Fitbit Charge HR Noob- Tracking Question

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Mapes84
Mapes84 Posts: 60 Member
edited March 2015 in Fitness and Exercise
I just got my Fitbit Charge HR, and I have a question about tracking workouts. Generally speaking, when I go to the gym, I do about an hour of strength training exercises, sometimes with active rests. Then I typically do about 30 minutes of high intensity interval training or steady-state cardio, depending on the day. Do I push the button to start the exercise tracking when I start the strength training activity, or will it attempt to log the entire workout as running if running is indicated as the exercise type in the activity tracker screen on the app? I'm very confused by this. And yes, to add, I know the Fitbit is not designed to measure activities such as strength training. Just trying to figure out the best way to use it.

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  • NannersBalletLegs
    NannersBalletLegs Posts: 207 Member
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    I am curious about this as well. Giving this post a bump.
  • BoldGrace
    BoldGrace Posts: 7 Member
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    New to Fitbit charge HR as well, hope you don't mind if I join the convo to become less confused too!!
  • dougpconnell219
    dougpconnell219 Posts: 566 Member
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    What you categorize the exercise as makes no difference. That is just for your reference.

    I usually do my weights (a high intensity circuit with timed rest breaks) followed by cardio.

    I generally start exercise mode when I start my warmup, and end it when I finish my cardio.

    Or, if you prefer, you could start the exercise mode when you begin weights, end it when you're done with weights, then start and end it again for cardio, so you can see each separately.

    Exercise mode has no effect on what hr or calorie burn shows. It is purely a mechanism for you to isolate data for your own purpose.
  • holybell
    holybell Posts: 69 Member
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    I own a Charge. You only use the exercise tracking when doing exercises with continuous movement such as cycling (sometimes), running, etc. The Surge is the only Fitbit tracker capable of tracking things like weight lifting. You'll have to log them in separately.
  • brianpperkins
    brianpperkins Posts: 6,124 Member
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    No HRM is accurate for weight lifting or intervals. None of them.

  • Wubbie05
    Wubbie05 Posts: 16 Member
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    I thought the HR recorded heart rate, meaning you could wear it during weight lifting?
  • brianpperkins
    brianpperkins Posts: 6,124 Member
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    Wubbie05 wrote: »
    I thought the HR recorded heart rate, meaning you could wear it during weight lifting?

    HRMs do not accurately estimate calories from weight lifting. None of them. There isn't a direct relationship between HR and calories expended for anaerobic activity.
  • Wubbie05
    Wubbie05 Posts: 16 Member
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    Wow, that is really interesting. Thank you! My gym sells a HRM called MyZone, and the monitor syncs up the display at the gym and displays a reading. It makes me wonder how accurate that is now.

    On a personal level, for me, it is so hard to get away from the mentality of needing to know what I burn when I workout. I guess that is part of the reason my trainer had me NOT wear the MyZone and focus on measurements and muscle gain!

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