Need heart rate monitor help

NBFIT

I'm trying to figure out if I'm doing something wrong or my heart rate monitor needs to be returned. Whenever I work out, the monitor is only showing like a third of my calories burned. Example: Treadmill shows 300 cals burned, monitor only shows 100. The manufacturer said that I probably don't have the right numbers for my profile plugged into the monitor. I looked up numerous calculators to find out what my hi & lo "heart rate zone" numbers should be. My max heart rate is 187. The general consensus I found is that you want to be at 55-65% of max heart rate to be in the "fat burning zone". And I know that some say you won't lose, burn as many cals, etc. if your heart rate goes over that (working too hard). My lo is set to 112 & hi set to 141. I tend to go over that 141. But at 121 (my 65%), I don't even feel like I'm doing a good workout.

So far, my diet & exercise is working & I've lost weight. This website & others on the web show more calories burned for my workouts than my monitor does. So is something wrong with the monitor? or do I not have the right numbers plugged in? Help!

kimbux

My HRM NEVER matches what the machine says. Most machines are set for 35 year old males. Even when I put in my weight and age (and my heart rate is compatible with the machine) the machine ALWAYS overstates my calories burned. For example, yesterday I burned about 155 calories based on my HRM - walking at 3.1 MPH for 30 minutes. The machine said I burned over 200.

You definitely need to add your personal info to the HRM... but I can tell you from experience that the HRM is normally lower (for me anyway) than what the machine says.

Good luck! By the way, I have a Polar FT4.

Mike523

That's funny... I recently bought my fist HRM, a Polar FT7, and I have been feeling like it is OVER-estimating calories burned. For example, yesterday I did 30 minutes of cardio/core muscle strength, immediately followed by 15 minutes walking on the treadmill on a slight incline at about 3 MPH, and it said I burned 547 calories. I would have guessed around 400 or so.

4McElfish

My HRM is always way lower than the machine I'm on. The only machine that was dead right was the stairmaster. I have mine programed for me & got it because I felt the machines at the gym were over estimating. I ignore the machine and go with my monitor.