Who uses a heart rate monitor during workouts?

kldandjad
kldandjad Posts: 12 Member
in Fitness and Exercise
If so, what is your experience? Any brand recommendations?

Thanks,

Kirsten
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Replies

  • fitQueenbeast
    fitQueenbeast Posts: 298
    I use the Polar FT7 with chest strap and love it! It not only tracks my heart rate, it tracks calories burned as well as the fat burn zone and fitness zone. It also has data files with reports. I have not had any problems with it at all.

    Erica
  • 180farm
    180farm Posts: 230
    I use the Polar FT7 with chest strap and love it! It not only tracks my heart rate, it tracks calories burned as well as the fat burn zone and fitness zone. It also has data files with reports. I have not had any problems with it at all.

    Erica

    This, word for word. Got it on sale at Olympia sports for under $70.
  • smilingselena
    smilingselena Posts: 141 Member
    I use the Polar FT7 with chest strap and love it! It not only tracks my heart rate, it tracks calories burned as well as the fat burn zone and fitness zone. It also has data files with reports. I have not had any problems with it at all.

    Erica

    lol Same as the above two posters!! lol
  • fittocycle
    fittocycle Posts: 827 Member
    Me too! I can't imagine working out without my Polar HRM!
  • ptmarr175
    ptmarr175 Posts: 7
    i use a heart rate monitor all the time keeps me on track
  • jentarver
    jentarver Posts: 192
    Mee! Polar! I swear by it and love mine. MSRP is over 200 for the one I got, managed to find it on ebay, brand new for 105!!
    (FT60)

    The other FT models are all just as good. And less expensive.
  • anemoneprose
    anemoneprose Posts: 1,805 Member
    Quick tag-on question - is there one that works for swimming & doesn't have a strap?

    I don't have a HRM, but may invest if MFP's calories are off by a lot, as people who do have one seem to think...

    (First million Google pages on the subject are ads)
  • JWmovin4ward
    JWmovin4ward Posts: 179 Member
    I have a polar ft4, love it!!!
  • Jazzyrose77
    Jazzyrose77 Posts: 153 Member
    I have a Polar FT4. I love to see the calories burned. Motivational
  • suaku
    suaku Posts: 45
    I use the Polar FT-60 -- bought it from Amazon at a good price. In addition to the usual heart rate tracking, it can also measure a proxy for your VO2 so you get more accurate calorie burn numbers than are shown on gym machines. It also manages multiple heart rate zones and can set up workout goals for you and allow you to track them,

    I like it a lot, but it has a couple of oddities. In my experience, readings tends to freak out a little if you get super-sweaty during a workout (this usually doesn't happen to me until I've been going for 60-70 minutes). Also, my rubber watchband just cracked and I have to glue it back together.
  • TrinaJ11
    TrinaJ11 Posts: 159 Member
    I use the Polar FT7 with chest strap and love it! It not only tracks my heart rate, it tracks calories burned as well as the fat burn zone and fitness zone. It also has data files with reports. I have not had any problems with it at all.

    Erica

    Same here. LOVE mine.
  • smsgreaves
    smsgreaves Posts: 57 Member
    MFP's calories burnt are quite inaccurate, so it's really interesting to see the real numbers! I borrowed a Polar F7 from a friend and it was great, today I bought one from Aldi for $20 so we'll see how it goes!!
  • chappappy
    chappappy Posts: 12 Member
    Heart rate monitors are the #1 tool of anyone doing cardio. It helps you target your heart rate for specific workouts and best of all it keeps you safe. Mine is a Polar.
  • sonjarogers72
    sonjarogers72 Posts: 110 Member
    I use a Polar FT 4! That thing is awesome! Was on super sale at Sears! Learned about it from a friend at the gym! The greatest investment I have made this summer!
  • sds76
    sds76 Posts: 215 Member
    I want a polar, but I bought a cheap one off amazon for right now that has a chest strap as well. I just got it today but it kept my heart rate during my whole workout with no prob. From reading the forums I was logging 30DS as circuit training but realized today that the estimate was WAY over for me(mine was more in line with curves circuit training not general). However I learned that my treadmill workouts were actually more than I thought.
    I feel so much better knowing that my numbers are more accurate now.
  • sonjarogers72
    sonjarogers72 Posts: 110 Member
    LOVE MINE!!!!
  • 3Daughtersin2015
    3Daughtersin2015 Posts: 81 Member
    I have the Polar FT4 with chest strap, and LOVE IT!
  • zaithyr
    zaithyr Posts: 482 Member
    Polar FT4 is what I use! I love it! :) Got mine for $65 with free shipping online. If you look around you can usually catch them on sale somewhere.
  • GD135
    GD135 Posts: 1 Member
    I'm interested in buying one as well, does it reset itself for every workout for the calorie count?
  • MMarvelous
    MMarvelous Posts: 1,067 Member
    Just finished doing my evening workout w/ my Polar FT4. It was the best $85 w/ shipping that I have invested in my health thus far.
  • AZKristi
    AZKristi Posts: 1,801 Member
    I love my polar FT7. Its a great training tool because it lets me know if I'm really working as hard as I should be.
  • kldandjad
    kldandjad Posts: 12 Member
    Thanks everyone. I think I might give it another try. I had tried an Omron a long time ago and it never really stayed on so we will see if the Polar works.

    Kirsten
  • imakimm
    imakimm Posts: 839
    I have a polar ft 4 and love it!
  • AmoreCouture
    AmoreCouture Posts: 255 Member
    I use a Polar FT7 and it's been great. I've had it for two years. Some of the main reasons I chose it was because it has a chest strap, you can get the battery at any store like RadioShack or any place that sells batteries (Some of the other versions, you have to send in to get the batteries changed, and pay a higher fee), and it's extremely easy and simple to navigate if you're not very experienced with heart rate monitors.
  • Masterdo
    Masterdo Posts: 331 Member
    I use one nearly everyday. I went with Garmin's model. At first I was tempted to go with Polar, but for multi sport and especially outdoor sports, Garmin is the way to go I think. Hardware is top notch, GPS is included in the watch, no separate pod, the protocol is ANT+, open source, so it can link to much more devices, and the HRM's calories formula is made by FirstBeat technology, a really great Finnish company.

    But... It costs a small fortune if you go in the high end models :p Worth every cent though, this thing is awesome!
  • dward2011
    dward2011 Posts: 416 Member
    I have a Garmin Forerunner 210 and LOVE it. It has a GPS on top of everything else. It is amazing and I use it for everything. I do lots of outdoor activities and love seeing my distance/pace as well as heart rate. Definitely worth the money!
  • patrickmathews
    patrickmathews Posts: 41
    Quick tag-on question - is there one that works for swimming & doesn't have a strap?

    I don't have a HRM, but may invest if MFP's calories are off by a lot, as people who do have one seem to think...

    (First million Google pages on the subject are ads)

    I use my ft7 for swimming. It works fine but I find that it starts to slip if I don't tighten the strap a lot more than when I'm on a cardio machine. Not that I swim that fast but the water does catch it. I love swimming and for me it is by far the best cardio workout. It is also very easy to get anaerobic while swimming laps. The heart rate monitor lets you know by looking at it. They make specific ones for swimming that have an ear piece that speaks your heart rate every so often but I wanted one that I could use elsware as well.
  • pspetralia
    pspetralia Posts: 963 Member
    I have the Polar FT4 with chest strap, and LOVE IT!

    ^^Same here! I have used it swimming, hiking, walking, biking, at zumba, etc. I haven't had any trouble with it.
  • mortyfit
    mortyfit Posts: 354 Member
    I wear a Timex Ironman Bodylink GPS watch that pairs with a HRM. I also enter my average HR during a run into my Endomondo Pro to get a more accurate calorie burn calculation when paired with the pace and distance.
  • RGONZALEZ888
    RGONZALEZ888 Posts: 24
    I just purchased one after having a Timex H.R. monitor - I wanted a simple one, that was tough, counted calories, and I could replace the batteries myself.

    Winner= Polar FT7 - Simple, effective, don't have to send to unit to factory to get batteries replaced. Amazon price $70.00 Had for about 3 months now, awesome watch that looks good enough to wear to work and tough enough.

    All of the Polar products are nice, but for the price and function = Polar FT7.

    BTW - I just saw one on sale at Target (clearance) for about $50...

    Great tool to have!

    Good Luck!

    R. Gonzalez

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