Heart Rate Monitors

It measures the electrical impulses put out by your heart. Good ones will take into account your heart rate, age, sex, weight, height, VO2 Max, and some even ask for body fat % and other statistics (don't worry if you don' tknow all these, many of them are optional).

they use all these numbers to calculate your caloric burn rate during exercise (and even during rest if you so choose). It's a good way to track your calories, much more accurate than (for instance) the MFP website. There is still margin for error with any indirect calorie measurement, but these devices are far more accurate than estimating using averages (like this and many other websites).

The best measurement, of course, is still to go have a metabolic test done in a lab, but short of doing that, this is probably your best option. Some of the better machines at the gym will work with your HRM and give you really good results, but usually the machines take less numbers and therefore produce less accurate results (each machine is different)

One thing to remember when buying one, you almost always want to go with the kind that has a chest strap, as the rest just estimate your heart rate, where these ones actually record it (body buggs and similiar devices also directly measure heart rate). A good rule of thumb is, if it cost less than $50 american, it's probably not a very good device.

http://www.performancebike.com/bikes/SubCategory_10052_10551_400043_-1_400007_400007

is the polar watch better than the mio? i am looking into purchasing something also. I priced out the body bugg but that is a little too expensive for me. I dont really want it to go over $100.

I have a Reebok Precision and I love mine. I paud $20 for it on buy.com, it was special they had...Ive seen it a few times on there since then.

Just got mu Polar F6 last week and have used it 3 times so far. I like the fact it keeps up with your heart rate with out having to remember to push a button each time. It took me a little while to figure out how to up load the data to my computer but once you figure it out it is great. If you have any issues just give a hollar and I am sure someone here will be glad to help.
45 min step class 435 cals burned, I think MFP showed 416 cals burned.
Zumba tomorrow !!

I've been wondering - and would love to hear from HRM users who have exercised both with and without the unit.....

My main reason for buying one would be to get a solid estimate of how many calories I'm burning during exercise. Has anyone been truly surprised or shocked to see what the HRM calculates, vs. an estimate from entering exercise minutes on this site?

Guess I'm wanting to validate that it would be worth spending the extra $$. I found the Polar f6 at sears, and am thinking I should start saving my quarters.

I think it does make a difference, not just in numbers on the machine vs. the HRM, but there are some days I use the HRM and I think I'm busting my *kitten* and my heart rate isn't reflecting that...and on some days I feel like I'm barely doing anything and my hart rate is up there. With a HRM, you always know where you're at.

I've been wondering - and would love to hear from HRM users who have exercised both with and without the unit.....

My main reason for buying one would be to get a solid estimate of how many calories I'm burning during exercise. Has anyone been truly surprised or shocked to see what the HRM calculates, vs. an estimate from entering exercise minutes on this site?

Guess I'm wanting to validate that it would be worth spending the extra $$. I found the Polar f6 at sears, and am thinking I should start saving my quarters.

I find that it does make a BIG difference. I love using the elliptical, and using it before I got my Polar HRM I would burn (according to the machine) about 300 calories. Using my HRM for the first time, same pace, same amount of time, I learned that I was actually burning around 700! Same for the treadmill and all that.

I have a Polar F6 monitor. I've had it for about a year now. I LOVE IT! I couldn't imagine working out without it! It's especially helpful when doing body pump or other finess class where a machine is not used. I know how much I burn in the workout and I don't have to guess. I enjoy trying to beat (or match) my previous weeks' calorie burn. Or see the difference in calorie burn from one body pump class to the next. I also like seeing the percentage of fat burned in each work out.

I haven't had any problems with it and it did take a few minutes to figure how all the functions worked, but once I did it was super easy. It does utilize a chest strap, but I never notice it's there.

It's definitely worth the money. Even if you have to save up for it.

I have a reebok XT which is similar to the Proform. I LOVE LOVE LOVE it. It works perfectly and I have had no problems with it at all. I got it for $40 in Ebay.

I ALWAYS see a huge difference in what the machine says I am burning vs what my HRM says so I think it's a great tool to use.