HRM Question

Options
KBrenOH
KBrenOH Posts: 704 Member
in Fitness and Exercise
My husband surprised me with a HRM for my birthday. It's one that was recommended to me by another user here and is the Timex T5G971 Unisex Sports Personal Heart Rate Monitor Watch. Yes, I've heard the Polar's are better, but that's a lot of money that we simply do not have and this one did get good reviews both my the person here and on Amazon where he got it.

I like it but I'm having trouble understanding it and thought maybe I was doing something wrong. I just did my first real exercise with it and my heart rate wasn't hitting any higher than around 121 bpm at a 5mph run sustained for 1.5 minutes. However AFTER my exercise workout was done, it hit up as high as 150bpm just from me sitting at my pc.

Am I doing something off with it that I don't know about? The manual that came with it is not very helpful.

Also - It had a hard time picking up my heartbeat this morning. It says to just wet the sensors, but do I really need to buy the gel to get it to be effective?

Thanks in advance!

Replies

  • tangal88
    tangal88 Posts: 689
    Options
    wet the sensors with water, then put chest strap on, then dress. Start watch, then do workout. I have the same watch and this is what I do.

    Make sure you set it up correctly with your weight etc, Mine came with two booklets, and for the longest time, I could not figure out how to set the silly thing. Then I found the other book in the paperwork.

    You can also find the manual on the website, as well as some videos.

    Sometimes with my chest strap, it can rub against the edge of (or slip under) my sports bra and flip a bit and loose contact, which messes up the readings. So make sure strap is positioned to prevent this.
  • JMYGA
    JMYGA Posts: 26
    Options
    I have a Timex also. I moisten my skin slightly in addition to the sensors. The only time mine has ever acted crazy was when the batteries needed changing on the strap.
  • KBrenOH
    KBrenOH Posts: 704 Member
    Options
    I moistened my skin and the strap and it isn't picking up my heartbeat. It (the strap) is also beeping consistantly.

    I did set it up with my weight etc and I have both books.

    After reading some of the reviews on Timex's actual website, a lot of people have had trouble with this watch/strap. People said they were getting inaccurate calories burned readings and I don't doubt it. I put my hands on my treadmill's sensor to see what my pulse was and it said 174.. the HRM said 121. Now i'm just frustrated.

Categories