HEART RATE MONITOR

Options
nicolecharvel21
nicolecharvel21 Posts: 40 Member
in Fitness and Exercise
Hello. Im trying to find a good heart rate monitor to buy and not sure what one that would suit me best. Ive never used one before and I dont want to pay an arm and a leg for one and not be able to figure it out or have it do what I want it to do. Im wanting one that is user friendly and acurately calculates how many calories I burn while I work out based on my height and weight. Any ideas on the best and cost efficient monitors would be great :)
Thank you

Replies

  • IsaackGMOON
    IsaackGMOON Posts: 3,358 Member
    Options
    Most people are going to recommend the Polar FT4.. it's cheap and it does the job!
  • brianpperkins
    brianpperkins Posts: 6,124 Member
    Options
    What activities do you do? HRMs are only accurate for a few steady state cardio activities such as running with smooth transitions ... they don't accurately calculate HIIT, intervals, sprints, boxing, dance, weight lifting, yoga, etc.
  • RachelSteeners
    RachelSteeners Posts: 249 Member
    Options
    I'm considering the Polar FT4 or FT7. I have no idea if they are good but the reviews on amazon are positive.

    I'd love to hear people's thoughts on these model, if anyone knows :)
  • brianpperkins
    brianpperkins Posts: 6,124 Member
    Options
    I'm considering the Polar FT4 or FT7. I have no idea if they are good but the reviews on amazon are positive.

    I'd love to hear people's thoughts on these model, if anyone knows :)

    Those are both quality, affordable units as long as you understand the limitations of all HRMs when it comes to calorie estimation. The H7 is another good unit if you're looking to connect the HRM to a Bluetooth Low Energy (BLE) compatible phone.
  • nicolecharvel21
    nicolecharvel21 Posts: 40 Member
    Options
    What activities do you do? HRMs are only accurate for a few steady state cardio activities such as running with smooth transitions ... they don't accurately calculate HIIT, intervals, sprints, boxing, dance, weight lifting, yoga, etc.


    Ive been doing cardio (elliptical/treadmill/hiking) and then weights. I can get the rough estimate from the cardio machines but I dont think that those are fully accurate as well but mostly I want it for when I go hiking and do weight/strength training. I want to be able to calculate my full "gym" time kinda as a whole to determine how many calories im burning. Im really new to anything outside of the cardio machines
  • nicolecharvel21
    nicolecharvel21 Posts: 40 Member
    Options
    What about these FitBit monitors ive been hearing about all over??
  • FatFreeFrolicking
    FatFreeFrolicking Posts: 4,252 Member
    Options
    I have a Polar FT4. Best $100 I've ever spent.
  • CleanUpWhatIMessedUp
    CleanUpWhatIMessedUp Posts: 206 Member
    Options
    I have the Polar FT7 and it works great for me.
  • FatFreeFrolicking
    FatFreeFrolicking Posts: 4,252 Member
    Options
    What activities do you do? HRMs are only accurate for a few steady state cardio activities such as running with smooth transitions ... they don't accurately calculate HIIT, intervals, sprints, boxing, dance, weight lifting, yoga, etc.


    Ive been doing cardio (elliptical/treadmill/hiking) and then weights. I can get the rough estimate from the cardio machines but I dont think that those are fully accurate as well but mostly I want it for when I go hiking and do weight/strength training. I want to be able to calculate my full "gym" time kinda as a whole to determine how many calories im burning. Im really new to anything outside of the cardio machines

    Cardio machines overestimate calories burned by A LOT. If the machine tells you you burned 700 calories, you likely only burned half of that… so 350 calories.
  • brianpperkins
    brianpperkins Posts: 6,124 Member
    Options
    What about these FitBit monitors ive been hearing about all over??

    Fitbits count steps to track your daily activity. They're useful if you're wanting to see your all day movements.

    The HRM will do a decent job of tracking your gym cardio sessions as long as you're not doing interval training on the machines. They are simply not programmed to accurately estimate caloric burns from weight lifting.
  • RaspberryKeytoneBoondoggle
    RaspberryKeytoneBoondoggle Posts: 1,349 Member
    Options
    I love my ft4. I use it strictly to manage how hard I'm working out. I find that if I keep my heart rate lower I run more frequently and farther distances. I think the only difference with the ft7 is that it keeps track of more workouts.

    I'm going to get a fitbit next year though when I upgrade my I-phone. I love fitbit for counting calories burned and increasing my NEAT.

    Neither are useful for weight training. They don't give an accurate calorie count for lifting.
  • Velum_cado
    Velum_cado Posts: 1,608 Member
    Options
    I've been using a Polar FT2 and have zero complaints about it. I'm planning on replacing it with an FT4 or FT7 soon.
  • RabbitLost
    RabbitLost Posts: 333 Member
    Options
    What activities do you do? HRMs are only accurate for a few steady state cardio activities such as running with smooth transitions ... they don't accurately calculate HIIT, intervals, sprints, boxing, dance, weight lifting, yoga, etc.

    This is generally true of the low and mid priced models. Polar and Suunto both have models that allow you to enter you burn zones, which can be especially effective if those zones have been measured during a metabolic test. But I won't kid you - between the test and the equipment, you can shell out some real money. I did it because I was always getting what I felt were high burn rates from my other HRMs. Once I got my Suunto dialed in, I dropped almost 25 pounds in 6 months. (I tend to eat back cardio burn, so of course, I was eating back too much. I do not eat back calories burned from lifting and full-body exercises such as pushups, planks, etc.)

    I have seen several people recommend the FT 4 and/or FT7. I would strongly recommend either one as an entry point into using an HRM. And even though it's still an estimate, the estimate should be more reliable than the average cardio machine. Good luck, OP!
  • GuineaPiglet
    GuineaPiglet Posts: 35 Member
    Options
    I have the Polar F24. It was $60 with 2 day shipping on Amazon. It's very easy to use. I was using it like a pro within 2 minutes.....however, I do feel like the calories burned it gives me might be on the high side. For "in the zone" activities, it's about 10 calories a minute. The gym machine might tell me 250 for 45 minutes, where the heart rate monitor tells me 450. I'm sure this is somewhat due to me not resetting the treadmill/bike/elliptical to my stats and it's probably at whatever default weight it uses instead of mine. I've been losing weight at a steady pace, so I guess I'll re-examine this when/if I stall. I do eat exercise calories back for the most part as I'm only 5'1 and 1200 calories a day is my net goal. So if I burn 400 cals, I'll eat 1600 a day. I am losing weight on this, so we shall see.
  • brianpperkins
    brianpperkins Posts: 6,124 Member
    Options
    All heart rate zones are any good for is determining fuel source (fat or carbs) by percentage of total. They don't determine if you burn more and in reality the body burns more calories, and more total fat, at higher intensity aerobic activity ... the fat just comprises a lower percentage in relation to other sources.

    Another thing to look for, and possibly compensate for, is if the device reports gross (exercise + BMR) or net (exercise only) calories burned. It matters.
  • jamesolmos
    jamesolmos Posts: 35 Member
    Options
    Check out Mio brand. They're strapless and you wear it on your wrist. You can use it (connect it via BlueTooth) with many fitness apps. I have one and I love it!

    http://www.mioglobal.com/Default.aspx

Categories