How much do you trust your HRM?
Awake_Alive
Posts: 261 Member
I have a HRM with a strap that I bought for a midline price. While I know I am a big girl, and I will naturally burn more calories throwing my weight around, it seems that I burn SO much more than my MFP pals.
I need opinions...do I trust it, or buy a super expensive HRM?
I need opinions...do I trust it, or buy a super expensive HRM?
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Replies
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What are some of the calories vs time of work out and type of work out? Maybe posting that would help?0
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Depends - what kind did you get? Does it have the option for you to enter your info - gender, height, weight, age, max heart rate, activity level? The more info it has on you, the more accurate I think it would be.0
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I typically burn 600 calories doing 20 minutes of moderate elliptical and 20 minutes of vigorous biking. I'm definitely sweating when I am done!
The brand is Sportline, and I did enter my gender, height, weight, etc. That's why I thought it should be accurate!!! I hope you're right! LOL0 -
I typically burn 600 calories doing 20 minutes of moderate elliptical and 20 minutes of vigorous biking. I'm definitely sweating when I am done!
The brand is Sportline, and I did enter my gender, height, weight, etc. That's why I thought it should be accurate!!! I hope you're right! LOL
That calorie burn sounds a little high. Good luck on figuring out if it's accurate. When I do my exercise log, I round down on the actual time if I'm using the MFP database AND if I'm on gym equipment, I round my weight down. I figure giving myself less credit is better than giving myself too much.
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I would think that it's pretty reasonable. I burn about 350-380 for 4/mile 40 minute run so I would think someone who weighs more would burn more. You could always go on a 75% sure entry. If you burn 600 on your HRM then log 450 calories burned (or something similar).0
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Ahhhh, great ideas!!! Thank you so much!!!0
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On a side note, is that a boxer in your picture alparrish0907? I'm a boxer mom, love those dogs like no other 0
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You could always plug your data into this site to get another idea: http://www.shapesense.com/fitness-exercise/calculators/heart-rate-based-calorie-burn-calculator.aspx0
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I have a very inexpensive Sportline wrist HRM. When I use my elliptical, the readings are the same for both the watch and the machine, so I figure it's fairly accurate
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i trust mine more than i trust MFP or the machines at the gym, but i know its not 100% either.
i usually get about 100 calories burned for every 10 minutes on the elliptical, unless im REALLY pushing myself.. i think ive done 720 calories in an hour before. (im 5'6, 230lbs)0 -
Not sure about the elliptical yet, I just got my Polar F7, but I tried 20 min vigourous biking (avg 14.88 mph) and got credit for 322 cal.
Also doing C25k W5D2 which is walk 5min, run 8min walk 5min run 8min walk 5min and got 299 cal. So it sounds close. I'm 51, 208lb and 5'7". Hope this helps.0 -
I typically burn 600 calories doing 20 minutes of moderate elliptical and 20 minutes of vigorous biking. I'm definitely sweating when I am done!
The brand is Sportline, and I did enter my gender, height, weight, etc. That's why I thought it should be accurate!!! I hope you're right! LOL
I would say it's very accurate.0 -
Try wearing your HRM during normal activities for one hour. This will tell you how many calories you would have burned during that time without exercising at all. I typically burn about 70 calories per hour during normal activities (according to HRM). That might help you get a better idea of how much more you're really burning during exercise.0
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Gaaaaaaah, you guys really are the GREATEST! Thank you all so much for your input, it helps SO MUCH!0
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I wasn't so sure about the accuracy of my HRM, either. Machines, MFP, my Nike+App and the HRM all said something different and the HRM seemed high. I did some research, though, and found The Journal of Sports Sciences has a formula, tweaked for each gender, to calculate calorie burn based on average heart rate. So, I set up the formula in the excel spreadsheet I use to plan my workouts so all I have to do is pop in the variables to figure out my burn. See below.
If you set up an Excel spreadsheet, you can quickly enter the info for your workout to get a good estimate of calories burned.
Variables are:
Age (in years)
Weight (in pounds)
Average Heart Rate
Time (in minutes)
Formula for men:
Calories Burned = [(Age x 0.2017) - (Weight x 0.09036) + (Heart Rate x 0.6309) - 55.0969] x Time / 4.184.
Formula for women:
Calories Burned = [(Age x 0.074) - (Weight x 0.05741) + (Heart Rate x 0.4472) - 20.4022] x Time / 4.184.
I hope this helps you!0 -
Try wearing your HRM during normal activities for one hour. This will tell you how many calories you would have burned during that time without exercising at all. I typically burn about 70 calories per hour during normal activities (according to HRM). That might help you get a better idea of how much more you're really burning during exercise.
HRMs aren't really designed to be worn during regular activities, and the calories burned amount will be quite a bit off from how many calories you actually did burn.
If you really want to know how much you burn on a normal basis, a BodyBugg is a good investment.0 -
I've calculated my calorie expenditure so many ways. I've compared my Timex Ironman results with quite a few things that tell you what you've spent. I originally bought a Nike+ Sportwatch, but wanted the Ironman instead so I switched it out. I used a friends watch that you press against your arm and take in intervals. Also, three different treadmills. I'd say my HRM is accurate +/- 20 calories on a 45 minute workout of any type. Every method I used had some sort of way to input information about myself, and they were all very close to each other. So I would say if it has something to base it's calculations off of, it's going to be reliable.0
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Wow Frogger, I am going to do this! THANK YOU SO MUCH!
BodyBugg? I'll go check it out!0 -
Thank you Darth!!!0
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HI! i LOVE MINE (POLAR F4) ITS VERY ACCURATE ACTUALLY....I ONLY USE MINE FOR CARDIO THOUGH (I HAVE HEARD THEY ARE NOT MUCH GOOD FOR LIFTING) I WOULD ONLY SUGGEST YOU SPEND A DECENT AMOUNT ON ONE IF YOU WANT ACCURATE READING....JUST FROM EXPERIENCE0
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600 calories burned in 20 min sounds excessively high, the first 5 or 10 minutes you're just getting started, hmmmm......something's not right.......0
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thats interesting - when i input my last workout it gives me 353ish, when my HRM gave me 401... hmmI wasn't so sure about the accuracy of my HRM, either. Machines, MFP, my Nike+App and the HRM all said something different and the HRM seemed high. I did some research, though, and found The Journal of Sports Sciences has a formula, tweaked for each gender, to calculate calorie burn based on average heart rate. So, I set up the formula in the excel spreadsheet I use to plan my workouts so all I have to do is pop in the variables to figure out my burn. See below.
If you set up an Excel spreadsheet, you can quickly enter the info for your workout to get a good estimate of calories burned.
Variables are:
Age (in years)
Weight (in pounds)
Average Heart Rate
Time (in minutes)
Formula for men:
Calories Burned = [(Age x 0.2017) - (Weight x 0.09036) + (Heart Rate x 0.6309) - 55.0969] x Time / 4.184.
Formula for women:
Calories Burned = [(Age x 0.074) - (Weight x 0.05741) + (Heart Rate x 0.4472) - 20.4022] x Time / 4.184.
I hope this helps you!0 -
When I am finished my workout, my calories burned average to just over 10cals/minute. For example, today I had 60 minutes of cardio and burned just over 620 according to my HRM. I am in my target heart rate zone for almost all of those minutes. I use a Polar FT4.
I think your reading sounds overboard, but I certainly can't say that for sure considering the specifics of height/weight/HR/etc.0 -
YES!! I am a Boxer mom, too!! Our family does not know what we would do with out her. We adopted her from BoxAR rescue agency in August 2011 and have been head-over-heels in love since.
We also have a Chihuahua (he was my apartment dog in my pre-marriage pre kids days). He is a lot older than Layla (our Boxer) but still fiesty and LOVES to rough house with her. He chases her, nips are her and she chases him...then he runs behind the couch and yaps!! She is going to find a way back there one day 0 -
600 calories burned in 20 min sounds excessively high, the first 5 or 10 minutes you're just getting started, hmmmm......something's not right.......
40 min's was her total workout.0 -
I wasn't so sure about the accuracy of my HRM, either. Machines, MFP, my Nike+App and the HRM all said something different and the HRM seemed high. I did some research, though, and found The Journal of Sports Sciences has a formula, tweaked for each gender, to calculate calorie burn based on average heart rate. So, I set up the formula in the excel spreadsheet I use to plan my workouts so all I have to do is pop in the variables to figure out my burn. See below.
If you set up an Excel spreadsheet, you can quickly enter the info for your workout to get a good estimate of calories burned.
Variables are:
Age (in years)
Weight (in pounds)
Average Heart Rate
Time (in minutes)
Formula for men:
Calories Burned = [(Age x 0.2017) - (Weight x 0.09036) + (Heart Rate x 0.6309) - 55.0969] x Time / 4.184.
Formula for women:
Calories Burned = [(Age x 0.074) - (Weight x 0.05741) + (Heart Rate x 0.4472) - 20.4022] x Time / 4.184.
I hope this helps you!
Is this actually accurate?
According to this I burned about 460 calories today when working out instead of the 296 that my HRM said.0 -
I think most of them are fairly accurate. What I noticed with mine (garmin FR60) is that it was reading higher than the elliptical that I was doing most of my cardio work on. Over time, the HRM came down as I got in better shape. Now it reads fewer calories burned than the elliptical does. HRM has my height, weight, age, gender and when using the elliptical I enter my weight and age.
Both the elliptical and HRM were always less than the MFP database figure. I have always logged the lowest of MFP, the machine if using one, and my HRM. HRM accuracy for calorie burn while weight lifting is not so good, they are best suited for cardio work.0 -
I typically burn 600 calories doing 20 minutes of moderate elliptical and 20 minutes of vigorous biking. I'm definitely sweating when I am done!
The brand is Sportline, and I did enter my gender, height, weight, etc. That's why I thought it should be accurate!!! I hope you're right! LOL
I am 190 and I can burn almost 400 cals on the elliptical in 30 min of mod effort, so I think yours sounds about right. When my sister and I would work out together (she is heavier than I am) we used to compete to see who could burn more... I would ALWAYS have to work harder to catch or beat her cals burned. We both have different model Polar HRMs.0 -
I wasn't so sure about the accuracy of my HRM, either. Machines, MFP, my Nike+App and the HRM all said something different and the HRM seemed high. I did some research, though, and found The Journal of Sports Sciences has a formula, tweaked for each gender, to calculate calorie burn based on average heart rate. So, I set up the formula in the excel spreadsheet I use to plan my workouts so all I have to do is pop in the variables to figure out my burn. See below.
If you set up an Excel spreadsheet, you can quickly enter the info for your workout to get a good estimate of calories burned.
Variables are:
Age (in years)
Weight (in pounds)
Average Heart Rate
Time (in minutes)
Formula for men:
Calories Burned = [(Age x 0.2017) - (Weight x 0.09036) + (Heart Rate x 0.6309) - 55.0969] x Time / 4.184.
Formula for women:
Calories Burned = [(Age x 0.074) - (Weight x 0.05741) + (Heart Rate x 0.4472) - 20.4022] x Time / 4.184.
I hope this helps you!
Is this actually accurate?
According to this I burned about 460 calories today when working out instead of the 296 that my HRM said.
I think it's pretty close - at least with the way I've been calculating it. My personal trainer said it was a reliable formula. The last workout I did (today) the HRM said over 1000 calories were burned...my calculation said 600. Even if it's wrong, I'd rather low-ball my guess than go with the HRM that would indicate 400 more. Based on all the responses about the varying numbers, I think it's safe to say it's not an exact science, no matter what formula or gadget you use. 0 -
I wasn't so sure about the accuracy of my HRM, either. Machines, MFP, my Nike+App and the HRM all said something different and the HRM seemed high. I did some research, though, and found The Journal of Sports Sciences has a formula, tweaked for each gender, to calculate calorie burn based on average heart rate. So, I set up the formula in the excel spreadsheet I use to plan my workouts so all I have to do is pop in the variables to figure out my burn. See below.
If you set up an Excel spreadsheet, you can quickly enter the info for your workout to get a good estimate of calories burned.
Variables are:
Age (in years)
Weight (in pounds)
Average Heart Rate
Time (in minutes)
Formula for men:
Calories Burned = [(Age x 0.2017) - (Weight x 0.09036) + (Heart Rate x 0.6309) - 55.0969] x Time / 4.184.
Formula for women:
Calories Burned = [(Age x 0.074) - (Weight x 0.05741) + (Heart Rate x 0.4472) - 20.4022] x Time / 4.184.
I hope this helps you!
Is this actually accurate?
According to this I burned about 460 calories today when working out instead of the 296 that my HRM said.
My HRM gives a burn of about half of most of the formulae used to calculate calories burned. It's all down to the particular formula your HRM is programmed for. That's why I plug my data into all the "trusted" sources and take a mean number.0
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