Polar HRM and strength training

JaneP2011
JaneP2011 Posts: 65 Member
edited September 27 in Fitness and Exercise
So I've just been reading another thread where it says that HRMs are only accurate for measuring cardio activity???

My workouts are usually about an hour and I mix up cardio and weight training in 10 minute sessions. I try to keep my heart rate above 140 when I'm doing cardio but it usually drops down to about 90 during the strength training sections of my routine. I usually get a calorie expenditure for the total workout of between 350-400 calories, according to my HRM.

But if the HRM is only accurate for the cardio sessions does this mean I'm actually burning much less than that?

I have a Polar F6 which has my weight/gender etc programmed in ...

Replies

  • ANeWcRe8N
    ANeWcRe8N Posts: 1,180 Member
    I've also wondered the same things since I also read that you cant get an accurate reading for strength training with my polar but I still use the calories burned on my tracker :indifferent: oh and not sure if its really much less or what....
  • talysshade
    talysshade Posts: 273 Member
    i use my HRM for strength and cardio.. for strength it does go down for me, but if i put in enough effort it stays between 100-120.. sometimes higher if i really mix it in with cardio, which works the best for me. For me, the HRM is always more accurate than the mfp database, so i use it anyway. Even if it's a little bit off..
  • JaneP2011
    JaneP2011 Posts: 65 Member
    Yeah, I was a bit surprised reading that it doesn't work for strength training :ohwell:

    I suppose I could just pause it when I'm doing the weight training segments of my work out and that would give me the 'pure' cardio readouts. Think that would probably drop my calorie expenditutre down by about a 100 calories. That would be a bummer but at least it's more accurate than kidding myself I've burnt more than I have:sad:
  • wheelieblade
    wheelieblade Posts: 323
    are they water proof? Could I swim in one (not that I will) to get an accurate calories burnt?
  • JaneP2011
    JaneP2011 Posts: 65 Member
    My polar F6 is "water resistant" to 30 m, so yes, I guess you could swim in it.
  • Angela4Health
    Angela4Health Posts: 1,319 Member
    If you're truly doing your cardio and strength together, in the 10 minute intervals, then your calorie count should be pretty accurate because you are doing circuit training. If you are doing strength training without the cardio, then you can't go by what your HRM says you burned because you're not performing an aerobic activity.
  • EMc4452
    EMc4452 Posts: 187 Member
    I use my HRM during weight training. I workout mostly in circuits with little rest so I can get my heart rate around 160 during strength training. I have also heard it's not accurate for anaerobic exercise but Iwant to log those calories! It feels like I'm exerting myself to I don't know why it wouldn't work? Curious if there is any research on this...
  • JaneP2011
    JaneP2011 Posts: 65 Member
    Thanks guys, just a bit worried I've been over optimisitc about how many calories I'm burning

    It's a kind of circuit training thing -

    10 minutes running on the treadmill,
    10 minutes free weights arms and upper body
    10 minutes cycling
    10 minutes strength training lower body
    10 minutes on the elliptical
    10 minutes core, pliates, stretching type thing

    Perhaps I should just try and up my heart rate during the cardio - it's between 140 and 160 but often closer to the 140 end of things!

    And it's definitely more accurate than the calorie readings I get from the cardio machines in the gym - they're almost double the amount my HRM gives me!!
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