Heart Rate Monitor? Should I Get One?

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  • dylisla
    dylisla Posts: 8 Member
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    I just bought a polar h7 which syncs with my iphone. I have downloaded a digifit app although I think polar does their own which shows your heart rate and the zones you are in whilst working out. Digifit syncs with myfitnesspal too so you don't need to add your exercise calories. This also works with the polar machines left at the gym apparently.
  • RacerX_14
    RacerX_14 Posts: 578 Member
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    I have a Polar FT 7. Works like a charm.
  • Melo1966
    Melo1966 Posts: 881 Member
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    Thanks Jack and Mokey.

    I plan on only wearing it during my workouts, running mainly. I run about 30-45mins 3x a week, so I would be wearing it during that time.

    I appreciate the input :)

    If you want to use it maily for running I would suggest getting a Garmin with GPS so then you can have distance and maps of your runs as well as the calorie burns with one device. I Love my Garmin Forerunner.
  • SJCon
    SJCon Posts: 224
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    The Polar H7 chest strap is low energy Bluetooth and the battery will last about a year. It sells for about $65 at Hearrate monitors USA.

    Will sync with all apps I think but Polar also released their own app called "Polar Beat" which does what most apps do as far as GPS mapping runs, Heart rate and calories, etc but also will (with a few dollars in upgrades) measure your fitness, offer a benefit trainer, Zone indicator etc. You may want to check it out. I like it a lot but it doesn't sync to MFP only their own Personal Trainer zone.
  • Mr_Knight
    Mr_Knight Posts: 9,532 Member
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    Unless it's used right, HRM isn't going to be any more accurate than MFP for estimating calorie burn. What is is useful for is monitoring your heart rate while exercising, so you can be more exact about the cardio you are doing.
  • Owligator
    Owligator Posts: 14 Member
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    I have that same model and you can turn off that beeping noise. One of the first things I did after I started using it.
  • AlyssamR6712
    AlyssamR6712 Posts: 114 Member
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    Hi All --

    So I've been thinking about purchasing a HRM to get a more accurate idea of how many calories I'm actually burning while I work out. I've been seeing a lot of posts saying that MFP tends to over-estimate on the calories.

    Just curious if anyone has a HRM and if it's worth the purchase? What kind do you have / cost / model / benefits, etc. Just looking for general information.

    Also, can you sync the HRM to MFP and update the number of calories?

    Any advice would be greatly appreciated.

    Thanks,
    Joanna

    I have a HRM and i LOVE it! it was the best investment i have ever put towards my fitness. i have a garmin it was around $100.

    i dont think u can auto sync the HRM with MFP i just creat my own workouts put the times and calories i burned myself. Hope this helps!

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  • heybales
    heybales Posts: 18,842 Member
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    I'd suggest that if you have any interest in the calorie estimate it gives, which you do, skip the cheaper Polar's where they hide the most important value and assume it based on BMI.

    VO2max. On all the cheaper models recommended so far, they assume that a bad BMI for your gender, age means bad VO2max, which is the biggest impact on estimating calorie burn, right above HRmax.

    Polar RS300X is about the cheapest one with that stat you can see and change, and actually with a self-test to get a decent estimate of it.

    Because as fitness increases, as indicated by VO2max, your HR doesn't have to beat as hard for you to burn the exact same amount of calories. But those cheaper polars will assume a lower HR means less calories burned. Very incorrect assumption.

    Also, the cheaper polars have no HR zone setup, they have 1 line, between fat-burning and fitness - and you can't set it.

    You can set a max zone alarm, but no lower zone alarm.

    And to someone that asked if that book is valuable for walking - no, you aren't able to get your HR up high enough unless you do incline on treadmill or hills - in which case yes it would be.

    For those that think the HRM is by default much more accurate than MFP or other calculators, the machine, or database, by the mere fact the calories reported is different (how is different more accurate?), just test yourself.

    http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/773451-is-my-hrm-giving-me-incorrect-calorie-burn

    http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/774337-how-to-test-hrm-for-how-accurate-calorie-burn-is
  • steve2kay
    steve2kay Posts: 194 Member
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    Mr Garmin FR60 has a footpod like the nike thing that goes on your shoe (or in it if you have the right nike shoe), so it can measure my speed, distance etc. It's not a GPS but as I run on a treadmill too the GPS would be a waste of time.

    I've been really pleased with it.
  • SJCon
    SJCon Posts: 224
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    I'd suggest that if you have any interest in the calorie estimate it gives, which you do, skip the cheaper Polar's where they hide the most important value and assume it based on BMI.

    VO2max. On all the cheaper models recommended so far, they assume that a bad BMI for your gender, age means bad VO2max, which is the biggest impact on estimating calorie burn, right above HRmax.

    Polar RS300X is about the cheapest one with that stat you can see and change, and actually with a self-test to get a decent estimate of it.

    Hey Kansas Boy, all good stuff, I may be wrong but I think the FT60 is less than the RS300x and estimates a VO2 as well. The Polar Beat App also does it "Fitness Test" and the App with upgrades is only $8 (App is free but full upgrades are $8). Again you can use the App for mapping your run, fitness levels, etc. for the price of an H7 chest strap. You can also Buy a Foot pad as Steve2kay talks about for it and sync that as well. Total cost of the package is much less.
  • heybales
    heybales Posts: 18,842 Member
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    Hey Kansas Boy, all good stuff, I may be wrong but I think the FT60 is less than the RS300x and estimates a VO2 as well. The Polar Beat App also does it "Fitness Test" and the App with upgrades is only $8 (App is free but full upgrades are $8). Again you can use the App for mapping your run, fitness levels, etc. for the price of an H7 chest strap. You can also Buy a Foot pad as Steve2kay talks about for it and sync that as well. Total cost of the package is much less.

    Here in the states the RS300X is $90, the FT60 is $130.

    You can also pair things with the RS300X later if desired, cadence speed sensor for bike, GPS module for outside, footpod for inside running. Pretty nice expansion on it.

    I had heard about that Polar app being able to do that too. All they really do is measure the resting HR, use your self entered athlete level, confirm with some R-R readings in the heart beat, and actually still use the BMI, to estimate the VO2max. But below a certain very athletic level, it's potential for accuracy is very good according to the study they took the method from.

    But for complete package, and carrying your phone anyway, that is excellent price for that stuff.
  • dannyferris9
    dannyferris9 Posts: 9
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    HRMs are great for gauging your training zone. Someone on an earlier thread said that they are only good for steady state cardio. Well that is true to an extent.

    I have a polar and use it for swimming, running, biking and interval training. So not just useful for one thing, and the interval training isn't so steady state.

    There are a range of ones available from ones that require chest bands to ones that don't. Or you can just get the bands that then sync via an app to your Phone. It doesn't get easier than that. You can see a selection with brief details of good ones here http://www.myheartbeatmonitor.com.

    I agree with an other reviewer the results and readings may not be as accurate as a medical reading, but for everyday exercise it will tell you if you are in the right zone to achieve your fitness goals.

    My advice get one you won't regret it.

    Danny
  • book_lover123
    book_lover123 Posts: 7
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    I just got a polar ft last week and am completely loving it! I did not find my mfp calorie burn to be even close to what my hrm says. For example, mfp said that I burned over 800 calories for a 48 minute cardio DVD when I only burned 491 calories... Maybe the numbers will be more similar once I'm smaller? Idk. But I LOOOVE my hrm :)
  • pkteen
    pkteen Posts: 121 Member
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    Exactly the info i needed. I'm going to buy one too now...
  • Patzycakes
    Patzycakes Posts: 175 Member
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    Why isn't a HRM good for yoga? Just curious. That is my primary work out (vinyasa/power yoga) and I was thinking of getting a HRM because I can't find a good estimate of how many calories I"m actually burning (too much of a range.. some sites estimate at my weight I burn 230kph some as high as 600kph...) .. I log the lowest est. I found for my daily log.
  • heybales
    heybales Posts: 18,842 Member
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    Why isn't a HRM good for yoga? Just curious. That is my primary work out (vinyasa/power yoga) and I was thinking of getting a HRM because I can't find a good estimate of how many calories I"m actually burning (too much of a range.. some sites estimate at my weight I burn 230kph some as high as 600kph...) .. I log the lowest est. I found for my daily log.

    Because some yoga, the more stretching meditative type, doesn't even push the HR in to the exercise zone, found to be about 90 for men and women.
    Some yoga, hot yoga, has really high HR, not because you are working at such a high intensity the heart must beat faster to provide required oxygen, but much like lifting, internal pressures and isometric contractions, which you could do holding your breath actually, except I'm guessing you are suppose to practice breathing, not holding breath.

    Actually, if doing the yoga that sends the HR up, watch your breathing rate, how many breaths per minute, or if that's too distracting, just notice how frequent it seems.
    After the session go jump on at treadmill and get speed and incline such the HR is at the same level. Now what is the breathing rate doing in comparison?

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