HRM SURELY THIS CAN't be right??!

XLMACX
XLMACX Posts: 346 Member
in Health and Weight Loss
Right so I got a heart rate monitor in February I let my friend set it up for me as I hadn't a clue. My burns seem to have been pretty average but have been getting harder and taking me longer to burn what I use too, I put this down to getting fitter.

On average it would take around 1 hr at a gym to burn 460-500 cals using mixture of cross trainer, rower, treadmill. Quite recently I have found I only burn around 360 calories in 1hour!

I checked my set up on my monitor now I know how to work it, and my friend had set me up as a male at around 2ft weighing 3st roughly! So I changed it to my stats Sunday after finding this out to the correct ones - female, 5ft 8.5", weighing 11st 5lb.

I have just done a 17min power walk at 4.5-5mph and also 20min garnering digging out weeds ect (I paused the monitor while I had a drink before the gardening started) any way it's saying I have burnt 505 calories!!!!! I'm gobsmacked!

Is this too good to be true lol it's a good HRM one with a chest strap and wasn't cheap, the only thing I did different this time is wear a wooly hat and a coat as I'm trying to sweat a cold out of me.

Thanks in advance

Replies

  • TavistockToad
    TavistockToad Posts: 35,719 Member
    the only thing I did different this time is wear a wooly hat and a coat as I'm trying to sweat a cold out of me.

    :huh:
  • XLMACX
    XLMACX Posts: 346 Member
    Hahahahahahhahaha! I just thought because it made me sweat more that might have something to do with it, what's your thoughts?
  • ccrdragon
    ccrdragon Posts: 3,375 Member
    depending on he type of HRM that you are using, they are pretty accurate in what they report. my bet is that setting it up correctly has made the difference in the values being reported.

    as for the burn going down as you get fitter, this doesn;t really happen - what happens is that you have to push your body harder to reach the same point where you are burning your max calories. I have noticed in my own workouts that I have to push really hard now to break a sweat whereas when I first started, just thinking of the workout made me sweat :happy:
  • lemonsnowdrop
    lemonsnowdrop Posts: 1,298 Member
    HRMs are only accurate for steady state cardio. Any exercise that causes your heart rate to drop and then increase drastically, pretty much anything besides cardio, will give an inaccurate reading.
  • XLMACX
    XLMACX Posts: 346 Member
    Would you class gardening as cardio? I'm just thinking maybe my low and high beats are not correct can anyone help it says my low limit is 136, high limit 178 I know this is totally not right?
  • XLMACX
    XLMACX Posts: 346 Member
    I'm 23 years old I should add, just looking at a chart it says 130 should be my high for my age that's on ( aerobic cardio training/ endurance) not sure on my low?..
  • lemonsnowdrop
    lemonsnowdrop Posts: 1,298 Member
    Would you class gardening as cardio? I'm just thinking maybe my low and high beats are not correct can anyone help it says my low limit is 136, high limit 178 I know this is totally not right?

    No, I would not classify gardening as steady state cardio, hence the inaccurate readings on your HRM. Things like gardening will be very difficult to pinpoint calories burned, and frankly I would either not record them or seriously underestimate to make sure you don't eat back too many calories.
  • lemonsnowdrop
    lemonsnowdrop Posts: 1,298 Member
    I'm 23 years old I should add, just looking at a chart it says 130 should be my high for my age that's on ( aerobic cardio training/ endurance) not sure on my low?..

    That doesn't seem right. When I'm running, my high is usually 180. Everyone is different, but 130 is my high when I'm WALKING.
  • XLMACX
    XLMACX Posts: 346 Member
    Yes I know. It can't be right my high when I work out is like 180-190 my lows is like 125 well that's what I was hitting on my last walk x
  • XLMACX
    XLMACX Posts: 346 Member
    From the graph think I'm going to set it at 110 low limit 180 high x
  • jlahorn
    jlahorn Posts: 377 Member
    HRMs are only accurate for steady state cardio. Any exercise that causes your heart rate to drop and then increase drastically, pretty much anything besides cardio, will give an inaccurate reading.

    Yeah, there's no way the burn was that high - I think this was an example of an HRM being inaccurate when used for something other than steady-state cardio.
  • rml_16
    rml_16 Posts: 16,414 Member
    I have just done a 17min power walk at 4.5-5mph and also 20min garnering digging out weeds ect (I paused the monitor while I had a drink before the gardening started) any way it's saying I have burnt 505 calories!!!!! I'm gobsmacked!

    Nope. Definitely incorrect. Are you sure you put in the correct info? What brand is it? Some are more reliable than others.
  • XLMACX
    XLMACX Posts: 346 Member
    Yes I 100% put correct info

    159lb
    Height 173
    Female


    It's a beurer25 off amazon. It was a very brisk fast walk and gardening I do get a really big sweat on digging out but I agree something don't seem right! Like I said only thing I could think of is my high and low limits were not correct but I'm not sure if this would make a difference just changing that to correct now. 110 low limit 180 high.
  • lemonsnowdrop
    lemonsnowdrop Posts: 1,298 Member
    Yes I 100% put correct info

    159lb
    Height 173
    Female


    It's a beurer25 off amazon. It was a very brisk fast walk and gardening I do get a really big sweat on digging out but I agree something don't seem right! Like I said only thing I could think of is my high and low limits were not correct but I'm not sure if this would make a difference just changing that to correct now. 110 low limit 180 high.

    No. I've already told you that the problem is you trying to monitor gardening, which is not a steady state cardio. You will get inaccurate readings from it.
  • XLMACX
    XLMACX Posts: 346 Member
    Ok thanks I use the tdee method any how and seem to be doing well with that, just like to know my burn also.
  • XLMACX
    XLMACX Posts: 346 Member
    But just for the record I would class gardening as cardio, digging and pulling out weeds, running up and down garden with slabs ect. What else would it fall under?
  • Collier78
    Collier78 Posts: 811 Member
    But just for the record I would class gardening as cardio, digging and pulling out weeds, running up and down garden with slabs ect. What else would it fall under?

    It may get your heart rate up, but it isn't STEADY STATE cardio. Meaning you aren't keeping your heart rate at the elevated rate consistently. You are dipping, increasing at inconsistent moments. When you think steady state, think walking, running, or ice skating.
  • StaciMarie1974
    StaciMarie1974 Posts: 4,138 Member
    Were you actively moving while digging out weeds? If not then the HRM would not be a good judge for this activity. You need to be doing steady state cardio for a HRM to work. Count that as part of your normal day, and know you're burning a few bonus calories, but nothing consequential.
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  • 3dogsrunning
    3dogsrunning Posts: 27,167 Member
    Ditto what was said above. For reference, as a female the same height and a 10lbs less, I'd expect to burn around 600 calories in a 1 hour steady running, about 6 miles.
  • litchfieldd
    litchfieldd Posts: 43 Member
    But just for the record I would class gardening as cardio, digging and pulling out weeds, running up and down garden with slabs ect. What else would it fall under?

    Not steady state cardio. An HRM will give whacky readings from gardening. Just like with lifting weight, or any other activity where there is brief rests, and then a surge of activity and then rest again. HRMs are not designed for that and will give false readings.

    Is the false estimate for weights always an overestimate? A couple of times a week I do a 20 min fast barbell circuit although with some very brief rests, plus some cardio. I log the lot and eat it back but I'm not too worried by a small overestimate as my deficit's pretty large. But helpful to know if my weight loss slows significantly and I need to be 100% on it!
  • TeaBea
    TeaBea Posts: 14,517 Member
    HRMs are only accurate for steady state cardio. Any exercise that causes your heart rate to drop and then increase drastically, pretty much anything besides cardio, will give an inaccurate reading.


    This!^ Your HRM likely gave you a decent reading for your walk.....that's all.
  • 3dogsrunning
    3dogsrunning Posts: 27,167 Member
    But just for the record I would class gardening as cardio, digging and pulling out weeds, running up and down garden with slabs ect. What else would it fall under?

    Not steady state cardio. An HRM will give whacky readings from gardening. Just like with lifting weight, or any other activity where there is brief rests, and then a surge of activity and then rest again. HRMs are not designed for that and will give false readings.

    Is the false estimate for weights always an overestimate? A couple of times a week I do a 20 min fast barbell circuit although with some very brief rests, plus some cardio. I log the lot and eat it back but I'm not too worried by a small overestimate as my deficit's pretty large. But helpful to know if my weight loss slows significantly and I need to be 100% on it!


    You may want to check out this post

    http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/1044313-this-is-why-hrms-have-limited-use-for-tracking-calories
  • XLMACX
    XLMACX Posts: 346 Member
    Thanks guys :)
  • litchfieldd
    litchfieldd Posts: 43 Member
    But just for the record I would class gardening as cardio, digging and pulling out weeds, running up and down garden with slabs ect. What else would it fall under?

    Not steady state cardio. An HRM will give whacky readings from gardening. Just like with lifting weight, or any other activity where there is brief rests, and then a surge of activity and then rest again. HRMs are not designed for that and will give false readings.

    Is the false estimate for weights always an overestimate? A couple of times a week I do a 20 min fast barbell circuit although with some very brief rests, plus some cardio. I log the lot and eat it back but I'm not too worried by a small overestimate as my deficit's pretty large. But helpful to know if my weight loss slows significantly and I need to be 100% on it!


    You may want to check out this post

    http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/1044313-this-is-why-hrms-have-limited-use-for-tracking-calories

    Thanks and interesting.

    Does seem pretty pointless continuing to use my HRM for the lifting part of my session really. Although the overall calorie addition shouldn't be anything too significant I am planning to increase the weight work so overestimates might be a factor in the future.
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  • afortunatedragon
    afortunatedragon Posts: 329 Member
    I use my HRM for all exercise.
    The other article explained, that the HRM overestimates calories if not steady cardio due to the heart rate and VO2 level.
    An hour weight lifting gives me around 160 - 170 cals, where else an hour of fast walking or uphill walking gives me between 250 and 350.
    I think this is pretty accurate as my heart rate doesn't go up that much while weight lifting. (Well, my weights are not really heavy)
    Plus, I hardly ever eat any calories back, so it does not really matter.
    I don't think my HRM overestimates on a large scale.
  • litchfieldd
    litchfieldd Posts: 43 Member
    But just for the record I would class gardening as cardio, digging and pulling out weeds, running up and down garden with slabs ect. What else would it fall under?

    Not steady state cardio. An HRM will give whacky readings from gardening. Just like with lifting weight, or any other activity where there is brief rests, and then a surge of activity and then rest again. HRMs are not designed for that and will give false readings.

    Is the false estimate for weights always an overestimate? A couple of times a week I do a 20 min fast barbell circuit although with some very brief rests, plus some cardio. I log the lot and eat it back but I'm not too worried by a small overestimate as my deficit's pretty large. But helpful to know if my weight loss slows significantly and I need to be 100% on it!


    You may want to check out this post

    http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/1044313-this-is-why-hrms-have-limited-use-for-tracking-calories

    Thanks and interesting.

    Does seem pretty pointless continuing to use my HRM for the lifting part of my session really. Although the overall calorie addition shouldn't be anything too significant I am planning to increase the weight work so overestimates might be a factor in the future.

    For 20 mins of weight training, add about 75 calories to your total. That is maybe about right. For me, it's somewhere in the 200 to 250 range for an hour.

    Thanks. I reckon its worth keeping those calories out of the count to make up for any other overestimates elsewhere! The rest I do like to eat back though as it acts as a motivation to keep moving.

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