CRAZY HRM Question

LisaStanley500

So, not sure if my HRM is CRAZY/Cheap/ or if I don't know what I'm doing(quite possible).

I have a New Balance HRM watch (no chest strap), anyway, I use the elliptical at home. I do 30 minutes and am getting calories burned results all over the place. One day it's 430 cals burned, then 260, 453, & todays is only 150. Am I doing something wrong? I am taking my pulse every 5 minutes (too much, not enough?) I just feel like I am exercising at the same intensity & for the same amount of time, but why are the calorie readings SO different?

dad106

No your HRM isn't crazy

The reason why you are getting such crazy readings is because of the lack of chest strap. The HRM only gets you're heart rate when you touch it.. and since it uses heart rate to figure out calories, it has to wait until you update it again. So lets say you check it once, and it reads 90.. it's going to keep using that 90 to figure out calories burned until you touch it again. Ok 5 minutes later you touch it and it reads 120, it's then going to keep using that 120 until you touch it again.. and lets say it goes down to 100, it will then use that 100 until you touch it again.. and so on down the line until you finish exercising.

Bottom Line: Scrap it and get one with a chest strap.. Preferably a Polar. They are the best for HRM's and pretty accurate in estimating calories burned.

sarahtroupe

when I didn't have a chest strap I took my pulse once every 2 min especially when i was doing intervals! hope this helps

LisaStanley500

I was just thinking the chest strap would be uncomfortable...it's ok??

Keiras_Mom

You don't even feel the chest strap once you're moving. I have a fairly inexpensive Polar FT4 and love it.