Polar FT7 vs FT40

athena392

I recently bought the FT7 and so far I love it. However, the more I read about how crucial the V02max is for an accurate reading, the more I'm considering upgrading to the FT40 and paying the $30 difference. For those of you who are familiar with the Polar line, do you think it's worth it or am I fine with the FT7? This is my first HRM, so I'm not really sure.

Justkeepswimmin

I have an FT40, don't know much about the FT7....but I LOVE my FT40 a bunch So easy to use and I lost more once I had an accurate count...that being said my only count before was what MFP told me I burned (which especially for hiking was up to 2X too much.)

athena392

Thank you for replying. Bump

bufger

I just have the FT2. Its simple, it synchs with the machines at the gym so i dont have to look at the watch and it was cheap. I use MFP exercise predictions and halve everything they say. I'd rather underestimate and bank that little bit extra.

athena392

Bump!

EvgeniZyntx

Vo2max calc is only really needed f you are a high perf athlete trying to change your power, etc....
FT7 is fine.

(I have an old 325 with Vo2max and several other devices including the FT7)

heybales

I recently bought the FT7 and so far I love it. However, the more I read about how crucial the V02max is for an accurate reading, the more I'm considering upgrading to the FT40 and paying the $30 difference. For those of you who are familiar with the Polar line, do you think it's worth it or am I fine with the FT7? This is my first HRM, so I'm not really sure.

If you can get someone at the gym to buy it close to what you paid for it, great.

Or else, take your AHR for your workout session to the HRM tab in this spreadsheet.

Enter in your HRM stats, figure out your VO2max just like the Polar does (better actually), fill in your better estimated HRmax stat, and you'll receive your personal calorie burn chart at the bottom, based on a Polar funded study formula.

http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/750920-spreadsheet-for-bmr-tdee-deficit-macro-calcs-hrm-zones

heybales

Vo2max calc is only really needed f you are a high perf athlete trying to change your power, etc....
FT7 is fine.

(I have an old 325 with Vo2max and several other devices including the FT7)

Not really, it is THE main stat used for estimating calorie burn. All the other stats are used to estimate that if not known.

If it's not a stat available to change manually, then the HRM is estimating it based on usually age, BMI and HRmax, which itself is an estimate, so you can start to get really iffy.

Especially at the beginning where your fitness level really increases, but your weight isn't dropping that fast.

Your HR will slow down because of being more aerobically fit, to supply the exact same amount of oxygen it was supplying 3 months ago, in order to supply the same amount of energy, to burn the exact same amount of calories it always had.

But purely by HR, with no change to VO2max stat - the HRM will only assume you are doing less effort. Which for all the folks starting to exercise and really improving fitness at the beginning, just is not the case.

But as far as having that stat to workout too, correct, when you've reached the upper levels of fitness and not much more improvement, than having workouts to improve it would be needed.

athena392

I recently bought the FT7 and so far I love it. However, the more I read about how crucial the V02max is for an accurate reading, the more I'm considering upgrading to the FT40 and paying the $30 difference. For those of you who are familiar with the Polar line, do you think it's worth it or am I fine with the FT7? This is my first HRM, so I'm not really sure.

If you can get someone at the gym to buy it close to what you paid for it, great.

Or else, take your AHR for your workout session to the HRM tab in this spreadsheet.

Enter in your HRM stats, figure out your VO2max just like the Polar does (better actually), fill in your better estimated HRmax stat, and you'll receive your personal calorie burn chart at the bottom, based on a Polar funded study formula.

http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/750920-spreadsheet-for-bmr-tdee-deficit-macro-calcs-hrm-zones

Thank you so much for this post, it's exactly what I needed.