Should I buy a HRM?

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KimMc60
KimMc60 Posts: 112 Member
in Fitness and Exercise
If I'm only interested in getting a more accurate amount of calories burned, is it really worth it to invest in a HRM or is MFP give you around the same amount?

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  • KimMc60
    KimMc60 Posts: 112 Member
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    bump~
  • ellepribro
    ellepribro Posts: 226 Member
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    I love my HRM! I have a Polar FT4.
    I have found some of the MFP calorie burn estimates to be quite different from my HRM.
  • 3dogsrunning
    3dogsrunning Posts: 27,167 Member
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    A really great blog 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


    What kind of activity do you do? HRM calorie estimates are based on steady state cardio so for a lot of things they may not be more accurate, including strength training.
  • vickyg1986
    vickyg1986 Posts: 14 Member
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    Yes! I have Polar FT4 and it was the best $60 spent. MFP burn estimates were way off for me.
  • KimMc60
    KimMc60 Posts: 112 Member
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    A really great blog 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


    What kind of activity do you do? HRM calorie estimates are based on steady state cardio so for a lot of things they may not be more accurate, including strength training.

    Thanks for that article! I'm doing the 30 day shred now, with jogging/biking on some days.
  • DavPul
    DavPul Posts: 61,406 Member
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    Yes! I have Polar FT4 and it was the best $60 spent. MFP burn estimates were way off for me.

    Off compared to what?
  • sdwong
    sdwong Posts: 7
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    Post based on the FT4:

    I too have a FT4 and initially I was the type to believe I didn't need to know my heart's beats per minute. That my body will just do what it has to do when I workout.

    Then later I decided that I wanted to track the calories (especially since this site it all about it!) and noticed that I run my heart into the 90th percentile a lot of the time! I should really be between 65-85% especially since I am not an athlete. I was wondering way I was feeling so exhausted and sore all the time!

    I read a bunch of reviews decided that I just had to try something. Polar was a popular brand on Amazon and I figured if I got a defective one, I would just exchange/return it. My boyfriend also got a polar but the rs100 since it has a stop watch also.

    Anyways, I got more than I thought I would when I brought this device, so good luck on deciding!
  • acpgee
    acpgee Posts: 7,719 Member
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    My typical cardio workout is 65 minutes on the elliptical, targeting a heart rate of 140-150. Stats are:

    Polar FT4: 500-530
    Elliptical machine itself: 750-780
    MFP database: 926

    I tend to trust the HRM. When I was relying on the machine numbers my weight loss was much slower than expected.
  • ElizaJay143
    ElizaJay143 Posts: 52 Member
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    I get dramatically different readings from my Polar FT60, my Body Media FitLINK, and MFP. Personally, for the money, I think the FitLINK is the most accurate.
  • mackemom
    mackemom Posts: 277 Member
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    I have the Bodymedia armband, which can be synced up with this site...pretty cool! So there's no guessing on how many calories you burned. Hope that helps.;-)
  • bluefox9er
    bluefox9er Posts: 2,917 Member
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    Yes! I have Polar FT4 and it was the best $60 spent. MFP burn estimates were way off for me.

    Off compared to what?

    to the Polar FT4...duh.
  • CysterWigs
    CysterWigs Posts: 136 Member
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    Simple answer: YES.

    I check my heart rate multiple times during every cardio workout to make sure my HR is where I want it to be. My HRM lets me know when to take a break or when I need to push a little harder. It's a fitness tool, not just a calorie counter.
  • JessieNeutronGirlGenius
    JessieNeutronGirlGenius Posts: 268
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    YES YES! I invested in a polar ft4 hrm and I bought it and shipped for 64 dollars from heart rate monitors usa and it is FANTASTIC! VERY VERY accurate!
  • xjoseyx
    xjoseyx Posts: 74
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    I have the Polar FT4 and I love it! I use it walking, in the gym and in the pool. I find MFP way over-estimates calories burned and I can accurately count what ive burned aswell as make sure im still in the calorie burn zone.
  • fcevallos
    fcevallos Posts: 44 Member
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    Yes! Get one! I got the Polar H7 because I didn't want one with a watch....I hate wearing a watch when i'm sweaty. anyway, the H7 is just a chest strap, and it connects through bluetooth to your iPhone and syncs automatically with MFP. LOVE it! It also connects automatically to the cardio machines at my gym. The cardio machines at my gym tend to give a much higher calorie reading than my HRM. I'd rather go with the lower number and underestimate, than use a number that is too high.
  • codycsweet
    codycsweet Posts: 1,019 Member
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    I asked myself the same question, researched, debated, and just got my Polar ft4 today. And it really opened my eyes to how off my calorie burn was probably part of the reason my weight loss is slower than it should. Will see, but I highly recommend getting one
  • 3dogsrunning
    3dogsrunning Posts: 27,167 Member
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    Everyone assumes the HRM is the correct value but no one really knows that.

    http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/773451-is-my-hrm-giving-me-incorrect-calorie-burn
  • berriboobear
    berriboobear Posts: 524 Member
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    My Polar FT4 is probably the best thing I've bought in a long while! I am aware that no measurement is probably 100% accurate, but it's definitely better the guessing or using a lot of values in MFP. It's definitely helped me so much! :)
  • NanaWubbie
    NanaWubbie Posts: 248 Member
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    I don't have an HRM, but do have a BodyMedia Fit Link....the fitness monitor from the biggest loser. Food from MFP shows up there. I love it.

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