just bought a Polar FT4,now what???

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LernRach
LernRach Posts: 286 Member
in Fitness and Exercise
So, went out on a whim and bought it. wasn't sure whether to get fitbit or Polar, but went for this anyway... Do I only wear it at gym? can I wear the watch all day to work out how many calories I burn a day, or does it not work that way?

My main reason for getting one was for motivation... on a bit of a downer at the mo and I feel this could work as a pick me up (better than an ice cream right???? although just slightly more expensive :p)

can someone give me some advice please???

Replies

  • krisiepoo
    krisiepoo Posts: 710 Member
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    Wear it to the gym, work your *kitten* off and watch how many cals you burn.

    It won't really help you to wear it all day, I mean you can, but it's not what it's meant for.
  • hatethegame
    hatethegame Posts: 267 Member
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    I have the same model and I've been happy with it. Just wear it when you work out. I track calories burned, workout duration and max/average HR for each session.
  • LernRach
    LernRach Posts: 286 Member
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    I have the same model and I've been happy with it. Just wear it when you work out. I track calories burned, workout duration and max/average HR for each session.

    excuse my ignorance, but why do I need to know my HR??? as in, I know when I can't do anymore no???

    also, PP, why won't it help with all day? if I wear it for a few days all day, will it tell me my average cal burn???
  • Tilran
    Tilran Posts: 626 Member
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    I have the same model and I've been happy with it. Just wear it when you work out. I track calories burned, workout duration and max/average HR for each session.

    excuse my ignorance, but why do I need to know my HR??? as in, I know when I can't do anymore no???

    also, PP, why won't it help with all day? if I wear it for a few days all day, will it tell me my average cal burn???

    You burn calories more effectively at a certain heart rate, knowing what that is then keeping it can be achieved my monitoring your heart rate.

    Also, as far as wearing it all day, would be cool....but doesn't your day change from day to day? So you would have some loose variables there....if you laid in bed all day for 24 hours wearing it, you could figure out your BMR...but that would be very boring I imagine.

    If your day is very similar, you could wear it for 72 hours straight with no exercise and figure out your average TDEE I suppose...that would be a cool experiment assuming the batteries lasted that long and you never showered (you'd have to take the chest strap off)

    I'd be very curious to hear results if you decided to do this!
  • krisiepoo
    krisiepoo Posts: 710 Member
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    I have the same model and I've been happy with it. Just wear it when you work out. I track calories burned, workout duration and max/average HR for each session.

    excuse my ignorance, but why do I need to know my HR??? as in, I know when I can't do anymore no???

    also, PP, why won't it help with all day? if I wear it for a few days all day, will it tell me my average cal burn???

    Do a forum search and type in HRM or heart rate monitor. You'll really find all the info you need there :)
  • LernRach
    LernRach Posts: 286 Member
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    I have the same model and I've been happy with it. Just wear it when you work out. I track calories burned, workout duration and max/average HR for each session.

    excuse my ignorance, but why do I need to know my HR??? as in, I know when I can't do anymore no???

    also, PP, why won't it help with all day? if I wear it for a few days all day, will it tell me my average cal burn???

    You burn calories more effectively at a certain heart rate, knowing what that is then keeping it can be achieved my monitoring your heart rate.

    Also, as far as wearing it all day, would be cool....but doesn't your day change from day to day? So you would have some loose variables there....if you laid in bed all day for 24 hours wearing it, you could figure out your BMR...but that would be very boring I imagine.

    If your day is very similar, you could wear it for 72 hours straight with no exercise and figure out your average TDEE I suppose...that would be a cool experiment assuming the batteries lasted that long and you never showered (you'd have to take the chest strap off)

    I'd be very curious to hear results if you decided to do this!

    If you wore it for a few days, you should work out an average. Even if I do go to the gym those days, isn't that what I do on a regular basis anyway?

    As for searching for an HRM, I am aware of what they are etc, my question was more, if you can use it work out calories in the gym, why can't u use to work out calories during the day?
  • thegirlnamedpearl
    thegirlnamedpearl Posts: 9
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    Knowing your HR will help motivate you to push harder during your workouts! You burn more calories at a certain rate, as mentioned, and the HRM will help you with that. I know that when I get bored during my work out, I slack and so it keeps me on my toes and allows me to use my time exercising more effectively.
  • tpittsley77
    tpittsley77 Posts: 607 Member
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    It's my understanding, and I may be wrong so please no attacks, but I believe the algorithms used in heart rate monitors to figure heart rate and calories burned, are not meant for long term usage, and if worn all day, you will not get accurate reads on calories burned. To get correct calories for full days, you need something like a fitbit. BUT the fitbit doesn't give an accurate calorie burn for intense workouts, as it works more by measuring your steps, not your heart rate. I think a bodybugg or body media fit is better for measuring full daily activities, with moderate workouts. The advantage of a heart rate monitor is that if you are working out and are trying to stay in a certain target heart rate zone, then a hrm will do that for you, and you can set alarms if you go over that heart rate. I just got one because I have majorly increased my workout intensity, but due to a heart problem, need to stay within a certain heart rate. The hrm lets me know when I need to back off.
  • 3dogsrunning
    3dogsrunning Posts: 27,167 Member
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    Here is a great thread that explains it all
    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

    Basically, a heart rate monitor is designed to be used for steady state cardio activity. It will not give accurate estimates at lower heart rates. Wearing it all day will give you an over inflated count.
  • Mokey41
    Mokey41 Posts: 5,769 Member
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    Here is a great thread that explains it all
    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

    Basically, a heart rate monitor is designed to be used for steady state cardio activity. It will not give accurate estimates at lower heart rates. Wearing it all day will give you an over inflated count.

    ^^^This. HRM algorithms are set based on an elevated heart rate like you have during cardio exercise. If you wear it all day you'll get hugely inflated numbers which is also why it isn't any use during strength training. You need your heart rate to be above at least 110 to for it to start to work correctly.
  • LernRach
    LernRach Posts: 286 Member
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    Ok, thanks all... i not going to wear all day, as it seems it won't be accurate... I went for a walk yesterday for 47 minutes.... Was with a pregnant friend, so really wasnt walking all that fast, and it told me I burnt 345 calories.... that sounds quite high for me.... worried it's over estimating...
  • Yogi_Carl
    Yogi_Carl Posts: 1,906 Member
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    Useful only for steady state cardio activities - not all day non exercise hours and not for weight training, bodyweight training or HIIT.
  • ashlinmarie
    ashlinmarie Posts: 1,263 Member
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    You can wear it in the shower....assuming you got the waterproof model. Wear it for cardio...it will use your heart rate and help you get a more accurate calorie burn than what the machines or MFP will tell you. I have worn mine all day while at work, though not logging activity. I could have, but I biked to and from work and sometimes didn't feel like taking it off. It was comfortable and generally stayed in place.Then when I went to bike home, I just had to remember to start it.

    The memory feature on it is great too because then I could shut it off once I got to work and then start it again when I was done. When I got home, I went into the memory for the prior workout. Super easy to use :)
  • Markguns
    Markguns Posts: 554 Member
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    Useful only for steady state cardio activities - not all day non exercise hours and not for weight training, bodyweight training or HIIT.

    WRONG! --- Only not usefull if you just "lift weights" and don't care what you HR or calories burned is.
    - If your running a weight machine circuit / routine you may want to run it at a certain HR.
    - Interval Training is cardio, you have a low and a high HR target.
    - You can track your HR throughout your workout if you want to maintain a certain HR level.
    - After all these activities you can estimate avg caolrie burned for a given avg HR with a Heart Rate Based Calorie Burn Calculator:
    http://www.shapesense.com/fitness-exercise/calculators/heart-rate-based-calorie-burn-calculator.aspx
  • 3dogsrunning
    3dogsrunning Posts: 27,167 Member
    Options
    Useful only for steady state cardio activities - not all day non exercise hours and not for weight training, bodyweight training or HIIT.

    WRONG! --- Only not usefull if you just "lift weights" and don't care what you HR or calories burned is.
    - If your running a weight machine circuit / routine you may want to run it at a certain HR.
    - Interval Training is cardio, you have a low and a high HR target.
    - You can track your HR throughout your workout if you want to maintain a certain HR level.
    - After all these activities you can estimate avg caolrie burned for a given avg HR with a Heart Rate Based Calorie Burn Calculator:
    http://www.shapesense.com/fitness-exercise/calculators/heart-rate-based-calorie-burn-calculator.aspx

    The above link I posted explains it well. This link also explains it and has a link to a study
    http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/773451-is-my-hrm-giving-me-incorrect-calorie-burn

    They are based on an algorithm for steady state cardio only. I am not arguin HrMs can't be useful in other activities but they are not accurate for calorie burn estimates.
  • Markguns
    Markguns Posts: 554 Member
    Options
    Useful only for steady state cardio activities - not all day non exercise hours and not for weight training, bodyweight training or HIIT.

    WRONG! --- Only not usefull if you just "lift weights" and don't care what you HR or calories burned is.
    - If your running a weight machine circuit / routine you may want to run it at a certain HR.
    - Interval Training is cardio, you have a low and a high HR target.
    - You can track your HR throughout your workout if you want to maintain a certain HR level.
    - After all these activities you can estimate avg caolrie burned for a given avg HR with a Heart Rate Based Calorie Burn Calculator:
    http://www.shapesense.com/fitness-exercise/calculators/heart-rate-based-calorie-burn-calculator.aspx

    The above link I posted explains it well. This link also explains it and has a link to a study
    http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/773451-is-my-hrm-giving-me-incorrect-calorie-burn

    They are based on an algorithm for steady state cardio only. I am not arguin HrMs can't be useful in other activities but they are not accurate for calorie burn estimates.


    So what is accurate... MFP calorie estimates?... Mine has data up loads and activity selections to pair with the HR data so it gives me a good estimate, which is by the way, lower than MFPs. Beurer PM62 Heart Rate Monitor, less than $60. Easy to read screen, transmits to every cardio machine I've tried, so you get a readout without holding the machines handles.. a great HRM for the price. :bigsmile:
  • rfsatar
    rfsatar Posts: 599 Member
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    So, went out on a whim and bought it. wasn't sure whether to get fitbit or Polar, but went for this anyway... Do I only wear it at gym? can I wear the watch all day to work out how many calories I burn a day, or does it not work that way?

    My main reason for getting one was for motivation... on a bit of a downer at the mo and I feel this could work as a pick me up (better than an ice cream right???? although just slightly more expensive :p)

    can someone give me some advice please???

    I started with a fitbit but it is useless for things like cycling, rowing and swimming - so I bought a Polar FT7 and I use that at the gym/pool etc and wear the fitbit all day to get my overall burn.

    I did a shed-load of research though, before I bought either device.

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