How Do I Find My Target Heart Rate?

When working out, it’s important to reach your target heart rate to ensure that you are achieving aerobic conditioning.  When your heart is beating during aerobic exercise, it pumps blood through the lungs, which removes carbon dioxide and replenishes your blood with oxygen.
When exercising on gym equipment, there are often heart beat monitors that tell you if you are reaching your target heart rate.  However, when you exercise without the equipment, you should know what your target heart rate is.
Here’s how, using Karvonen’s Formula:
220 – age – (resting heart rate) * (effort levels/60%, 70%, 80%) + (resting heart rate) = target heart rate
*220 is your maximum heart beat at birth
*If you are unsure of your resting heart rate, use 60 for beginners and 70 for more intermediate to advanced.
*Your effort level represents the intensity of your regular work out.  Normal levels are range from 60% to 80%.  If you are unsure, then use 60%.  (When multiplying percents, don’t forget to move the decimal two places to the left).
*Add your resting heart rate again, and voila – you have your target heart rate.
Here’s mine:
220-38 = 182 (maximum heart rate)
182 – 70 (resting heart rate) = 112
112 * .7 (effort level)= 78.4
78.4 + 70 = 148.4 (TARGET HEART RATE!)