when to take off your hrm.

Moniqua1
Moniqua1 Posts: 195 Member
in Fitness and Exercise
I just bought an HRM and I know that you continue burning calories after you workout. So...when do you quit logging calories burned? Immediately after your workout? When your heart rate becomes normal? When I run and then do weights should I leave it on the whole time? When I take zumba do I remove it right away? I've thought about stopping it immediately and maybe figure the remaining burned "aftermath" calories would just be "bonus" burned cals. Opinions wanted! Thanks!

Replies

  • bsharrah
    bsharrah Posts: 129 Member
    I took mine off around last July after waking up to the fact that HRM are not calorie burn monitors, and are worthless when used for that function.
  • Yogi_Carl
    Yogi_Carl Posts: 1,906 Member
    I took mine off around last July after waking up to the fact that HRM are not calorie burn monitors, and are worthless when used for that function.

    In what way do they not monitor calorie burn - so long as you are doing cardio that is?
  • PurpleTina
    PurpleTina Posts: 390 Member
    I took mine off around last July after waking up to the fact that HRM are not calorie burn monitors, and are worthless when used for that function.

    Interesting point of view, what makes you say that please?

    I take mine off as soon as I have finished exercising.
  • diadojikohei
    diadojikohei Posts: 732 Member
    I usually wait about 2 minutes until I cool down, my heart rate isn't back to normal at that point (I'm very unfit) but it's lower. I only use mine occasionally so see if there has been a change in the readout as I do the same exercise each day.
  • Goosiesnougs
    Goosiesnougs Posts: 420
    I usually take it off a minute or 2 after I finish.....I like a nice round number to plug in and will make sure it's 445 instead of 442! :noway:
  • evdenapoli
    evdenapoli Posts: 164 Member
    I take mine off as soon as my heart rate has gone below my targe heart rate zone.. usually anywhere from 5 to 10 mins after my exersize..
  • Coltsman4ever
    Coltsman4ever Posts: 602 Member
    I typically turn mine off within about a minute of finishing my cardio workout.
    Since the HRM's calculations don't work with weight training, I never use it for that.
  • rezn8
    rezn8 Posts: 263 Member
    RIght after your workout. Log your calories and feed your body to make up for it. Your metabolism will increase and you will succeed.
  • bsharrah
    bsharrah Posts: 129 Member
    I took mine off around last July after waking up to the fact that HRM are not calorie burn monitors, and are worthless when used for that function.

    Interesting point of view, what makes you say that please?

    All the readily available research on the subject.
  • Moniqua1
    Moniqua1 Posts: 195 Member
    Thank you all for your answers. I appreciate them so much.
  • Mokey41
    Mokey41 Posts: 5,769 Member
    Your body is always burning calories so leaving it in is always going to result in a higher number but it will keep getting less and less accurate. I stop mine as soon as I hit the end of whatever I'm doing but I'm usually more concerned with time that calorie burn anyway.
  • PurpleTina
    PurpleTina Posts: 390 Member
    I took mine off around last July after waking up to the fact that HRM are not calorie burn monitors, and are worthless when used for that function.

    Interesting point of view, what makes you say that please?



    All the readily available research on the subject.
    Got any links? Bit of a throwaway comment without backing it up don't you think?
  • Cyclink
    Cyclink Posts: 517 Member
    I took mine off around last July after waking up to the fact that HRM are not calorie burn monitors, and are worthless when used for that function.

    This is about where I'm at. HRMs are OK at telling you intensity; calorie counting is just a neat marketing gimmick for the companies that make them.

    Your heart rate is not even a reliable indicator for workout intensity. There is no reason to believe that it would be more accurate at calculating calories than it is at displaying workout intensity (which is the primary purpose for one)

    To start with, heart rate itself is highly variable. Your heart rate can be elevated just because you are nervous, dehydrated, or tired from a hard workout. None of these things cause you to burn more calories during a workout.

    Your heart rate can also be low from being cold or being tired from several hard workouts in a row. Neither of these things will cause you to burn fewer calories during a workout.

    And those are just the problems with your heart rate as an indicator of intensity. There's also the differences in algorithms in the monitors themselves.

    This article explains the variation on the hardware side and why two heart rate monitors might tell you different numbers for the same workout. http://www.wired.com/playbook/2012/08/fitness-trackers/
  • Yogi_Carl
    Yogi_Carl Posts: 1,906 Member
    --> Cyclink. I see your points and I had those points in mind also. Are you saying there is no way at all for lay people to know how many calories they have burned in any given workout? If that's the case, how do we work out how much to eat? That's scary!

    Anyone want to buy a HRM? :laugh: :bigsmile:
  • iWaffle
    iWaffle Posts: 2,208 Member
    I took mine off around last July after waking up to the fact that HRM are not calorie burn monitors, and are worthless when used for that function.

    Never use absolutes. :smile:

    They're not worthless as calorie burn monitors. I wear mine half as a calorie burn estimate and half as an indicator of how hard I'm pushing myself running. To the OP's question I only wear it during running and don't ever use it during strength training although I have worn it a few times to gauge how long I should rest between sets. I don't log calories from strength training because that's not what a HRM is made for.

    I normally turn mine off when I stop walking/running. There's nothing wrong with leaving it on during your cool down. It's not as if your heart rate will go from 170 back down to 60 in 30 seconds. It takes a few minutes for me to cool off.
  • ItsCasey
    ItsCasey Posts: 4,021 Member
    I start mine when I'm ready to begin my actual workout, and I stop it as soon as my workout is done. I don't log calories burned while I warm up or cool down. I do not think it is a good idea to get caught up in the theory of EPOC burns. While I definitely believe that is one of the benefits of resistance training, that is not something your HRM can measure, and since we tend to underestimate our intake, it is better to underestimate burns, as well.
  • Mokey41
    Mokey41 Posts: 5,769 Member
    This article explains the variation on the hardware side and why two heart rate monitors might tell you different numbers for the same workout. http://www.wired.com/playbook/2012/08/fitness-trackers/

    This is why I only eat exercise back if I really feel a need, not based on numbers from my HRM. It's not exact at all and if you're doing 30 minutes of a workout DVD and eating everything it tells you then you're probably undermining your efforts.
  • iWaffle
    iWaffle Posts: 2,208 Member
    Your heart rate is not even a reliable indicator for workout intensity. There is no reason to believe that it would be more accurate at calculating calories than it is at displaying workout intensity (which is the primary purpose for one)
    I strongly disagree with this point. I can almost tell you what my pace is based on my current pulse. Of course someone that's been running longer will have a lower pulse than me but judging my effort on heart rate is pretty reliable. Same pace running into a 10 - 15 mph wind can up my heart rate about 10 bpm. I'm having to work harder. Downhill parts of the run my heart rate drops which makes total sense since I'm half coasting and letting gravity do more of the work. X BPM does not equal X mph but when you apply the knowledge of what you typically see during an exercise you know if you're working harder or having an easier day.

    For me personally it's as follows. 150 and below is easy work that I can do for a couple of hours. 160 bpm and I'm working but not pushing myself much. 170 bpm and now I'm in a real work zone. 60 minutes of this is fine but I have to give myself a nudge occasionally to keep it up. If I'm creeping up over 180 bpm I know I'm maxed out on my pace and I'm pushing my limit. If I keep it up more than 25 minutes I'm going to be walking for a breather. I haven't seen anything over 185 yet because at that point I'm really wanting to slow down and the drive to push myself tapers off.

    Heart rate is a good indicator of intensity and a higher intensity is a good indication of calories burned. Of course it's not as accurate as being in a lab hooked up to a v02 monitor 25 paddles on your body but it's close enough to be able to throw in "I need an extra 1,000 calories today." If I don't eat back most of the calories it claims I'm burning I lose weight. If I eat them all back I stay pretty much the same weight. I've been using this since August and it's pretty accurate from my point of view. No issues with me using this as a calorie adjustment guide.

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