Bought a Polar HRM - Question About HIIT Calorie Burn

Polymorphist
Polymorphist Posts: 41
in Fitness and Exercise
So I bought a Polar PT4 HRM yesterday and used it for the first time at the gym this afternoon. I've been doing my HIIT training with a jump rope for about 20 or so. Today I went for 21 minutes of HIIT, jumping 30 seconds and resting 60 each interval. My heart rate when up to 160 and bottomed-out around 148 when resting on the last few intervals. The total calories burned for the entire session was 294 cals.

So my question is - is this accurate? Should I count the entire 21 minute session or just count the time I jumped (6.5 minutes)?

How do the rest of you measure this?

Replies

  • glaecia
    glaecia Posts: 4
    Oh you count everything! I use my Polar FT80 for exercise and my personal rule is to let the "session" go until I'm out of zone 1. As long as you're in zone...you're burning calories. Even if you're at rest between an interval. Good luck!
  • BuffySlays2000
    BuffySlays2000 Posts: 65 Member
    Oh you count everything! I use my Polar FT80 for exercise and my personal rule is to let the "session" go until I'm out of zone 1. As long as you're in zone...you're burning calories. Even if you're at rest between an interval. Good luck!

    I agree with this.
  • Polymorphist
    Polymorphist Posts: 41
    Excellent, thanks. I kind of thought so but wanted to be sure, didn't want to be measuring things incorrectly.

    Off to do more jumping.
  • chymerra
    chymerra Posts: 212
    count everything from when you warmed up to when youcooled down
  • marc_s_johnson
    marc_s_johnson Posts: 107 Member
    count everything from when you warmed up to when youcooled down

    Really?

    I'm using a cheap HRM at the mo until my new one comes and I've been doing the 30 Day Shred and measuring my heart rate at the end of the session with a mobile HRM because the sensor on the watch is not too great.

    Yesterday I was measuring my HR at 111 at the end of the cooldown, today I measured it at 135 after the last Ab workout ended and my heart was pumping at its max.

    The reason I say this is because to then get the calories burned you have to set the watch to whichever bar your HR falls into so if you allow yourself to measure once your heart has slowed down then surely you are selling yourself short????

    I guess the only way to find out what is correct is if you have a HRM that clocks the calories burned as you are working out so you can see as you go along
  • marc_s_johnson
    marc_s_johnson Posts: 107 Member
    The difference was about 80 calories.

    Measuring after the warmdown was 141 cal in block 2 (because my HR slowed down to fall into the 2nd category)

    Measuring after the final intense Ab workout was 219 cal in block 3 (because my HR entered the 3rd category)

    This was the same workout on 2 separate days measured at the 2 different points.
  • gmallan
    gmallan Posts: 2,099 Member
    So I bought a Polar PT4 HRM yesterday and used it for the first time at the gym this afternoon. I've been doing my HIIT training with a jump rope for about 20 or so. Today I went for 21 minutes of HIIT, jumping 30 seconds and resting 60 each interval. My heart rate when up to 160 and bottomed-out around 148 when resting on the last few intervals. The total calories burned for the entire session was 294 cals.

    So my question is - is this accurate? Should I count the entire 21 minute session or just count the time I jumped (6.5 minutes)?

    How do the rest of you measure this?

    Just a quick note, if you're doing HIIT or interval training you should be working the whole time. HIIT and interval training don't have actual rest breaks, just high intensity and working recovery. This is only a technicality. The training your doing is still good if it get your heart rate up
  • chymerra
    chymerra Posts: 212
    count everything from when you warmed up to when youcooled down

    Really?

    I'm using a cheap HRM at the mo until my new one comes and I've been doing the 30 Day Shred and measuring my heart rate at the end of the session with a mobile HRM because the sensor on the watch is not too great.

    Yesterday I was measuring my HR at 111 at the end of the cooldown, today I measured it at 135 after the last Ab workout ended and my heart was pumping at its max.

    The reason I say this is because to then get the calories burned you have to set the watch to whichever bar your HR falls into so if you allow yourself to measure once your heart has slowed down then surely you are selling yourself short????

    I guess the only way to find out what is correct is if you have a HRM that clocks the calories burned as you are working out so you can see as you go along

    my HRM comes with a chest strap; it also tells me what zone i'm in (not in zone, 1, 2 or 3) during the workout and i watch the number of cals i burn in every zone. when i workout, i do interval (HIIT) so there's very little rest except the cool down.

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