Staying active? We’re on board. Living and breathing by our fitness tracker data? Eh, not so much. But whether metrics fascinate or overwhelm you, they undeniably offer insights that can make your workouts more productive. Heart rate zones are no exception—they make it easy to set a target heart rate based on your goals, bringing structure to your routine (without overcomplicating it). 

That’s why we couldn’t wait to chat with two credentialed fitness trainers about the benefits of heart rate training zones, plus straightforward ways to incorporate them into your workouts. And before diving in, rest assured: Implementing your target zones can be as simple as a few quick calculations and keeping an eye on your Apple Watch, or making use of the heart rate sensors on your treadmill. 

The Experts

• Zack Dzingle, ACE-Certified Personal Trainer and AGM of Fitness at Bay Club Portland
• Richard Bennett, CIMSPA-Certified Strength and Conditioning Trainer, founder of Calibre Performance Coaching, co-founder of Athena Performance

What Are Heart Rate Training Zones, Anyway?

Heart rate training zones are, as the name suggests, heart rate ranges used to measure how intensely you’re working out. There are five of them:

• Zone 1 (low intensity): 50 to 60% of your max heart rate
• Zone 2 (moderate intensity): 60 to 70% of your max heart rate
• Zone 3 (moderate-high intensity): 70 to 80% of your max heart rate
• Zone 4 (high intensity): 80 to 90% of your max heart rate
• Zone 5 (very high intensity): 90 to 100% of your max heart rate

For the average exerciser, both of our experts recommended calculating your max heart rate using the standard method: subtracting your age from 220. This leaves you with a number you can use to calculate your zones—for example, a 45-year-old has a max heart rate of 175 bpm (beats per minute), with the following heart rate zones:

• Zone 1: 88 to 105 bpm
• Zone 2: 105 to 123 bpm
• Zone 3: 123 to 140 bpm
• Zone 4: 140 to 158 bpm
• Zone 5: 158 to 175 bpm

When you hit the more intense heart rate zones, your heart works harder to pump blood throughout your body. But different heart rate zones provide different benefits, ranging from greater endurance to fat burning to strength building to preventing injuries.

“Training at different heart rate zones causes different biological adaptations,” says Bennett. “Lower intensity work causes increased mitochondrial density and eccentric hypertrophy of the heart (increased chamber size). Medium intensity work causes concentric hypertrophy of the heart (thicker, stronger heart walls), and high-intensity work causes anaerobic power adaptations.” Anaerobic power is your body’s ability to complete high-intensity work without using oxygen, supporting your strength, power, and speed. 

Which Heart Rate Zones Should You Aim For?

TL;DR: Our experts primarily recommend Zone 2 for fat loss, cardiovascular health, and a lower injury risk than more intense zones, along with Zone 4 intervals to build power and speed.  

Here’s the full explanation:

“The average exerciser is mostly going for endurance and finding that steady state zone for cardio,” says Dzingle. To achieve this, he recommends “going for longer durations with an elevated heart rate in the fat burning zone of that 60 to 70% range of your heart rate max.” That’s Zone 2, according to the breakdown above. 

“Besides cardiovascular health, this zone has many benefits. It’s the most popular zone people work in because it’s known to be the zone where we metabolize fat as the primary fuel source.” You may see Zone 2 referred to as the “fat burning zone”, because your body is exercising hard enough to burn fat, but not so intensely that it starts burning carbs for fuel.

“The other benefit is [that it’s] lower intensity, [so] we can be here for longer periods with less risk of injury,” Dzingle adds. To reap these benefits, Dzingle notes: “Sustained exercise of 30 to 60 minutes in heart rate Zone 2 is ideal.”

Bennett starts his clients with Zone 2 and Zone 4 intervals. For athletes and experienced trainers, he sprinkles in Zone 5 sprint work. “Zone 3 is kind of a no man’s land that I rarely program, as Zones 2 and 4 will cover this together,” he says. 

In Zone 4, your body will primarily burn carbs (and therefore, calories) instead of fat. Working within this zone can improve your power, speed, and VO2 max (the volume of oxygen your body can use during exercise).  

With these tips, we’d suggest aiming for Zone 2 during cardio sessions, adding in Zone 4 intervals when you feel ready to up your workout intensity. 

Sample Workouts to Hit Your Target Heart Rate Zone

“[Zone 2] is typically hit when doing continuous exercise,” says Dzingle. “With cardiovascular exercise, good options include running at a slower pace, [or using an] elliptical or rower. You can also hit this with strength training exercises by supersetting or practicing circuits.”

A superset is a set of two exercises performed consecutively, with little to no break in between. Compared to taking breaks between strengthening exercises, supersetting helps boost your heart rate to challenge your stamina (while reaping the exercise’s particular strengthening benefits). Coupling exercises that target the same muscle group allow you to really work a particular area, while supersetting exercises that target opposing muscle groups can help you maintain training volume. 

“Grouping strength exercises together at higher reps will allow you to have a continuous elevated heart rate,” says Dzingle. He adds that you should adjust your target heart rate based on the type of strength training you’re doing. “For example, if you’re performing a maximal lift, you would want your heart rate to dip back down to Zone 1 or lower before attempting that lift.”

Bennett suggests applying heart rate zones to workouts you already enjoy. “The heart doesn't know what modality of exercise you are doing. Pick [workouts] you enjoy and that you find easiest to maintain the correct pace for the targeted heart rate zone,” he says. 

How to Measure Your Heart Rate, Feat. Picks From Our Shop

After calculating your max heart rate and heart rate zones, the next step is to find an easy way to track your heart rate in real time during workouts. If you’re looking to avoid getting any extra gadgets, you can:

• Use the built-in heart rate monitors on exercise machines, like treadmills, ellipticals, and stairclimbers. Keep in mind that these monitors can vary in accuracy, so view the readings as a general guide, not hard facts. 
• Download a heart rate monitor app on your smartphone. They use the camera’s flash to perform photoplethysmography (PPG), which determines heart rate by measuring changes in blood volume beneath the skin’s surface. Unsurprisingly, these apps aren’t as accurate as medical-grade PPG equipment, but again, they can serve as a general guide. 

If you’re ready to invest in gadgets that provide accurate, real-time heart rate readings, consider these picks from our Shop:

• WHOOP, a continuous health wearable that provides 24/7 monitoring for sleep, stress, cardiovascular strain, heart health, and more. It measures both heart rate zones and VO2 max to help you better understand your workouts. WHOOP ONE is the entry-level membership tier, combining the WHOOP 5.0 device with personalized insights and AI-powered coaching for comprehensive wellness support. And it’s HSA/FSA-eligible through our Shop!
• The Gen 2 Air Smart Ring from RingConn, an ultra-light titanium steel ring that tracks sleep, heart rate, heart rate variability (HRV), peripheral capillary oxygen saturation (Sp02), stress, and temperature, with an accompanying app for clear insights. It doesn’t require a monthly subscription and it’s HSA/FSA-eligible, bringing round-the-clock wellness tracking within reach.

Thankfully, you don’t have to micromanage your metrics to make the most of heart rate training zones. By fitting workouts you already enjoy within your target zones, you can work toward goals like better stamina and fat loss.