HRM accuracy

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amymeenieminymo
amymeenieminymo Posts: 2,394 Member
in Fitness and Exercise
I' ve had my HRM for a week now and so far everytime I work out (biking the same routes) it gives me a different amount of calories burned each time. Granted they are all within like 50 calories of each other more or less.....I am assuming this is because we don't exert the same amount of energy exactly each and everytime, and conditions like wind can effect how much energy we exert, right? I just want to make sure it's working right. Thanks!
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Replies

  • naugustyniak
    naugustyniak Posts: 836 Member
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    Do you have a chest strap? I have different readings on mine all the time. It is because I exert differently and my heart rate is different each time. Also, the more you do something, the easier it is so you don't exert so much. I can find myself riding my bike and burning a huge amount of calories one day and then the next not so many (wind wasn't blowing, didn't work as hard, took a break).
  • amymeenieminymo
    amymeenieminymo Posts: 2,394 Member
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    Do you have a chest strap? I have different readings on mine all the time. It is because I exert differently and my heart rate is different each time. Also, the more you do something, the easier it is so you don't exert so much. I can find myself riding my bike and burning a huge amount of calories one day and then the next not so many (wind wasn't blowing, didn't work as hard, took a break).

    yes I do have a chest strap. Ok, that's what I thought, but I'm a newbie to HRM's so I just wanted to check. Thanks!
  • naugustyniak
    naugustyniak Posts: 836 Member
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    Do you have a chest strap? I have different readings on mine all the time. It is because I exert differently and my heart rate is different each time. Also, the more you do something, the easier it is so you don't exert so much. I can find myself riding my bike and burning a huge amount of calories one day and then the next not so many (wind wasn't blowing, didn't work as hard, took a break).

    yes I do have a chest strap. Ok, that's what I thought, but I'm a newbie to HRM's so I just wanted to check. Thanks!

    :laugh: I literally freaked out the first time I used mine on my treadmill. My treadmill said I burned over 100 calories more than my HRM. (I was tempted to record the treadmill but didn't :bigsmile: )
  • Juicey1401
    Juicey1401 Posts: 126 Member
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    Thanks so very much.

    I'm expecting my HRM to get here 2day and I can't wait. I don't want to freak out when I see the difference between workouts.
  • naugustyniak
    naugustyniak Posts: 836 Member
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    Thanks so very much.

    I'm expecting my HRM to get here 2day and I can't wait. I don't want to freak out when I see the difference between workouts.

    Any equipment has generic information in it. The HRM is very specific, weight, age, height, etc. and will give you a more accurate reading. You are gonna love it.
  • Juicey1401
    Juicey1401 Posts: 126 Member
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    I got my HRM :happy: YAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA!!!!!!! I'm going to put it through the test.
  • kimss
    kimss Posts: 1,146
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    I have had mine for a couple of weeks and i can't get it to consistantly stay going. it will be running fine, then jump up to 200 and then down to 0 then up to 150 then to 220 then to 0. How tight do you have to wear this thing for it to be accurate? it is fine while walking, but as soon i start to run, it goes haywire.? any suggestions? Its a rebok percision trainer xt.
  • mlmanney
    mlmanney Posts: 349 Member
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    one thing may be that it isn't tight enough...I wear mine pretty tight to ensure it doesn't move. the other thing is that it may be too dry. I wet mine with a little water before I put it on but I have seen that they sell conductive gel you can also use.
  • kimss
    kimss Posts: 1,146
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    one thing may be that it isn't tight enough...I wear mine pretty tight to ensure it doesn't move. the other thing is that it may be too dry. I wet mine with a little water before I put it on but I have seen that they sell conductive gel you can also use.

    I wear this thing so tight that sometimes it pops off in the middle of my run. I am left with marks all; around my body that stay for hours afterwards, and it really uncomfortable. I do not have much of a "chest" to speak of, maybe an A-B cup, so how high should I wear it so it won't move? I do wet it, I might have to try to find the gel.
    thanks.
    I mean really girls, do you wear it so tight that it hurts? and How do you girls use it when you have a bigger chest than a B cup?
  • naugustyniak
    naugustyniak Posts: 836 Member
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    I put mine on fairly tight and under the band of my sports bra. I also wet it a bit, just dampen my fingertips and run them along the inside of the strap. I found it doesn't work as well dry. Also, be sure to clean it after every use or it won't work as well. I take a damp cloth and wipe it off after each use then dry with a dry towel. I am a 36DD and it doesn't pop off.
  • kimss
    kimss Posts: 1,146
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    I put mine on fairly tight and under the band of my sports bra. I also wet it a bit, just dampen my fingertips and run them along the inside of the strap. I found it doesn't work as well dry. Also, be sure to clean it after every use or it won't work as well. I take a damp cloth and wipe it off after each use then dry with a dry towel. I am a 36DD and it doesn't pop off.

    I do the same, under the sprots bra, and damp?
  • naugustyniak
    naugustyniak Posts: 836 Member
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    I put mine on fairly tight and under the band of my sports bra. I also wet it a bit, just dampen my fingertips and run them along the inside of the strap. I found it doesn't work as well dry. Also, be sure to clean it after every use or it won't work as well. I take a damp cloth and wipe it off after each use then dry with a dry towel. I am a 36DD and it doesn't pop off.

    I do the same, under the sprots bra, and damp?

    I have a Polar F6 and I really can't even feel the chest strap. As a matter of fact, I have forgotten to take it off before until I was getting ready to shower. What kind do you have?
  • Channing
    Channing Posts: 617 Member
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    I have had mine for a couple of weeks and i can't get it to consistantly stay going. it will be running fine, then jump up to 200 and then down to 0 then up to 150 then to 220 then to 0. How tight do you have to wear this thing for it to be accurate? it is fine while walking, but as soon i start to run, it goes haywire.? any suggestions? Its a rebok percision trainer xt.

    Okay, this is funny because I also have a Reebok Precision XT and I had the same problem for the first time just this morning. I was running outside and all of a sudden it would jump to like 220 and then to 0. I would walk for a sec and check it and it would go back to normal. Weird. Hopefully it didn't make too big a difference, but I doubt it should have ever even have gone up to 220 right? I just want to be sure it's not OVER estimating my calories.
  • toots99
    toots99 Posts: 3,794 Member
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    I have the Reebok HRM too and found that sometimes it stops, but that was when I was doing yoga. When I was on the elliptical and the treadmill it was fine. When I was laying down for some of the yoga poses, it stopped and I think it might be because the girls shift when laying down, so therefore it might lose contact! :laugh: But when I stood up, it was fine. Maybe I need to tighten it. I just don't want it to chafe under my arms when I'm running or something.

    In the instructions, it says to wear it just above your heart. What I did was walk up and down 2 flights of stairs, felt around for my heartbeat, then put the strap on.

    I wish it was just a wrist piece, can't they make it just measure your pulse instead of wearing the strap around your chest?
  • kimss
    kimss Posts: 1,146
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    I have the Reebok HRM too and found that sometimes it stops, but that was when I was doing yoga. When I was on the elliptical and the treadmill it was fine. When I was laying down for some of the yoga poses, it stopped and I think it might be because the girls shift when laying down, so therefore it might lose contact! :laugh: But when I stood up, it was fine. Maybe I need to tighten it. I just don't want it to chafe under my arms when I'm running or something.

    In the instructions, it says to wear it just above your heart. What I did was walk up and down 2 flights of stairs, felt around for my heartbeat, then put the strap on.

    I wish it was just a wrist piece, can't they make it just measure your pulse instead of wearing the strap around your chest?

    You would think with the technology of today they would have much more accurate way of monitoring your heartrate. this thing feels so rinky dink!
  • toots99
    toots99 Posts: 3,794 Member
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    There probably are better, more high tech ways...but unfortunately price is a factor, so I'll stick with my $30 one! :laugh:
  • Juicey1401
    Juicey1401 Posts: 126 Member
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    I received my HRM on yesterday and I LOVE it!! I used it 3x yesterday and the same 2day. Didn't know that I've been cheating myself on the calories burned by 100-150 cals each time. I kind of just estimated (guessed) by using the site but I'm not mad I still lost weight so what the heck. :laugh: I'm just glad I have it and I will be using it very often since I'm starting to walk tomorrow.

    Much success to all of us!!
  • toots99
    toots99 Posts: 3,794 Member
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    Today I used it and did the Stairmaster...I did it for 10 minutes. The machine said I burned 100 Calories, but my HRM said it was 157. That's quite a difference for just 10 minutes!
  • MacMadame
    MacMadame Posts: 1,893 Member
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    I have the same problem with my Reebok HRM. I wear the strap as tight as it gets too.

    It worked fine at first but it gets more finicky every day. I'm starting to see why they closed them out!

    I hope to get the new Garmin 310XT for my birthday and not have to worry about it any more.
  • vwise
    vwise Posts: 12
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    Polar is the best way to go. Make sure you get the RS 200 or better. Anything cheaper isnt very good. You get what you pay for.

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