

My zone 4 (short repeats) would be in between:
Low value: 50 + 85 % * 145 = 173,25 bpm (round to 173 bpm)
High value: 50 + 95 % * 145 = 187,75 bpm (round to 188 bpm)

Compare these to my values as identified by the Zoladz heart rate monitor training zone method. They are pretty close to each other aren’t they?

The Karvonen Heart Rate Zone Calculator

Now, just sensing that you'd rather not do the above calculations yourself, I have created the below calculator. All you do is enter your maximum heart rate and rest heart rate. 

Then click the "click me"-button and there are your heart rate monitor training zones!

Further Recommended Reading