A Heart Rate Monitor is a must! Especailly for Women.

aleecef721

I am addicted to my Polar Heart Rate monitor. For those of you women who go by the calories it says you have burned on a particular machine, boy are you in for a shock.Those machines are calabrated for men, so even though you put in your age and weight it is far from accurate. It will most likey say you have burned 100 or more calories higher then actual. I have even see as much as 300 more than I have actually burned on some machines

So if you are putting your food and exercise into this software and eating the calories it has alloted you you may be way off in some cases.

Why the Polar is accurate; when you set it up you put in your height, weight, birthday with year and your sex. You wear a chest stap that constantly monitors your heart rate. A bonus to the Polar is that it tranmits your heart rate to common gym equipment; like the Precor brand.

This device also helps you to see the progress you are making. By knowing what your heart rate is while doing activities you will know how quickly you are getting in shape as your heart rate starts to lower doing the same exercise at the same intensity.

I hope this helps and inspires people to get one. I swear by it. It has made my workouts more intense and keeps you going until you hit your target calorie goal. You say, "well I should keep going, it's only 25 more calories till I hit 500"

Good luck to you all.

hmarshburn

I was just talking about HRMs yesterday. Where did you buy yours?

slg92088

Mine just came in the mail today, I'm so excited!

stephr2014

Thanks for this post, I've really been thinking about purchasing a HRM.

njean888

You couldn't be more correct. I don't have the Polar, I have a Timex but just the same you program it with your information and wear a chest strap. Now that I have one I can't imagine ever working out without it.

Echoshill

Besides common sense, an HRM is the first step toward changing from working out to training.

I recommend TIMEX Race Elite trainer. Algorithms seem to be terrific, easy batt replacement and much less money than the Polar. But, to each their own.

Buy on Amazon.

Regardless of brand, always verify your calorie output with multiple sources.

hmrtym

I Love love love my polar! You are completely right!

Nellie1drfl

Which Polar do you have, there were so many. I bought a cheepie and it worked for about 6 months, wont dothat again.

superstarcassie

i agree its a must!! The machines at the gym and the readings on MFP are usually WAY over what I would really burn. I like knowing my heart rate at all times- I am able to push myself to keep it in the cardio zone. It also helps me to not half *kitten* my workouts! When I see 900 calories burned in 20 mins.......I pretty much know that they are just guessing based off of MFP. Once you have one, you will be hooked!

LJCDuke11

OMG! I canNOT wait for my beautiful Red/Silver Polar FT7 to come in!! I paid a little more for it but I'm very color orientated and I know it will motivate me to get out and put it to work more than a plain one! Can't wait!! SUPER EXCITED!!:bigsmile:

dshalbert

I so agree with Aleescef! Thanks for that post. I have a polar as well and love it. I love how it saves your work-outs and let's you know when you are in or out of you targeted heart zone. I got mine at Best Buy for about $90.00

JenSpinnaChick

I've been using my Polar for 3 years now, I totally agree with you. I like that it also lets you know when you are NOT working hard enough, I've always had a misconception about that.

ifeelsqueaky

Yeah I do love my Polar HRM I must say, it's awesome :bigsmile:

I find that the machines are inaccurate the other way though, they say I've burned less. I am finding that I am having to work so much harder to push my heart rate up - I must be getting fitter!

ifeelsqueaky

Which Polar do you have, there were so many. I bought a cheepie and it worked for about 6 months, wont dothat again.

I have a polar F11 and it's awesome - my boyfriend has the same one and ours have never broken.

MonsteRawr

I, too, have been considering getting a HRM. However, I'm more interested in one of the wrist models. (I'd like to be able to wear it to work, and the chest straps seems like it could lead to awkward questions.) Are the wrist HRMs as accurate as the chest ones? And which one would you recommend?

KelliB25

I seem to have the opposite results. I got a TImex HRM for Christmas that calculates calories burned, I entered in all of my information and use the treadmill that recieves a signal from my chest strap and the Timex HRM shows almost double what the treadmill does!! I input my weight in the tredmill each time. I am at a loss on which one is correct?

heathersmilez

I, too, have been considering getting a HRM. However, I'm more interested in one of the wrist models. (I'd like to be able to wear it to work, and the chest straps seems like it could lead to awkward questions.) Are the wrist HRMs as accurate as the chest ones? And which one would you recommend?

The problem with the wrist ones is you basically have to stop and hold your fingers on 2 buttons to get your HR rather than it being constantly monitored with the chest straps. Not only that it doesn't work 100% of the time. Depending on how you are holding your arm, where it is on your wrist and amount of sweat it can't always pick it up or sometimes it is crazy off. I've seen both 45, 25 minutes into a workout (and my resting is already 52 so its not possible to go lower unless I stay still in a freezing area) and 220 which is close to a heart attack but I'm breathing fine and healthy so I wasn't worried.

I bought a wrist one just for fun, a Mio on sale for $49 was $89 recommended by Dr. Phil apparently which was funny when I read that on the box. It was just for fun to finally see what 4 years of Turbo Jam was actually burning and my company paid for it though our wellness plan. If you are serious about eating ALL your exercise calories, then to be most accurate get a chest one for about $150+. I’m buying the hubby a Titlist stand bag this year with my wellness funds but otherwise I would buy another HRM.

polo571

I use a body bugg and the machines were off 25%. If the machine said I burned 1,000 it was really 750. Everyone should have a monitor

BigBoneSista

Yeah I do love my Polar HRM I must say, it's awesome :bigsmile:

I find that the machines are inaccurate the other way though, they say I've burned less. I am finding that I am having to work so much harder to push my heart rate up - I must be getting fitter!

Thats my situation also. The machine always says less than my polar.

Spitfirex007

I keep saying I am going to go get one. But never do. I am not sure I see the point in them. Telling what you burn is nice! But I don't see how it adds to your workout. For the price for one HRM I could go buy some new weights or something. And spending around $100 just to count calories seems a bit much. Maybe someday though.

darwintheboxer

Eh. I'm sure they are fantastic tools but, for myself, I don't find it necessary at this point. I'm sure my elliptical machine overestimates the calorie burn but I rarely eat all my exercise calories back and I am still losing at about my predicted rate. Part of that can be attributed to loss of lean body mass (3500 calories applies to a pound of fat). No matter how hard one tries, not all wieght loss on a diet will be from fat. Part of it is that my maintenance calories are also just an estimate. And part of it is that the calories I log are also just an estimate (although hopefully the most accurate of the three and I did purchase a food scale for this purpose.) Anyway, it might be something I revisit if I hit a prolonged plateau, but for now I'm doing just fine without one.

ErinJ1981

I agree!! They are a MUST!! I will never work out without one again!

thedestar

Hmmm I've been kinda thinking about getting one since i joined MFP and I might just have to get one when we get our taxes done. My hubby just the other night said that the one thing he missed about going to the gym (it got too expensive) was having the machines tell him how many calories he burned so he might have to get one too Thanks for the tips!

puggleperson

You got a lot of responses but thanks so much for the review.. I need to get one!

diamorrow

I have a MIO watch HR monitor. It works with or without the chest strap. When I am at the gym I use the chest strap so I can monitor my HR continuously. It also has a USB connection to download to their web site. Have not done that yet. Just started using it this week. I will let you all know what I think.

melizerd

I'm going to be starting P90X and I'm thinking that I really need to break down and buy one. Meh I hate spending money (poor college student, wife, stay at home mom :P)

aleecef721

Which Polar do you have, there were so many. I bought a cheepie and it worked for about 6 months, wont dothat again.

I have the Polar FT60 in pink! I have had solid results and have had this one for 2+ years. Battery is easy to change. I also have the clunky pedometer. I wear the HRM and ped and mow the lawn! Amazing how many miles it actually it.

aleecef721

I'm going to be starting P90X and I'm thinking that I really need to break down and buy one. Meh I hate spending money (poor college student, wife, stay at home mom :P)

Worth every penny. You won't regret it. Make sure it is one that counts calories because some don't. I have the Polar FT60.

PS. I love P90X it is an amazing workout! Good luck!

loriefolk

What a great post! Thanks so much for the information! Very informational

Kekibird

I've had a Polar for over 3 years now. Had the Polar F6 first and wore it till it died. RIP my wonder F6!

Now I have the FT40 and I love it. Simple and gets it done just right. I rarely trust the calories of a machine or of a website because it's not personally dialed into your heartrate and your details.

I'm all for putting the money towards a good HRM!

Katie

Jessicapages

Well after reading ALL the posts on this I am going to get a HRM.The only problem is which one??Polar or Bodybugg?I can't wait to see how much I am burning doing Turbo Fire.