Who uses a heart rate monitor during workouts?

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2

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  • AZKristi
    AZKristi Posts: 1,801 Member
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    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
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    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
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    I have a polar ft 4 and love it!
  • AmoreCouture
    AmoreCouture Posts: 255 Member
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    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
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    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
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    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
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    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
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    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
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    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
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    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
  • moonlightturk
    moonlightturk Posts: 398
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    Not me, thankfully.
  • TheBrolympus
    TheBrolympus Posts: 586 Member
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    The Garmin 910xt is awesome but pricey!
  • rancid2040
    rancid2040 Posts: 8 Member
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    I've had both a polar and a garmin. For straight up heartrate tracking/calorie tracking/etc, def go for the polar as its cheaper and does well. But like previous posters have said, if you want tools to help you push it to the next level, through GPS, workout types, programs, routes, specific monitoring each step of the way, etc, garmin is definitely worth every penny. They even have one now that works for triathalons.
  • shellyk972
    shellyk972 Posts: 56 Member
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    I have a garmin fr60..no GPS.. LOVE it!
  • Chrisswa
    Chrisswa Posts: 71
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    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.


    I love my Polar FT7. Just out of curiosity how many calories do u burn when swimming compared to cardio!
    I love the idea of a accurate record of each workout
  • anemoneprose
    anemoneprose Posts: 1,805 Member
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    Thanks for answering, swimmers!
  • Sam3622
    Sam3622 Posts: 172 Member
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    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 ^^
  • mskatee
    mskatee Posts: 33
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    Love my Polar FT4! Buying it was essential for me for losing weight. I find it really motivating.
  • SWilkins75
    SWilkins75 Posts: 277 Member
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    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!!
    ALDI sells Polar F7 HRM?
  • talamer
    talamer Posts: 516 Member
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    Can't do any workout without my Polar F40!

    damn I'm loving it and always wear it for any exercise I will do :)

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