Heart Rate Monitors??

J

Jenn1973

Cathlete
Hi Everyone....
I have read alot of posts about heart rate monitors....and am uncertain as to which one I should purchase???
I plan to start a running program, and I want to make sure I stay in my taget heart rate zone....
Can anyone recommend a good one.....I really don't mind spending $$$...if it is going to be easy to use and comfortable too!!!
Thanks All....
Jenn
 
A HR monitor is a great investment, especially for running and spinning, when you have to make sure your HR doesn't get TOO high.

I originally got a Reebok HR monitor cause it looked neat, but it was way too big/clunky on my wrist. Then I got a Polar one and like it a lot. It's a middle model, around $90 I think. I got it online at Sports Authority or one of those places. Look around for free shipping or $ off if you're buying it online.

Anyway, my Polar is still big in the sense that the "face" covers my whole wrist. But it works well. Mine has special features like how long you were in your HR zone, your % HR, how long your workout was, etc. I only really use the clock, time working out, and of course, HR monitor. So look around for the features you think you'll use. If I could buy one again, I'd just want a simple one. Polar is one of the more popular brands and I think it's a good investment.
 
Jenn,
I have a polar beat, the most simple model. I paid $50 for it at CitySports (10% off, it was the floor model). All it tells me is my hr at any given time, no bells and whistles. I love it, though, and don't think I need anything more. I know where my hr should be, so I'm all set with my model. It works very well, it's dependable. I did have to send back the chest strap transmitter at one point to get a new battery (I think you have to do this periodically) but all is well with my hr monitor. Sometimes if you get to close to anything electrical (TV, etc.) the transmitter gets confused and it loses the reading of your hr, but this is easily fixed. Just back away form the tv, and it will reread your hr. This I believe happens with all hr monitors.
Kathy
 
LOL!! No offense, but i love these posts where people are buying HRM's to make sure they are in the "zone" while RUNNING!!!! Like there is any NON ZONE for that sport!!

HRM are cool. I have a Polar A3 or 5, don't know which. Very cool for awhile until you figure out most everything you are doing is keeping you in the "zone".....

I say get one. You can never have too many TOYS right???

Janice
 
Hi Janice
I don't understand what you meant by the 1st paragraph in your post about they're being a non-zone in running. You can easily be out of the zone while running- your HR flys up and then shoots down since it's such an intense workout. I use my HR monitor for this since I already am aware of my zone for aerobics.

You could've meant something totally different than what I thought- it probably just went over my head! sorry! Just wanted to know what you meant.
 
l23...

That is exactly what I meant. Your heart rate should not be jumping around that much when you are running. If you are keeping a constant pace your HR should stay relatively the same. The fact that running is intense does not produce an erratic HR reading. I was saying that automatically you are atleast working at 60%, more likely 75% and alot of times 80-85%. If you are full out running and you are not in this "zone" that is very unusual. Maybe your HR monitor is not working right.

Unless you are walking/sprinting/hiking or something along those lines, your HR should not be so varied. Where is your logic that because it is an intense workout your HR shoots up and then down?? Just curious as to how you formed this opinion. And if we are talking about the same "zone", approx. 65-85% MHR than regardless of whether you are doing aerobics or whether you are running, it should be in this same range. Is this what you mean???

Janice
 
I've loved my Polar heart rate monitors. I consider my Polar HR monitor to be the single most important piece of exercise equipment I have ever purchased!
At first, I used my husband's hand-me-downs because he always wants all the new features and gadgets. All but one of them are still working. But, like Kathy, I finally bought myself the SIMPLEST one, which is my favorite. I just want the monitor to tell me my HR at any given moment. I don't need for it to beep when I am out of my range, because I know my range and I am usually on the treadmill with nothing to do but watch the monitor anyway. Unless you're an engineer, like my husband, the fancy models are rather difficult to manage because of the sensitivity of the monitor.
For biking or running you may need a more advanced model, which would include telling you what time it is, but try to keep it as simple as possible. Whatever your aerobic sport, you need to have a sense of what your heart is doing, just for your own understanding of how your body responds to activities.
TIP: place a few drops of hot water on your skin under the monitor before starting, to get it going.
 
I think my runs are more intervals and that's why it shoots up. I'll run a hill, my HR gets at the high end (or even out) of the zone. Then a walk for less than a minute and it just goes down quickly on it's own. That's why the HR monitor helps me- because with runs, my HR just goes up and down so much. With the monitor, I can make sure it doesn't get too high or low, since I'm not as familiar w. what my zone should be as I am when doing a Cathe tape. I'm sure it's different if you're going at a steady pace while running though.
 
l23..
Thanks for the elaboration. That makes perfect sense. I don't seem to have much interest in HRM's just because they always tell me I am working too hard. I am an intensity freak. Never want to slow down. So then, every time I work out and the darn thing starts beeping at me I get mad. Then I start to wonder why my HR never seems to get better for any given exercise (get lower). Finally, I just realized that atleast with me, I don't think I ever exercise below 60% MHR, so why bother to wear it?? I do now for like what you said, interval routines. That I think is very smart!!

Janice
 
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