Hrm and fitbit

Ah ok so is the fitbit just a glorified pedometer? I was hoping for some thing which would give me a more accurate calorie count so that I could make sure I wasn't creating too much or too little deficit for my goals?

I'm not sure how pedometers work, but that's probably not far from the truth. Accelerometer-based devices (like the fitbit) are, IME, pretty accurate for non-exercise based calories (regular daily life, if you will), but exercise burns are all over the board.

Exactly, which is why the HRM is great for that, which you can use for anything that isn't well tracked by a pedometer. I do boot camp and we do lots of intervals and weight lifting. On an interval day the fitbit tells me I was active for about 10 min (when class is 45 min) on a mostly weights day, it says even less, of course, but my heart rate is definitely up there because we still do some running between sets and things like push ups and squats, which can get your heart rate going. Plus I lift fairly heavy weights.

I just ordered an HRM today to compliment the fitbit and to have a more accurate assessment of my boot camp calorie burn.

Just as an FYI, an HRM isn't likely to be very accurate with things like weights and intervals. They are intended for steady state cardio. Intervals aren't steady state, and weights are neither steady state nor cardio.

Ah ok so is the fitbit just a glorified pedometer? I was hoping for some thing which would give me a more accurate calorie count so that I could make sure I wasn't creating too much or too little deficit for my goals?

I'm not sure how pedometers work, but that's probably not far from the truth. Accelerometer-based devices (like the fitbit) are, IME, pretty accurate for non-exercise based calories (regular daily life, if you will), but exercise burns are all over the board.

Exactly, which is why the HRM is great for that, which you can use for anything that isn't well tracked by a pedometer. I do boot camp and we do lots of intervals and weight lifting. On an interval day the fitbit tells me I was active for about 10 min (when class is 45 min) on a mostly weights day, it says even less, of course, but my heart rate is definitely up there because we still do some running between sets and things like push ups and squats, which can get your heart rate going. Plus I lift fairly heavy weights.

I just ordered an HRM today to compliment the fitbit and to have a more accurate assessment of my boot camp calorie burn.

Just as an FYI, an HRM isn't likely to be very accurate with things like weights and intervals. They are intended for steady state cardio. Intervals aren't steady state, and weights are neither steady state nor cardio.

Circuit training is cardio. Our weight days are circuits: squats w/weights, lunges w/weights, back rows, push ups, biceps, shoulder presses, triceps and run a lap. Repeat 4 times w/ about 30 seconds in between. I wouldn't bother to wear a heart monitor if I were just doing sets of isolated exercises. Basically, the answer to how do I get my cardio in? I lift weights faster. Plus, my whole body is working even when I'm doing something like a bicep curl--the rest of my body is blocked--has to be to curl a 25 lb dumbbell. Our other days are usually HIIT.

We found it to track our calories burned while we slept, but one night I did not wear it and I still "burned calories."

I would not waste your money on a fitbit. My husband and I both purchased them. The fitbits made "funny" little comments, which made it seem more like a toy than a serious exercise tool. Support said we could turn that off if we wanted. It tracked my steps, but not calories burned for doing things like strength training. We found it to track our calories burned while we slept, but one night I did not wear it and I still "burned calories." It is definitely NOT a hrm and does not say it is, but we just felt like it was more like a gimmick and didn't feel that we could trust its output.
We sent both of them back and demanded a full refund, which we received.

So because you didn't use it the way it was intended someone else shouldn't waste their money on it? And if you thought it would track your calories from weight training then you definitely were using it wrong. As for tracking during sleep.. it' supposed to do that even if you aren't wearing it... it is your TDEE so it estimates based on your activity.


I have both the Fitbit One and a Polar HRM and love them both. The Fitbit gets me moving (and helps me figure out my estimate daily calorie burn) and the HRM is for cardio activities.

I think you are missing the point, which is HRMs might give decent estimates of calorie burn for cardiovascular training, but they fall short (as does every device for that matter) when it comes to weightlifting. Sure circuit training turns your strength training into a cardiovascular activity but even the manufacurer of these HRMs will tell you they are not intended to measure calorie burns for that type of activity.