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Max Aerobic Heart Rate Formula:
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The Max Aerobic Heart Rate (180 - Age formula) is a simple method to estimate the upper limit of your heart rate for optimal aerobic exercise. This formula was popularized by Dr. Phil Maffetone for endurance training.
The calculator uses the simple formula:
Explanation: This formula provides a general guideline for the maximum heart rate you should maintain during aerobic exercise to optimize fat burning and endurance training.
Details: Training at or below your max aerobic heart rate helps improve aerobic capacity, increases fat burning efficiency, and reduces the risk of overtraining.
Tips: Simply enter your age in years. The value must be between 1-120 years. The result shows your estimated maximum aerobic heart rate in beats per minute (bpm).
Q1: Is this the same as maximum heart rate?
A: No, this is specifically for aerobic training. Traditional max HR formulas (like 220 - age) estimate absolute maximum heart rate.
Q2: Are there adjustments to the formula?
A: Some athletes adjust by +5 if very fit with no health issues, or -5 if recovering from illness or on medications.
Q3: How accurate is this formula?
A: It's a general guideline. Individual variations exist based on fitness level, genetics, and other factors.
Q4: How should I use this number in training?
A: Maintain your heart rate at or below this number during aerobic base-building phases of training.
Q5: Does this apply to all types of exercise?
A: Primarily for endurance training. High-intensity or anaerobic training will exceed this heart rate.