Heart Rate Monitor?

srob98
srob98 Posts: 41 Member
in Health and Weight Loss
Hey Guys,

I am thinking about getting a heart-rate monitor....not an expensive one...the one I am looking at is about $65

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0084EI2B8/ref=ox_sc_act_title_1?ie=UTF8&psc=1&smid=A1T2QV8RUJMJWO

Do any of your use them? Any recommendations? Are they worth the money?

For the most part, I just want to get a better idea of how many calories I burn during exercise. The difference between what one machine says, then another says, then MFP says are very different! Obviously, it depends on how hard you are working. So, I am just hoping to get a better idea.

Plus, my family has a history of heart disease...it would be interesting to see what is happening with my heart-rate when I am working...

Thanks in advance for any advice!

Replies

  • kristen6022
    kristen6022 Posts: 1,923 Member
    They are absolutely worth the money. I have a Polar FT4 and I LOVE IT! It's nice not to have all the calorie burning guess-work. I lost my weight without it and bought it to keep my weight in check. Gained 5-10 that I'm attempting to get off now (winter slacking), but I never workout without my FT4...

    Whatever you choose, go with something with a chest strap, they are the most accurate.
  • NewMomNewME24
    NewMomNewME24 Posts: 71 Member
    I love my HRM - I have the Polar FT7. I bought it off amazon for about $70 and it is totally worth it in my opinion. I use it everytime I exercise for a more accurate count of calories burned. My reasons for wanting one was the same as yours. If you are going to use it, I highly recommend you get it.
  • jmcreynolds91
    jmcreynolds91 Posts: 777 Member
    I have the Polar FT40. I absolutely love it. Like the others said, make sure you get one with a strap, as its most accurate. I find that the burns are pretty consistent. Mine was a little pricier but if you do a lot of cardio, its worth it!
  • A_Fit_Mom
    A_Fit_Mom Posts: 602 Member
    Definitely worth it. I have the Polar FT4 and I love it. I use it every time I exercise. It was about $70 or so and I got it at best buy.
  • successby50
    successby50 Posts: 27 Member
    I'm so glad you posted this thread. I'm looking for exactly the same thing for the same reasons! I'd never even heard of a heart rate monitor until a few months ago, and it's something I would really like to explore. So far it sounds like the Polar series is the one to get.
  • srob98
    srob98 Posts: 41 Member
    I'm so glad you posted this thread. I'm looking for exactly the same thing for the same reasons! I'd never even heard of a heart rate monitor until a few months ago, and it's something I would really like to explore. So far it sounds like the Polar series is the one to get.

    YAY! I'm glad this is helping you, too!
  • srob98
    srob98 Posts: 41 Member
    I have the Polar FT40. I absolutely love it. Like the others said, make sure you get one with a strap, as its most accurate. I find that the burns are pretty consistent. Mine was a little pricier but if you do a lot of cardio, its worth it!

    Thanks!!!! SO, what more do you get for the pricier models? I do a weight lifting class, starting a spinning class next week, sometimes do Zumba, and do the elliptical.
  • srob98
    srob98 Posts: 41 Member
    OH...and has anyone worn one while swimming??? Do they really work in the water?

    Thanks!
  • HuneeBunee08
    HuneeBunee08 Posts: 168
    http://www.amazon.com/New-Balance-52534NB-Trainer-Calorie/dp/B00BIBCDFA/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1371129230&sr=8-1&keywords=nb+life+trainer



    ^^^^This is what i have (in green) and i love it! Its very accurate as well! and requires no chest strap!
  • A_Fit_Mom
    A_Fit_Mom Posts: 602 Member
    I'm so glad you posted this thread. I'm looking for exactly the same thing for the same reasons! I'd never even heard of a heart rate monitor until a few months ago, and it's something I would really like to explore. So far it sounds like the Polar series is the one to get.

    I like how "user friendly" the Polar is. Once you add all your personal info, like height, weight and stuff. It take a few seconds to workout each time. You put the strap under your chest, and you click start...and then you are ready to work out. You can also pause it, and start again. It also keeps track of the last few workouts.


    I mainly use it, to make sure I stay in the "zone", to know I am burning the most that I can. I also never knew how many calories I burned when doing the 30 day shred.
  • TheDoctorDana
    TheDoctorDana Posts: 595 Member
    I was thinking about getting one too. I have a Fitbit One that counts and calculates my steps but I would like something that will tell me what I am burning while on my stationary or lifting weight. Is an HRM good for that?
  • Nimadi486
    Nimadi486 Posts: 93 Member
    I have the Polar FT4 and I absolutely love it. It was on sale at Sears for $44 but you can find it on Amazon for around $60. So worth it!
  • JustPeachy044
    JustPeachy044 Posts: 770 Member
    LOVE my polar FT7. It is user friendly and acts as a source of motivation for me. More than once I have pushed myself that extra few minutes to get the burn I am looking for. It is personalized for me, based on height, weight, gender, age.
  • MsStang02
    MsStang02 Posts: 147 Member
    I just got mine almost 2 weeks ago. I love it. Simple to use. Excellent readings. Very helpful when doing cardio. I highly recommend it!!
  • stacetherainbow
    stacetherainbow Posts: 131
    Hey Guys,

    I am thinking about getting a heart-rate monitor....not an expensive one...the one I am looking at is about $65

    http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0084EI2B8/ref=ox_sc_act_title_1?ie=UTF8&psc=1&smid=A1T2QV8RUJMJWO

    Do any of your use them? Any recommendations? Are they worth the money?

    For the most part, I just want to get a better idea of how many calories I burn during exercise. The difference between what one machine says, then another says, then MFP says are very different! Obviously, it depends on how hard you are working. So, I am just hoping to get a better idea.

    Plus, my family has a history of heart disease...it would be interesting to see what is happening with my heart-rate when I am working...

    Thanks in advance for any advice!
    I've been using this one for about 4 weeks. I was nervous to eat back any of my exercise calories until I knew I was getting an accurate read. This one's perfect. You'll be happy with the purchase.
  • HIITMe
    HIITMe Posts: 921 Member
    I have the Polar FT-60 and highly recommended it because of its multi sport use ability... GPS, etc

    If I were shopping today Id look at Polar FT-80. Polar RC3 w/ GPS or Polar RCX3 w/ GPS

    I would not get ANY heart rate monitor that didnt come with a chest strap and one that wasnt water resistant
  • morkiemama
    morkiemama Posts: 894 Member
    I own a Polar FT7 and you can swim with it. You cannot PUSH the buttons of the watch underwater though. I have heard others put it in a ziploc baggie just to be safe and stuff it in their suit :)

    THE LIMITATIONS OF HRMs:

    HRMs are for tracking steady state cardio. It is important to note that HRMs are not accurate for weight lifting and will not give you an accurate burn. They are also not meant for HIIT. Temperature extremes and daily burn tracking (e.g. I wear it all day to find out what I should be taking in) are also inaccurate. HRMs are for steady state aerobic exercise only!

    This is a helpful blog post on the subject:

    http://www.myfitnesspal.com/blog/Azdak/view/the-real-facts-about-hrms-and-calories-what-you-need-to-know-before-purchasing-an-hrm-or-using-one-21472

    Edited to Add: I still like to wear my HRM during lifting and HIIT, but I do NOT use it for tracking calorie burns. I use it to keep track of my HR (e.g. it is up high enough during sets/intervals and coming back down during rest periods).
  • bwogilvie
    bwogilvie Posts: 2,130 Member
    HRMs are for tracking steady state cardio. It is important to note that HRMs are not accurate for weight lifting and will not give you an accurate burn. They are also not meant for HIIT. Temperature extremes and daily burn tracking (e.g. I wear it all day to find out what I should be taking in) are also inaccurate. HRMs are for steady state aerobic exercise only!

    ^ This is important to remember.

    Also, there's peer-reviewed research suggesting that HRMs sometimes overestimate calories even for steady-state exercise, especially for women. One study of the Polar F6 showed that, even calibrated with subjects' actual VO2max and HRmax, it overestimated energy expenditure by 27% (http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/21178923). An earlier study showed that the Polar S410 overestimated energy expenditure in women by 12% (http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/15292754). Another study found that the Polar S810i overestimated expenditure when exercising lightly but not moderately (http://www.jssm.org/vol9/n3/21/v9n3-21abst.php).

    I've used several HRMs. I have two that I can use with the same chest strap, and if I use them both for the same workout, one tells me that I've burned 20-30% more than the other one says. One of them has to be wrong.... Actually, both of them are probably inaccurate, but the one with the lower number is a cycle computer that also factors in how fast I'm riding and how hilly the terrain is, so I'm sure it's more accurate than the other. When my wife and I go cycling together, her Polar HRM says that she burns way more calories than me (60-90% more!), even though she's much lighter than I am.

    When I use my basic Timex HRM, I set my weight to my goal weight, not my actual weight at the time. That seems to produce more accurate results.

    Tl;dr: get an HRM, but compare its estimates of your calories burned with your food log and your weight loss, then adjust its estimates as necessary.
  • TheDoctorDana
    TheDoctorDana Posts: 595 Member
    Thanks for the info :)
  • simplycorey
    simplycorey Posts: 721 Member
    I have had the FT4 for a year and a half now and love it. It has been extremely helpful in my weight loss journey.
  • Mooreshd
    Mooreshd Posts: 7 Member
    I was concerned that I would regret buying a heart rate monitor. I bought my Polar FT4 from Amazon last week. BEST INVESTMENT! I don't regret it. It motivates me so much. I love it so much, that I just ordered my mom on yesterday.
  • Iron_Lotus
    Iron_Lotus Posts: 2,295 Member
    Love my Polar FT4! Worth the money!
  • _dinorah
    _dinorah Posts: 11
    I just bought the Polar FT4. I absolutely love it.... i don't know how truly accurate it is at calculating calories burned but it's definitely really good to have as a consistent method of measurement. it also motivates me. The Polar FT4 really encouraged me to work out harder. I love looking at my watch to see how many calories I burned so far. lol. While I work out, I just see the points accumulate and I'm like... "I got to go higher!" lol. SO i work out harder, I push myself harder. My first workout with my HRM was easily the best work out I've ever had. It was the first time I really pushed my self and came out the gym sweating profusely. And I was so sore and exhausted but I felt exhilarated. Definitely a must have.
  • AmyP619
    AmyP619 Posts: 1,137 Member
    I have this exact same one, and I LOVE it. It's so nice to know what you're actually burning instead of trying to guess. I find it to actually push me more during my workout because I WANT to see the calories burned number go up up up!!!!!!!! :) Definitely worth it and highly recommended.
  • dward2011
    dward2011 Posts: 416 Member
    I have a Garmin Forerunner 210 (one of the said pricier options) and am in love with it. I've had for almost a year now and am still happy. It has a rechargeable battery, gps to calculate distance and track routes, calorie counter, heart rate monitor, timer, and tons more features. I know it will maintain is usefulness over the years.
  • srob98
    srob98 Posts: 41 Member
    I own a Polar FT7 and you can swim with it. You cannot PUSH the buttons of the watch underwater though. I have heard others put it in a ziploc baggie just to be safe and stuff it in their suit :)

    THE LIMITATIONS OF HRMs:

    HRMs are for tracking steady state cardio. It is important to note that HRMs are not accurate for weight lifting and will not give you an accurate burn. They are also not meant for HIIT. Temperature extremes and daily burn tracking (e.g. I wear it all day to find out what I should be taking in) are also inaccurate. HRMs are for steady state aerobic exercise only!

    This is a helpful blog post on the subject:

    http://www.myfitnesspal.com/blog/Azdak/view/the-real-facts-about-hrms-and-calories-what-you-need-to-know-before-purchasing-an-hrm-or-using-one-21472

    Edited to Add: I still like to wear my HRM during lifting and HIIT, but I do NOT use it for tracking calorie burns. I use it to keep track of my HR (e.g. it is up high enough during sets/intervals and coming back down during rest periods).

    Thank you, thank you, thank you for this information!!

    I had no idea! One of the things I really was hoping to measure is my weightlifting class. It is a little aerobic....but I am sure not enough. Crummy!

    I still think it would be good to kind of find an in-between of what MFP says about calories burned, what the machine or the class says, and what the HRM says....

    And, from what I am reading, they are very inspirational! =)
  • Phrick
    Phrick Posts: 2,765 Member
    in to get this in my list. Wanting a HRM myself, have to convince hubby now!
  • Athena53
    Athena53 Posts: 717 Member
    I got an FT7 because my company wellness program gives me points for workouts that are electronically verified, and the FT7 is one compatible device.

    I have to admit that the first one drove me crazy; it would "stick" at the same low heart rate 40 minutes into the workout, then jump 30 bpm. I finally bought a new chest strap and now I'm a happy camper. The old one had the transmitter that snapped on; the new one is built into the strap. And yes, it works while swimming (just did last night!) although I've read you shouldn't push buttons while in the water because the water could get onto the works.

    A couple of weeks ago I ran a mile race in under 10 minutes. I looked up my time for the same race 6 years ago and it was a minute slower. The difference is definitely better workouts because I'm aware of the need to keep my heart rate at a decent rate.

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