Heart Rate monitor

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ladybox
ladybox Posts: 9
in Health and Weight Loss
I'm sure there is a thread out there that answers this but thought it would be quicker just to ask instead of dig.

I bought a heart rate watch at walmart. It was on the lower end of the money scale. It supposedly counts my calories burned too but it seems too high. Like I did an hour of zumba yesterday and it said I burned 978 calories in that amount of time. Could that be right?

Should I break down and buy a higher priced monitor? Is this one of those you get what you paid for things? Should I have a HRM?

What do you use? What do you like? Where can I go to find it?!?

Thanks in advance!

I'm also new and would like to add anyone as a friend!

Replies

  • fcrisswell
    fcrisswell Posts: 234 Member
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    Bump...

    I want to get one but don't want to go broke doing it either so I am curious about this as well.
  • jennyph2006
    jennyph2006 Posts: 356 Member
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    Bump..
  • Jenlynphi
    Jenlynphi Posts: 183 Member
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    Bump!

    I need one too and would like any info. :)
  • peimomof2
    peimomof2 Posts: 79 Member
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    Did you program your age and gender? I have a cheaper HRM as well, which i ordered through E-bay (Sportline 915 for Women) I had Zumba the other night and it said i burnt 739 calories. I've heard that you can burn anywhere from 600-1000 calories, so i think yours is probably acccurate. I hope this helps! :)
  • kms1981
    kms1981 Posts: 207 Member
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    Does it have a chest strap or is it just a watch?
  • Chula0910
    Chula0910 Posts: 27 Member
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    I just bought my HRM. I paid 70 bucks at Target and this one comes with the chest strap. Its more accurate and I have had great success with it. the only downfall is if someone else has one in your immediate vecinity, you may start reading each other. But all in all, its great. So maybe you can look into that one. The brand I got was New Balance and will send you a friend request. Cant have too many friends.
    :flowerforyou:
  • julwills
    julwills Posts: 286 Member
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    It is possible you burned that many calories, however there are certain things a watch-only HRM will not do as opposed to one with a chest strap.

    Generally with a HRM that only has a watch you have to check your heart rate numerous times to update the rate at which it thinks you're burning calories. It's possible you selected it at one of the highest points in your work-out so it thought your heart rate was that high the entire time which would overestime the calories burned.

    The benefits of having one with a chest strap is that it will constantly monitor your heart rate and adjust the calorie burn based on that. I know when I do an hour of Zumba I burn about 600 calories and my max heart rate is about 175 although it usually stays around 140-150.

    Also, did it include your height, weight, age and gender? That is another way to get a more accurate calorie burn.
  • TiDinzeo
    TiDinzeo Posts: 309
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    I've just got a polar FT4 HRM today, haven't had a chance to try it out yet. 987 calories seems a little high for an hour of Zumba, I've heard it's more around 600, but 1) I have no evidence to back that number up so it could be totally wrong and 2) how many calories you burn varies with how much you weigh.

    If your number's right then I should start zumba myself, one hour and I'd be able to eat another day's worth of food. :laugh:
  • healthyjen342
    healthyjen342 Posts: 1,435 Member
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    I have a Polar HRM, the FT7 model. It was $109 at Best Buy. It does come with a Chest Strap and has an encoder in the Heart Rate Transmitter to minimize the signal crossing thing. Best. Purchase. Ever.
  • peimomof2
    peimomof2 Posts: 79 Member
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    Does it have a chest strap or is it just a watch?

    Just a watch. I've heard the one's with chest strap are more accurate, but didn't want the aggravation that goes with the strap.
  • TubbsMcGee
    TubbsMcGee Posts: 1,058 Member
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    Fitbit.
  • Cella30
    Cella30 Posts: 539 Member
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    I just got a HRM yesterday. I searched through Amazon.com and the best reviews were on the Polar RS100. I picked it up at best buy for the same price I would've gotten it on Amazon $109 (and I wanted one so bad I didn't want to wait!). I am pretty happy with the purchase - tried it out last night and it seemed to me to be accurate (I assume). I had to plug in my sex, DOB, weight, etc during set up so I think that all is taken into account.

    Check it out if you want:

    http://www.amazon.com/Polar-RS100-Heart-Monitor-Stopwatch/dp/B000FW3Z6O/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1301506027&sr=8-1
  • Boxer_Chick
    Boxer_Chick Posts: 15
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    I don't have one but I have been looking into it and that sounds high but you never really know with Zumba. I know a friend of mine burns about 6-700. I do know that the new balance HRM Pearl at Target with the chest strap is seemingly accurate and about 70$. It's the one I'm getting if I decide to get one.
  • julwills
    julwills Posts: 286 Member
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    Does it have a chest strap or is it just a watch?

    Just a watch. I've heard the one's with chest strap are more accurate, but didn't want the aggravation that goes with the strap.

    The chest straps are really nothing to be afraid of. Honestly I forget I'm wearing mine most of the time. It's made of stretchy fabric and it doesn't bother me at all while I'm working out.
  • Lanet27
    Lanet27 Posts: 127 Member
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    Bump.

    I have the New Balance Pearl Fitness Heart Rate Monitor. I bought it from Target at around $60.00 if my memory serves right.
    It has a strip that you have to use on your chest in addition to the wrist watch.
    I liked it, but the battery on the chest strip drained fast, so I had to replace it every so often.

    I believe that my heart rate monitor was as accurate as I though it could be. I did an hour of Insanity at quite a bit of intensity and it would read 500 cal burned.

    What I did not like form this heart rate monitor was that it was not intuitive for me to use. I had to read the instructions fully in order to fully use all the features. I also did not like that the battery life that the chest strip was quickly drained.
  • Aps123
    Aps123 Posts: 71 Member
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    i had that same one and ended up returning it. since you have to set the exercise timer on it it only counts during that time and even if the timer was going and you took the watch off it still continues to count the same about of calories until you stop the timer.
  • Aps123
    Aps123 Posts: 71 Member
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    It is possible you burned that many calories, however there are certain things a watch-only HRM will not do as opposed to one with a chest strap.

    Generally with a HRM that only has a watch you have to check your heart rate numerous times to update the rate at which it thinks you're burning calories. It's possible you selected it at one of the highest points in your work-out so it thought your heart rate was that high the entire time which would overestime the calories burned.

    The benefits of having one with a chest strap is that it will constantly monitor your heart rate and adjust the calorie burn based on that. I know when I do an hour of Zumba I burn about 600 calories and my max heart rate is about 175 although it usually stays around 140-150.

    Also, did it include your height, weight, age and gender? That is another way to get a more accurate calorie burn.



    yours seems accurate. what hrm do you use
  • ladybox
    ladybox Posts: 9
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    Wow! I love how quickly you can get a reply!

    Thank you everyone so much for your responses. I guess I will have to do some more research. I have a girl in my group class that wears one and I can ask her about hers!

    It's always helpful to get this feedback just to know where my starting point is!


    Also...what does "bump" mean?!?! All I can assume it means from the context I see it in is that someone else wanted to ask that same exact question. Am I on the right track!?! Thanks!
  • sharamia
    sharamia Posts: 34 Member
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    I researched them before I got mine. I ended up getting the Polar FT7 heart rate monitor from Sears online. It has the chest strap which I worried wouldn't fit me, but it did. It gives me calories burned, and keeps a log of my progress. If you don't need that much, there are lesser expensive models.
  • julwills
    julwills Posts: 286 Member
    Options
    It is possible you burned that many calories, however there are certain things a watch-only HRM will not do as opposed to one with a chest strap.

    Generally with a HRM that only has a watch you have to check your heart rate numerous times to update the rate at which it thinks you're burning calories. It's possible you selected it at one of the highest points in your work-out so it thought your heart rate was that high the entire time which would overestime the calories burned.

    The benefits of having one with a chest strap is that it will constantly monitor your heart rate and adjust the calorie burn based on that. I know when I do an hour of Zumba I burn about 600 calories and my max heart rate is about 175 although it usually stays around 140-150.

    Also, did it include your height, weight, age and gender? That is another way to get a more accurate calorie burn.



    yours seems accurate. what hrm do you use

    I have a Polar FT4 it was worth every penny and it's such an awesome tool in my weight loss!

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