Anybody else using heart rate monitor? - Tilted Forum Project Discussion Community

suviko · 10-26-2003, 09:43 AM

So what sort of experiences you have with HRMs? Been curious but haven't tried or used one for years?

Just bought a Polar HRM (model WM1)
http://www.polar.fi/polar/channels/e...WM42_WM41.html

I work at the gym in the mornings, putting the place together before customers come in, and started noticing how many non athlete but regular aerobics or spinning trainer or just people who frequent the gym use those. So I went to ask are they good and how much they cost, and got curious as ppl told me they can see from their heart rate when they are soon getting a flu or how their practicing is starting to pay off. I have never counted calories in my life as I always found it too difficult to keep notes, but now I got a "wrist watch" that does it for me as long as I tell it what my meals (approx) amount in kcals. It also asks my weight every morning, nosy watch... and promises me I will lose 8kg in 11 weeks if I keep doing what it tells me. So now I got a personal exercise and meal plan and I am trying to stick to it. It's silly how much fun it's been to see statistics like how long I have trained in total this week, average HR in last exercise and keep pedalling untill I reach the next full 100-number in kcals.

cliche · 10-26-2003, 12:24 PM

I use a HRM - the Polar S610, which lets you record workouts for later perusal on the computer. We were forced to get them for the boat race; allegedly so the coaches could check up on how hard we were training!

I still use it a lot; I like HRM training as it lets you know exactly how hard you're working when so many other factors vary. I do a lot of cycling; you know the speed you're going at but the wind/gradient/etc make the actual workout something very different.

However, I've gradually discovered I can now tell my HR to within about 5 beats without even looking at the watch - maybe I should give it up?

Mael · 10-26-2003, 03:27 PM

i've been thinking about getting one... how do they work? do the ones you have give you a visual alarm for being in the target zone, or only beeping? i always wear headphones when i run, so wouldn't hear it. do you like the one you have? any other thoughts?

cliche · 10-27-2003, 12:05 AM

You have a chest strap that picks up your HR (from two electrical pads on the back); it transmits a radio signal to the watch, which reads out your HR.

You can get more complicated ones ("coded") which transmit a radio code rather than a pulse, so it doesn't get confused if someone is near you wearing a monitor (the uncoded ones can get very upset in a gym, and start adding your HRs together etc!)

You can get watches that beep, or flash, for your target zone - personally I just try to have a look at mine as I'm going along to see the actual HR rather than just a more vague zone.

Would certainly recommend; but you can probably get away with one of the cheap ones as all the extra functions you get (stopwatch, count calories etc) are generally less important and make it quite a lot more expensive. The only thing I'd consider perhaps useful is the ability to record; but to be honest I only use it because we were made to buy the recording model by our coaches...

10-26-2003, 09:43 AM	#1 (permalink)
suviko Banned	Anybody else using heart rate monitor? So what sort of experiences you have with HRMs? Been curious but haven't tried or used one for years? Just bought a Polar HRM (model WM1) http://www.polar.fi/polar/channels/e...WM42_WM41.html I work at the gym in the mornings, putting the place together before customers come in, and started noticing how many non athlete but regular aerobics or spinning trainer or just people who frequent the gym use those. So I went to ask are they good and how much they cost, and got curious as ppl told me they can see from their heart rate when they are soon getting a flu or how their practicing is starting to pay off. I have never counted calories in my life as I always found it too difficult to keep notes, but now I got a "wrist watch" that does it for me as long as I tell it what my meals (approx) amount in kcals. It also asks my weight every morning, nosy watch... and promises me I will lose 8kg in 11 weeks if I keep doing what it tells me. So now I got a personal exercise and meal plan and I am trying to stick to it. It's silly how much fun it's been to see statistics like how long I have trained in total this week, average HR in last exercise and keep pedalling untill I reach the next full 100-number in kcals.

10-26-2003, 12:24 PM	#2 (permalink)
cliche Rookie Location: Oxford, UK	I use a HRM - the Polar S610, which lets you record workouts for later perusal on the computer. We were forced to get them for the boat race; allegedly so the coaches could check up on how hard we were training! I still use it a lot; I like HRM training as it lets you know exactly how hard you're working when so many other factors vary. I do a lot of cycling; you know the speed you're going at but the wind/gradient/etc make the actual workout something very different. However, I've gradually discovered I can now tell my HR to within about 5 beats without even looking at the watch - maybe I should give it up? __________________ I can't understand why people are frightened of new ideas. I'm frightened of the old ones. -- John Cage (1912 - 1992)

10-27-2003, 12:05 AM	#4 (permalink)
cliche Rookie Location: Oxford, UK	You have a chest strap that picks up your HR (from two electrical pads on the back); it transmits a radio signal to the watch, which reads out your HR. You can get more complicated ones ("coded") which transmit a radio code rather than a pulse, so it doesn't get confused if someone is near you wearing a monitor (the uncoded ones can get very upset in a gym, and start adding your HRs together etc!) You can get watches that beep, or flash, for your target zone - personally I just try to have a look at mine as I'm going along to see the actual HR rather than just a more vague zone. Would certainly recommend; but you can probably get away with one of the cheap ones as all the extra functions you get (stopwatch, count calories etc) are generally less important and make it quite a lot more expensive. The only thing I'd consider perhaps useful is the ability to record; but to be honest I only use it because we were made to buy the recording model by our coaches... __________________ I can't understand why people are frightened of new ideas. I'm frightened of the old ones. -- John Cage (1912 - 1992)

10-26-2003, 03:27 PM	#3 (permalink)
Mael Banned Location: The Hell I Created.	i've been thinking about getting one... how do they work? do the ones you have give you a visual alarm for being in the target zone, or only beeping? i always wear headphones when i run, so wouldn't hear it. do you like the one you have? any other thoughts?