This can't be right, can it?

Nina74
Nina74 Posts: 470 Member
edited September 21 in Fitness and Exercise
Today I received my new Polar FT4 HRM. Excited to go workout, I input my info and away I went. I did the usual elliptical routine- the fat burning program which is basically intervals- and REALLY pushed myself, imagining my HRM counting all the calories I was burning. I figured my number would be somewhere between the machine readout and MFP.

When I finished, the Precor machine said I burned about 250/30 mins,as it usually does. MFP says I burn 612/30 mins. My shiny new HRM? A whopping 99 calories. Yeah. 99. for 30 mins.

My face fell and I didn't know whether to cry or throw the thing across the gym. I was pouring sweat and struggling to still catch my breath. I double checked all my settings- 5'4", 35 yrs old, female, 299 lbs,

I did wet the sensors on the chest strap- but maybe not enough? I placed it high on my rib cage/right where they band of my bra goes around, so I thought it would be tight enough.

Do I have a dud? Or am I the dud? I can't be *that* fit at 299 lbs!!!!!! Help!

Replies

  • abricklin
    abricklin Posts: 156 Member
    try it again before you freak or contact them. I think your calorie burn for 300 calories should be around 300, give or take based on your weight and intensity.
  • 8turboturtle8
    8turboturtle8 Posts: 239 Member
    Well my three suggestions would be that the sensors were not wet enough, maybe there was not full contact with your skin, like if your bra moved it or maybe when entering your details something is off. I have the same HRM and have never had a number that low,...so you are right to suspect that something isn't right...good luck and I hope you figure it out...we don't need any extra discouragment.
  • Lisa0711
    Lisa0711 Posts: 1,405 Member
    Try it again.. and if it gives you another reading like that, I'd say it might have something wrong with it. Especially if you know you were working that hard.

    Did you wet the chest strap before you started? I didn't read the manual (common for me) when I got my first Polar HRM, and I didn't wet the strap most of the time. Needless to say, it didn't work like it should have. Once I started wetting the strap first, I got much better readings.
  • susanleasings
    susanleasings Posts: 371 Member
    On mine, I have to continually check my HR throughout the workout. Mine is the cheapo Walmart HRM, but it might be that it was counting your starting HR the whole 30 minutes......maybe you never changed from the starting/resting HR.
  • Nina74
    Nina74 Posts: 470 Member
    The HR did change, I watched it and the machine at the gym even picked it up. I did wet the strap, but maybe not enough? I will try again. It was just disappointing.
  • mamagooskie
    mamagooskie Posts: 2,964 Member
    Try it again for sure!!

    I have that exact HRM and I can burn 150+ calories walking at a slow speed in 30 min. I actually did a 1 hour walk/run today (intervals) and burned almost 700 calories, so you may have a dud.

    Make sure you wet the strap really well and wear it tight enough to stay put. Check your HR periodically to make sure it is going up according to intensity you are working out at.

    My HRM calories burned reading is always higher than what my treadmill, pedometer and MFP says.
  • alnarcisse
    alnarcisse Posts: 1
    there is defenetly something wrong i did the elliptical for 50 minutes and burn about 550 calories its pretty acurate. and since we weight more we also burn more calories... dont let it discouraged you, keep on going!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
  • StarryEyedGirl
    StarryEyedGirl Posts: 585
    this is disappointing!!! good news is I bet its wrong. please keep us posted. I really want a HRM but not sure which one. saving for a decent one.

    please respond to this post tomorrow after you try it again.
  • 4lafz
    4lafz Posts: 1,078 Member
    You may have had it on incorrect - also check your info. Make Sure the sensors are wet and that yoou hit start (sometimes I miss that step!). BUT, that being said, I found that lots of the MFP numbers are way off. I do water aerobics for 30 minutes - HARD - with water resistance on my hands and ankles. MFP overstates by three times! My Polar f^ says I burn 175 only!
  • arewethereyet
    arewethereyet Posts: 18,702 Member
    I put lotion on my skin under the chest strap. This seems to help keep contact the entire time.

    I have had a few funky readings.........and I am SURE you burned at least 300 in that workout!

    Keep up the good work!
  • 8turboturtle8
    8turboturtle8 Posts: 239 Member
    Actually I thought about this some more....I kinda remember a time or two I did something weird and somehow managed to hit the pause button without even noticing until the end of my workout...it was still tracking the HR but not the length of workout or calories burned. Maybe something to think about...
  • christastevenson
    christastevenson Posts: 3
    I noticed with mine already that if it isn't wet enough, it doesn't read the whole time. Just wet it a lot before putting it on and then make sure it is tight. Let me know what happens on your next try. :)
  • arewethereyet
    arewethereyet Posts: 18,702 Member
    Actually I thought about this some more....I kinda remember a time or two I did something weird and somehow managed to hit the pause button without even noticing until the end of my workout...it was still tracking the HR but not the length of workout or calories burned. Maybe something to think about...

    I did that too! I was so P O'd! I could se the HR but it wasnt reported.
  • Nina74
    Nina74 Posts: 470 Member
    Update:

    I should have bought shoes for Spinning instead. It was spin shoes or HRM this month, but I figured I would use the HRM every day. BOOO. Bad decision.

    I *thoroughly* wet the strap, put lotion on my skin where the sensors would go, and since I read saline helps, I even gave the sensor strips a lick before putting it on. Nice and tight.

    HR seemed to be more true to my heart rate- which was about 10 beats higher than yesterday's rate, but after 30 sweat-soaked minutes of alternating high and medium intensity intervals- where my heart rate was average 140 (157 is my 80%) I still got 140 for calories.

    Again, it just doesn't seem right. Or am I missing something? Most of the time I'm working I would not be able to carry on a conversation with someone (perceived exertion, etc). Something that I thought would be very motivational is turning out to be very demotivational (even if it is wrong....it is sad to see after working hard).

    Thoughts?
  • abricklin
    abricklin Posts: 156 Member
    I know others have said this already but make sure all of your details are entered correctly. Make sure its not asking for your birthday in a weird order and you are putting it in the mond-day-year way, that your weight is in lbs, etc etc.
    It IS working as for your heart rate because 140 is spot on but 140 calories is totally not!
  • georgygirl62
    georgygirl62 Posts: 11
    I thought I had a problem with my HRM, only burned 90 calories doing L1 of 30 day shred, so done a full 40 minute workout with a dvd I have, and I burned 180, really worked hard on both workouts, so I understand how you feel:smile:
  • Nina74
    Nina74 Posts: 470 Member
    Thanks. I have checked the settings multiple times, and it is all entered correctly. Obviously something is not right! I spoke with a MFP member who has the same one as me, is smaller than me, yet burned 100's more calories than me. Obviously something is wrong with the unit. Just discouraging to pay so much and be disappointed.
  • Nelski
    Nelski Posts: 1,607 Member

    HR seemed to be more true to my heart rate- which was about 10 beats higher than yesterday's rate, but after 30 sweat-soaked minutes of alternating high and medium intensity intervals- where my heart rate was average 140 (157 is my 80%) I still got 140 for calories.

    Again, it just doesn't seem right. Or am I missing something? Most of the time I'm working I would not be able to carry on a conversation with someone (perceived exertion, etc). Something that I thought would be very motivational is turning out to be very demotivational (even if it is wrong....it is sad to see after working hard).

    Thoughts?
    Well, I don't know for sure but seeing that your average HR for 30 min was 140 it doesn't sound that much off. If you feel you were working harder maybe it is reading your HR wrong. Try testing your HR manually in the middle of a workout to see if it is really what the HRM says it is.
  • abricklin
    abricklin Posts: 156 Member

    HR seemed to be more true to my heart rate- which was about 10 beats higher than yesterday's rate, but after 30 sweat-soaked minutes of alternating high and medium intensity intervals- where my heart rate was average 140 (157 is my 80%) I still got 140 for calories.

    Again, it just doesn't seem right. Or am I missing something? Most of the time I'm working I would not be able to carry on a conversation with someone (perceived exertion, etc). Something that I thought would be very motivational is turning out to be very demotivational (even if it is wrong....it is sad to see after working hard).

    Thoughts?
    Well, I don't know for sure but seeing that your average HR for 30 min was 140 it doesn't sound that much off. If you feel you were working harder maybe it is reading your HR wrong. Try testing your HR manually in the middle of a workout to see if it is really what the HRM says it is.

    Yeah. nooooooooo. 140 AVERAGE HR is pretty high for an elliptical, she was really working, and 140 calories is about half!
  • Nelski
    Nelski Posts: 1,607 Member


    Yeah. nooooooooo. 140 AVERAGE HR is pretty high for an elliptical, she was really working, and 140 calories is about half!

    I'm not sure I really understand this. Is it yeah or no? Every one is different but a heart rate average of 140 is not high for an elliptical if you ask me because that is about what mine is and I don't even push it as hard as I see others so I know it could even be higher.
  • abricklin
    abricklin Posts: 156 Member


    Yeah. nooooooooo. 140 AVERAGE HR is pretty high for an elliptical, she was really working, and 140 calories is about half!

    I'm not sure I really understand this. Is it yeah or no? Every one is different but a heart rate average of 140 is not high for an elliptical if you ask me because that is about what mine is and I don't even push it as hard as I see others so I know it could even be higher.

    Sorry- was posting on the go. I think that 140 IS a decent heart rate for working pretty hard. Mine ranges from 130 when I slow down a bit to 145 when I kick it up, it does not go higher than that and usually is in the high 130s/low 140s. I see people going INSANELY fast but have zero resistance, not sure that really gets your heart rate that high up. Only activity that really pushes me out of the 140s is running.
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