Formula, in Recovery
Resting Heart Rate Formula and Percentile Chart
The resting heart rate rating compares your seated pulse with U.S. reference data for your age and sex: NHANES 1999-2008 percentiles from 35,302 people without a condition or medication affecting pulse. Athlete is the lowest 5%, then Excellent, Good, Above Average, Average and Below Average up to the 90th percentile; anything higher is Poor.
4 variables. Published May 14, 2026. Updated Oct 19, 2026. By AI Fit Hub.
row = your age band (16-19, 20-39, 40-59, 60-79, 80+) and sex column
tier = first upper edge your pulse does not exceed:
≤ 5th percentile → Athlete
≤ 10th → Excellent
≤ 25th → Good
≤ 50th (median) → Above Average
≤ 75th → Average
≤ 90th → Below Average
above 90th → Poor
target ('rates Good at') = round((10th + 1 + 25th) / 2)
normal range flag: below 60, 60–100, above 100 bpm Variables
RHR
Resting heart rate
Beats per minute after sitting quietly for several minutes, or a 7-day average from a tracker. The reference data were taken seated after about 4 minutes of rest.
men percentiles
5th/10th/25th/50th/75th/90th (bpm)
Men 20-39: 52/55/61/69/76/84. 40-59: 52/55/61/68/77/85. 60-79: 50/54/60/67/75/84. 80+: 51/54/61/68/78/86. 16-19: 52/56/61/69/78/87.
women percentiles
5th/10th/25th/50th/75th/90th (bpm)
Women 20-39: 57/60/66/74/82/89. 40-59: 56/59/64/71/79/86. 60-79: 56/59/64/70/78/86. 80+: 56/59/64/71/77/85. 16-19: 58/62/69/77/85/94.
60–100 bpm
Adult normal range
The conventional clinical range for adults; trained endurance athletes often sit below 60.
Step by step
- 1
Measure seated after resting quietly, or use a weekly average.
Three mornings: 66, 64 and 65 bpm → 65.
- 2
Find your age and sex row.
Man, 40: 52/55/61/68/77/85.
- 3
Find the first percentile edge your pulse does not exceed.
65 > 61 and ≤ 68 → Above Average (between the 25th percentile and the median).
- 4
Read the target.
Good band 56-61 → target 59 bpm, 6 bpm lower.
- 5
Check the clinical range separately.
65 bpm is within 60-100.
Worked example
A 40-year-old man measures a resting heart rate of 75 bpm.
Resting heart rate
75 bpm
Age
40
Sex
Male
Men 40-59 percentiles: 5th 52, 10th 55, 25th 61, median 68, 75th 77, 90th 85 75 > 68 and ≤ 77 → Average Target = round((56 + 61) / 2) = 59 bpm → 16 bpm above it
Average for his age and sex (between the median and the 75th percentile), and inside the normal adult resting range the calculator checks before rating fitness. Reaching its target of 59 bpm means a drop of 16 bpm.
Common variations
Run the numbers next
- Recovery Heart Rate Zone Calculator
Calculate personalized training zones with the Karvonen method.
- Recovery HRV Deload Trigger
Decide whether to deload from 7 days of HRV vs 30-day baseline using the Plews 2014 method.
Questions people ask next
What is a good resting heart rate for my age?
For men aged 20-39 the U.S. median is 69 bpm and the 25th percentile 61 bpm; for women of the same age 74 and 66 bpm. The calculator rates anything at or below the 25th percentile as Good or better.
Is a resting heart rate of 50 healthy?
In trained people it is common: 50 bpm is at or below the 5th percentile for adult men in the NHANES data, which the calculator labels Athlete. If a low pulse comes with dizziness, fainting or breathlessness, see a doctor.
Where do these resting heart rate tiers come from?
From U.S. national reference data: seated pulse measured in NHANES 1999-2008 in people without conditions or medications that affect heart rate. The tier names are labels for percentile bands, not clinical categories.
Sources
- Ostchega et al. (2011). Resting pulse rate reference data for children, adolescents, and adults: United States, 1999–2008. National Health Statistics Reports No. 41. , National Center for Health Statistics, CDC
- American Heart Association. All about heart rate (pulse). , American Heart Association