Polar FT4 HRM Error

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ep_euphoria
ep_euphoria Posts: 40
in Fitness and Exercise
Hi guys, I received a second hand (used twice according to description) Polar FT4 HRM in the mail yesterday morning. My boyfriend borrowed it yesterday and today and it seemed fairly accurate on cals burned, but when I used it today (for the first time) for Shaun T's Hip-Hop Abs Cardio video it gave me crazy numbers!

I'm 5'1 100lbs ish, I used it just as the manual said and wet the electrode pads or whatever they are and wore it where it said to. I also changed the weight, height, gender settings of course haha
My stats for end of workout are:
Average Heart Rate - 173
Maximum HR - 188
Duration - 29min 24 sec
Cals burned - 255
This just isn't possible, right?
I wasn't out of breath and dying during it, I was just doing my thing.

Please tell me how I can make it work or that I can actually burn that much, which is just not possible... but my fingers are crossed just a little :)

Replies

  • crazycranberry
    crazycranberry Posts: 117 Member
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    I have the same HRM. Although I got mine brand new, as far as I am concerned I have to trust what it tells me.

    I do 60mins Zumba on Wii and I can burn nearly 600kcals. I am 5'4" 139lbs. I have an eliptical trainer too and that reported a 300kcl burn after 30mins (approx 12k in distance).
    I don't know much on the hard facts for cardio fitness but my thoughts are ........If your heart rate is high & in a certain 'fat burning' zone for a long period of time (as long as you experience no pain etc) then you will burn more calories.

    Not sure if this answers your question but thought I would share my experience with you.
    :bigsmile:
  • dad106
    dad106 Posts: 4,868 Member
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    Actually.. that is possible. What is looks like is that you were in your fitness zone for most of the workout which means that you are burning more calories...

    Did you enter your height, weight,age and sex into it? Cause if its still calculated to your boyfriend then it is wrong... but if you did change the settings then it should be correct.
  • sharidiane
    sharidiane Posts: 212 Member
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    An average heart rate of 173 seems high-ish.

    That said, 255 cals burned for 30 minutes of high intensity cardio sounds about right. I have an FT4, and it says I burn 260 for the 30DS, which is 26 minutes in length.
  • lil_pulp
    lil_pulp Posts: 701 Member
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    It sounds a little high maybe, but these numbers don't sound impossible to me at all.

    To compare, I'm 4'11 (weight 134) and spent a not-very-vigorous 40 mins on the stationary bike this morning for 239 calories, according to my FT4. (It said my average HR was 130 and max 164.)

    -LP
  • erickirb
    erickirb Posts: 12,293 Member
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    Hi guys, I received a second hand (used twice according to description) Polar FT4 HRM in the mail yesterday morning. My boyfriend borrowed it yesterday and today and it seemed fairly accurate on cals burned, but when I used it today (for the first time) for Shaun T's Hip-Hop Abs Cardio video it gave me crazy numbers!

    I'm 5'1 100lbs ish, I used it just as the manual said and wet the electrode pads or whatever they are and wore it where it said to. I also changed the weight, height, gender settings of course haha
    My stats for end of workout are:
    Average Heart Rate - 173
    Maximum HR - 188
    Duration - 29min 24 sec
    Cals burned - 255
    This just isn't possible, right?
    I wasn't out of breath and dying during it, I was just doing my thing.

    Please tell me how I can make it work or that I can actually burn that much, which is just not possible... but my fingers are crossed just a little :)

    At that HR, I would say pretty accurate. Many people, although larger than you, burn 600-700 calories for 45 min Insanity workout,
  • tinareet
    tinareet Posts: 126
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    It looks right to me.
    roughly when i run for 30mins my Maximum HR is 187 and my average HR 171 and it says I burn 250-300cals, but remeber you have to minus what you would normally burn. So my BMR is 1440 says if i was in a coma i would burn 60cals per 60 mins and for 30mins it would be 30cals minus this from what your polar says. So infact I have burnt in this run 220-270cals. and that is what I would log. I think that makes sense.xxx
  • ep_euphoria
    ep_euphoria Posts: 40
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    Thanks for so many replies so soon :)
    It just seemed like it was too high for an exercise where I didn't feel like I was really pushing myself.
    It kept beeping at me saying I was going 'Out of the Zone' so I'll have to turn the beeping off I think.

    I guess all I can do is try it a few more days and for a few more work-outs and see if this is an anomaly or that I really should be eating a lot more than I have been!

    Thanks again :)

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