my hrm is insanely wrong!!!

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twonkieone
twonkieone Posts: 132
in Fitness and Exercise
help! just got a hrm and it told me i burned 1200 calories at spin --- ummmm... no!! presets my rate based on age and weight. problem is i'm in really good shape - spin 4+ times a week. so - my hr went up to 185 and I was working hard, but still talking to the person next to me. as soon as we stopped that climb it dropped down to 170 (like 1 minute later). when class was done i went from 170 to 130 in 5 minutes and down to under 100 in another 5. how do i determine my actual hr mode to program in the little bugger. NOT that i mind thinking i burned 1200 calories --- i think i did from laughing so hard!

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  • corys8646
    corys8646 Posts: 41 Member
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    Have you tried wetting the strap first or using some gel? I will get huge swings like that if I don't get mine wet.
  • amandapye78
    amandapye78 Posts: 820 Member
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    1200 is what mine tells me I burned as well. There is a calculator somewhere (not MFP) that I use and it always come in pretty close to my HRM. It is weird that your hr came down so fast though.
  • nancymt83
    nancymt83 Posts: 5 Member
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    It sounds pretty accurate to me. If you have been exercising for a while now, you're heart rate should recover within 5 minutes. Mine drops to under 100 in less that 5 minutes after my workout. That's a good sign.
  • cmriverside
    cmriverside Posts: 34,058 Member
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    Do you know your VO2 max? Enter that, it will tighten up the calculation a bit..this member has good blogs about HRMs:

    http://www.myfitnesspal.com/blog/Azdak/view/the-real-facts-about-hrms-and-calories-what-you-need-to-know-before-purchasing-an-hrm-or-using-one-21472

    http://www.myfitnesspal.com/blog/Azdak/view/new-hrm-how-to-make-the-calorie-estimate-more-accurate-183102
  • SparkleShine
    SparkleShine Posts: 2,001 Member
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    1200 is what mine tells me I burned as well. There is a calculator somewhere (not MFP) that I use and it always come in pretty close to my HRM. It is weird that your hr came down so fast though.

    Mine comes down that fast as well. I don't think it's that weird. The calorie burn sounds high though, considering how small and in shape you are.
  • petejjcharlton
    petejjcharlton Posts: 20 Member
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    I use my HRM for running, it's typically in the 160 range when I run, 5 minutes after I've run it goes back to 90ish. Sometimes when my strap isn't tight enough it reads to low, I've never had it read higher though. What's your resting heart rate?
  • twonkieone
    twonkieone Posts: 132
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    ok - so i'm not teeny -- weigh 155 pounds and am 5'4" -- size 8/10. i go to the gym up to 6 days a week and am super active working full time and in have 5 kids of my own. sitting is never an option. glad to know that others are getting those readings -- it's only the second time i've used it - but i have the option of :user input: for high/low heart rate and it will adjust my calories accordingly. will def check out the blog!
  • twonkieone
    twonkieone Posts: 132
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    resting hr is high 70's to low 80's

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