Heart rate monitors

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Hulk0511
Hulk0511 Posts: 407 Member
in Health and Weight Loss
Question is anybody using a heart rate monitor and if so how well does it work? I want to be able to track my calorie burn especially when i lift and not just use what the site gives me I dont know how accurate that really is.

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  • splucy
    splucy Posts: 353
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    I absolutely LOVE my HRM. In fact, if I accidently leave it at home, then I don't go to the gym after work.... bad I know.

    but I have become so reliant on it. Some times the machines in the gym are inaccurate with their estimations and you'd be surprised what strength work outs jack up your heart rate!
  • krae84
    krae84 Posts: 17 Member
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    I LOVE my heart rate monitor and my last trainer approved. If anything i think that it helps to keep me motivated. For example, i have a certain routine i do and if i can burn 400 calories doing it and i burn less i know i need to kick it up. I use mine everyday and really like having it. I find that according to my treadmill it is accurate within 20-30 calories. but the treadmills and elipticals at the gym overestimated the calories by 50-70. I also really liked it for my weightlifting class because i was not sure what i was burning.
  • lem_orc29
    lem_orc29 Posts: 179 Member
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    I use a Polar FT4 (got it on Amazon). As far as accuracy, I really have no idea, but it seems to be in the ballpark of different calculators I've seen online and the biometric things at the gym...I feel like it's more accurate, because it's actually measuring how hard you personally are working, rather than just the hypothetical average person on the Internet. :)
  • KLPlatinum
    KLPlatinum Posts: 47
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    I use my HRM every time I work out or even if I am just going on a walk with my kid. Since I do at home DVDs and have started running on a track, this is the only way I can get an "accurate" measurement of calories burned. I find my calories burned are higher on the HRM then the generic number you get in the exercise log. Since you can put your age, height, weight, sex...etc into the HRM I feel that it is more accurate. I love my Polar HRM (yes, that was a little product pushing there but only because I really love it!) I know there are people that will say they are never accurate....etc, but how else are you suppose to know since the numbers in the exercise log are generic not based on all the factors of your body?
  • Hulk0511
    Hulk0511 Posts: 407 Member
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    Thank you very much for the info!! Looks like I will be getting one tomorrow :)
  • Antlady69
    Antlady69 Posts: 204 Member
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    This tip might help you too if you've never used one before:

    I just bought a relatively simple one, the Sigma PC 25.10, as it provides everything that I am looking for. As a first-time HRM-user, I selected "start training", saw my current pulse rate, and thought the HRM was recording that training. It wasn't. I have to push that button AGAIN to actually start recording and getting my calorie count etc.. So I did all this training without knowing how many calories I actually burned. I was fuming!

    Try not to make the same mistake, or you'll be losing a couple of extra calories with the rage that ensues :)
  • Pedal_Pusher
    Pedal_Pusher Posts: 1,166 Member
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    Buy a Garmin Edge 500
  • RainHoward
    RainHoward Posts: 1,599 Member
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    An HRM isn't going to provide much accurate feedback when lifting. You're doing an anaerobic exercise as apposed to aerobic. Unless you're doing something like circuit training, high rep, lighter weight you're not going to increase your heart rate long enough or consistently enough for an HRM to give you decent output. However, for other forms of exercise they are a good tool.
  • CnocNaCu
    CnocNaCu Posts: 536 Member
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    It depends on what you need/want the HRM for. For tracking calorie burn a Polar FT4 or 7 are fine. If you want one for all your training needs running, biking included it makes sense to invest a bit more (Garmin, Polar RCX3 or 5)
    But make sure it is one you can replace the batteries yourself and don't have to send in the watch/sensor for replacement of batteries. That would really suck
  • Chipmaniac
    Chipmaniac Posts: 642 Member
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    Buy a Garmin Edge 500
    Um...that's a GPS bike computer that includes heart rate monitoring. That would make zero sense based on the OPs needs. It's also very expensive. I hope you were being facetious, as your recommendation certainly isn't helpful.
  • EvgeniZyntx
    EvgeniZyntx Posts: 24,208 Member
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    Buy a Garmin Edge 500

    Why?

    Before you buy an HRM determine the planned use.

    My polar FT7 is my gym tool.
    The other ones I have (garmin 800, 405) are cycling tools and are useless in the gym.
    My s2xx polar was perfect, alas it died.
  • MrsWilsoncroft
    MrsWilsoncroft Posts: 969 Member
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    I recently bought the Polar ft4 and I love it. It makes me much more motivated knowing exactly what calories I have Brent off xxx

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