Maximum Heart Rate at Age 56 — Tanaka, Fox & Gellish Formulas

Pre-solved maximum heart rate for age 56. Tanaka (2001): 169 bpm | Fox (220-age): 164 bpm | Gellish (2007): 168 bpm. Training zones (Tanaka): Z1 Warm-up 84-101 bpm, Z2 Fat Burn 101-118 bpm, Z3 Aerobic 118-135 bpm, Z4 Threshold 135-152 bpm, Z5 VO2 Max 152-169 bpm. AHA moderate intensity: 84-118 bpm. ..

ESTIMATED MAX HEART RATE — AGE 56

169

Tanaka (2001)

Most accurate

208 − 0.7 × age

164

Fox (220−age)

Classic formula

220 − age

168

Gellish (2007)

Validated

207 − 0.7 × age

Max HR declines ~0.7 bpm/year · AHA moderate: 84118 bpm · Vigorous: 118144 bpm

5 TRAINING ZONES — AGE 56 (Tanaka HRmax 169 bpm)

Zone%BPM RangeBenefit
Z1 Warm-up50-60%84101Recovery, very easy
Z2 Fat Burn60-70%101118Fat oxidation, aerobic base
Z3 Aerobic70-80%118135Cardiovascular fitness
Z4 Threshold80-90%135152Lactate threshold, race pace
Z5 VO2 Max90-100%152169Max cardiac output
AHA Moderate50–70%84118150 min/week recommended
AHA Vigorous70–85%11814475 min/week recommended

ZONE BARS — HRmax 169 bpm

Z1 Warm-up84101 bpm
Z2 Fat Burn101118 bpm
Z3 Aerobic118135 bpm
Z4 Threshold135152 bpm
Z5 VO2 Max152169 bpm

FORMULA COMPARISON — AGE 56

Tanaka (2001) — recommended169 bpm
Fox (1971) — classic164 bpm
Gellish (2007) — validated168 bpm

HOW MAX HEART RATE IS CALCULATED AT AGE 56

Maximum heart rate declines ~0.7 bpm per year after age 20. At age 56, the three validated formulas give 169 bpm (Tanaka), 164 bpm (Fox), and 168 bpm (Gellish). The Tanaka formula is recommended as the most accurate.

FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS

What is the maximum heart rate for a 56-year-old?

For a 56-year-old, the estimated maximum heart rate (HRmax) is:\n\nTanaka (2001) — recommended: 169 bpm\nFormula: 208 − (0.7 × 56) = 169 bpm\n\nFox (1971) — classic: 164 bpm\nFormula: 220 − 56 = 164 bpm\n\nGellish (2007) — validated: 168 bpm\nFormula: 207 − (0.7 × 56) = 168 bpm\n\nTraining zones at age 56 (using Tanaka HRmax 169 bpm):\nZ1 Warm-up (50-60%): 84-101 bpm\nZ2 Fat Burn (60-70%): 101-118 bpm\nZ3 Aerobic (70-80%): 118-135 bpm\nZ4 Threshold (80-90%): 135-152 bpm\nZ5 VO2 Max (90-100%): 152-169 bpm\n\nAHA moderate exercise target (50-70%): 84-118 bpm\nAHA vigorous exercise target (70-85%): 118-144 bpm\n\nNote: These are population averages. Your actual HRmax may vary by ±10-12 bpm. The only accurate way to measure HRmax is via a maximal graded exercise test under medical supervision.

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Max heart rate age 56 · Tanaka: 169 bpm · Fox: 164 bpm · Gellish: 168 bpm · Sources: Tanaka et al. (2001), Fox (1971), Gellish et al. (2007)