calories burned/hrm/how do you calculate it?

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jdsmom0104
jdsmom0104 Posts: 236
in Fitness and Exercise
i have a polar ft4 that i've had for over a month now & really like it, BUT, i dont think it's accurately counting properly... i avg 400 cal burned for a 50min HIGH impact zumba class.... i used a friends' hrm- sportline & i showed i did twice as many cal as i usually do... which makes more sense... how do you calculate yours... & how can you know it's as accurate as possible?

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  • jdsmom0104
    jdsmom0104 Posts: 236
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    bump
  • TeaBea
    TeaBea Posts: 14,517 Member
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    Did the Sportline HRM have a chest strap? Did you change the settings in the Sportline (age, height, weight, gender) before using it?

    If you made all these setting changes, and you used a chest strap (for both) .... the reading should be similar. Maybe you didn't have the best "contact" .... were both chest straps snug?

    The only other thing I can think of are the batteries .....
  • jdsmom0104
    jdsmom0104 Posts: 236
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    mine (polar) does have a chest strap.... but it going under your breasts.... how is it accurately measuring heart rate..? :huh:
    hers (sportline) doesn't have a chest strap, rather, it measures the pulse (??) so confused
  • TeaBea
    TeaBea Posts: 14,517 Member
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    The chest strap is the transmitter & the watch is the reciever. The black thingie (that you moisten) provides a contact point - it measures your heart rate continuosly.

    http://www.heart-rate-monitor-watches.com/types-of-heart-rate-monitors.html


    HRMs that are wrist only do not measure your heart rate continously. Therefore, less accurate.
  • Rosemarose
    Rosemarose Posts: 69 Member
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    It goes under your breast because that's where your heart is. So in essence, it is taking an accurate account of your heart rate and transmitting it to your watch. The calories your HRM gave you sound about right for a Zumba class, since you're burning about 7-10 calories per minute.
  • 987Runner
    987Runner Posts: 209
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    Also, smaller people don't burn as many calories. :cry: I have no idea of your size but you look small. That's one crummy thing, the only crummy thing, about getting smaller, you burn less calories. I think for intense exercising, like Rosemarose said, 7-10 calories sounds right. But again, your size is a big factor too.
  • jdsmom0104
    jdsmom0104 Posts: 236
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    Also, smaller people don't burn as many calories. :cry: I have no idea of your size but you look small. That's one crummy thing, the only crummy thing, about getting smaller, you burn less calories. I think for intense exercising, like Rosemarose said, 7-10 calories sounds right. But again, your size is a big factor too.

    yeah, it sucks... thought it was so much more :sad:
  • jdsmom0104
    jdsmom0104 Posts: 236
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    It goes under your breast because that's where your heart is. So in essence, it is taking an accurate account of your heart rate and transmitting it to your watch. The calories your HRM gave you sound about right for a Zumba class, since you're burning about 7-10 calories per minute.

    :sad: i was misled
  • jdsmom0104
    jdsmom0104 Posts: 236
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    Also, smaller people don't burn as many calories. :cry: I have no idea of your size but you look small. That's one crummy thing, the only crummy thing, about getting smaller, you burn less calories. I think for intense exercising, like Rosemarose said, 7-10 calories sounds right. But again, your size is a big factor too.

    btw.... im not small... 5*2 and around 148-150... boo!
  • scapez
    scapez Posts: 2,018 Member
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    Go with the Polar, as others have said it's far more accurate than any wrist only HRMs.
  • CVALGAL
    CVALGAL Posts: 108 Member
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    This may not help you, but I have the same type of HRM as you. When I first started using it, I was surprised at how few calories I was burning with high intensity work outs. Then my doctor took me off the beta blocker I was taking for my high blood pressure. Voila==calories burned went way up. The beta blocker med was keeping my heart rate from getting too high. I am much happier with the results now.
  • kritik
    kritik Posts: 110 Member
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    Stick with your Polar HRM. The one without the strap will not be as accurate.
  • Ding724
    Ding724 Posts: 791 Member
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    I also have the Polar FT4 with the chest strap. It gauges that I burn anywhere rom 350-550 calories doing the various hardcore P90X workouts for about 55 minutes. I think it's very accurate.

    *I am 5'9 & about 155 lbs*
  • beachdiva2010
    beachdiva2010 Posts: 180 Member
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    Bump for later.
  • shepherdbl
    shepherdbl Posts: 32 Member
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    I am thinking about getting a HRM and find these comments very helpful. Thanks everyone. :drinker:
  • animatorswearbras
    animatorswearbras Posts: 1,001 Member
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    yeah I have a ft4 that I use for Zumba I'm 5'5" and 146 pounds and I really go for it when I do a zumba sesh usually rack up about 450 - 500 per 1hr sesh and my heart gets up to about 170 bpm during the fastest songs and starts beeping at me. I'm still happy with that though, that's more or less dinner burnt off ;P

    I know it advertises that you can burn up to 1000 cals an hour but I think that must be if you're bigger as it's alot more effort on your bodies part. :)

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