I Bought My Heart Rate Monitor

Options
Helawat
Helawat Posts: 605 Member
in Fitness and Exercise
I went ahead and bought my Polar F6 HRM (Heart Rate Monitor) and wore it for my Cardio Kickboxing and Cardio Cabaret classes. Needless to say, my estimates on MFP and estimating calories burned on other sites weren't very correct.

On MFP, it estimates that I burned 630 calories but I actually only burned 592 for 60 minutes of exercise. For Cardio Cabaret, which I have been listing as Dancing-General, I really burned 237 instead of 184 calories.

For those who don't like the chest strap, the Polar F6 does comes with one but after five minutes I forgot I was wearing it. It was comfortable and easy to wear. The watch is also easy to use, which impressed me.

Just wanted to give a heads up for those considering purchasing a HRM. It's a great investment, you won't regret it.
«1

Replies

  • Helawat
    Helawat Posts: 605 Member
    Options
    I went ahead and bought my Polar F6 HRM (Heart Rate Monitor) and wore it for my Cardio Kickboxing and Cardio Cabaret classes. Needless to say, my estimates on MFP and estimating calories burned on other sites weren't very correct.

    On MFP, it estimates that I burned 630 calories but I actually only burned 592 for 60 minutes of exercise. For Cardio Cabaret, which I have been listing as Dancing-General, I really burned 237 instead of 184 calories.

    For those who don't like the chest strap, the Polar F6 does comes with one but after five minutes I forgot I was wearing it. It was comfortable and easy to wear. The watch is also easy to use, which impressed me.

    Just wanted to give a heads up for those considering purchasing a HRM. It's a great investment, you won't regret it.
  • fit_amy
    fit_amy Posts: 41
    Options
    I absolutely agree!!! I bought a metabolism testing package at the Y, and it included a Polar T31 heart rate monitor. It registers my heart rate on the elliptical, treadmill, and bike machines. With my metabolism test, I found out exactly how many calories I burn in each heart rate zone, so the guess work was eliminated. Like you, I found that my actual calories burned are quite different than what the machines say, even after plugging in my age and weight!

    I definitely recommend investing in one! (I'm hoping to buy a watch so I can see my calories what I burn when I'm doing classes or walking outside too! The downside of mine is I have to use it with a machine)
  • banks1850
    banks1850 Posts: 3,475 Member
    Options
    LOVE my F6. Best Present I have ever received. I can now check my BMR by just wearing the watch and strap for a day when I don't exercise. I now know that the machines at the gym over estimate my calorie burn by about 25%, and I know that when running outside, I average about 8% higher heart rate then in the gym. I also realized that doing circuit training keeps me at 75% HRmax which is much higher then I thought. It's awesome. I find myself, when I don't wear it for stuff, thinking "I wish I wore my HR monitor today." LOL, it's becomming addictive to me.
  • alf1163
    alf1163 Posts: 3,143 Member
    Options
    I bought the Mio sport select at wal mart for about $40. It doesnt have the chest strap but you have to monitor the heart rate when you think it increases and then decreases so it calculates the calories burned. I think that is the reason for the chest strap, right? That is the downside of this particular one but so far I like the fact that I know the calories burned are more specific than using the MFP site.

    I went to AAFES, the military store, to compare prices. They had a Timex HRM and the Polars F4 and F11. The Timex is $71.95. The Polar F4 is $75 but one box said $64.99, it looked older. The F11 is $145, way out of my budget range. I noticed all these models have way more features than mine such as telling you when you are in your fat burning zone, etc. What do you guys think about these prices?? Oh, and we don't pay sales taxes in the military stores.
  • gonezobean
    gonezobean Posts: 154
    Options
    did you buy the watch kind or the wrap around chest one?
  • alf1163
    alf1163 Posts: 3,143 Member
    Options
    I am not sure if you are asking me or Helawat...the Mio Sport does not come with a chest strap. It looks like the Polars have a chest strap and the Timex has it as well. Are there any Polar HRM's without a chest strap?? Can they be worn when swimming???
  • yoginimary
    yoginimary Posts: 6,786 Member
    Options
    None can be worn swimming - that I'm aware of - or I think Banks would have it :laugh:

    Chest strap ones are considered more accurate by those in the know.

    I would consider a 30-50 calorie difference to be minimal. I've noticed I burn more/less on mfp than hrm, but I think it all evens out.
  • Benson
    Benson Posts: 444
    Options
    between the two the diff is only 15 cals.
  • REB89
    REB89 Posts: 493 Member
    Options
    YEs you can wear the polar heart rate monitors swimming!
  • yoginimary
    yoginimary Posts: 6,786 Member
    Options
    YEs you can wear the polar heart rate monitors swimming!

    huh, I guess I just didn't think it was possible. I read the user manual, and it says you can use while swimming but be careful of highly chlorinated water or salt water.

    Thanks
  • gonezobean
    gonezobean Posts: 154
    Options
    I have been teetering on "investing" on a heart rate monitor.

    After reading your post, I saw no down side to getting one.

    Thanks to Amazon I am a proud new owner (by Friday).

    Can't wait!
  • kerikitkat
    kerikitkat Posts: 352 Member
    Options
    I want one of these after hearing y'all rave about them. I think for now they are too expensive to splurge on though, especially since my hubby will DEFINITELY want one, too. I'll just have to trust MFP estimates and see if it works for me. :wink:
  • gonezobean
    gonezobean Posts: 154
    Options
    bought it!

    love it!

    I burn more lifting than expected.

    I burn less during cardio than expected.
  • banks1850
    banks1850 Posts: 3,475 Member
    Options
    bought it!

    love it!

    I burn more lifting than expected.

    I burn less during cardio than expected.

    eye opener isn't it? Try this. put it on for a few hours and see what you burn.
    then put it on for lifting, but instead of taking it off after (you can wear it in the shower, they are waterproof) keep it on for 3 hours or so after, you will be surprised at how much extra you
    burn then you did before you worked out. That's the difference between weights and cardio,
    once you are back to normal after cardio, you are back to normal, with weights, your burn is slightly elevated for a few hours after. It's pretty cool to see IRL.
  • alf1163
    alf1163 Posts: 3,143 Member
    Options
    I am sooooooooooooooo trying that!!!!! What a great experiment!!! Will report results later on this week!!
  • cp005e
    cp005e Posts: 1,495 Member
    Options
    Try this. put it on for a few hours and see what you burn.
    then put it on for lifting, but instead of taking it off after (you can wear it in the shower, they are waterproof) keep it on for 3 hours or so after, you will be surprised at how much extra you
    burn then you did before you worked out. That's the difference between weights and cardio,
    once you are back to normal after cardio, you are back to normal, with weights, your burn is slightly elevated for a few hours after. It's pretty cool to see IRL.

    Oooh, I'm gonna have to try this with my F11! Cool. :tongue:
  • banks1850
    banks1850 Posts: 3,475 Member
    Options
    I did it like 2 months ago, it was like an extra 200 calories or so. I was pretty amazed. and happy.
  • yoginimary
    yoginimary Posts: 6,786 Member
    Options
    that explains the ravenous hunger after weights class!
  • TK421NotAtPost
    TK421NotAtPost Posts: 512 Member
    Options
    LOVE my F6. Best Present I have ever received. I can now check my BMR by just wearing the watch and strap for a day when I don't exercise. I now know that the machines at the gym over estimate my calorie burn by about 25%, and I know that when running outside, I average about 8% higher heart rate then in the gym. I also realized that doing circuit training keeps me at 75% HRmax which is much higher then I thought. It's awesome. I find myself, when I don't wear it for stuff, thinking "I wish I wore my HR monitor today." LOL, it's becomming addictive to me.

    Banks, thanks for the info. Does the F6 come with any kind of metabolic test? Or does it estimate it based on your stats?
  • banks1850
    banks1850 Posts: 3,475 Member
    Options
    Banks, thanks for the info. Does the F6 come with any kind of metabolic test? Or does it estimate it based on your stats?

    I assume it uses a formula for metabolism based on your numbers and your heart rate. Because you do put in your age, VO2max(oxygen levels), sex (type, not amount you pervs!:tongue: ), height, and weight. I know there is a (very complicated) formula used to get a very accurate number of calories a person burns based on all that stuff, so I guess it uses that formula. Further then that, you would probably have to email Polar. Be warned though, I emailed them once, and it took like 5 days for them to write me back. LOL, seriously? 5 days? That was a little annoying.

Categories