Do you use a heart rate monitor?

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Replies

  • DavPul
    DavPul Posts: 61,406 Member
    For the love of everything holy, NO.

    I returned mine few weeks ago. I lost most of my weight without one, and using one just slowed me down. I understood it gave me accurate results, but I don't need to focus on anymore numbers or depend on them.

    Ding Ding Ding! That's it right there.

    This HRM hype has turned exercise upside down. Exercise is pure. An activity you do to change yourself for the better. It's not about this mythical "burn". Lift heavy things to change your both your bodies capabilities and it's shape. Do cardio to improve your endurance. The number that MFP or your HRM spits out about your calories burned has no significance. Get stronger/faster/better while eating sensibly and you will succeed.

    But I see thread after thread on here where people bicker about a 100 calorie difference in an exercise log. Or where they ask which activity has the highest burn rate? WHO CARES? Pick the activity you like, and get better at it. You can run 2 miles? Good, now try to run 3 miles? And then try to run it in a faster time. You can bench 185? Good, now put 2 plates on the bar. Now gimme 5 more reps. If you go about your business like this, I promise you that you start liking what you see in the mirror.

    Whether you burned 350 cal, or 425, or 1000 won't make a whit of difference. Instead of going after a monster 800 calorie burn, get a 300 cal burn at something you enjoy and don't put cream or sugar in your coffee. Same difference.
  • DominiqueSmall
    DominiqueSmall Posts: 495 Member
    Best decision and money WELL spent ever! I love mine. I'd wear it to bed and track my calories if I thought it would help! ha ha

    What an amazing invention! LOVE IT!!!::happy:
  • 47Jacqueline
    47Jacqueline Posts: 6,993 Member
    I use one and it gives me an accurate reading of my calories burned. Also it helps me from overdoing it by showing me when I am getting out of my safe zone in heart rate.

    I use a Polar ft4 HRM. It's about $65 on heartratemonitor.com free shipping. It has a chest strap for accuracy and is basic - just heart rate and calories burned. Relatively easy to use. I love mine.
  • MrsWilsoncroft
    MrsWilsoncroft Posts: 968 Member
    I'm looking at buying one as I want to know exactly what calories I have burn as I dont feel mfp is very accurate x
  • AllonsYtotheTardis
    AllonsYtotheTardis Posts: 16,947 Member
    I have a Polar FT7 and I love it. I'm a former accountant (now a SAHM), and I like numbers. The more numbers and data you can throw at me about my health and progress, the happier I am. I am motivated by numbers - it's just the way my brain works.

    It's helping me learn more about my fitness level and workouts. Eventually, I suspect I will stop using it - but for now, while I'm still learning a lot of this stuff, I find it very useful.
  • Janet1042
    Janet1042 Posts: 5 Member
    Absolutely! I bought one when I started running a few years ago to ensure I wasn't running my heart rate up too high. It made building up the miles much, much easier. Now that I run three times a week I use it to make sure I'm keeping my heart rate up. It's also great to check on those calories burned as you exercise. A good motivator! Works great for strength training, too. I generally underestimate how many calories I burn while lifting weights or doing core training. I have a Polar FT4 and it's all the monitor I need and not too pricey. I especially like the fact that I can bring it close to the chest strap as I run and it'll show me the time of day then go back to either heart rate or calories burned. Just make sure you rinse everything off after you exercise. Also, despite the fact that it says you can wear it swimming, you can't. Well, you can wear it without destroying it, but it won't actually track anything. I've been told I just need a different chest strap, but haven't figured out which one that is yet.
  • neverstray
    neverstray Posts: 3,845 Member
    What makes everyone think they are accurate?

    They measure heart rate, not calories burned. The calories burned is a guess, just like MFP or anything else.
  • Lina4Lina
    Lina4Lina Posts: 712 Member
    What makes everyone think they are accurate?

    They measure heart rate, not calories burned. The calories burned is a guess, just like MFP or anything else.

    They aren't accurate, they are the most accurate but they are just estimates.

    I bought a Suunto recently which has an awesome website integration and graphs (I LOVE graphs). Anyway, the first workout I did with the Suunto, it gave me an incredibly high burn that I knew I was wrong. So I went into the website to adjust some settings and now I feel better about the estimate it provides. I think it helps me track my workouts, see where I may be slacking, see which workouts provide me with a more cardiovascular burn, etc.

    I don't eat back my calories and I certainly wouldn't based on a HRM but on the days where I work a little harder, I may eat high in my calorie range than otherwise.
  • Determinednoob
    Determinednoob Posts: 2,001 Member
    No. Nor do I attempt to calculate cals burned with exercise at all.
  • iAMsmiling
    iAMsmiling Posts: 2,394 Member
    I've got a Polar bluetooth monitor that links to Digifit on my iPhone.
    Love the combination.

    My daily goal is to burn 1000 calories in my morning exercise session. With the HRM, I can mix it up with weights and cardio without worrying about calculating calorie burn form multiple activities.

    Also, I find I don't over exert myself as much. I used to push hard through the toughest parts of my workout. Now I find I was way over my max heart rate when doing that.

    I cannot recommend the combination more strongly. Love it.
  • SanjiSun
    SanjiSun Posts: 69 Member
    I mostly use mine to take care that I never drop below a certain hr in my breaks during my strength training.
  • pudadough
    pudadough Posts: 1,271 Member
    Yep. Bought a Polar about 6-7 years ago and it is still kicking like a champ! Have only had to have the battery replaced once (Batteries Plus did if for me for like 7 bucks.) Worth every penny!

    I never trust gym machines or MFP's estimates. I always use my HRM numbers.
  • DaniJeanine
    DaniJeanine Posts: 473 Member
    DEF! I'm so glad I do...the MFP readings are too low and the estimated readings on cardio machines are too high. As long as you have a chest strap the HRM is the most accurate way to go
  • moonlightturk
    moonlightturk Posts: 398
    For the love of everything holy, NO.

    I returned mine few weeks ago. I lost most of my weight without one, and using one just slowed me down. I understood it gave me accurate results, but I don't need to focus on anymore numbers or depend on them.

    Ding Ding Ding! That's it right there.

    This HRM hype has turned exercise upside down. Exercise is pure. An activity you do to change yourself for the better. It's not about this mythical "burn". Lift heavy things to change your both your bodies capabilities and it's shape. Do cardio to improve your endurance. The number that MFP or your HRM spits out about your calories burned has no significance. Get stronger/faster/better while eating sensibly and you will succeed.

    But I see thread after thread on here where people bicker about a 100 calorie difference in an exercise log. Or where they ask which activity has the highest burn rate? WHO CARES? Pick the activity you like, and get better at it. You can run 2 miles? Good, now try to run 3 miles? And then try to run it in a faster time. You can bench 185? Good, now put 2 plates on the bar. Now gimme 5 more reps. If you go about your business like this, I promise you that you start liking what you see in the mirror.

    Whether you burned 350 cal, or 425, or 1000 won't make a whit of difference. Instead of going after a monster 800 calorie burn, get a 300 cal burn at something you enjoy and don't put cream or sugar in your coffee. Same difference.




    ^ This guy is pure genious, ecspecially the last 3 sentences. Take notes!
  • neverstray
    neverstray Posts: 3,845 Member
    For the love of everything holy, NO.

    I returned mine few weeks ago. I lost most of my weight without one, and using one just slowed me down. I understood it gave me accurate results, but I don't need to focus on anymore numbers or depend on them.

    Ding Ding Ding! That's it right there.

    This HRM hype has turned exercise upside down. Exercise is pure. An activity you do to change yourself for the better. It's not about this mythical "burn". Lift heavy things to change your both your bodies capabilities and it's shape. Do cardio to improve your endurance. The number that MFP or your HRM spits out about your calories burned has no significance. Get stronger/faster/better while eating sensibly and you will succeed.

    But I see thread after thread on here where people bicker about a 100 calorie difference in an exercise log. Or where they ask which activity has the highest burn rate? WHO CARES? Pick the activity you like, and get better at it. You can run 2 miles? Good, now try to run 3 miles? And then try to run it in a faster time. You can bench 185? Good, now put 2 plates on the bar. Now gimme 5 more reps. If you go about your business like this, I promise you that you start liking what you see in the mirror.

    Whether you burned 350 cal, or 425, or 1000 won't make a whit of difference. Instead of going after a monster 800 calorie burn, get a 300 cal burn at something you enjoy and don't put cream or sugar in your coffee. Same difference.




    ^ This guy is pure genious, ecspecially the last 3 sentences. Take notes!

    Love your latest pic. :)
  • GabyG69
    GabyG69 Posts: 213
    No. Sadly since I've started on my journey, I haven't been able to afford one, but it seems as though I'm doing quite well without it.
  • AnvilHead
    AnvilHead Posts: 18,343 Member
    What makes everyone think they are accurate?

    They measure heart rate, not calories burned....
    But they're accurate at measuring heart rate, which is what I'm primarily interested in. I find RPE too subjective and I'm interested in tracking HR stats as my fitness continues to improve.

    Since I eat at a fixed deficit from TDEE, I don't eat back exercise calories, so the calorie burn indicated by my HRM is just a peripheral stat. The fact that it may be off 100 calories or so either way really makes no difference to me.
  • jesshall281
    jesshall281 Posts: 219
    I used to do 20 minutes on the treadmill and only burn 120 calories or so...I got a heart rate and did 30 minutes and it showed 300. So a massive difference there!

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