HRM vs Curves Smart tag

nicleed
nicleed Posts: 247 Member
in Fitness and Exercise
Beware hardcore fitness experts - stupid and meandering question to follow.....

So, I have been going to Curves for about eight months now and use the Curves Smart tag (yeah, yeah, I know, but it suits me for now - when my membership expires in April, I intend to head to a more conventional gym). Since getting the tag, my workout intensity has certainly increased and I work pretty hard on the machines - reasonably high reps etc till muscles are tired.

For those that don't know about Curves Smart, you put it in the machines and it kind of keeps you honest about the intensity, then after the workout, you log it in the computer and it tells you the areas you need to improve on and cals burnt. Anyway, after each workout the tag tells me I have burnt anywhere between 320-470ish cals.

I got a HRM today and wore it for my Curves workout tonight. It showed I burnt 204 cals. The tag showed 411.

The woman at Curves said the HRM doesn't take into consideration any strength training. So, I know it's her job to sell the Curves program, but I am confused.

Is simple Heart Rate enough to show cals burnt, or is it a combination of the two??? (I split the difference today and logged at 300!)

Replies

  • lewis350
    lewis350 Posts: 53
    I don't know the answer to your question, but personally I use my HRM to calculate exercise burn.
  • Fochizzy
    Fochizzy Posts: 505 Member
    What I was told is that HRM have some trouble accurately measuring weight training. I use it because it is what I have but there are problems with the way your HR quickly rises and drops. In general I was told HRM are not perfect but are as accurate as you can get. I do not know about the curves thing at all, does it measure your HR? If it doesn't then it is likely not able to measure how hard you personally work, just because you kept your resistance high and reps good doesn't mean that you burn the same amount of calories as someone else, even if they are the same weight and height as you. If you are in better shape than they are you will burn significantly less. So if it doesn't measure your personal readings just the machines I would say HRM. Hope my ramble helps.
  • martymum
    martymum Posts: 413 Member
    Hi

    I had that problem at curves too...my hrm said about half what curves did...I wasn't sure until I left curves and started using treadmills and rowers...curves smart said I burned about 480 in 1/2 hour.....

    IMHO curves smart is very over generous...full out on the rower I can get about 300 in 1/2 hour, similar on the treadmill....I would trust your hrm especially if you are eating back your exercise cals

    I enjoyed curves as an entry into fitness, it gave me the confidence to move forward, but left as it was £35 a month and fitness first where I went is £15 (for limited hours) or £25 full time...

    martyxx
  • IronSmasher
    IronSmasher Posts: 3,908 Member
    Unfortunately, I don't know much about Curves because I am the wrong sex.

    I have however looked into it in the past, and they seem to use in the majority, hydraulic resistance machines, that due to their nature are dual concentric.

    The device you speak of appeared to keep track of ROM, and I assume sets and reps. I didn't see any indication that it took into account your intensity.

    How does Curves measure your intensity?
  • IronSmasher
    IronSmasher Posts: 3,908 Member
    Actually, looking into it, the Curves system (providing it is being followed correctly) includes resting heart rate, age, sex, bodyweight, known resistance, known strength, reps, sets, tempo, known exercise program and frequently measures your heart rate through out the session.

    This is far more information than a heart rate monitor could ever hope for, and could be used to make a far more accurate estimation of calories burned.
  • nicleed
    nicleed Posts: 247 Member
    Actually, looking into it, the Curves system (providing it is being followed correctly) includes resting heart rate, age, sex, bodyweight, known resistance, known strength, reps, sets, tempo, known exercise program and frequently measures your heart rate through out the session.

    This is far more information than a heart rate monitor could ever hope for, and could be used to make a far more accurate estimation of calories burned.

    The one I go to measures HR on a stepper twice during the workout...BUT it doesn't work with weight training gloves (and I get callouses without them) and is also temperamental when it comes to sweaty hands/positioning of hands/ etc etc. So it can measure my heart rate as low at 80 (when I know it's more than that) and as high as 190 (when I would be dead!). I don't bother with it - I do take to take my heart rate manually when I am on the stepper, and it is in the 70-80 percent "zone" for my age.

    I don't tend to eat all my exercise cals back unless I am really hungry anyway. Mainly just curious and a data freak:)
  • nicleed
    nicleed Posts: 247 Member
    Bump - any other thoughts?
  • davyrockhit214
    davyrockhit214 Posts: 71
    this is interesting because I am a Curves member and I love it
  • tigs728
    tigs728 Posts: 18 Member
    Hi there. I go to Curves and use my own HRM. It is pretty well spot on for the machine measuring HR, I find. Curves Smart overestimates the calorie burn by heaps, in my view, so I ignore the measure they give.
  • nicleed
    nicleed Posts: 247 Member
    I always figured the curve machine overestimated stuff - so I usually log less that it says anyway, but according to the HRM, it's much less (like, half). Seems like I should just rely on HRM, to be on the safe side.

    Or is there some middle ground?
  • EvgeniZyntx
    EvgeniZyntx Posts: 24,208 Member
    HRM calculations are mostly useless for weight training. The formulas used were developed for steady state cardio; during weight training your HR will increase due to the effort, neural response, even muscle pressure on certain receptors but not as a clear function of oxygen used and metabolic energy consumption. For these reasons HRM tend to over-estimate "burn" during weight training.
    I do not know enough about either the "smart" tag or your exercise program to evaluate if the calories consumed are accurate. However, if you are not doing a significant cardio part - it is likely to be wrong if the reading is higher than the HRM, since the HRM is likely overestimating the effort.
    Hope that helps.

    Edit: typo
  • davyrockhit214
    davyrockhit214 Posts: 71
    I am just upset because they are never open late... I guess I am gonna have to kick my butt and go before work.

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