HRM or Not?

This is purely out of curiosity.

What's y'alls take on having an HRM? The two I have-- yes, two-- are alright. I like my pink one because it's more a pedo/watch, and the other one, although its numbers are a lot higher than they should be, helps me to somewhat know what I burn-- I take what it says and slash it in half.

Anywho, do you guys use one or not, and why?

Replies

  • Madelinew22
    Madelinew22 Posts: 289
    i have a polar ft4 and it works great and ive found that since i have a very low hr i burn way less cals then mfp or any gym equipment calculates. wont workout without it :happy:
  • sweetsarahv
    sweetsarahv Posts: 180 Member
    i have the polar ft7, and it has changed my life!!! i LOVE it!!!! there's nothing better than seeing the hard work you are doing in number form
  • lina1131
    lina1131 Posts: 2,246 Member
    I have the Polar FT4 and it is awesome. I love it.
  • ChiroChelle19
    ChiroChelle19 Posts: 5 Member
    I have been toying with the idea of getting a HRM myself. I found one that works with endomondo app for your phone and then automatically syncs to mfp. I think there are days that I do a lot of exercise and don't eat enough, other days when I do some exercise and eat too much. I think it will take some of the guess work out of how many calories I should be eating each day. However, I love to workout 'naked', or without any technology because I can focus on the task at hand, work on technique and form and not be bogged down my numbers. I think it can be a good tool as long as you don't get to caught up with it, like some people get obsessed with numbers on a scale.
  • sijomial
    sijomial Posts: 19,809 Member
    I use mine for two reasons:

    1/ To help measure & balance calories in / calories burned.
    2/ Heartrate zone training to help achieve my fitness goals.
  • cwolfman13
    cwolfman13 Posts: 41,865 Member
    I have a Polar Ft4...I've found the burns to be pretty accurate, though I do knock off 20%. Keep in mind they're really only accurate for aerobic cardio activity, and not anaerobic activity like weight lifting. I use it primarily for tracking my workout zones to avoid over training or under training though...the fact that it gives me my burn is just a nice bonus.
  • m0ll3pprz
    m0ll3pprz Posts: 193 Member
    I just received my Polar Ft7 and have used it faithfully all week! I LOVE it! Cardio is so much more fun because I'm so excited to see what I burned :-) I was very happily surprised that I've had nice high calorie burns but I'm sure that will change as I become more fit and lean. Right now, my heart is beating like crazy and I break more than a sweat so I am not arguing the results at all! I am just thrilled with it!
  • JessHealthKick
    JessHealthKick Posts: 800 Member
    i have the polar ft7, and it has changed my life!!! i LOVE it!!!! there's nothing better than seeing the hard work you are doing in number form

    I got one recently as well, it is so amazing :) Interesting to know my resting heart rate is 55 (my Dr had mentioned it was low in the past). I've been very active recently snowboarding, and I was astonished to find that when I went hard I'd be burning minimum 600cals an hour... explained my ravenous hunger.

    Are you using ones with a strap yes? make sure it's attached correctly and clean etc for best results :)

    good luck!
  • crazybookworm
    crazybookworm Posts: 779 Member
    I use one now only because I got it as a gift. However, I didn't have on at all during my whole weight loss. It's all just about your personal preference; If you want to have a better idea of what you are burning.