Hello,
Anybody use a heart rate monitor to see calories burned? I was looking into maybe getting one, but I am a bit skeptical on the accuracy of these products.

Any and all feedback will help! Thanks!

I use a SPORTLINE and it does that as well as calculates the calories I burn based on my heart rate. It's also waterproof to 50m.

I have a sportline model that I bought at Walmart. A lot of people reccomed the Polar brand, but I couldn't afford it. I'm so glad I went with my Sportline though. It works AWESOME! I can see how many calories I burned, how long I was at my target heart rate for and it yells at me when my heart rate gets to low or to high while working out.

To check for accuracy, I wore it during my workout and then I went to several online workout calculators and put it what type of workout i did and how long I did it for. The numbers matched almost perfectly.

Cool thanks for the info!

I love my heart rate monitor! I am really prone to heat exhaustion and migraines related to overheating. It was suggested that I use a heart-rate monitor to make sure I don't exercise outside of a safe zone and as a result raise my body temperature too high.

I love seeing how many calories I can burn in an hour-long work out and seeing which exercises create the highest calorie burn.

I took the chest strap home to wash on Wednesday and forgot to bring it to the gym today. I thought about just forgetting about my workout because the idea of not having it didn't appeal to me. I worked out but no where near has hard as I should have.

If I could recommend one product to anyone who wants to stay motivated and on track while exercising I would definitely recommend a heart rate monitor. Mine is by POLAR and uses a chest strap that the monitor attaches too and a wrist readout. It can also connect wirelessly to the cardio machines at my gym and displays my heart rate the way it would if you used the sensors but it is constant.

I know that the more accurate ones are those that use a chest strap set-up compared to one which is only on the wrist. You can get some pretty fancy ones but mine is fairly simple and works great for me.

Cool, which model polar are you using?

I've had it for 2 years now so there are probably newer better models available but I went for the one that was best for my price range. I keep it in my locker at the gym so unfortunately do not have the model info with me at the moment. I bought it at a running specialty store because they tend to be very knowledgeable about there products and can really help choose something that is right for you.

Thanks!

I went ahead and got myself an HRM. I decided on the Polar FT4. It is pretty awesome and EASY to use. I even tested the accuracy at this site.....It goes off your average HR...etc.

http://www.shapesense.com/fitness-ex...alculator.aspx

You won't regret getting the Polar.

I have an old model (a polar f4) which I have used for a couple of years, and I love it. It keeps me motivated and makes me feel more in control of getting the maximum out of my workouts.

I am looking for a new Polar now, and will probably getting something like the FT4.

I have the Polar FT4. Love it! Love it! Love it! It even talks to the LifeStyle machines at the gym. My workouts have become much more efficient since using it.

Accuracy? All it does is track your heart rate, the rest is math (based on your settings for age/weight)...and the computer chip inside takes care of that.

Enjoy!