Set your heart rate zones
Heart rate zones turn effort into numbers. RunBuddy uses them for easy-run targets, training load and the coach’s advice, so they’re worth getting right.
Updated · 5 min read
Max heart rate
The best value is one you’ve seen: the highest heart rate from a hard race or an all-out hill effort. Without one, RunBuddy estimates max HR from your age. Age formulas can be off by 10 beats or more, so treat the estimate as a starting point.
Resting heart rate
RunBuddy reads resting HR from Apple Health. Wearing your watch overnight gives the most reliable value.
Three ways to set zones
Pick the model in Settings → Heart rate:
- % of max HR, the default. Simple, and only needs your max.
- Heart rate reserve (Karvonen). Percentages of the gap between resting and max HR, which fits fit runners with a low resting HR better.
- Custom. Enter your own zone boundaries, for example from a lab test.
The five zones
Each zone covers ten percentage points. For a max HR of 190 on the default model:
| Zone 1 · Recovery | 50–60% | 95–114 bpm |
|---|---|---|
| Zone 2 · Endurance | 60–70% | 114–133 bpm |
| Zone 3 · Aerobic | 70–80% | 133–152 bpm |
| Zone 4 · Threshold | 80–90% | 152–171 bpm |
| Zone 5 · Anaerobic | 90–100% | 171–190 bpm |
Change your zones
Go to Settings → Heart rate and enter your max and resting HR. Saving recalculates training load and time in zone for every past workout, and new sessions use the updated zones.
Heart rate zone calculator