New to polar heart rate moniters- need help!

dwiebe85

So, I just got my Polar4 HRM and I'm so excited! But my question is, how can I use this most effectively? I understand using it to see how many calories I burn, but I don't understand the heartrate stuff. Any helpful advice for using a HRM?

mimstero

Your calories burned is dependant on your heart rate. You will want to keep it up during your workouts so that you are burning the most calories. It's also cool to watch how many calories your burn after your workout...the afterburn as your heart rate comes down.

I truly found that my HRM is vital to my maintenance because MFP greatly overestimates the amount of calories burned, by double in some cases.

dwiebe85

Oh and can I use it when I do jillian Michaels DVDS where she does 3 min cardio, 2 strength, 1 min abs? Can I use it at all when I train with light weights and cardio? I know it isn't accurate for heavy strength training.

dwiebe85

bump

gomisskellygo

Oh and can I use it when I do jillian Michaels DVDS where she does 3 min cardio, 2 strength, 1 min abs? Can I use it at all when I train with light weights and cardio? I know it isn't accurate for heavy strength training.

Yes, use it for any workout. You will love it!

dwiebe85

anyone else?

tabulator32

I understand they are truly accurate in measuring cardio exercises and not at all accurate for weightlifting.

Keep us posted on your progress and happiness with the product.

Kenzieb07

I use my Polar FT4 for everything. I typically do cardio before weight lifting so my heart rate stays high and I burn way more calories while lifting (and I do believe it is accurate for lifting, because it's based on your heart rate, regardless of the activity... I could be totally wrong?!?). I swear by it, hope you love yours!

reyopo

I just got mine today! Hoping it will track well in my heated power yoga class tomorrow morning (and the chest strap won't drive me nuts while I'm sweating all over he place), but also for Zumba and weight training. I would also love any other helpful info/suggestions on how to use it for the best results...

shorty35565

I think u have the same 1 I do. Is it pink? Polar FT4 is mine. Basically u put in ur weight & the do u exercise. The higher ur heart rate is, the better. Personally I like to keep mine in the 180s as much as possible. 170s if i need to catch my breath a little. 190s when I really pushing it, like HIIT and the finale of Turbo Fire. Everyone is diff. U kno ur limits.
HRM are accurate for cardio, but not weight lifting. I still wear my when I lift weights & do sculpting/toning exercises but I don't take them seriously only just to have something to put on here when I log my exercises. I always pair it w/ cardio anyways.

shorty35565

I use my Polar FT4 for everything. I typically do cardio before weight lifting so my heart rate stays high and I burn way more calories while lifting (and I do believe it is accurate for lifting, because it's based on your heart rate, regardless of the activity... I could be totally wrong?!?). I swear by it, hope you love yours!

It's not accurate in lifting, tho prob more accurate than generic mfp mayb. Yes u burn more cals when ur heart rate is higher, but there is more factors than just that when ur lifting weights. In weight lifting the burn depends on how heavy you go, how vigorous it is & I believe the muscle group too. I think working bigger muscle groups burn more cals than working smaller. Hrm can't really measure those things.

dwiebe85

So if I use it when I do Pilates or weight lifting, can i still count those calories from my hrm on mfp? I know that I will get more afterburn, but are the hrm calories for that session accurate? I really want to know this!

bazfitness

Is there an ideal heart rate to get to? I'm 41, male and have average resting heart rate of 58.5 last time I checked. According to http://www.exercise.com/tools/target-heart-rate-calculator there's 5 different target zones
Warm Up
118-130 bpm
Fat Burn
130-142 bpm
Cardio
142-154 bpm
Training
154-166 bpm
Hardcore
166-179 bpm

Hardcore in particular seems like a massive heart rate to get to. I'd be afraid i'd keel over

Is there an ideal heart rate to get to?

I've also got the Polar F4. I've had it for years but been lying unused in a drawer for years. My high limit on that was set to 152 and low limit 116. No idea where I got those figures from.

Should I adjust these figures up to say low limit of 130 (supposed fat burn minimum) to high limit of 170 (lower end of hardcore)

kinghavok

Is there an ideal heart rate to get to?

I just got the FT7 yesterday, still trying to figure out all the bells and whistles. I try to stay in the fat burning zone right now but then again I am pretty out of shape. Everything I read or been told was find your target and stay in it for 20 min, that may or may not have truth in it because I have never had a trainer.

But I did roar when you said

Hardcore in particular seems like a massive heart rate to get to. I'd be afraid i'd keel over

if you get more info please let me know.

dwiebe85

bump?

Will_Thrust_For_Candy

I just got my F6 a few days ago and so far I have used it for 1 hour of Zumba, JM Ripped in 30, and last night JM No More Trouble Zones which is all strength training and I have found it to be really good! I was really underestimating my calories burned before, so this has been a lifesaver!

kinghavok

Ill let you know in a week. Tonight I seemed to have under estimated a ton on my regular work out

dwiebe85

anyone else know?

reyopo

So if I use it when I do Pilates or weight lifting, can i still count those calories from my hrm on mfp? I know that I will get more afterburn, but are the hrm calories for that session accurate? I really want to know this!

Yes, I believe so. I just got mine too. I used it for weight lifting the other day and it seemed pretty accurate. 112 cals for about 25 minutes. I used it for Zumba after that and the teacher was 10 min late, and new to me so being unfamiliar with the routines, I didn't go for it as hard as I do in my regular class...but still burned 482 cals according to my Polar. Otherwise, so far, I've only used it for walking. I took it off before yoga today because I could tell the chest strap and monitor would get in the way and drive me nuts.

redcat17

Is there an ideal heart rate to get to? I'm 41, male and have average resting heart rate of 58.5 last time I checked. According to http://www.exercise.com/tools/target-heart-rate-calculator there's 5 different target zones
Warm Up
118-130 bpm
Fat Burn
130-142 bpm
Cardio
142-154 bpm
Training
154-166 bpm
Hardcore
166-179 bpm

Hardcore in particular seems like a massive heart rate to get to. I'd be afraid i'd keel over

Is there an ideal heart rate to get to?

I'm no expert, but I have the FT7, and the way that my trainer and I work is we don't care about the fat burner stuff. We normally try for cardo levels doing circuits with weight training.Most of the time we only get there with compound exercises that involve lower body moves (like squats or lunges). I find with cardio when doing intervals it falls between cardio and training for the most part.

bazfitness

I'm no expert, but I have the FT7, and the way that my trainer and I work is we don't care about the fat burner stuff. We normally try for cardo levels doing circuits with weight training.Most of the time we only get there with compound exercises that involve lower body moves (like squats or lunges). I find with cardio when doing intervals it falls between cardio and training for the most part.

thanks redcat

mikejacobs1958

This post has helped me a lot, been reading up on them as I am about to buy one soon.

I never used HRM when younger, just started running again and with my age against me, don't want to take any chances.
Planning on getting back into Marathons and Ultra- Marathons again.

dwiebe85

Can I log the calories burned during Pilates or light lifting?