HRM question...

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hazysmama
hazysmama Posts: 15 Member
in Health and Weight Loss
I searched the forums before I decided to post this. (I promise!)

I purchased a Timex HRM with a chest strap. It has weight/age not male or female settings. I know many of your speak very highly of the PolarFT (?), however I was not ready/sure if I would use it/love it, so spending $60 was much easier to swallow.

Now, here is my question...I wear it while on my elliptical and there is a significant difference. Let's say...Elliptical says 315 calories burned (weight/age entered) and HRM says 465 after a 30 minute hardcore, sweating my butt off high resistance workout. Now...Let's say I am doing the 30 day Shred, ripped in 30 or something similar that I log as "circuit training". My HRM says something like 350-450 depending. Many of you that have done the shred or ripped in 30 say something like 170-270 cals burned. Yes, I am working my butt off and feel as though I have burned 1000 calories during the workout!!!

What should I do? MFP says it is 228 calories. What would you do? I know the #1 suggestion will be to invest in a better HRM I'm in Canada...way more expensive here!

I want to make sure I am logging things correctly.

P.S: I am 5'5, 150 lbs and my resting heart rate is high and always has been . (74-80 ish)

Replies

  • Samerah12
    Samerah12 Posts: 610 Member
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    Oh thats tough! If I were you I'd google reviews of the timex and try to find out whether other people found it to be accurate or not. Its really going to be impossible to tell how accurate it is unless you compare it to another HRM. 350 cals does sound high for the shred but not too crazy a number, especially if your resting HR is that high.
  • tageekly
    tageekly Posts: 3,755 Member
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    My Polar was only about $65 - I got the FT7 from Amazon. But it could be much more for you being in Canada.

    I found that MFP and the machines were much higher than the HRM - sometimes as much as 30% higher. It could be showing the opposite for you with the elliptical being lower.

    Also remember that calories burned vary by person based on their weight. The people doing 30DS burning 170 might be 30 pounds less than you or they might not be working as hard and keeping their heart rate up. I burned about 280 in the 30DS and just started Ripped in 30 and about burning 100 more than that because my heart rate stays elevated the whole time, rather than fluctuating.

    Either way, the fact that you're wearing a chest strap makes the HRM more accurate than MFP and the machines so use those calories.
  • mewaybright
    mewaybright Posts: 240 Member
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    Well the number of calories you burn is determined on how hard you are working... not how hard someone else works. So long as you validate your heart rate with another source and the HRM you own is accurate then you can calculate your calories burned with this website http://www.shapesense.com/fitness-exercise/calculators/heart-rate-based-calorie-burn-calculator.aspx I do not base my calorie burn against what others say they burn when working out at a specific workout... and I use an average heart rate. I have days where I only burn 400 calories on a workout and days when I burn over 1000. Remember the less you weigh and the more in shape you become the less calories you will burn doing the same workouts.
  • hazysmama
    hazysmama Posts: 15 Member
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    Thanks guys! I appreciate your responses!

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