Polar is the best of the HR monitors, but w/o gps or Bluetooth, their product is five to seven years behind the curve, and too pricey even at this price. Check out som products from Soleus, Suunto, Garmin. Though I’m not sure watches have Bluetooth yet–anyone? Oh, and the pain w/ Bluetooth can be that you have to carry your phone while exercising. Problem for some but not all.
If you have an iPhone or Android, you may be better served getting the Polar H7 and using the Bluetooth connectivity to give the heartrate to an app on the iPhone (e.g. Nike running, RunKeeper, etc.). It’s ~$60 at Amazon.
FWIW, my doctor runs marathons/triathlons, and monitors his heart rate with his fingers and a $5 watch. He says if there was a better piece of equipment for doing it, that is what the hospitals would use.
Why would one need gadgets strapped to their body while working out? Been working out for years and never needed to know my heart rate. How can one work out with ear buds in their ears and this strapped to them?
Studies have shown that you burn more (edit: fat) calories when you are within 50-75% of the difference between your resting and maximum heart-rate. A heart-rate monitor (such as the ones made by Polar) calculates a “zone” in which to keep your heart rate so that you can maximize the calories that you burn. I try to keep at the upper end of the zone. I know from looking at my heart-rate whether I need to slow down or put in more effort. It has made a real difference to the way that I cycle. It does not interfere with earbuds or mp3 devices.
I have a cheaper model Polar, paid like $60 for it. Works perfectly fine.
If I don’t wear one, does that mean I’m Polar-bare?
No GPS? My Garmin was about that had h-r and gps that gives pace, distances, rate, splits, etc…
Does the RS400 have an audible alarm when heart rate is in dangerous zone?
I was looking to order this to enhance my running. Under further investigation, it looks like I would have to buy an S1 Footpod in order to know my pace, distance, etc., and to transfer the info to my computer, I would have to buy an IrDA USB adapter. They are $100 and $40 respectively on Amazon. That brings the total up to $270. The Polar RS400SD has the computer, footpod, and IrDA USB adapter as a package and costs $247 on Amazon.
The higher your heart rate the more calories you are burning. However, those calories can be burnt off as sugars/carbs/fat or protein. You need oxygen to burn the sugars/carbs/fats so the goal is to maximize your aerobic heart rate without tipping over to anerobic exercise. A heart rate monitor is perfect for this.
On a separate note, when younger, I use to routinely run for 30 minutes on a treadmill at 185+ BPM. Tipping over into anerobic exercise is a trip, you go from hyperventilating to suddenly being able to have a normal conversation while going even faster! But it’s not very good for you.
I find the accuracy really suffers when the strap isn’t tight enough or when it is too dry. The second issue can be fixed with electrode gel or cheaper, some salt water to get the strap and your skin wet before exercising. Once you start sweating, things are usually okay as long as the strap is tight.
Excellent Deal is 180 or more on Amazon and Yes you can swim with it …good to 30 meters below in water
Oh Yes has Target Zone alarms
I am enjoying all the polar-ized comments today.
It is possible to find ones HR with a $5 watch in a doctors office but I doubt your doctor is taking the time to do this during a race and still be racing at a fast pace and find it accurately. When your Doctor misses out on qualifying for Boston, maybe the time he spent finding his HR cost him valuable time. The RS400 and the Protrainer 5 software provides data that a doctor would love and could reveal his running patients history on avg hr, times in zones hard and recovery days etc.
That’s correct…I had meant to say “fat” calories.
is his name DR LowTech ? Does he use a rolled up piece of paper instead of a stethoscope ?
bingo!! GPS is a must. I would have figured with a MSRP in the mid $200’s it would have had it
so he stops and checks his heart rate every 100 yards?
seems to be it would be much more fluid to just look at your wrist.
keep calm
and
run on