heart rate monitor users

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natalie1
natalie1 Posts: 180 Member
in Health and Weight Loss
I've been on mfp for about a week now and You guys, doing really good job motivating each other. I see a lot of people are using heart rate monitor. Can you give me suggestion to what kind works best for you? I've seen ones with straps around your chest , I've seen ones that look like hand watch and others that look like big finger ring. What do you think is the easiest design to use and most accurate?
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  • natalie1
    natalie1 Posts: 180 Member
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    I've been on mfp for about a week now and You guys, doing really good job motivating each other. I see a lot of people are using heart rate monitor. Can you give me suggestion to what kind works best for you? I've seen ones with straps around your chest , I've seen ones that look like hand watch and others that look like big finger ring. What do you think is the easiest design to use and most accurate?
  • PrincessLaundry
    PrincessLaundry Posts: 2,758 Member
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    I've been on mfp for about a week now and You guys, doing really good job motivating each other. I see a lot of people are using heart rate monitor. Can you give me suggestion to what kind works best for you? I've seen ones with straps around your chest , I've seen ones that look like hand watch and others that look like big finger ring. What do you think is the easiest design to use and most accurate?

    I bought a watch style HRM thinking I wouldn't use it...But now I wish I would have bought one that I can use just on my wrist AND with the strap! Dumb me saw only black and white. I didn't think to look for one to use both ways. When I ride sometimes I'm going slower for quite a bit and I have to punch buttons to check my heart instead of having something keep track of the changes itself. Sheesh! This one will be nice for a spare though!
  • pmkelly409
    pmkelly409 Posts: 1,653 Member
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    Well if you do a search you will find that Polar is the prevailing best seller. but there are so many more out there...I have the F4 Polar because the equipment at my gym synchs with it. It is great for just tracking THR, total calories burned, etc. It is not a great tool if you need a stop watch function and it only keeps track of the exercise for that day....

    do a search on HRM and you will find a ton of useful info on the boards.

    DEFINITELY get the one with the chest strap - don't cheap out on this!!! It is far more accurate to use it and easier to use while exercising - otherwise you have to stop and use both hands to get a reading. YUCK! It is comfortable and durable and all the cool kids are doing it!! :laugh:
  • natalie1
    natalie1 Posts: 180 Member
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    So there must be a chest strap in ADDITION to the watch type monitor? Are they connected in some way?
  • timisw
    timisw Posts: 391 Member
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    So there must be a chest strap in ADDITION to the watch type monitor? Are they connected in some way?

    They talk to eachother via BlueTooth or some other type of wireless technology.

    I have a MIO Ultimate for 2 months now and VERY much like it.

    It can work with and without a chest strap. I use the chest strap for anything to do with exercise and I want an accurate calorie usage. I use the watch itself when I just want to know my heart rate and to see how fast I recover from a run or cardio.

    It really all comes down to how much you want to pay.

    I think the Polar F4, MIO Ultimate, and the Suunto T4 Series are probably the best ones out there.

    I wish I could have afforded the Suunto T6... I just like the way it looks!
  • PrincessLaundry
    PrincessLaundry Posts: 2,758 Member
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    I didn't get the strap at first because I was having anxieties about it being hard to use...I should have paid another $20 and bought with the strap! I just didn't want the hassle...stupid me! Sheesh!

    l_95a0f1b75368f7cbdfbe6ddb555556b4.jpg
  • timisw
    timisw Posts: 391 Member
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    I didn't get the strap at first because I was having anxieties about it being hard to use...I should have paid another $20 and bought with the strap! I just didn't want the hassle...stupid me! Sheesh!

    l_95a0f1b75368f7cbdfbe6ddb555556b4.jpg

    Holy Hell Princess...

    What are you doing with the Bear!?!?

    Is that what you were think of with the strap?
  • jlauren6
    jlauren6 Posts: 209
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    Where is the best place to purchase one? I would really love to get one, but sheesh they are pricy!
  • food_junkie
    food_junkie Posts: 434
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    Where is the best place to purchase one? I would really love to get one, but sheesh they are pricy!

    Check ebay! I got a brand new pink polar F6 for 60 bucks (with shipping)!!
  • jlauren6
    jlauren6 Posts: 209
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    Where is the best place to purchase one? I would really love to get one, but sheesh they are pricy!

    Check ebay! I got a brand new pink polar F6 for 60 bucks (with shipping)!!

    WOW!! That's awesome! THANKS!
  • iluvsparkles
    iluvsparkles Posts: 1,730 Member
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    timsisw says it all about the hrm!

    at the suggestion of shorerider, i got the highgear pulsewear duo. it has the chest strap and the finger sensors. i ALWAYS use the chest strap. Idont find it uncomfortable because i am already wearing a bra. there are also hrms out there that go into a certain sports bra and you dont even have to worry with the strap! Mine is plenty comfortable and has all of the features of the high priced polars, but it was half the price, off of Amazon.com! (thanks shore, i love it, im glad youve got one too!)

    it is so aweomse, and for me , well worth the money. YOu have no idea how your body burns calories until you get one of these... for example.
    when i started taking zumba, i was burning 3-400 cals per class.
    Now that ive bene at it for a while and i still continue to wear my hrm, i burn 6-700 calories every class! thats twice as much as when i started, and if i didnt have my hrm, i would still be logging the low numbers that i estimated before my wonderful workout companion came along!

    well worth it!


    ps the only thing that the Pulsewear Duo does not do that the Polar DOES is it has its own signiture frequency so that if someone else in your class also has on an hrm, you might accidentally pick up the signals on your watch from the person beside of yous chest strap. Polar has a feature to block that while the highgear does not. Thats not a problem for me because im the only one in my class with one on.
  • shorerider
    shorerider Posts: 3,817 Member
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    Hey Sparkle,

    the YMCA I just started at today has Zumba classes and I was thinking about taking one in a bit--once I lose a little more weight. Are they really hard? Do you have to know how to dance or have rhythm? Because I don't!
  • timisw
    timisw Posts: 391 Member
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    Where is the best place to purchase one? I would really love to get one, but sheesh they are pricy!

    Think eBay! ~smiling~

    Also, Amazon had the best price on the MIO Ultimate!
  • timisw
    timisw Posts: 391 Member
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    timsisw says it all about the hrm!

    ~smiling~

    I kinda do don't?

    There seems to be a relationship between expending energy, which equates to increased heart rate, which ends up burning calories and (most important) build muscle, which involves making sure you dont sit on your butt all day! ~wink~
  • shorerider
    shorerider Posts: 3,817 Member
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    The machines, well most of them anyway, at the YMCA I just joined will pick up your HRM and display that info on the screen! Too cool!
  • SGFlyinHi
    SGFlyinHi Posts: 469 Member
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    Hey Sparkle,

    the YMCA I just started at today has Zumba classes and I was thinking about taking one in a bit--once I lose a little more weight. Are they really hard? Do you have to know how to dance or have rhythm? Because I don't!

    Hey Shore.

    I started doing the Zumba classes at my Gym & love it. It's something different from my regular routine so it's nice to switch it up. I do not know how to dance nor do I have rhythm, so I would say no. No one cares what you look like as long as you are doing your best during the class. So I would say give it a shot. :happy:

    SG :glasses:
  • shorerider
    shorerider Posts: 3,817 Member
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    Thanks! I might in a few weeks--right now, I think I'm just going to get used to the gym atmosphere. I'm used to riding my bike myself, so being around people today while working out was kind of odd. Two guys even got into a close to heated discussion about politics and I thought "Oh boy, here we go!" But they cooled down fairly quick.

    I think what I'll do is watch one of the Zumba classes first and see what goes on than get up my bravery to try it!
  • PrincessLaundry
    PrincessLaundry Posts: 2,758 Member
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    I didn't get the strap at first because I was having anxieties about it being hard to use...I should have paid another $20 and bought with the strap! I just didn't want the hassle...stupid me! Sheesh!

    l_95a0f1b75368f7cbdfbe6ddb555556b4.jpg

    Holy Hell Princess...

    What are you doing with the Bear!?!?

    Is that what you were think of with the strap?

    Ya, did I totally misunderstand something??? :tongue:
  • timisw
    timisw Posts: 391 Member
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    Ya, did I totally misunderstand something??? :tongue:

    The bear is looking uhmm rather "strapped" to his chair. You were mentioning that you didnt get the strap.

    Either way... Lucky Bear!
  • PrincessLaundry
    PrincessLaundry Posts: 2,758 Member
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    Ya, did I totally misunderstand something??? :tongue:

    The bear is looking uhmm rather "strapped" to his chair. You were mentioning that you didnt get the strap.

    Either way... Lucky Bear!

    LOL

    I sent that to my DH when he was TDY, under the caption, "Take the boat test or the bear gets it!"
    He promptly took the test, saving the bear from definite doom!

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