Those of you who have a heart rate monitor

C

cjbate

Cathlete
I am thinking about investing in one, and lately I have seen these things called a Heart Rate Watch, they are about $50, and do NOT use the chest strap to continually monitor you. Rather, there is a little button on the watch that you have to press with your finger, and with 3 beats it tells you your heart rate.

I guess my question is, I am wondering if I will prefer not having the chest strap. Do they bug you? I am not sure I will want to strap extra things to my body, more than necessary. However, I might like the continuous monitoring the strap provides. WDYT?

Thanks
Jen
 
I have used HRM's for about 10-15 years. The chest strap never bothers me except some times in the summer when I use it to run and the weather is real warm I get some chafing spots. I can prevent those if I remember! IMO the best way to monitor your HR is with the chest strap...:)
 
I wouldn't bother with any HRM that doesn't come with a chest strap.
HRM's are so awesome, I don't do a workout without it!!!

The chest strap counts every beat so you can calculate calories burned, % from fat, average HR, Max HR, it's great! And you don't have to worry about it during your workout. You just turn it on nd go!

With the other kind...the finger one...you have to interupt your momentum to hold your finger on there...yes, only 3 seconds but still! I like just being able to look down at any time and see my HR staring at me.

The chest strap provides more information about your workout.

IMO, the other is a waste of money.

Finally, the strap doesn't bug me. It sits right where my sprts bra strap hits. If I chafe in the Summer, I dab on some hydrocortisone but I rarely have to do that!

Treat yourself! Go get a HRM with a strap!!! You won't be sorry!
 
I don't normally use a HRM, but since I hurt my knee and am limited to bicycling, I swear by it. It doesn't cause any discomfort at all.
 
I agree with the other posters. A heart rate monitor (with a chest strap) will change the way you think about your workouts and will enhance your understanding of your body and fitness. I LOVE LOVE LOVE my HRM.

I had the second-cheapest Polar monitor for several years, then it got lost in a move, so I replaced it with a Nike one, which was about three times as heavy, and which chafed SO MUCH I couldn't wear a sports bra for three days. So I sent it back and got the very same Polar version, just like before, and I've never had a problem with it. I got it at REI for around 80 bucks, and I'm very happy with it!

Good luck and happy shopping!

Dee
 
Thanks everybody...I am glad I asked. The "loss of momentum" was something that occurred to me later on today....I can't even turn my IPOD up without tripping and nearly killing myself on the treadmill.
;-)
Jen
 
Just my $.02 here...I have the Polar F6 and love it! I cannot work out without it any longer.. sometimes I think it's an obsession.. if I forget to hit the start button and don;t realize it until the workout is over, I feel like it didn;t count! How dumb is that? LOL

Deb:)
 
I may be in the minority, but I've worn one without a chest strap for a long time. I hate the chest strap. I'm sensitve and it bothers me. I'm used to my Mio Drive (www.gophysical.com) and the Mio Ultimate comes with a chest strap and it has the buttons on the watch so you have the option of going without. That's the one I'm getting next time, but I couldn't afford it the last time my HRM died. The key to getting good readings with the strapless ones are being sure to take our HR throughout the workout at peaks and lows. I guess it all depends on if you can stand the chest strap and what you can get used to.
 
I used to use the strap one too. It annoyed me because if it wasn't on at the right spot, it wouldn't read my HR. I'd find myself having to adjust it through my workout. I found it to be a PIA!

I ended up getting the strapless one, actually a cheaper model at Walmart. It's just the watch. I think it works fine. Probably not 100% accurate, but it definitely can count my pulse right. And you do enter specific info so it can count the calories burned (age, weight, resting HR).

And yes, I hit it to find my HR during maximum and minimum times throughout my workout. it doesn't take but a few seconds.

~Chris
 
>.. sometimes I think it's an
>obsession.. if I forget to hit the start button and don;t
>realize it until the workout is over, I feel like it didn;t
>count! How dumb is that? LOL
>
>Deb:)


That's so funny!! : )
 
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