Polar FT4 HR Monitor - help!
kamoira23
Posts: 193
Hi there! I posted this on a thread yesterday, but didn't get a response because I was at the end of a thread, so if you've read this, I apologize.
I have an FT4 and I have a question that some of you may help me with! I love the monitor for reading my HR, especially when I'm swimming or walking/jogging outside, but I'm possibly having some issues with the calorie counter.
When I work out on the cross-trainer for an hour, the cross-trainer will say that I've burned about 800 calories, while my FT4 will say that I've only burned 400-500. I seem to have that large variation in calories on every machine that I use, and I always input the same weight/age as is in my monitor.
I also have the same problem with inputting exercise into myfitnesspal. I will input 30 minutes of leisurely swimming (when I'm actually swimming laps at a decent speed) and the calorie count will be almost 400 according to this program, but according to my monitor, I will only have burned 115 or so calories. That seems to be too extreme of a calorie variation to me, especially considering that I'm actually doing a more vigorous exercise than I'm inputting into the program. And tonight, I walked/jogged 4.5 miles at a fairly brisk pace (my HR was constantly between 150-160) and the monitor said I only burned ~450 calories. When I put it into this program, it projected that I should have burned 1200+ calories.
I'm told that the monitor is more accurate, but I don't see how there can consistently be a difference of hundreds of calories burned from the monitor to the machines or various calorie calculators online.
I assume that my monitor is broken, because the other option is that programs like myfitnesspal/online calculators/machines are THAT inflated with calories burned? Does anyone know? I'd hate to have to deal with returning it, considering I just got it about 2 months ago.
I have an FT4 and I have a question that some of you may help me with! I love the monitor for reading my HR, especially when I'm swimming or walking/jogging outside, but I'm possibly having some issues with the calorie counter.
When I work out on the cross-trainer for an hour, the cross-trainer will say that I've burned about 800 calories, while my FT4 will say that I've only burned 400-500. I seem to have that large variation in calories on every machine that I use, and I always input the same weight/age as is in my monitor.
I also have the same problem with inputting exercise into myfitnesspal. I will input 30 minutes of leisurely swimming (when I'm actually swimming laps at a decent speed) and the calorie count will be almost 400 according to this program, but according to my monitor, I will only have burned 115 or so calories. That seems to be too extreme of a calorie variation to me, especially considering that I'm actually doing a more vigorous exercise than I'm inputting into the program. And tonight, I walked/jogged 4.5 miles at a fairly brisk pace (my HR was constantly between 150-160) and the monitor said I only burned ~450 calories. When I put it into this program, it projected that I should have burned 1200+ calories.
I'm told that the monitor is more accurate, but I don't see how there can consistently be a difference of hundreds of calories burned from the monitor to the machines or various calorie calculators online.
I assume that my monitor is broken, because the other option is that programs like myfitnesspal/online calculators/machines are THAT inflated with calories burned? Does anyone know? I'd hate to have to deal with returning it, considering I just got it about 2 months ago.
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Replies
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The other methods are approximating your caloric burn, while the HRM is actually calculating it based on data (namely uour HR, height, age, gender, etc.) My HRM says I burn WAY less than any other method, but it's always going to be much more accurate than any approximation. I would trust the HRM over any of the other machines/approximations.0
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Your HRM is correct. The machines at the gym are ALWAYS off and are NEVER correct. They can be off by several hundred calories or less. Also, MFP gives you an average amount. They do not know how hard you are working during the alotted time you are exercising. The HRM is the only way to tell and what you have is a good one. Just go off what it says and ignore all the other numbers.0
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Go with the HRM. Not pinpoint accuracy, but pretty darn close to it. I guess you have to work hard eh?0
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hiya! i have a polar ft4 and it sounds about spot-on to me. i jog 3.5 miles each week and i burn in the vicinity of 400 calories, and that's with no walking. my gym classes are about an hour, and i go pretty hardcore, and i don't exceed 550 calories. i burned 845 calories today, but that was over 2 hours of over five miles of strenuous hiking trails. i would stick with your polar estimate - gym equipment is known to vastly overestimate calories burned.
also, make sure you keep your stats updated - for every pound i lose, it's that much harder to burn the calories. i burned calories much easier 30 pounds ago because i wasn't as fit as i am now. best of luck to you!0 -
The HRM is the most accurate. Sorry you dont get the bigger calorie counts you were expecting that part sucks but at least youll know which one to trust now. I have an FT4 too and love it. The machines give me a slightly higher count, not as off as yours but I trust my HRM.0
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Go by your HRM it is the correct one. The others are based on an average weight, average everything and we are not all in the same package. The walk you did was correct you do burn an average of around 100 calories a mile so 450 is right on the money.
The machines are never right I have a treadmill and it is usually 100 or more calories off your HRM also knows what shape you are in the machines do not.
Keep the HRM and mine is a Polar too if you want you can wear them 24 hours just like a body bugg. I did that once just to see what my body burns in 24 hours very interesting.
Enjoy your HRM.0 -
Thanks for all your help! That makes me feel much better, now that I know what I'm actually burning! Read as: now I know I have to push myself even harder! :]0
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