I'm scoping out Smartwatches for android

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MissDenise1952
MissDenise1952 Posts: 41 Member
in Fitness and Exercise
One friend, I know of, has an Apple Watch that they use for their strength training/weights. My question is, does anyone have an Android Smartwatch they like? I realize nothing is going to be super accurate, but close or "in the ballpark" is fine for me.

I don't care for using anything that you have to have besides the watch itself. I have a Polar and detest wearing that strap around my chest. I guess "all in one" kinda thing is what I want:)

Replies

  • dewd2
    dewd2 Posts: 2,449 Member
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    Just curious what you want it for? Is there a reason you wear a strap for lifting? I assume that's a Polar HRM?

    I had an original Moto watch and several others and finally just gave up. The watches were awesome for normal Android stuff but were horrible for tracking my runs. I finally just got a sport specific Garmin.
  • AnnPT77
    AnnPT77 Posts: 32,164 Member
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    It matters what you're trying to track. I like my Garmin Vivoactive 3, and it will work with either iOS or Android. I don't even need the phone with me constantly; the watch will hold onto the data until I'm back in Bluetooth range of the phone. Depending on what functions you need, a cheaper model might work (I really, really need GPS tracking).

    I still use a chest strap for rowing: Some activities just aren't that compatible with wrist-based HRM.

    HRM generally are quite inaccurate for lifting, BTW. Most of the heart rate increase during lifting comes from strain, not calorie-burning exertion, for most people.
  • MissDenise1952
    MissDenise1952 Posts: 41 Member
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    I appreciate both replies, and to be honest, I like gadgets, and if there's one for lifting then I want it. Sounds like the Garmin is the one I need to get if I insist on having something for lifting. Also I can see I need to do more "homework" on all one of these watches will do. Thanks again to both of you. I don't know why there isn't a reply to each of you individually but hope dewd see's this too;)
  • MissDenise1952
    MissDenise1952 Posts: 41 Member
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    Oh, I see now there's a quote. I've had a migraine all morning and brain is foggy, very foggy:(
  • MissDenise1952
    MissDenise1952 Posts: 41 Member
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    dewd2 wrote: »
    Just curious what you want it for? Is there a reason you wear a strap for lifting? I assume that's a Polar HRM?

    I had an original Moto watch and several others and finally just gave up. The watches were awesome for normal Android stuff but were horrible for tracking my runs. I finally just got a sport specific Garmin.
    I don't wear the Polar (yes, hrm) for lifting, that's why I was looking at the watches. I just happened to read a post that was about one person using one (an Apple Watch) for lifting:)

  • dewd2
    dewd2 Posts: 2,449 Member
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    MissDenise1952 wrote: »
    dewd2 wrote: »
    Just curious what you want it for? Is there a reason you wear a strap for lifting? I assume that's a Polar HRM?

    I had an original Moto watch and several others and finally just gave up. The watches were awesome for normal Android stuff but were horrible for tracking my runs. I finally just got a sport specific Garmin.
    I don't wear the Polar (yes, hrm) for lifting, that's why I was looking at the watches. I just happened to read a post that was about one person using one (an Apple Watch) for lifting:)

    Gotcha. My Garmin has a lifting app built in but I never tried it. I assume it tries to count reps but I figure I'm pretty good at counting to 10 so I never bothered. :) And since heart rate is really meaningless when lifting I never looked at it any closer.

    Good luck.
  • MissDenise1952
    MissDenise1952 Posts: 41 Member
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    Yeah it's really just a matter of preference. I am going to check out the garmin's I seem to remember that they are pretty high-priced maybe I won't want to go that far who knows I reserve the right to change my mind and say the heck with calories burned when lifting
  • dewd2
    dewd2 Posts: 2,449 Member
    edited February 2019
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    MissDenise1952 wrote: »
    Yeah it's really just a matter of preference. I am going to check out the garmin's I seem to remember that they are pretty high-priced maybe I won't want to go that far who knows I reserve the right to change my mind and say the heck with calories burned when lifting

    Don't waste money on a watch if that's what you want it for. It won't be accurate. Plus, lifting doesn't burn much anyway.
  • NorthCascades
    NorthCascades Posts: 10,970 Member
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    dewd2 wrote: »
    MissDenise1952 wrote: »
    dewd2 wrote: »
    Just curious what you want it for? Is there a reason you wear a strap for lifting? I assume that's a Polar HRM?

    I had an original Moto watch and several others and finally just gave up. The watches were awesome for normal Android stuff but were horrible for tracking my runs. I finally just got a sport specific Garmin.
    I don't wear the Polar (yes, hrm) for lifting, that's why I was looking at the watches. I just happened to read a post that was about one person using one (an Apple Watch) for lifting:)

    Gotcha. My Garmin has a lifting app built in but I never tried it. I assume it tries to count reps but I figure I'm pretty good at counting to 10 so I never bothered. :) And since heart rate is really meaningless when lifting I never looked at it any closer.

    Good luck.

    It counts reps, but you can use the up and down buttons to correct it. It uses the motion sensor to guess what exercise you're doing (deadlift, squat, etc) but you can correct it in Connect. I do renegade rows, it detects them as rows but I do cable machine rows too (physical therapy) so I like to keep them separate. You get a chart of your reps and volume per exercise in the website, so you can see your progress. It's pretty neat overall.

    I've tried wearing a chest strap to the gym a few times, but I could never figure out how to get anything useful from it.
  • MissDenise1952
    MissDenise1952 Posts: 41 Member
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    NorthCascades wrote: »
    dewd2 wrote: »
    MissDenise1952 wrote: »
    dewd2 wrote: »
    Just curious what you want it for? Is there a reason you wear a strap for lifting? I assume that's a Polar HRM?

    I had an original Moto watch and several others and finally just gave up. The watches were awesome for normal Android stuff but were horrible for tracking my runs. I finally just got a sport specific Garmin.
    I don't wear the Polar (yes, hrm) for lifting, that's why I was looking at the watches. I just happened to read a post that was about one person using one (an Apple Watch) for lifting:)

    Gotcha. My Garmin has a lifting app built in but I never tried it. I assume it tries to count reps but I figure I'm pretty good at counting to 10 so I never bothered. :) And since heart rate is really meaningless when lifting I never looked at it any closer.

    Good luck.

    It counts reps, but you can use the up and down buttons to correct it. It uses the motion sensor to guess what exercise you're doing (deadlift, squat, etc) but you can correct it in Connect. I do renegade rows, it detects them as rows but I do cable machine rows too (physical therapy) so I like to keep them separate. You get a chart of your reps and volume per exercise in the website, so you can see your progress. It's pretty neat overall.

    I've tried wearing a chest strap to the gym a few times, but I could never figure out how to get anything useful from it.

    Sorry I did a post but I'm doing voice to text on my Android so it didn't show up but anyway I wanted did thank you North Cascades because I figured it was a matter of settings I mean for the cost of the watches they must do a lot and it's a matter of you know study in the manual and playing around with the thing to figure out the right settings to get what you need so anyway thanks a lot and I do love the Cascades a lot of my childhood was spent up there in Oregon in the Oregon Cascades have a good evening
  • AnnPT77
    AnnPT77 Posts: 32,164 Member
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    MissDenise1952 wrote: »
    Yeah it's really just a matter of preference. I am going to check out the garmin's I seem to remember that they are pretty high-priced maybe I won't want to go that far who knows I reserve the right to change my mind and say the heck with calories burned when lifting

    Honestly, for lifting, the calorie estimate in the MFP database is probably at least as realistic as anything a HRM will give you as a calorie estimate. Heart rate and actual calorie burn don't correlate very well at all. Mostly, our heart rate goes up from strain when lifting, not calorie burn.

    Some good background info here (it's an oldie but goodie: still very sound):

    https://www.myfitnesspal.com/blog/Azdak/view/hrms-cannot-count-calories-during-strength-training-17698

    and also:

    https://www.myfitnesspal.com/blog/Azdak/view/the-real-facts-about-hrms-and-calories-what-you-need-to-know-before-purchasing-an-hrm-or-using-one-21472

    I have a Garmin Vivoactive 3. I don't link it to MFP. For weight training, I use the MFP database to estimate calories, not the Garmin. (Yes, it's a trivial amount of calories, but I'm one of those weirdos whom strength training makes ravenous, so I'm eatin' 'em.)
  • MissDenise1952
    MissDenise1952 Posts: 41 Member
    edited February 2019
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    Geez Ann, that was a good read (I just did the first link so far). I've never gotten interested in weight-training and it's "possible" calorie burn in that past. I admit I saw someone else listing numbers (yes, I can get obsessed with those numbers) so I wanted to try it out. It was hard to take finding out that the Earth is not flat after all though :/:D I'll just keep doin it the way I do it. It's working, so why should I fix it right ;) Thanks so much, and I will check out the other link Azdak posted:)

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