Heart Rate Monitors 101

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nolachick
nolachick Posts: 3,278 Member
in Health and Weight Loss
So been thinking of getting one but have no idea what to get, what to look for or how to use one. lol.

(Also don't want to over pay. If I can get a descent one for $50 or less would be great! I checked the Polar sight and wow, they had those things all the way up to $200+)

any help would be greatly appreciated. :flowerforyou:

Replies

  • Giggles27
    Giggles27 Posts: 139
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    Girl I had the same question a few days ago and this is what everyone replied with:

    http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/69158-pedometer-heart-rate-monitor
  • nolachick
    nolachick Posts: 3,278 Member
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    ok so are they better with or without the chest strap?
  • Giggles27
    Giggles27 Posts: 139
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    I like the MIO so far its $70 and its strapless...thats what I got from it...
  • Kpablo
    Kpablo Posts: 355 Member
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    I have a Polar F6, I got on ebay for 99 bucks. Love it, wearing it right now.
  • MacMadame
    MacMadame Posts: 1,893 Member
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    Better with the chest strap. They are continuously reading rather than making an estimate from a series of distinct readings.
  • jdelot
    jdelot Posts: 397 Member
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    I'm pretty sure the HRMs with the chest strap are more accurate. I bought a Timex brand HRM from ****'s Sporting Goods for $69.99. It works great! It doesn't store as much data as my wife's Polar 6, but it's good enough for me.
  • jdelot
    jdelot Posts: 397 Member
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    I'm pretty sure the HRMs with the chest strap are more accurate. I bought a Timex brand HRM from ****'s Sporting Goods for $69.99. It works great! It doesn't store as much data as my wife's Polar 6, but it's good enough for me.

    Question about my post...Are we not supposed to use the names of sporting goods stores or is it because the name, used in a different context, could be considered profanity? Just curious.
  • nolachick
    nolachick Posts: 3,278 Member
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    I'm pretty sure the HRMs with the chest strap are more accurate. I bought a Timex brand HRM from ****'s Sporting Goods for $69.99. It works great! It doesn't store as much data as my wife's Polar 6, but it's good enough for me.

    Thnx! I saw some Timex brands on amazon and was considering buying one but wasn't sure if they were even worth it. This might be a dumb question but I know HRM are obviously to measure your heart rate, but I'm not sure how to use these values. I hear some instructors at the gym talking about getting into ur zone or staying in ur HR zone, etc, but I have no idea what that means or how to go about doing that stuff. How do you use ur HRM ?

    Thanks for your help :flowerforyou:
  • jdelot
    jdelot Posts: 397 Member
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    I use mine mainly to just track my calories burned. You can setup a target heart rate zone. I am by no stretch of the meaning an expert on this...so, check out this website:
    http://www.brianmac.co.uk/hrm1.htm
  • jljohnson
    jljohnson Posts: 719 Member
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    The linked thread from Giggle27 mentions the Reebok Precision XT. That's what I have, and I really like it. It has the chest strap, which is more accurate. I got mine online for only $20! It has similar features to the Polar, just not as pretty. Hope this helps.
  • twilight1542
    twilight1542 Posts: 403
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    I'm pretty sure the HRMs with the chest strap are more accurate. I bought a Timex brand HRM from ****'s Sporting Goods for $69.99. It works great! It doesn't store as much data as my wife's Polar 6, but it's good enough for me.

    Thnx! I saw some Timex brands on amazon and was considering buying one but wasn't sure if they were even worth it. This might be a dumb question but I know HRM are obviously to measure your heart rate, but I'm not sure how to use these values. I hear some instructors at the gym talking about getting into ur zone or staying in ur HR zone, etc, but I have no idea what that means or how to go about doing that stuff. How do you use ur HRM ?

    Thanks for your help :flowerforyou:

    Your heart rate is a measure of how hard your heart is working. Your resting heart rate is your heart rate while at rest (eg laying in bed not moving). I forget the exact numbers, but the "fat burn" zone is when your heart is somewhere between 40-60% of it's maximum and "cardio zone" is somewhere between 60-80% of it's maximum. In the fat zone your body is primarily burning store fat whereas in the cardio zone fat can't be converted fast enough so your body uses other nutrients as fuel. The faster your HR is the more calories you burn. However you don't want to exceed your cardio zone because then your body will use things you want to hang on to, like muscle, as fuel. Your HR zones are based on gender & age. Most treadmills have a chart illustrating this. Generally, the younger you are the higher your max HR is. For me the cardio zone, according to my polar F6, is around 145-166. I hope that makes sense & answers your question

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