Does anyone use a Heart Rate Monitor at the gym?

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maghenwarren
maghenwarren Posts: 28 Member
in Fitness and Exercise
I'm thinking about buying one, I just don't know much about them. They count the calories burned?

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  • dogo187
    dogo187 Posts: 376
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    there are lots of heart rate monitor questions on the boards...may I suggest a search...

    most people recommend a Polar...either FT4 (I have this one...love it!!!) or the FT7...

    there is also the FitBit and BodyMedia...

    research and read up...there is lots of info out there...
  • SwimBikeRunMama
    SwimBikeRunMama Posts: 32
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    Yep, there are a TON of them out there, so make sure that the one you get does what you need. The Polars that the PP mentioned are very popular base models. Mine is more high tech, but I had a Timex T5G971 before that that I liked.
    A Fitbit is okay, but it REALLY doesn't calculate gym workouts well at all. It's more for all day, normal movement stuff. If you're doing bicep curls til your heart explodes, it doesn't count anything, because it's only measuring steps, basically. Same thing with the Body Media and BodyBugg.
    I would check on Amazon or Google and see what HRMs come up. Make sure it has a chest strap- the wrist-only ones tend to be very inaccurate.
  • ninerbuff
    ninerbuff Posts: 48,503 Member
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    The majority of HRM's read weight lifting exercises wrong. With probably the exception of HIIT weight training, almost all HRM's over estimate calories burned.

    Bodymedia does a pretty good read on all activity because of all the sensors it has, but it has to be worn daily and all day until you sleep.

    A.C.E. Certified Personal/Group FitnessTrainer
    IDEA Fitness member
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    Been in fitness for 30 years and have studied kinesiology and nutrition
  • faceoff4
    faceoff4 Posts: 1,599 Member
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    Polar is still the best out there and the ft4 is great for starting out. For weight training they can be mixed unless you are doing circuits with your HR staying pretty high. I have been wearing them for years and swear by them so I hope you take the chance to get one. Good luck
  • hilaryhill
    hilaryhill Posts: 156 Member
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    I just bought a Polar on ebay for $65. Not sure what model it is, sorry. I like it, though! Its very easy to use and the monitor fits nicely and doesnt show through my clothes. Obviously we'll never know exactly how many calories we burn but yes it does tell me that and I use it to plug into MFP and have been losing weight.
  • Azdak
    Azdak Posts: 8,281 Member
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    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
  • Sycoholic
    Sycoholic Posts: 282 Member
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    I bought one from Amazon. It's the GPS Navigator watch. It was $69 and is a hr monitor and gps watch. The bad reviews are mostly all for the software. I had mine up, running, gps signal, and sync'd to my computer in under 15 minutes. I've worn it an entire day to track calories to compare to MFP and wear it regularly when working out. I've found MFP to be really close in estimations when inputting exercises. It's probably not necessary, but I like knowing what I'm burning. Couple that with being able to track my runs and it's a no brainer for $69. Sure, it's not a Polar or Garmin, but it works fine and the price can't be beat.

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