Heart Rate Monitor Newby: Where to start?

Dalton1720
Dalton1720 Posts: 104
in Fitness and Exercise
I'm searching for a HRM that is reasonably priced and that can count the calories I burn while exercising accuratly. I know some HRMs have lots of fancy components to them, but I'm looking for something simple and effective. Thanks in advance for your feedback.

Replies

  • GetSoda
    GetSoda Posts: 1,267 Member
    What sort of exercise?
  • AmyScraymee
    AmyScraymee Posts: 12 Member
    I have a polar FT7 and its pretty basic but still great quality. Its has 100 save slots, records time worked out, heart rate, how long you spent in the "fat burning" and "Fitness Zones" if you care, and an average and max heartrate. If you buy the wireless transfere thing it also uploads to the computer as well and shows you graphs etc. The FT4 is the model below and it has all the same record functions but cant do the computer stuff and only has 10 save slots and is slightly chaeper (I brought this for my mum). Both are waterproof and can be worn swimming! Hope this helps.
  • Dalton1720
    Dalton1720 Posts: 104
    I'm switching my routine and am aiming for a half hour to 45 minutes of cardio and lots of strength training. I would only be using it for the cardio because from what I heard strength training doesn't really burn many calories.

    Thanks! That sounds just about what I need. How useful is the computer component? I love that its water proof too. I was thinking about adding swimming in there as well.

    Quick question, I know with the cardio machines they don't always give a true reading, but with a hrm can you eat back all your exercise calories? Or would it still be smart to subtract some?
  • GetSoda
    GetSoda Posts: 1,267 Member
    HRMs are guessing, too. They use your heart rate to guess, but they only know your heart rate - not how many calories you actually burn.

    It might be more or less accurate than just plugging in 'elliptical' into the built in exercises here on MFP.

    What is your goal with the cardio? Are you doing it for health, or are you doing it for weight loss?

    Because honestly, think about it, if just for weight loss, how pointless is it to do 30 minutes of cardio, burn 200 calories, then eat 200 calories of extra food for it?

    Especially as you do more and more (hamster wheel) cardio, you get more efficient at the movement, therefore burning less calories at it the more efficient you become. You train your body to expend the least amount of energy possible. So it becomes less and less effective for weight loss.

    Just rambling...
  • sloth3toes
    sloth3toes Posts: 2,212 Member
    (hamster wheel) cardio

    Teehee.... 'hamster wheel cardio.' Now, I feel kind of silly. :blushing:
  • Dalton1720
    Dalton1720 Posts: 104
    I do it for both. The cardio really has toned me up more than anything, but it also makes me feel a bit better knowing I earned a snack from it as well since I always feel so hungry afterwards.
  • TeaBea
    TeaBea Posts: 14,517 Member
    What sort of exercise?

    Yes - this is important. ^

    HRMs are designed for steady state cardio. A model with a chest strap is more accurate. Wrist only jobs don't measure your heart rate all the time, you often have to stop to take your pulse, and arm movements can throw the number off.

    Strength training is not based upon changes is heart rate....HRMs are terribly accurate there.

    I have a Polar FT4. Not the most fancy, but I don't workout in a gym and don't have to worry about interference from other HRMs.
  • TeaBea
    TeaBea Posts: 14,517 Member
    Quick question, I know with the cardio machines they don't always give a true reading, but with a hrm can you eat back all your exercise calories? Or would it still be smart to subtract some?

    How much data do you input into the machine?

    Machine numbers are often inflated because they "assume" you are male unless you can tell it otherwise. Men burn more because they have a higher muscle mass. Also machines have no way of determining if a workout is hard for you. With a HRM expect lower numbers, and as your fitness level increases you will need to work harder just to get the same calorie burn you had as a newbie.

    Yes - you are "safe" to eat back cardio calories. It works for me.
  • Swilla_Swole
    Swilla_Swole Posts: 333 Member
    Define reasonably priced
  • Dalton1720
    Dalton1720 Posts: 104
    I have started to realize the work outs I do are becoming easier so Ive been increasing the speed and incline which certainly puts a stop to that haha. I just started putting in my information on the elliptical, but I always did on the treadmill. Im not sure why I didn't think of doing it for the other machine. I hear the Polar models are great hmrs, but all of them are a bit expensive for me right now.

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