Heart Rate Monitor

[Noddy]

Anyone have one?  <br />
<br />
Handy?<br />
<br />
What type?<br />
<br />
How much?<br />
<br />
Cheers!

[BartMan]

yeah, have one, used it all the time to start, never used the facts and figures that it gave me, never use it now, was a good flash one, will find the model type when I go home.<br />
<br />
Verdict:  Waste of money for me.

[Virgil]

On my exercycle bike it can measure your pulse rate.<br />
Mine gets up to around 130-140,which for my age is where its supposed to be.

[Noddy]

the people who are guiding me through my current program talk about the optimal fat burning range, above which you are burning carbohydrates instead of fat (and getting hungry) and below which you are not burning anything, well not enough.<br />
<br />
I am doing plenty of excercise now, and would like to be sure that I am in the right range,

[Virgil]

[quote name='Noddy']<br />
the people who are guiding me through my current program talk about the optimal fat burning range, above which you are burning carbohydrates instead of fat (and getting hungry) and below which you are not burning anything, well not enough.<br />
<br />
I am doing plenty of excercise now, and would like to be sure that I am in the right range,<br />
[/quote]<br />
<br />
What range are you aiming to be in?

[Noddy]

121-140

[Paekakboyz]

just bought a pulse watch off trademe and heading home for a run to test it out... mainly wanted a stop watch (I know how far I go so I can work out other stats etc) but thought a pulse indicator would be useful. Two different bands to work within as I've had it explained to me... <br />
<br />
going for fitness - higher intensity exercise at 80% plus of max heart rate<br />
Fat burning - lower intensity workout at 60/70% of max rate <br />
<br />
Aiming to whack the time, ave heart rate date etc into a basic excel spreadsheet - something easy to update that might motivate a bit more improvement in my fitness/running.<br />
<br />
Cost - $48 including delivery and its listed with an RRP of $126.00 (although you never really know on trademe). <br />
<br />
Will post an update of its usefulness if anyone is interested.

[WillieTheWaiter]

[quote name='Noddy']<br />
the people who are guiding me through my current program talk about the optimal fat burning range, above which you are burning carbohydrates instead of fat (and getting hungry) and below which you are not burning anything, well not enough.<br />
<br />
I am doing plenty of excercise now, and would like to be sure that I am in the right range,<br />
[/quote]<br />
<br />
here you go mate - $38.<br />
<br />
[url="http://www.torpedo7.co.nz/products/EOCUHNNRU&contentId=weeklyspecials.html"]http://www.torpedo7.co.nz/products/EOCU ... cials.html[/url]<br />
<br />
sounds like you just want one for seeing what your heart rate is so no need to spend the big $$$ to get a million functions you'll never use.<br />
<br />
torpedo 7 has an aus website too.<br />
<br />
i reckon about 95% of people that have heart rate monitors wouldn't have a clue about how to use them correctly etc

[BartMan]

dead right WtW - mine has got all these whistles and bells, and no idea how to use it but for the heart rate thing.  Should have got a cheap one too.  But the flash one I got was pretty cheap compaired to retail.

[aucklandwarlord]

I bought one from rebel sports a few years ago, the chest strap was faulty pretty much from the start, but one of those things that I put off taking in and now the warranty is expired. However, I still use my brothers chest strap with my watch (different brands, but the watch picks up any chest straps). I find it quite handy when I'm training as I like to keep my heart rate up round 160-170. Also helps me account for training intensity when I start a training session tired. Sometimes the body decieves you into thinking it is working at full noise when really it is other factors. I find some days I feel really strong at 160 beats per minute, and some days I feel buggered at 140 - its just good to have a leveller.<br />
<br />
Polar are probably the most recognised brand for heart rate monitors as far as I know, I think my set was about $120, which wasnt the most expensive, but wasnt the cheapest either.

[749]

I have used a polar HRM for a while now, has some features that I find really useful. I guess I use it more as a sports watch with the added bonus of the HR stuff.<br />

1. the ability to record excersise on the watch. Basically the unit measures time excersising, HR, calories burned and time in target range, then you can download it to their website, even up to once every couple of weeks if you can't do it earlier. Find it really handy, cause I'm usually to buggered to remember all of this stuff at the end of a session.<br />
   <br />
2. Take it with a pinch of salt, but the calaries burned setting is pretty cool if you keep the personal details accurate. Used it last week whilst snow boarding and was astonished how hard I was working. It claimed I burned 3500 calories in 6 hours on the slopes! (Was going pretty hard)<br />
   <br />
3. For different training aims the HR is pretty useful, as someone mentioned above you can feel like you're working pretty hard but a quick glance will confirm it.

[BartMan]

that sounds like my one to 749 - records all that guff, but I have never learned how to use it properly.  Might just have to read the instructions, dammit.

[Paekakboyz]

[quote name='BartMan']<br />
that sounds like my one to 749 - records all that guff, but I have never learned how to use it properly.  Might just have to read the instructions, dammit.<br />
[/quote]<br />
<br />
Stay Strong Bartman!! - thats a pretty drastic option (reading instructions  <img src='http://www.daimenhutchison.com/invision/public/style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/blink.png' class='bbc_emoticon' alt=':)' />)

[Noddy]

[quote]here you go mate - $38.<br />
<br />
[url="http://www.torpedo7.co.nz/products/EOCUHNNRU&contentId=weeklyspecials.html"]http://www.torpedo7.co.nz/products/EOCU ... cials.html[/url][/quote]<br />
<br />
ok sold! Well bought.  Saved me $80 or so as I was going to buy a 'basic' version at $140 yesterday.<br />
<br />
Cheers.

[WillieTheWaiter]

[quote name='749']<br />
I have used a polar HRM for a while now, has some features that I find really useful. I guess I use it more as a sports watch with the added bonus of the HR stuff.<br />

1. the ability to record excersise on the watch. Basically the unit measures time excersising, HR, calories burned and time in target range, then you can download it to their website, even up to once every couple of weeks if you can't do it earlier. Find it really handy, cause I'm usually to buggered to remember all of this stuff at the end of a session.<br />
   <br />
2. Take it with a pinch of salt, but the calaries burned setting is pretty cool if you keep the personal details accurate. Used it last week whilst snow boarding and was astonished how hard I was working. It claimed I burned 3500 calories in 6 hours on the slopes! (Was going pretty hard)<br />
   <br />
3. For different training aims the HR is pretty useful, as someone mentioned above you can feel like you're working pretty hard but a quick glance will confirm it.<br />
   [/quote]<br />
   <br />
   the problem with teh polars is their cost.  If i was going to spend money on a decent HR watch i'd be buying a Garmin GPS watch as their heart rate functionality is top notch

[aucklandwarlord]

[quote name='WillieTheWaiter']<br />
<br />
<br />
the problem with teh polars is their cost.  If i was going to spend money on a decent HR watch i'd be buying a Garmin GPS watch as their heart rate functionality is top notch<br />
[/quote]<br />
<br />
rebel sports during a sale isnt too bad for prices. Given that rebel sports has a 50% off sale every weekend, chances of picking one up cheap are quite good

[749]

[quote name='WillieTheWaiter']<br />
[quote name='749']<br />
I have used a polar HRM for a while now, has some features that I find really useful. I guess I use it more as a sports watch with the added bonus of the HR stuff.<br />

1. the ability to record excersise on the watch. Basically the unit measures time excersising, HR, calories burned and time in target range, then you can download it to their website, even up to once every couple of weeks if you can't do it earlier. Find it really handy, cause I'm usually to buggered to remember all of this stuff at the end of a session.<br />
   <br />
2. Take it with a pinch of salt, but the calaries burned setting is pretty cool if you keep the personal details accurate. Used it last week whilst snow boarding and was astonished how hard I was working. It claimed I burned 3500 calories in 6 hours on the slopes! (Was going pretty hard)<br />
   <br />
3. For different training aims the HR is pretty useful, as someone mentioned above you can feel like you're working pretty hard but a quick glance will confirm it.<br />
   [/quote]<br />
   <br />
   the problem with teh polars is their cost.  If i was going to spend money on a decent HR watch i'd be buying a Garmin GPS watch as their heart rate functionality is top notch<br />
   [/quote]<br />
   <br />
   The polar definately wasn't the cheapest option out there but it has been going solid for at least a couple of hours a week for over 2 years. Can't fault it. Plus the website has heaps of good stuff in it.<br />
   <br />
   The Garmin GPS stuff does sound very tempting WtW, might have to pick one up when the polar does give up the ghost - have you used them before? Have head the GPS tends to drop out a bit