Heart rate monitors

Bethany28
Bethany28 Posts: 263 Member
edited September 2024 in Fitness and Exercise
Hey yall!

I have some questions about heart rate monitors. How do they work? What I mean is how do you get the reading for your excersice? Do you start working out and when you finish it tells you your calories burned? Or does it tell you your calories burned from the whole day doing everything normal plus wirkout? Also which heart rate monitor do you recommend?

Thanks in advance!

Replies

  • rikisue206
    rikisue206 Posts: 99 Member
    I would really like to know too!:tongue:
  • KyleGA
    KyleGA Posts: 309 Member
    Hi Bethany...I'm looking for a good one as well, havent decided which model yet. But did come across this info which someone put together.

    Heart-Rate Monitors top 5 models according to consumer reports Feb-2011. All are chest-strap models.
    1. Timex Personal Trainer T5G971 - $50, score: 93%
    2. Timex Zone Trainer T5J031 - $75, score: 92%
    3. New Balance N5 - $72, score: 90%
    4. Sportline Duo 1010 - $60, score: 88%
    5. Omron HR-100C - $40, score: 88%
    6. Acumen Ergo Plus - $70, score: 87%
    7. Ekho E-15 - $72, score: 87%

    They should tell you where your heart rate is, whether resting, in your zone or out of your zone and also indicate the amount of calories you're losing for that workout. I would assume they would not be worn all day long...only would wear it and tell you per your workout activity.
  • kristiedavis1
    kristiedavis1 Posts: 95 Member
    It depends on what kind you get as to how and what they log. Most "good" HRM allow you to start them when you begin excercise and stop them when you are complete. During the excercise they monitor heart rate and at the end provide the number of calories it calculates you have burned.
  • Starkle09
    Starkle09 Posts: 238 Member
    it depends on what kind u get. the best are the ones with chest straps as they are constantly monitoring ur heart rate. u can wear them any time and again different brands will do different things. i wear mine only for exercise so that i can accurately monitor my calories burned. i have seen many people on here who wear them throughout the day to see how many calories their bodies burn naturally.
  • TiraG
    TiraG Posts: 68 Member
    Have you heard anything about the BodyBugg? It's what they use on the Biggest Loser, but it's expensive too. I wanted to get it but wasn't sure about how it works.
  • spaztastic13
    spaztastic13 Posts: 229 Member
    I just bought the New Balance N4 and i love it you can put in your age gender weight and hieght!!!!!! And so far i can tell its accurate and it also has a chest strap!!!!!!
  • P90XCertifiedCoach
    P90XCertifiedCoach Posts: 369 Member
    Polar ft7, I did extensive research on the net and on MFP almost everybody on MFP liked polarft7. The polar actually works with my elliptical, and bike at the gym, very cool. polar is user friendly for me and I cant change the time on my watch
  • KimWatring
    KimWatring Posts: 1 Member
    I have the New Balance N4, too! I really like it so far. It keeps me walking at a good pace and tells me when to step it up a bit. I also like how it tells you the calories burned. The continuous heart rate monitors with the band that goes around your chest are the best ones to go for. I think this one was around 50 -60 bucks at Target.
  • Samerah12
    Samerah12 Posts: 610 Member
    Polar ft7, I did extensive research on the net and on MFP almost everybody on MFP liked polarft7. The polar actually works with my elliptical, and bike at the gym, very cool. polar is user friendly for me and I cant change the time on my watch

    I have the same one and I love it. It has a chest strap that measures your heart rate as you exercise and then sends that info to watch that you wear. As you're working out it tells you your heart rate, calories burned and amount of time you've been working out, as well as the actual time. When you're finished working out it also tells you your max and average heart rate for that session. Its great! I'm super happy with mine.
  • crisanderson27
    crisanderson27 Posts: 5,343 Member
    Polar ft7, I did extensive research on the net and on MFP almost everybody on MFP liked polarft7. The polar actually works with my elliptical, and bike at the gym, very cool. polar is user friendly for me and I cant change the time on my watch

    I seriously <3 my Polar FT7 =D.

    $75 shipped from Amazon.

    Cris
  • amandavictoria80
    amandavictoria80 Posts: 734 Member
    Polar ft7, I did extensive research on the net and on MFP almost everybody on MFP liked polarft7. The polar actually works with my elliptical, and bike at the gym, very cool. polar is user friendly for me and I cant change the time on my watch

    Yeah, but with a Polar HRM, you have to send it in to have the battery replaced when it runs out. Then you are without it. That just sucks.

    I tried a few before settling on a less expensive SportLine. :) I love it.
  • amandavictoria80
    amandavictoria80 Posts: 734 Member
    Just make sure you get one with a chest strap. I like the SportLine one they sell at Walmart.
  • crisanderson27
    crisanderson27 Posts: 5,343 Member
    Polar ft7, I did extensive research on the net and on MFP almost everybody on MFP liked polarft7. The polar actually works with my elliptical, and bike at the gym, very cool. polar is user friendly for me and I cant change the time on my watch

    Yeah, but with a Polar HRM, you have to send it in to have the battery replaced when it runs out. Then you are without it. That just sucks.

    I tried a few before settling on a less expensive SportLine. :) I love it.

    Not true hun...it used to be the FT4 had to have the battery replaced at the factory (the FT7 always had a replaceable battery)...but now the FT4's are replaceable too =D.

    Cris
  • Bethany28
    Bethany28 Posts: 263 Member
    Thanks everyone! I will do some research on all the ones yall listed!
  • dlpnrn2b
    dlpnrn2b Posts: 441 Member
    I purchased the polar ft4 and I love it..gives me everything I need except counting my steps. It is way more accurate on calories burned then the machines or wii :) it cost me 69.99 on sale!
  • P90XCertifiedCoach
    P90XCertifiedCoach Posts: 369 Member
    it depends on what kind u get. the best are the ones with chest straps as they are constantly monitoring ur heart rate. u can wear them any time and again different brands will do different things. i wear mine only for exercise so that i can accurately monitor my calories burned. i have seen many people on here who wear them throughout the day to see how many calories their bodies burn naturally.

    Dang I never thought of that.. Duhhhh. I could even wear it while I sleep. I swear sometimes I need a slap in the face to come up with an idea on my own. I have been curious about BMR since being on MFP. I am gonna see how accurate that BMR is
  • crisanderson27
    crisanderson27 Posts: 5,343 Member
    it depends on what kind u get. the best are the ones with chest straps as they are constantly monitoring ur heart rate. u can wear them any time and again different brands will do different things. i wear mine only for exercise so that i can accurately monitor my calories burned. i have seen many people on here who wear them throughout the day to see how many calories their bodies burn naturally.

    Dang I never thought of that.. Duhhhh. I could even wear it while I sleep. I swear sometimes I need a slap in the face to come up with an idea on my own. I have been curious about BMR since being on MFP. I am gonna see how accurate that BMR is

    Be careful with that...even the high quality ones have a margin of error...and that margin is of course multiplied over long periods of time. For example, an hour workout might net you 30-50cal error, multiply that by 24...and you have a 720-1200cal error.
  • hroush
    hroush Posts: 2,073 Member
    Hi Bethany...I'm looking for a good one as well, havent decided which model yet. But did come across this info which someone put together.

    Heart-Rate Monitors top 5 models according to consumer reports Feb-2011. All are chest-strap models.
    1. Timex Personal Trainer T5G971 - $50, score: 93%
    2. Timex Zone Trainer T5J031 - $75, score: 92%
    3. New Balance N5 - $72, score: 90%
    4. Sportline Duo 1010 - $60, score: 88%
    5. Omron HR-100C - $40, score: 88%
    6. Acumen Ergo Plus - $70, score: 87%
    7. Ekho E-15 - $72, score: 87%

    They should tell you where your heart rate is, whether resting, in your zone or out of your zone and also indicate the amount of calories you're losing for that workout. I would assume they would not be worn all day long...only would wear it and tell you per your workout activity.

    Many people also like to have the calories burned, which I can tell you the Omron HR-100C does not do. I didn't discover this until I bought it and thus returned.

    I bought a pro-form TX-300 from walmart for $48. I really like it and would actually wear the watch as a watch. It even has settings for different workouts so that it will calculate calories burned more accurately.
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