HRM BS

I see alot here counting calories burned on their HRM, this is bad, the information is flawed, just like the monitors on threadmills that count calories burned, seriously flawed. They are close to being as accurate as those bodyfat scales. It cannot take into account how adapted your body is to the exercise. Real athletes don't use these things, just stay on your alloted calories and work your azz off.

Replies

dad106

Where did you get this information?

If your HRM is calculated to your height, weight, age and gender, it should be pretty accurate. HRM allows you to work your azz off as you say by showing you if you are slacking or if you need to push harder.

Maybe next time have a study or something to back up your finds before you start spouting your mouth off.

erickirb

I see alot here counting calories burned on their HRM, this is bad, the information is flawed, just like the monitors on threadmills that count calories burned, seriously flawed. They are close to being as accurate as those bodyfat scales. It cannot take into account how adapted your body is to the exercise. Real athletes don't use these things, just stay on your alloted calories and work your azz off.

I call BS to your claim. Studies have been done and a few I have read prove that taking age, height, gender, age and HR accounts for over 70% of calories burned, and HRM's use this to create an equation to derive an estimate of total calories burned during exercise. If your HRM allows you to, and you know your, V02 Max added to the other inputs and you have over 80% of what makes up calories burned and the rest is estimated in the equation. If fact due to the embedded equation HRM's are anywhere from 90 to 99% correct to actual calories burned.

You are right many athletes don't use HRMs but they are not trying to lose weight and have trainer and nutritionist set up programs to balance the calories in vs calories out.

goddesskde

I use mine to monitor my heart rate.. Funny huh, but I like to see that I am staying in my zone during the entire workout to optimize my cadio and fat burning. I can't do that without one unless i stop and count the beats every-so-often.

skinnymama157

I use my HRM to keep track of my average HR throughout my workout, to make sure I am staying in my target zone. That gives me a good idea of how many calories I've burned in order to make sure my body is getting enough fuel. The calories burned on the HRM isn't 100% accurate but I also use it with this site:
http://www.shapesense.com/fitness-exercise/calculators/heart-rate-based-calorie-burn-calculator.aspx
and I get a fairly accurate idea. Since getting my HRM I've realized I have been burning a ton more calories and was not eating enough, hence not losing a lot of weight. Now I have lost an addtional 10 lbs by increasing my calories.
Just food for thought.... everyone is different.

erickirb

I use mine to monitor my heart rate.. Funny huh, but I like to see that I am staying in my zone during the entire workout to optimize my cadio and fat burning. I can't do that without one unless i stop and count the beats every-so-often.

FYI fat burning zone is somewhat of a myth. You will burn more and become for fit the closer your HR is to your max HR.

kristy_estes21

Not to mention, if you stay within your alloted calories as you suggest and work your butt off then how will you know if you're eating too little or too much for your activity level? If you eat 1500 calories per day, for instance, because that's your alloted calories, but you work out super hard and burn 500-800 calories, you are eating way too little. This doesn't really have a lot to do with what you said about HRM's, but this is wrong too.

kirkemorgan

I've nevver seen a competetion bodybuilder wear one of those things, and we get down to 5% bodyfat, just saying.

mdentley

I see alot here counting calories burned on their HRM, this is bad, the information is flawed, just like the monitors on threadmills that count calories burned, seriously flawed. They are close to being as accurate as those bodyfat scales. It cannot take into account how adapted your body is to the exercise. Real athletes don't use these things, just stay on your alloted calories and work your azz off.

I call BS to your claim. Studies have been done and a few I have read prove that taking age, height, gender, age and HR accounts for over 70% of calories burned, and HRM's use this to create an equation to derive an estimate of total calories burned during exercise. If your HRM allows you to, and you know your, V02 Max added to the other inputs and you have over 80% of what makes up calories burned and the rest is estimated in the equation. If fact due to the embedded equation HRM's are anywhere from 90 to 99% correct to actual calories burned.

You are right many athletes don't use HRMs but they are not trying to lose weight and have trainer and nutritionist set up programs to balance the calories in vs calories out.

Ditto!

kristy_estes21

LOL. That doesn't mean they aren't somewhat accurate. Just because you haven't seen bodybuilders use them doesn't have anything to do with whether they are accurate or not. Bodybuilders are on a completely different regimen as far as workouts, food consumption, and supplements than most people on here.

jarrettd

Almost any device of measurement is prone to inaccuracy in some way. So, in the end, it's all relative. What you're "measuring" is a trend...are you doing better or worse than the day or week before. Therefore, I submit that whether it is a HRM, or a Magic 8-Ball...if someone is using a tool THAT WORKS FOR THEM, I say let it be.

erickirb

I've nevver seen a competetion bodybuilder wear one of those things, and we get down to 5% bodyfat, just saying.

Yes but most body builder also lose a large amount of lean mass while cutting (although they have a ton before cutting, and still have a bunch after the cut). The % of lean muscle loss is quite high, at least it was with friends of mine that competed, and the others in the competition. Not to mention most competitive body builder are also on 'roids or other performance enhancing drugs, which help with muscle catabolization.

kirkemorgan

Almost any device of measurement is prone to inaccuracy in some way. So, in the end, it's all relative. What you're "measuring" is a trend...are you doing better or worse than the day or week before. Therefore, I submit that whether it is a HRM, or a Magic 8-Ball...if someone is using a tool THAT WORKS FOR THEM, I say let it be.

Actually that is a really good outlook. I guess if it helps your mind then do it. But I have seen on here a few people who state some insane caloreis burned, because they are wearing them at inappropriate times.

erickirb

Almost any device of measurement is prone to inaccuracy in some way. So, in the end, it's all relative. What you're "measuring" is a trend...are you doing better or worse than the day or week before. Therefore, I submit that whether it is a HRM, or a Magic 8-Ball...if someone is using a tool THAT WORKS FOR THEM, I say let it be.

Actually that is a really good outlook. I guess if it helps your mind then do it. But I have seen on here a few people who state some insane caloreis burned, because they are wearing them at inappropriate times.

You are right with certain activities, they are only meant to be accurate with cardio exercises with an elevated HR.

kirkemorgan

The only time I lost alot of mass was when I did a keto diet for a show, shrank big time. The other times with a more zone typ diet, I hardly lost any mass. PS I'm was natural.

koosdel

Very well thought out and presented in such an easy to understand format. And thanks for the sources too!

kirkemorgan

Very well thought out and presented in such an easy to understand format. And thanks for the sources too!

ditto

jarrettd

Almost any device of measurement is prone to inaccuracy in some way. So, in the end, it's all relative. What you're "measuring" is a trend...are you doing better or worse than the day or week before. Therefore, I submit that whether it is a HRM, or a Magic 8-Ball...if someone is using a tool THAT WORKS FOR THEM, I say let it be.

Actually that is a really good outlook. I guess if it helps your mind then do it. But I have seen on here a few people who state some insane caloreis burned, because they are wearing them at inappropriate times.

Agreed, and agreed. But this site is used by casual dieters as well as hard-core builders. While "housecleaning, vigorous" doesn't sound like much to a bodybuilder, to a soap-watching, twinkie-eating, totally sedentary housewife, it might be just the thing to make them get up and move.

And if it is inappropriate, deep down they know this and just haven't made the mental switch from "diet" to "lifestyle". (Having probs myself with that one!) Some will log exercise that maybe shouldn't count so they can eat more...but it's a self-solving problem because they won't make any progress and will have to re-evaluate. It doesn't help to preach truth to someone who is lying to themselves. Just support any effort to change, no matter how trivial, and true change will come.

JJtexasgirl

Very well thought out and presented in such an easy to understand format. And thanks for the sources too!

ditto

OP, I think you're missing the sarcasm in the post you're "ditto-ing"

If someone wearts a HRM made by Mickey Mouse and it tells them they burned a zillion calories by brushing their teeth - does it make your work out any less? Why do you care what other people do?

Judge not lest ye be judged...I'm just sayin'

kirkemorgan

Very well thought out and presented in such an easy to understand format. And thanks for the sources too!

ditto

OP, I think you're missing the sarcasm in the post you're "ditto-ing"

If someone wearts a HRM made by Mickey Mouse and it tells them they burned a zillion calories by brushing their teeth - does it make your work out any less? Why do you care what other people do?

Judge not lest ye be judged...I'm just sayin'

Nope, I understood the sarcasm, and was giving it back.
I am a trainer, i point out what people could be doing wrong, to help them. I lost 105lbs in 95' it's mind set that gets weight lost. If you don't want solid advice don't listen to me.

JJtexasgirl

Nope, I understood the sarcasm, and was giving it back.
I am a trainer, i point out what people could be doing wrong, to help them. I lost 105lbs in 95' it's mind set that gets weight lost. If you don't want solid advice don't listen to me.

I think its great to help people -- who ASK for your help.
As someone who has struggled with her weight all of her adult life, the last thing I want is unsolicited advice. If you really want to help people on here, be supportive of ANY measure they are taking to improve their health, even if it doesn't meet the standards you set for yourself.

Heather75

I love the threadmill!

kristy_estes21

Since you are a trainer, then you must know that everyone is different. The way you lost 105lbs very well may not work for someone else. Yes, mindset is a huge factor in weight loss and fitness, but making a post about HRM's being BS doesn't really have anything to do with that and if using one is what helps that person be in the right "mindset" then why try to nullify that? Not to mention, you still didn't provide any evidence that your original post was even accurate in the first place.
I'm all for giving and receiving advice and constructive criticism, but your original post just came off bad I think.

kirkemorgan

Since you are a trainer, then you must know that everyone is different. The way you lost 105lbs very well may not work for someone else. Yes, mindset is a huge factor in weight loss and fitness, but making a post about HRM's being BS doesn't really have anything to do with that and if using one is what helps that person be in the right "mindset" then why try to nullify that? Not to mention, you still didn't provide any evidence that your original post was even accurate in the first place.
I'm all for giving and receiving advice and constructive criticism, but your original post just came off bad I think.

I think your right, I am just amazed at everyone talikng about their HRMs. I'd like to know how many it's really helping, it just has "crutch" written all over it, but if it really helps, I'll leave it alone. I know it's imposible, but I'd like to see out of everyone using one, how many are winning the battle with their weight.

kristy_estes21

Believe it or not there are a lot of people on here that use them and are doing great. I actually just ordered one and I'm super excited to get it. I think they're a great tool for monitoring cardio fitness and getting an estimate on calories burned. Obviously it isn't 100% accurate, but I think it gives a pretty good idea.

kirkemorgan

Believe it or not there are a lot of people on here that use them and are doing great. I actually just ordered one and I'm super excited to get it. I think they're a great tool for monitoring cardio fitness and getting an estimate on calories burned. Obviously it isn't 100% accurate, but I think it gives a pretty good idea.

Good luck to you.

kirkemorgan

Believe it or not there are a lot of people on here that use them and are doing great. I actually just ordered one and I'm super excited to get it. I think they're a great tool for monitoring cardio fitness and getting an estimate on calories burned. Obviously it isn't 100% accurate, but I think it gives a pretty good idea.

Good luck to you.

goddesskde

My heart rate range is 118 to 155..I primarily stay closer to the 150's when I'm on cardio machines or when I'm running I actually blow past that to the 170's. I really was more curious as to how hard I was working during some of the classes I take and when I switch to weights. I have learned ways to keep my heart rate elevated by alternating things like walking lunges and then something like bicep curls. It honestly is more of a motivator for me to work harder and keep in my preferred zone. It's not something I live or die by but it is a useful tool.