I Want to Throw my HRM

STCB7379

I feel like a total loser all the time. I don't expect to be very strong yet but its so frustrating when I am exercising to the point I cannot talk and sweating like mad and after 30 minutes, it says I burned 120 calories. I'm 130 pounds overweight. How can that be? I'm working out at 75-80% max heart rate. I honestly go to complete and utter exhaustion where I feel like I'm going to pass out. I did a kettlebell circuit today and I couldn't even lift the kettlebell when I was done. I can literally lather my hair with shampoo and no water from the sweat sometimes. 4 calories a minute. What? When will I get strong enough to burn 400-500 calories a day?

Jessiekp0406

What heart rate monitor do you use?

STCB7379

Hi it is called a Polar FT4.

valleydoula

It takes time. Plus it takes no account of you as an individual unless you set it to your stats. Keep going. As you build muscle you'll notice more.
I personally do not weigh in. I use inches and it works better. I also love my hrm but only as a guide to my cardiovascular. I interval train and have lost a few sizes plus 25 inches. I use endomondo for cardio and my hrm to stay in range for safety.
So don't get too worried about the calories. Just put in the workout and the results will come.

RoseTheWarrior

Well no HRM is meant to give you accurate calories burned for anything other than steady state cardio. If you're lifting weights, it can't calculate your resistance, how far you've moved the weight, etc. I have a Polar as well and I think it's quite accurate. But about a one hour workout only burns around 380 calories, so .... people often think they must be burning huge amounts of calories when really they're not. That doesn't mean that your HRM is functioning correctly - make sure you've input all the info correctly, and that you're wearing the chest strap in the correct position. Good luck!

blankiefinder

Strength training is very tiring on your muscles, but it doesn't really burn tons of calories, and you shouldn't use a HRM for it regardless.

Calorie Deficit for weight loss.

Strength training to retain muscle mass while losing and so you look good at the end.

Cardio for heart health, fitness and more calories to eat while dieting.

rankinsect

Also keep in mind, if you're trying to exercise purely to burn calories - which I don't suggest doing - vigorous exercise is not very effective because, as you found, you can't sustain it for very long. Calories per minute is very high but the number of minutes is low. Doing lower intensity exercise for much longer is more effective overall.

Personally, I train, but this is for fitness goals, not weight loss. I do strength training to preserve lean mass, and I do cardio for overall health and fitness. Neither of them are an important factor in my weight loss goals, which is where diet comes in. I also walk a lot, but that's for pleasure.

47Jacqueline

If you walk 3mph, which is considered a moderate pace, you would burn 186 calories in an hour. More if you're heavy and out of shape because your heart rate would be higher. The HRM has to be set for your age and weight and you have to wet it or use a cream like Buh-Bump to have it read correctly.

I use a Polar F4 and it's very accurate when set correctly.

If you're 130lb overweight, I don't know that I would be doing kettle bells if I were not already in shape. You're a walking time bomb.

blankiefinder

47Jacqueline wrote: »

If you walk 3mph, which is considered a moderate pace, you would burn 186 calories in an hour. More if you're heavy and out of shape because your heart rate would be higher. The HRM has to be set for your age and weight and you have to wet it or use a cream like Buh-Bump to have it read correctly.

I use a Polar F4 and it's very accurate when set correctly.

If you're 130lb overweight, I don't know that I would be doing kettle bells if I were not already in shape. You're a walking time bomb.

Agreed on the kettle bells. Those as well as cross fit should only be done with those already in shape and who are aware of the risks involved.

Altagracia220

I had a similar issue a few weeks ago. I have a fitbit surge and it tells me the calories I burn all day. I would exercise for an hour with the fitbit and afterwards I'd see a number I didn't like. I felt like I wasn't burning enough calories. I decided to stop using it because I want to feel good about the work I'm putting in no matter how much I'm burning. I only rarely use it now.

3dogsrunning

400-500 calories is about the average of running for an hour. You aren't going to hit that in a half hour of working out regardless of what you are doing and how in shape you are.

120 calories for a half hour of exercise is perfectly reasonable IMO even if the HRM isn't really intended to be used for estimating weight training calories as others have pointed out.
When I was lifting weights or doing CrossFit, I only logged 200-300 calories per hour of exercise.

Derf_Smeggle

It is excellent that you are working out and building more strength. Keep at it!

I'll echo what the others are saying. Heart Rate Monitors are an accurate measure of cardiovascular exercise, not strength training exercise. Exercise is important to your health, but eating habits and caloric deficits are more important for weight loss.

Remember you didn't get to be 130 pounds overweight in a week, or a month, or most probably even a year. Give yourself and your body a goodly amount of time to get to where you want to be.

Sued0nim

STCB7379 wrote: »

I feel like a total loser all the time. I don't expect to be very strong yet but its so frustrating when I am exercising to the point I cannot talk and sweating like mad and after 30 minutes, it says I burned 120 calories. I'm 130 pounds overweight. How can that be? I'm working out at 75-80% max heart rate. I honestly go to complete and utter exhaustion where I feel like I'm going to pass out. I did a kettlebell circuit today and I couldn't even lift the kettlebell when I was done. I can literally lather my hair with shampoo and no water from the sweat sometimes. 4 calories a minute. What? When will I get strong enough to burn 400-500 calories a day?

A HRM does not measure calorie burn for circuit training

It's only for steady state cardio

ninerbuff

Also, if it's a chest strap, it can easily give false readings if the strap leaves the skin surface.

A.C.E. Certified Personal and Group Fitness Trainer
IDEA Fitness member
Kickboxing Certified Instructor
Been in fitness for 30 years and have studied kinesiology and nutrition

desweds

I use a HRM for two things:

1) Make sure my 54 year old heart doesn't go too high (I tend to ignore that when Im running)
2) To track my heart rate over the course of an exercise to try to get my rate to a good fat burn rate.

I ignore exercise calories and only eat my MFP alloted calories.

But Im old and set in my ways.

STCB7379

Wow thank you all for the great responses. I say I'm 130 pounds overweight but that is defined by bmi. I've always looked and felt great 35-40 pounds heavier than the bmi charts. I do have a lot of muscle and used to lift.

I have never been an endurance person so maybe I will try to go longer at 65%. Thanks for the suggestions. I also have a resting heart rate of 58. I've always had that and doc says heart is great. Does that make a difference in my max heart rate?

julielh72

jazmin220 wrote: »

I had a similar issue a few weeks ago. I have a fitbit surge and it tells me the calories I burn all day. I would exercise for an hour with the fitbit and afterwards I'd see a number I didn't like. I felt like I wasn't burning enough calories. I decided to stop using it because I want to feel good about the work I'm putting in no matter how much I'm burning. I only rarely use it now.

I've just dumped my Charge HR in a drawer for the exact same reason. I found it demoralising. I'm going tech free!