Help with Garmin Forerunner 305 HRM

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YogaRunner
YogaRunner Posts: 652 Member
in Fitness and Exercise
Hi! I use my Garmin all the time for running all the time and love it. Today, I finally used the HRM with it for the first time...but I was not running. I did a high intensity interval training program, Turbo Fire. I really wanted to know how many calories I burned but it does not seem to have calculated it! When I link the Garmin to my computer, it downloads the track and I can see my heart rate throughout the time I was working out, but no calories calculated. Did I have it in the wrong mode? Did I need to switch something since I was not running? Anyone who knows this device well, please help!! Thanks
Risa
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Replies

  • redflipr
    redflipr Posts: 6
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    I'm having the same problem. Always used my Garmin for running and now I want to use it for calorie counting. I think I went through every screen a dozen times and couldn't figure out how to get the calories. The manual was no help either! :sad:
  • tvgal
    tvgal Posts: 87
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    This is really interesting - I have the exact same problem. Finally I just decided to buy a cheap Polar HRM to use during cardio, and continue using my garmin for long distance runs.
  • YogaRunner
    YogaRunner Posts: 652 Member
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    Hmmm...maybe I'll research it online through the Garmin website. I'll let you know if I find anything helpful.
  • austinusn
    austinusn Posts: 38
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    Hi Everyone -- I have the Garmin 405 and found out what I'm hoping is not true here -- I found out mine cannot be used to just track calories based solely on HR, it has to track your distance TOO. :( Bummed when I found this out because I do a lot of gym/cardio stuff and had to get a separate one just for that.

    Hopefully you'll find out something other than i did. :(
  • ThumperWabbt
    ThumperWabbt Posts: 82 Member
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    Try uploading to connect.garmin.com--you'll need to create an account but it's free--and see what info it spits out. I've never had a problem getting my calories burned no matter what I've had my Forerunner set to.
  • YogaRunner
    YogaRunner Posts: 652 Member
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    Try uploading to connect.garmin.com--you'll need to create an account but it's free--and see what info it spits out. I've never had a problem getting my calories burned no matter what I've had my Forerunner set to.

    Thanks for the info! I'll give it a try!
  • YogaRunner
    YogaRunner Posts: 652 Member
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    Inkedwriter:
    Ok, this is a really cool site! Thanks so much! I set up an account and uploaded everything. I will use it for sure to track my running. However, it still does not show the calories for the indoor cardio I did yesterday. It shows the activity and I edited it to accurately show it was indoor cardio (it originally uploaded as running), but it says the calories burned are zero. Uggh.
    When I do indoor cardio, what setting do I need to have the watch say? Is it "other" activity?
  • ThumperWabbt
    ThumperWabbt Posts: 82 Member
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    Setting it to "Other" might work...at least it's worth a try. Are you getting a heart rate on display when you work out? I'm wondering if your Forerunner is getting a signal from the HR strap or not.

    The only other thing I can think of is that you might need a footpod for indoor exercise...I use one when I'm walking on the treadmill and it works, but I've never tried it for other types of activity.

    It's a conundrum...
  • YogaRunner
    YogaRunner Posts: 652 Member
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    Setting it to "Other" might work...at least it's worth a try. Are you getting a heart rate on display when you work out? I'm wondering if your Forerunner is getting a signal from the HR strap or not.

    The only other thing I can think of is that you might need a footpod for indoor exercise...I use one when I'm walking on the treadmill and it works, but I've never tried it for other types of activity.

    It's a conundrum...

    Thanks for the ideas. I researched it a bunch on the internet and found that Garmin devices determine calories burned from speed and distance NOT from heart rate. Therefore, you must be traveling for the calories burned to record. The heart rate monitor has nothing to do with it. I was pretty bummed. I've had the Garmin for over a year now and love it for my runs and thought I'd be able to use it for all my other exercise as well, but WRONG! Ah well. Live and learn. So, today I ordered a Polar FT4 to use when I do indoor cardio. Another gadget to keep track of, strap on and sync. :noway:
  • redflipr
    redflipr Posts: 6
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    Thanks for looking into that! I guess I'll need to invest in a new one as well. Sucks!
  • dinos
    dinos Posts: 1,390 Member
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    Thanks for the ideas. I researched it a bunch on the internet and found that Garmin devices determine calories burned from speed and distance NOT from heart rate. Therefore, you must be traveling for the calories burned to record. The heart rate monitor has nothing to do with it. I was pretty bummed. I've had the Garmin for over a year now and love it for my runs and thought I'd be able to use it for all my other exercise as well, but WRONG! Ah well. Live and learn. So, today I ordered a Polar FT4 to use when I do indoor cardio. Another gadget to keep track of, strap on and sync. :noway:

    Well, I just bought the 305 HRM. I think that primarily the device is a GPS.
    I noticed that It calculates the calories burned for each run even if you don't use the HRM strap.
    Like you said, it's great for outdoors activities. :smile:
  • jerren
    jerren Posts: 196
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    I have unfortunate news for you all. The Garmin 305 can not calculate calories based off of your heart rate. It primarily uses the GPS and the distance/speed that you have moved to calculate your calories burned. Go run on a tread mill, or a indoor track for that matter, your Forerunner will never calculate those calories because it can't locate a satellite. Now go out side, wait for it to acquire a signal and then do 100 jumping jacks, still nothing right. Now go and walk around the corner and magically the calories will start ticking.

    I also learned this unfortunately after buying mine.

    This is also a bad way of calculating calories because lets say you ride your bike a lot like me. Well if you are going down a hill, the 305 will think you are actually pedaling down hill at 31 mph and will calculate your calories accordingly.

    Sorry to be the bearer of bad news.
  • dinos
    dinos Posts: 1,390 Member
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    Thanks Jerren you made my day :cry:
  • September7bride
    September7bride Posts: 7 Member
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    This sucks! I've had no problems with mine outdoors, but I've been running the stairs in my building all week trying to get my calories to register and NOTHING! With my old HRM I've burned 700 or more calories per workout and I was really ready to see those numbers. I miss my old HRM and I thought by getting this one I would have all the bells and whistles.

    Thanks for the information though, now I can stop pressing buttons trying to figure it out and put my dog earred manual away.
    I have unfortunate news for you all. The Garmin 305 can not calculate calories based off of your heart rate. It primarily uses the GPS and the distance/speed that you have moved to calculate your calories burned. Go run on a tread mill, or a indoor track for that matter, your Forerunner will never calculate those calories because it can't locate a satellite. Now go out side, wait for it to acquire a signal and then do 100 jumping jacks, still nothing right. Now go and walk around the corner and magically the calories will start ticking.

    I also learned this unfortunately after buying mine.

    This is also a bad way of calculating calories because lets say you ride your bike a lot like me. Well if you are going down a hill, the 305 will think you are actually pedaling down hill at 31 mph and will calculate your calories accordingly.

    Sorry to be the bearer of bad news.
  • stacyg32
    stacyg32 Posts: 4 Member
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    I thought if you piurchased the foot pod to go with the 305 then you could use it indoors or while cycling to get a good calorie count.

    Here is the foot pod on Garmin's site:

    https://buy.garmin.com/shop/shop.do?pID=15516
  • dinos
    dinos Posts: 1,390 Member
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    The foot pod works indoors on the treadmill, not on the elliptical or the stationary bike.
    To use the 305 on a bike you have to get the cadence sensor.
    The calories calculated are way off, read Jerren's post. To get a realistic estimate of my burn I input the workout data into http://www.braydenwm.com/calburn.htm which returns calories as a function of heart rate, taking into account my age, my weight etc, so I finally get this:

    24-3-201111-45-35.png
  • stacyg32
    stacyg32 Posts: 4 Member
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    Thank you for sharing that web site. How did you determine your VO2 Max? Do you think that it provides an accurate calorie count? Thanks again for sharing.
  • dinos
    dinos Posts: 1,390 Member
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    Thank you for sharing that web site. How did you determine your VO2 Max? Do you think that it provides an accurate calorie count? Thanks again for sharing.

    Yes, the calorie count is the best approximation you can get.
    You can measure your VO2 max by doing a Cooper test, which is basically a 12 min run at your best speed. See details and calculator here: http://www.brianmac.co.uk/gentest.htm

    Hope this helps
  • Babs0077
    Babs0077 Posts: 51 Member
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    Setting it to "Other" might work...at least it's worth a try. Are you getting a heart rate on display when you work out? I'm wondering if your Forerunner is getting a signal from the HR strap or not.

    The only other thing I can think of is that you might need a footpod for indoor exercise...I use one when I'm walking on the treadmill and it works, but I've never tried it for other types of activity.

    It's a conundrum...

    Thanks for the ideas. I researched it a bunch on the internet and found that Garmin devices determine calories burned from speed and distance NOT from heart rate. Therefore, you must be traveling for the calories burned to record. The heart rate monitor has nothing to do with it. I was pretty bummed. I've had the Garmin for over a year now and love it for my runs and thought I'd be able to use it for all my other exercise as well, but WRONG! Ah well. Live and learn. So, today I ordered a Polar FT4 to use when I do indoor cardio. Another gadget to keep track of, strap on and sync. :noway:
  • Babs0077
    Babs0077 Posts: 51 Member
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    I too, have the Garmin 305, and the Polar f4. I always use the Polar HRM for running at the gym, or doing my DVD's. I use the Garmin for running outdoors to keep on pace. I wish I only had to use ONE, but what am I going to do? I prefer using the HRM's calories burned as opposed to MFP's calculations of what I burned. Today, I'd like to know how much I burned AND keep my pace, but I don't want to be the dork wearing 2 watches. I may have to bite the bullet and only wear the P4 HRM strap and watch and use my Garmin ONLY for the pace..... Is there anything that does all of this in one????? :huh:

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