Enter your heart rate exactly at the end of your workout or set and the heart rate after 1 minute of rest to determine your heart rate recovery.
Heart Rate Recovery Formula
The following formula is used to calculate a heart rate recover.
HRR = MHR - HR1min
- Where HRR is your heart rate recovery
- MHR is your max heart rate or heart rate exactly at the end of a workout or set
- HR1min is your heart rate after 1 minute of rest after max heart rate or end of the workout
To calculate heart rate recovery, subtract your heart rate 1 minute after a max effort workout from the max heart rate during the workout.
Heart Rate Recovery Definition
A heart rate recovery is a speed at which your heart rate drops back down to normal levels after it’s been at an elevated rate.
Heart Rate Recovery Example
How to calculate heart rate recovery?
- First, measure your heart rate right after the end of a set or workout.
For this example, we will say our heart rate is 180BPM.
- Next, measure your heart rate after one minute.
After one minute of rest, we find our heart rate to be 160BPM.
- Finally, calculate the heart rate recovery.
Using the equation above we find the recovery to be 180-160 = 20BPM.
FAQ
On average, a good heart rate recovery is around 20BPM after 1 minute of rest. As you move closer your resting heart rate this rate will decrease.

