Heart Rate Monitors

Joaninha777
Joaninha777 Posts: 52
edited September 24 in Fitness and Exercise
I want to order one like NOW, can anyone suggest where I can buy one? Nothing too expensive, but I would like to get one soon!

Replies

  • JennsLosing
    JennsLosing Posts: 1,026
    bump...i want this info too...perferably a budget friendly one!
  • jane77
    jane77 Posts: 489
    use the search tab there is so much info on this its crazy!
  • Menene
    Menene Posts: 121 Member
    Bump I am in the market for one also.
  • doramouse
    doramouse Posts: 160
    I didn't go any research but I did just get the timex one off amazon.com - it was around $130 but got it for $40
    I've only used it 2x's but its good so far
  • MaryDreamer
    MaryDreamer Posts: 439
    I got mine off ebay the store is Tropical Enterprises from Mike. A Polar F4 for $59.95 with free shipping. Tell him mbm31-half sent ya :)
  • jfer1977
    jfer1977 Posts: 139
    I love my bodybugg. It doesn't monitor your heart rate. It counts your calories burned, steps and activity. Too many things can mess with your heart rate and give you false info for calories burned. The bodybugg is what they use on the Biggest Loser. For anyone that gets one I suggest getting the digital display with it. The two together have helped me so much in keeping on track.
  • cmbneeley
    cmbneeley Posts: 160 Member
    i perused cragislist and similar sites for a HRM for awhile. my search paid off after about 2 weeks-- I got a bradn new never out of the box one for $20 that would normally have cost about $50. it's a bowflex active trainer 9.0. not a polar, but it still works. i'm not real picky.
  • AdamATGATT
    AdamATGATT Posts: 573 Member
    use the search tab there is so much info on this its crazy!

    This. This is the answer.
  • jfer1977
    jfer1977 Posts: 139
    I love my bodybugg. It doesn't monitor your heart rate. It counts your calories burned, steps and activity. Too many things can mess with your heart rate and give you false info for calories burned. The bodybugg is what they use on the Biggest Loser. For anyone that gets one I suggest getting the digital display with it. The two together have helped me so much in keeping on track.


    Forgot to say that I got it from 24hourfitness.com

    It was the best price.
  • shannmike
    shannmike Posts: 1 Member
    One of the girls that I work with purchased the Body Bugg and loves it. They have it on the Biggest Loser, it measures your calories burned and everything as well, and can be linked to your computer and/or smart phone.
  • mydoc3
    mydoc3 Posts: 232 Member
    I have researched them and finally bought a New Balance N4 today after seeing good reviews about them. I paid $70 at Target for it. Course, I haven't used it yet but I will tonight at the gym.

    Barb
  • jmaddy
    jmaddy Posts: 3
    I found one at Walmart for $28 that does what I want: Tracks calories and heart rate, has a timer, etc. So far, works great!
  • Joaninha777
    Joaninha777 Posts: 52
    Ok I used the search tab and found this one at Walmart...I can't really afford anything too expensive.

    I hope it does the job! Reviews are great.

    Thanks everyone!

    http://www.walmart.com/ip/S7-HR-Monitor/10719753
  • margietx
    margietx Posts: 6
    Check the Consumer Research on HRM... especially the Timex T5G971. This is the one I'm buying.

    http://www.consumersearch.com/heart-rate-monitors

    http://www.google.com/products/catalog?hl=en&q=heart+rate+monitor&bav=on.1,or.&wrapid=tlif129850025970310&um=1&ie=UTF-8&cid=14300951705417459468&ei=CYtlTeGmNIGDtgfN_uWPBg&sa=X&oi=product_catalog_result&ct=result&resnum=2&ved=0CFYQ8wIwAQ#
  • jojospero
    jojospero Posts: 92 Member
    Margietx... does that one have a chest strap or is it just the watch? I'm looking to buy one.
  • rileysowner
    rileysowner Posts: 8,331 Member
    I found one at Walmart for $28 that does what I want: Tracks calories and heart rate, has a timer, etc. So far, works great!

    Just because the number is there does not mean it is actually calculating calories. It has to have a chest strap at the very least.
  • amylynn96
    amylynn96 Posts: 114 Member
    got mine off amazon, its a chest strap/watch....about 60 bucks. I trust it completly great reviews and accuracy. Timex : )
  • rileysowner
    rileysowner Posts: 8,331 Member
    Doing a little research I ran into this post here -- http://teambeachbody.com/connect/message-boards/-/message_boards/message/54993470

    I will quote the important part,
    "Pretty much worthless. Not that Polar isn't a good brand, just that there is no clear, precisely quantifiable link between the two.

    Think of it this way, you are doing max intervals and hit your personal limit, you stop, and slowly pace while you recover. Your heart is still racing, but your caloric consumption has plummeted, but if the measurement is coming from heart rate...

    Each manufacturer has their own formula for a 'guess'. Different people swear by different guesses, but guesses they remain, highly variable based on the individual.

    Measuring calorie consumption is called calorimetry, or in generic metabolic terms, respirometry. With some plants and animals, it can be measured directly ('direct calorimetry'). Basically, picture yourself in a fancy styrofoam cooler, with a geek outside measuring how much heat you are generating.

    Slightly more practical, we can measure the airflow in and out of your lungs and the O2 you are consuming. This is the athlete on the treadmill with a hose coming out of his/her mouth. This is 'indirect calorimetry'. It can be pretty precise, but with humans we generally have to know the general activity level as well because our O2 efficiency is not uniform across our range of activity.

    What the the heart rate monitor does is 'inferred calorimetry'. There is a general statistical relationship between heart rate and calories burned during exercise, so it get's some stats about you and guesses.

    When we compare heartrate monitors against breath by breath O2 measurement, the monitors all over estimate calories burned, some be a lot.

    Probably a better use of the monitor is to target zones to maximize the consumption for a given workout, regardless of what the actual total ends up being."

    This is sort of a downer to me. Now since my Sportline is almost always lower than all the other calculators out there, I think I will stick with its calculations, but I think maybe I need to find another option for measuring calories. I know this makes me question even more the practice of eating exercise calories back. If HRM are over-estimating calories burned, then eating all my exercise calories back becomes a crap shoot.
  • jane77
    jane77 Posts: 489
    Ok just to confuse things more. I jogged Sunday with my polar FT4 and my Timex Ironman zone trainer and my run keeper app. I also put my numbers into a few web sites. yes both HRM are set up right and for me Yes the Timex is way wrong in their formula and I have know that since the first time I put it on. ANd no I don't jog fast, slow and steady. I use to run 5 days a week had some foot problems, now I go once a week on my rest day from P90X, which by the way has really helped my feet and made me a stronger jogger. BLAH BLAH BLAH anyway here's the info
    Polar 1:29:22 Time Calories 741 Average HR 154 Max 185 In Zone 1:08:09

    Timex 1:29:35 Time Calories 1373 Average HR 153 Max 176 In Zone 1:02:00

    Run Keeper gives me this 6.30 miles 13:38 min miles 809 cal

    WWW.triathlontraning gives me 922 cal info they wanted age 47, weight 155, Gender F , Average HR, Duration.V02 I Use 35

    MFP could only put 5mph Its really 4.25 coldn't fine a way to do that 834 calories burned

    Health Status web site (say best calcultor) only asked for age and duration 731 cal

    Run the Plant web sites two ways to calculate Weight and distance 638 calories Speed and miles per hour 876 Calories

    So what does it all mean? I don't know and either does anyone else! But my general thought, we cant get to caught up in the numbers
    because the power that be are still trying to figure them out. (side note... my timex zone trainer..... I have always known to 1/2 my calorie numbers but there may be people out there that dont and Timex should be ashamhed)
    I wear both straps.
  • rileysowner
    rileysowner Posts: 8,331 Member
    Wow! It just goes to remind us that all the calories burned things are estimates unless they hook you up to a machine measuring either the contents of what you breath, or the heat you are generating, at least I assume that those ways would be more accurate. Having said that, you have a range you can select from I would guess the ones that use more information about you will be closer to the right number. I'm guessing that MFP uses your profile info for weight and sex and age to do its calculations.
  • JennLifts
    JennLifts Posts: 1,913 Member
    i just got a timex with a chest strap off of amazon today. like 70 bucks
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