Heart Rate Monitor

cc_campbell81

Chest straps are more accurate than wrist. After you use it a couple times, you won't even notice it's there.

The machines can only know a few generic things about you (weight, age, watts, etc), while the HRM knows exactly your heartbeats per minute for the entire workout and is therefore significantly more accurate.

How so? Heart rate has no direct correlation with calorie expenditure. Why assume that the HRM "knows" "exactly" what is going on?

Machines like bikes and treamills from top manufacturers like Life Fitness, Precor, Technogym, have calibrated workloads for which there are well-established and validated prediction equations for estimating energy cost. Since the machines are measuring the *actual* work that is being performed, calorie counts on these modalities would likely be more accurate than any HRM. (for walking and cycling at least--the lack of wind resistance leads to overestimation for treadmill running at faster speeds).

Ellipticals cross trainers are the one modality where the machine counts are likely to be the least accurate because there is no standard movement. You have to depend on each manufacturer to do their own testing and few of them take the time and expense to do so.

I am sure the machines were perfectly calibrated when they were shipped but how do you know how many times it's been calibrated since?

cc_campbell81

For a long time I didn't see the point in having a heart rate montor but now I highly recommend getting one. I always thought I'd work out hard with or without it. I purchased one last weekend and learned a lot already. First, I learned that the display for calories burned on cardio machines can be way off. Second, it's really motivating. I set a goal to burn 500 calories during my cardio work out but actually seeing the calories burned right there on my wrist pushed me to work harder. I just wanted to keep going to burn more and more. I ended up doing a 675 calorie work out. The one I bought is fairly inexpensive, $25 at walmart. Just wanted to share this motivation idea with everyone.


Created by MyFitnessPal.com - Calorie Counter

Pray tell, why would you instantly put such unquestioned faith in the accuracy of a cheapo doodad from WalMart while summarily dismissing the information displayed on a cardio machine in a gym? Why would you think that the walmart thingie is designed any better?

Ouch! As I put in another post, I am sure the machines were good when first purchased but they only stay that way if they get calibrated. My post was intended to be another motivational tool. One of the best parts of my HRM is seeing "calories burned" as I am working out instead of calculating it afterwards. It pushes me to keep going more and more.


"Machines like bikes and treamills from top manufacturers like Life Fitness, Precor, Technogym, have calibrated workloads for which there are well-established and validated prediction equations for estimating energy cost. Since the machines are measuring the *actual* work that is being performed, calorie counts on these modalities would likely be more accurate than any HRM. "

I am sure that the HRM manufacturer put time and research into their product also. Thanks for sharing your opinion but my HRM has still had a positive impact on my work outs.