Heart Rate Monitors

abigailANDnicholas

I got sick of being a couch potato so I got my butt to the gym and started working with a trainer. She's recommending a heart rate monitor to help with my weight loss. I don't want to spend more than $75. Yes, I know many of you have spent 4x that much but I don't need all the bells and whistles, just HR and kcal counts. Oh, and chest strap or no chest strap? I do Zumba and other cardio classes and I use the elliptical. Any recommendations? Thanks!

dogsandfrogs

Definitely go with a chest strap.  The chest strap gives you real time, constant information.  The no chest strap variety will only let you spot check your heart rate via a sensor around the edge you have to touch (some will say they have a "constant" sensor on the back of the watch, but I've found those to be incredibly unreliable).

The one I use is the Sportline 1025.  You can find it on Amazon for about $50.  It works incredibly well, and it still has a good number of the bells and whistles the fancier onces come with, it's just not as pretty!

Bthor

Polar heart rate monitors are the best in my opinion. There are a bunch of different models to fit most price ranges. However, if you get a heart rate monitor it is important to do a cardio point test with a personal trainer to figure out your heart rate zones. A HRM is pointless without knowing your zones, however the cardiopoint +the mask you need (the mask can be used over and over again for the next time you need one) will run you an additional $100, but sooo worth it. 

kristinanddan

In Response to <a href="http://forums.theknot.com/Sites/theknot/Pages/Main.aspx/wedding-boards_getting-shape_heart-rate-monitors-2?plckFindPostKey=Cat:Wedding%20BoardsForum:238Discussion:45bf9217-d849-4929-9f6d-74143c03e780Post:2e599fd9-2b19-4aa8-b986-52474e1c8052">Re: Heart Rate Monitors</a>:
[QUOTE]Polar heart rate monitors are the best in my opinion. There are a bunch of different models to fit most price ranges. However, if you get a heart rate monitor it is important to do a cardio point test with a personal trainer to figure out your heart rate zones. <strong>A HRM is pointless without knowing your zones</strong>, however the cardiopoint +the mask you need (the mask can be used over and over again for the next time you need one) will run you an additional $100, but sooo worth it. 
Posted by Bthor[/QUOTE]

<div>I totally disagree. A HRM will help you figure out how many calories you're burning, which is priceless info. </div>

Bthor

And your calories burned is based off of which zone you are in. When I am past my AT I am no longer burning calories (edit: I'm burning at a much lower rate and it is a different kind of sugar burning) as I am working on endurance only. When I'm in my lower zones, I'm burning more. It all ties together, trust me. 

J&K10910

In Response to <a href="http://forums.theknot.com/Sites/theknot/Pages/Main.aspx/wedding-boards_getting-shape_heart-rate-monitors-2?plckFindPostKey=Cat:Wedding%20BoardsForum:238Discussion:45bf9217-d849-4929-9f6d-74143c03e780Post:0309a93b-062c-4373-b9a3-16dc0dcf840e">Re: Heart Rate Monitors</a>:
[QUOTE]And your calories burned is based off of which zone you are in. When I am past my AT I am no longer burning calories (edit: I'm burning at a much lower rate and it is a different kind of sugar burning) as I am working on endurance only. When I'm in my lower zones, I'm burning more. It all ties together, trust me. 
Posted by Bthor[/QUOTE]

What you're saying is in direct conflict to the laws of thermodynamics.  Of COURSE you're still burning calories at higher heart rates (and more of them).  A calorie is simply a unit of measure of energy.  When your heart rate is higher, you're working at a higher intensity, therefore you're burning more calories.  The energy has to come from SOMEWHERE.  You cannot create energy from nothing--have you ever taken a physics class?

Perhaps you mean more of the calories come from fat at the lower intensities?  That's a widely held view (though still controversial in some circles).  I feel like you're talking about the "fat burning zone" and then the endurance training zone, not overall calorie burn.

dogsandfrogs

In Response to <a href="http://forums.theknot.com/Sites/theknot/Pages/Main.aspx/wedding-boards_getting-shape_heart-rate-monitors-2?plckFindPostKey=Cat:Wedding%20BoardsForum:238Discussion:45bf9217-d849-4929-9f6d-74143c03e780Post:e96572c9-a705-4d35-8d02-8e29fb588f5d">Re: Heart Rate Monitors</a>:
[QUOTE]In Response to Re: Heart Rate Monitors : What you're saying is in direct conflict to the laws of thermodynamics.  Of COURSE you're still burning calories at higher heart rates (and more of them).  A calorie is simply a unit of measure of energy.  When you're heart rate is higher, you're working at a higher intensity, therefore you're burning more calories.  The energy has to come from SOMEWHERE.  You cannot create energy from nothing--have you ever taken a physics class? Perhaps you mean more of the calories come from fat at the lower intensities?  That's a widely held view (though still controversial in some circles).  I feel like you're talking about the "fat burning zone" and then the endurance training zone, not overall calorie burn.
Posted by J&K10910[/QUOTE]

I'm in agreement with J&K.  The names of the heart rate zones are not strict limitations on what actually happens in those zones.  The "fat burn zone" simply indicates the range of heart rates in fat burn is the main focuse.  In this range there is little endurance or strength addition, save for what comes naturally as a result of carrying around less body mass at a later time.  The "endurance" zone means that the muscle focus is on how to survive the activiy level for longer periods of time, but there is still calorie burn, and it's a higher rate than calorie burn in the "fat burn" zone.

You will still burn calories and fat at the higher heart rates, and you will on average burn more.  However someone who has not been active for a while will have a harder time maintaining actiivty at the higher heart rate, so it is more beneficial to stick to the fat burn zone in the beginning stages.

kristinanddan

In Response to <a href="http://forums.theknot.com/Sites/theknot/Pages/Main.aspx/wedding-boards_getting-shape_heart-rate-monitors-2?plckFindPostKey=Cat:Wedding%20BoardsForum:238Discussion:45bf9217-d849-4929-9f6d-74143c03e780Post:23fbdc1b-63f7-4ea8-af76-d9ef004440d0">Re: Heart Rate Monitors</a>:
[QUOTE]In Response to Re: Heart Rate Monitors : I'm in agreement with J&K.  The names of the heart rate zones are not strict limitations on what actually happens in those zones.  The "fat burn zone" simply indicates the range of heart rates in fat burn is the main focuse.  In this range there is little endurance or strength addition, save for what comes naturally as a result of carrying around less body mass at a later time.  The "endurance" zone means that the muscle focus is on how to survive the activiy level for longer periods of time, but there is still calorie burn, and it's a higher rate than calorie burn in the "fat burn" zone. You will still burn calories and fat at the higher heart rates, and you will on average burn more.  However someone who has not been active for a while will have a harder time maintaining actiivty at the higher heart rate, so it is more beneficial to stick to the fat burn zone in the beginning stages.
Posted by dogsandfrogs[/QUOTE]<div>Thank you and J&K for taking the time to write out everything I wanted to say but didn't feel like spending the time on.

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