Heart rate monitor
Replies
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I've been thinking of getting one as well and considering the comments here, may go for a polar.0
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I got mine at bodytronics.com made by Polar. Then check www.retailmenot.com for a coupon code. I searched for prices and this was the cheapest price I found for myself. Good Luck!! Love my HRM!!0
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Keep in mind that heart rate monitors are more accurate for pure cardio only burns, not so much anything else.
People keep telling me that too so I sent an email to Polar and asked them if it was true. This is their response:
Dear Jen,
Thank you contacting Polar Customer Care, we apologize for the delayed response, Polar has received an influx of e-mails recently.
Calories are calculated by heart rate data and user information (age, weight, height, gender). Therefore your calories would be accurate no matter how you were exercising.
As long as the transmitter strap is wet, snug around your sternum and you are seeing accurate heart rate data on your watch, your watch will calculate your calories accurately.
If you have any more questions or concerns please feel free to contact us directly using the link below. We have representatives available via Livechat, E-mail and our toll free line Monday-Friday 9am-5:15pm EST.
http://www.polarusa.com/us-en
Thank you for training with Polar!
Katherine
Polar Customer Care
POLAR ELECTRO INC.
Here's another hint: heart rate monitors do not measure oxygen. They measure the number of times the heart beats. Based on other pertinent data (weight, age, sex, height), it figures out APPROXIMATE number of calories burned per heart beat. Using simple multiplication, they multiply the number of heartbeats by the approximate number of calories burned per heart beat. Really, it is just that simple. It doesn't matter what exercise you're doing. As long as you have a heartbeat, you're burning calories. The higher your heartbeat, the higher the burn.0 -
Keep in mind that heart rate monitors are more accurate for pure cardio only burns, not so much anything else.
People keep telling me that too so I sent an email to Polar and asked them if it was true. This is their response:
Dear Jen,
Thank you contacting Polar Customer Care, we apologize for the delayed response, Polar has received an influx of e-mails recently.
Calories are calculated by heart rate data and user information (age, weight, height, gender). Therefore your calories would be accurate no matter how you were exercising.
As long as the transmitter strap is wet, snug around your sternum and you are seeing accurate heart rate data on your watch, your watch will calculate your calories accurately.
If you have any more questions or concerns please feel free to contact us directly using the link below. We have representatives available via Livechat, E-mail and our toll free line Monday-Friday 9am-5:15pm EST.
http://www.polarusa.com/us-en
Thank you for training with Polar!
Katherine
Polar Customer Care
POLAR ELECTRO INC.
Here's another hint: heart rate monitors do not measure oxygen. They measure the number of times the heart beats. Based on other pertinent data (weight, age, sex, height), it figures out APPROXIMATE number of calories burned per heart beat. Using simple multiplication, they multiply the number of heartbeats by the approximate number of calories burned per heart beat. Really, it is just that simple. It doesn't matter what exercise you're doing. As long as you have a heartbeat, you're burning calories. The higher your heartbeat, the higher the burn.
http://www.calories-calculator.net/Calories_Burned_By_Heart_Rate.html0 -
And yes, if you're sleeping in bed, weighing in at 250lbs, and your HR is 110 bpm, you're burning the same amount of calories as if you were on a treadmill, at 250lbs, keeping your HR at 110 bpm
This is absolutely 100% untrue.0 -
I use a Polar FT4. It's pretty good. Though I think I've graduated to a more professional one. I train really hard. But, it's a great consumer grade heart rate monitor.0
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agreed. you have a severe misunderstanding on how caloeies are burned. muscles being used is what burns calories. not your heart.And yes, if you're sleeping in bed, weighing in at 250lbs, and your HR is 110 bpm, you're burning the same amount of calories as if you were on a treadmill, at 250lbs, keeping your HR at 110 bpm
This is absolutely 100% untrue.0 -
In to learn more. I plan to buy a HRM later this month.0
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agreed. you have a severe misunderstanding on how caloeies are burned. muscles being used is what burns calories. not your heart.And yes, if you're sleeping in bed, weighing in at 250lbs, and your HR is 110 bpm, you're burning the same amount of calories as if you were on a treadmill, at 250lbs, keeping your HR at 110 bpm
This is absolutely 100% untrue.0 -
agreed. you have a severe misunderstanding on how caloeies are burned. muscles being used is what burns calories. not your heart.And yes, if you're sleeping in bed, weighing in at 250lbs, and your HR is 110 bpm, you're burning the same amount of calories as if you were on a treadmill, at 250lbs, keeping your HR at 110 bpm
This is absolutely 100% untrue.
HR is not a measurement of your exertion. HR is affected by many factors totally unrelated to actual metabolism.0 -
agreed. you have a severe misunderstanding on how caloeies are burned. muscles being used is what burns calories. not your heart.And yes, if you're sleeping in bed, weighing in at 250lbs, and your HR is 110 bpm, you're burning the same amount of calories as if you were on a treadmill, at 250lbs, keeping your HR at 110 bpm
This is absolutely 100% untrue.
To elxplain it like you're 5. There are 4 energy systems in the body. only 1 is exertion correlated to heartrate (the cardio system). this is because when your muscle do work, the energy to do this work comes from a mixture of carbs/fat in the body combined with oxygen to make atp. The oxygen is from the air you breath transported in the bloodstream by the heart. So the more your muscles do work, the more oxygen is required, thus the harder the heart beats to provide it.
Ok great. Makes sense so far. Now what about when you're scared, or sit in a sauna? Your heartrate will increase. But your muscles are NOT doing more work. Remember, your muscles doing work burns calories. So in this case, an increased heartrate has ZERO correlation to an increase in calories burned.
Time for example 2. You're weight lifting. Now we're using anaerobic energy systems. Here's the important part about them. They do NOT use oxygen to make the muscles to do work. Reread that if you must. They do NOT use oxygen. They instead use stored fuel from carbs directly to make atp. So your heartrate could be 60, could be 160. Doesn't matter. The work being performed is not impacted by heartrate. (this is also why people are dumb for focusing on things like keeping heatrate elevated by doing cardio in between sets. Simply don't. if you're lifting heavy, then do it for lifting heavy and training those energy systems and muscle types and don't worry about your heartrate when it's not an indicator of anything for the work you are performing. Save the cardio for cardio.)0 -
To elxplain it like you're 5. There are 4 energy systems in the body. only 1 is exertion correlated to heartrate (the cardio system). this is because when your muscle do work, the energy to do this work comes from a mixture of carbs/fat in the body combined with oxygen to make atp. The oxygen is from the air you breath transported in the bloodstream by the heart. So the more your muscles do work, the more oxygen is required, thus the harder the heart beats to provide it.
Ok great. Makes sense so far. Now what about when you're scared, or sit in a sauna? Your heartrate will increase. But your muscles are NOT doing more work. Remember, your muscles doing work burns calories. So in this case, an increased heartrate has ZERO correlation to an increase in calories burned.
Time for example 2. You're weight lifting. Now we're using anaerobic energy systems. Here's the important part about them. They do NOT use oxygen to make the muscles to do work. Reread that if you must. They do NOT use oxygen. They instead use stored fuel from carbs directly to make atp. So your heartrate could be 60, could be 160. Doesn't matter. The work being performed is not impacted by heartrate. (this is also why people are dumb for focusing on things like keeping heatrate elevated by doing cardio in between sets. Simply don't. if you're lifting heavy, then do it for lifting heavy and training those energy systems and muscle types and don't worry about your heartrate when it's not an indicator of anything for the work you are performing. Save the cardio for cardio.)
Really? You'd explain *this* to a 5-year old?0 -
To elxplain it like you're 5. There are 4 energy systems in the body. only 1 is exertion correlated to heartrate (the cardio system). this is because when your muscle do work, the energy to do this work comes from a mixture of carbs/fat in the body combined with oxygen to make atp. The oxygen is from the air you breath transported in the bloodstream by the heart. So the more your muscles do work, the more oxygen is required, thus the harder the heart beats to provide it.
Ok great. Makes sense so far. Now what about when you're scared, or sit in a sauna? Your heartrate will increase. But your muscles are NOT doing more work. Remember, your muscles doing work burns calories. So in this case, an increased heartrate has ZERO correlation to an increase in calories burned.
Time for example 2. You're weight lifting. Now we're using anaerobic energy systems. Here's the important part about them. They do NOT use oxygen to make the muscles to do work. Reread that if you must. They do NOT use oxygen. They instead use stored fuel from carbs directly to make atp. So your heartrate could be 60, could be 160. Doesn't matter. The work being performed is not impacted by heartrate. (this is also why people are dumb for focusing on things like keeping heatrate elevated by doing cardio in between sets. Simply don't. if you're lifting heavy, then do it for lifting heavy and training those energy systems and muscle types and don't worry about your heartrate when it's not an indicator of anything for the work you are performing. Save the cardio for cardio.)
Really? You'd explain *this* to a 5-year old?
:laugh:0 -
To elxplain it like you're 5. There are 4 energy systems in the body. only 1 is exertion correlated to heartrate (the cardio system). this is because when your muscle do work, the energy to do this work comes from a mixture of carbs/fat in the body combined with oxygen to make atp. The oxygen is from the air you breath transported in the bloodstream by the heart. So the more your muscles do work, the more oxygen is required, thus the harder the heart beats to provide it.
Ok great. Makes sense so far. Now what about when you're scared, or sit in a sauna? Your heartrate will increase. But your muscles are NOT doing more work. Remember, your muscles doing work burns calories. So in this case, an increased heartrate has ZERO correlation to an increase in calories burned.
Time for example 2. You're weight lifting. Now we're using anaerobic energy systems. Here's the important part about them. They do NOT use oxygen to make the muscles to do work. Reread that if you must. They do NOT use oxygen. They instead use stored fuel from carbs directly to make atp. So your heartrate could be 60, could be 160. Doesn't matter. The work being performed is not impacted by heartrate. (this is also why people are dumb for focusing on things like keeping heatrate elevated by doing cardio in between sets. Simply don't. if you're lifting heavy, then do it for lifting heavy and training those energy systems and muscle types and don't worry about your heartrate when it's not an indicator of anything for the work you are performing. Save the cardio for cardio.)
Really? You'd explain *this* to a 5-year old?
:laugh:
I like this guy, I'm going to send my niece over A-SAP :laugh:0 -
Keep in mind that heart rate monitors are more accurate for pure cardio only burns, not so much anything else.
People keep telling me that too so I sent an email to Polar and asked them if it was true. This is their response:
Dear Jen,
Thank you contacting Polar Customer Care, we apologize for the delayed response, Polar has received an influx of e-mails recently.
Calories are calculated by heart rate data and user information (age, weight, height, gender). Therefore your calories would be accurate no matter how you were exercising.
As long as the transmitter strap is wet, snug around your sternum and you are seeing accurate heart rate data on your watch, your watch will calculate your calories accurately.
If you have any more questions or concerns please feel free to contact us directly using the link below. We have representatives available via Livechat, E-mail and our toll free line Monday-Friday 9am-5:15pm EST.
http://www.polarusa.com/us-en
Thank you for training with Polar!
Katherine
Polar Customer Care
POLAR ELECTRO INC.
Excellent. I'm glad they sent you this. Because now you can sue them for negligence.0 -
In to learn more. I plan to buy a HRM later this month.
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Keep in mind that heart rate monitors are more accurate for pure cardio only burns, not so much anything else.
People keep telling me that too so I sent an email to Polar and asked them if it was true. This is their response:
Dear Jen,
Thank you contacting Polar Customer Care, we apologize for the delayed response, Polar has received an influx of e-mails recently.
Calories are calculated by heart rate data and user information (age, weight, height, gender). Therefore your calories would be accurate no matter how you were exercising.
As long as the transmitter strap is wet, snug around your sternum and you are seeing accurate heart rate data on your watch, your watch will calculate your calories accurately.
If you have any more questions or concerns please feel free to contact us directly using the link below. We have representatives available via Livechat, E-mail and our toll free line Monday-Friday 9am-5:15pm EST.
http://www.polarusa.com/us-en
Thank you for training with Polar!
Katherine
Polar Customer Care
POLAR ELECTRO INC.
Your link does not work...
I see good weight loss results using the numbers on my Polar FT4 and unless I see otherwise I guess I'll stay ignorant and believe the manufactureer of the device (crazy, I know).
I wouldn't believe the manufacturer 100% but use it as a tool.. similar to a scale, measuring tape, calipers and the like. I like my HRM and I couldn't really give a flying pig what people want to say about how it's inaccurate and it's this and it's that. I see it as a tool.. more accurate, not perfect but more accurate than believing what a stupid treadmill tells me when it doesn't even account for the same data that my HRM does.
For people who still have > 20% BF to lose, a HRM is a great tool to invest in. Those who have less will post all the garbage in the word to tell people not to buy one. As long as you see that it is not perfect but a guide or a tool, you will be fine.0 -
I have a Garmin Forerunner 305. I like it as it also has the GPS function.
Unfortunately the 305 does not base calorie estimates in heart rate. Some models of Garmin Forerunners do, the 305 does not. Which is why you don't get an estimate on indoor activities.
As for the rest, Codergal covered it all.
I have no issue with using HRMs as an estimate. If it works for you, great. I do have a problem with how overstated their accuracy is on this forum. I've seen so many people spend money they say they don't have for this because they feel its the only way. It's not. I've also seen a lot of people get in trouble from blindly following their HRM calorie burns.0 -
I wouldn't believe the manufacturer 100% but use it as a tool.. similar to a scale, measuring tape, calipers and the like. I like my HRM and I couldn't really give a flying pig what people want to say about how it's inaccurate and it's this and it's that. I see it as a tool.. more accurate, not perfect but more accurate than believing what a stupid treadmill tells me when it doesn't even account for the same data that my HRM does.
For people who still have > 20% BF to lose, a HRM is a great tool to invest in. Those who have less will post all the garbage in the word to tell people not to buy one. As long as you see that it is not perfect but a guide or a tool, you will be fine.
I agree with the use as a tool and understand that you don't care about the inaccuracy. I'm not telling people not to buy one, I try to make people understand how to use one properly and as a more effective tool.
The treadmill doesn't need all that info. The HRM requires all those data points because of the formula it uses. Calories burned is weight and intensity. Things like walking are fairly easy to calculate if weight is know If the treadmill doesn ask for weight, then ok. But the fact it doesn't require all the same info doesn't mean it's less accurate.0 -
Buying a used HRM off eBay was the best investment I ever made.
..... because I sold it back on eBay and made £20.00 profit!0 -
In to learn more. I plan to buy a HRM later this month.
Apparently, DavPul does not approve.0 -
I got the polar ft7 and I love it. It works very well and seems to be very accurate. I wear it to the gym and for spin class. I also have a fitbit (not a heart rate monitor) that I wear all day.0
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It's a TOOL- same as anything else. 99% of the food you track is not accurate down to the exact calorie either.
I have a Polar FT4 and it has definitely helped me track my cardio. At the end of the day, between my ESTIMATED calorie burn and my ESTIMATED calorie intake, I'm an ESTIMATED 500 calories under my ESTIMATED TDEE.
It gives me a number I trust far more than MFP or the elliptical that does not take my weight or age into consideration.
And yes, I have been steadily losing so while it may not be exact, it has its benefits.0 -
I have a Polar FT4 and it is GREAT! I have found it super inspirational and useful
Only issue I would say is the sensor can come off the strap around your chest. This only happened because 1. I have boobs :blushing: and 2. I was snowboarding so had layers of clothes and it was being rubbed around a lot. This only happened snowboarding.
Otherwise, it is an absolute gem Best for motivating you and giving you an idea of how much your working, as well as realising that what MFP gives you must be designed for the most efficient calorie burning person in the world! I always am about 30% lower.
Jess0 -
I wouldn't believe the manufacturer 100% but use it as a tool.. similar to a scale, measuring tape, calipers and the like. I like my HRM and I couldn't really give a flying pig what people want to say about how it's inaccurate and it's this and it's that. I see it as a tool.. more accurate, not perfect but more accurate than believing what a stupid treadmill tells me when it doesn't even account for the same data that my HRM does.
For people who still have > 20% BF to lose, a HRM is a great tool to invest in. Those who have less will post all the garbage in the word to tell people not to buy one. As long as you see that it is not perfect but a guide or a tool, you will be fine.
I agree with the use as a tool and understand that you don't care about the inaccuracy. I'm not telling people not to buy one, I try to make people understand how to use one properly and as a more effective tool.
The treadmill doesn't need all that info. The HRM requires all those data points because of the formula it uses. Calories burned is weight and intensity. Things like walking are fairly easy to calculate if weight is know If the treadmill doesn ask for weight, then ok. But the fact it doesn't require all the same info doesn't mean it's less accurate.
I respectfully disagree.. I mean, someone who is 5'6" like me, same weight/age and someone else who shares same stats but different height or BF% is certainly not burning the same as me and vice versa. Most treadmills only ask for weight and age, height/bf%/lean mass estimates would probably provide for a better calculation. It's not a perfect world, neither are HRMs but yeah..0 -
In to learn more. I plan to buy a HRM later this month.
Apparently, DavPul does not approve.
He never approves.
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Polar FT 70
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agreed. you have a severe misunderstanding on how caloeies are burned. muscles being used is what burns calories. not your heart.And yes, if you're sleeping in bed, weighing in at 250lbs, and your HR is 110 bpm, you're burning the same amount of calories as if you were on a treadmill, at 250lbs, keeping your HR at 110 bpm
This is absolutely 100% untrue.
Also absolutely untrue, but what do I know I only watch people sleep for a living. I see MANY heart rates escalate in sleep independent of true medical rationale (you would assume something like Sleep Apnea would be the root cause, but this is not always the case) your heart is part of a system controlled by your brainstem, when sleeping all those functions are quite different.0 -
I have the Wahoo Fitness Blue HR. I love love love it. It works through blutooth with with my iPhone. So, if you don't have an iPhone then it won't work for you. I love all the different things it tracks. I have never had connectivity issues. I just keep it tight and right under the band of my sports bra.
Another point to throw into this conversation is to account only for your net calorie burn, not your gross calorie burn.
Your body is burning calories all the time, even at rest, so you don't want to count those resting calories for the duration of your workout, because you would have burned them anyway.
I use this calculator:
http://www.shapesense.com/fitness-exercise/calculators/net-versus-gross-calorie-burn-conversion-calculator.aspx
to get my net calories, and that's what I input into myfitnesspal. I figure it's better to underestimate my total burn than overestimate and eat too much.0 -
I use the Body Fit media armband. It's not a heart rate monitor but it does keep track of how many calories you burn throughout the day. It's also a pedometer and it monitors your sleep habits, too. They use the Fit bands on the biggest loser I love mine. It totally gives you an insight into your metabolism. You can set goals to help you lose weight.....I have mine set so that I have a 1000 calorie daily deficit.....that means if I hit the deficit every day I'll lose 2# a week. I've lost over 11# since I've started using it. It has accuracy with less than a 10% margin of error. It's one of the best fitness purchases I've made. Tomorrow they are offering 30% off the bands so it would be a great time to buy one!!! Hope this helps!
http://www.bodymedia.com/0
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