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Recommendations/Reviews/FS/WTB Heart Rate Monitor with Alarms

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Steve Freides

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Senior Certified Instructor Emeritus
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My wife isn't a terribly compliant client. She and I have agreed to an experiment: I will find her a HRM that has settable alarms for upper and lower HR, so that she can do a set of swings, wait until the HRM tells her that her HR has lowered to the point where it's time for her to do another set of swings. Watching a clock doesn't work for her, resting until she feels ready for the next set doesn't work for her.

I'd appreciate recommendations for everything we'll need to make this work. I assume this will be some sort of chest strap (are there alternatives to this?), and some device. She uses an iPhone 6 so if there's a strap that works with Blue Tooth and her phone, that's a good way to go.

She is a small human so whatever gizmo needs to work for 5' 3", 125 lbs.

Thanks in advance.

-S-
 
There are definitely fitness apps that track your heart rate via bluetooth strap. I am not super familiar with iOS, but I will tell you that most bluetooth straps should be compatible with an iPhone.

A fitbit or garmin with a wrist based monitor might work but it might be slightly more inaccurate.
 
The H7 is a great monitor and will work with any Bluetooth app including Polar Beat on a phone. I haven't experimented with the Hi/Lo features. I'll have to look for that "Own Zone" that @Kettlebelephant mentioned, haven't seen in on the phone app, but I also have the M400 watch and it may be on there.
 
We don't want a watch, I'm pretty sure. We something that works with the phone, especially since there may be presses and/or snatches and/or other things where a watch could get squished.

The H7 looks like a strap. Will it work for both my wife and I? I see two sizes - will we need x-small/small for her and medium-and-up for me? According to an answer on the amazon page, the smaller size is only good for up to chest size 28" - who has that small a chest except a child? But a woman with a 34" bra size reported that the larger size strap just barely works for her on the tightest setting.

I suspect, if we both want to use this, we'll want a strap for each of us and blue-tooth it to our respective iPhones - does that sound right, or could we share a strap?

Is there any cost associated with the apps, and what is the recommended app? I see mention of Polar Beat and Polar Flow?

I also see amazon.com says the H7 is being replaced by the H10, but that the H10 isn't available yet - anyone know anything about the difference between the two?

-S-
 
The watch could still be used if you want to go that route -- you just put it beside you somewhere, you don't actually have to wear it. But in that case a phone app is actually easier to see, so if you're not interested in the other watch features, just use the Polar Beat / Polar Flow (they are free) on the phone. It's easy to see the HR on the display. But like I said I'm not aware of any features of High/Low alarms on there that you're looking for, so you might have to go with a watch for that.

The H7 straps are adjustable and I think you would both be able to use the same one, but not sure. And obviously if you wanted to do it together, you'd have to each have one. I don't know anything about the H10.
 
I recently received some HRM products and find them extremely beneficial. The Beat app has a training goal/benefit add-on for a few dollars. Most of the fancy stuff for polar is integrated in their watches. I have the M400 also and it actually has audio feedback for staying in a specific heart rate zone that you can customize. I only use the Beat app for kettlebell work because of the wrist placement; otherwise, I use the watch because of the additional functionality. I have also used the watch set aside within Bluetooth distance but I like to watch the display on the Beat app more than the audio of the watch for kettlebell sets. I just go by when the HR text changes color for the zones to start/stop.

The HRV app has been the most useful of it all.
 
Just chatted w/ Polar - their apps don't do this, they recommend a watch, but they gave me a list of compatible apps and now I will have to check on each one.

Endomondo
Cardio Mapper
Runtastic
iSmooth Run

-S-
 
Just get an extra strap, very cheap. I was a cheapskate and bought a second hand polar watch with non Bluetooth strap. It then started playing up so bought a new strap for it and it is fine. Couple quid/dollars/shekels/euros....save phaffing around changing it all the time.
 
I just go by when the HR text changes color for the zones to start/stop.

That's right, I forgot about that. The HR zones are customizable, and the text of the HR display color change is easy to see. (Steve, that's on the free Polar Beat app.)
 
All that assumes my wife will actually look at the watch - not a valid assumption in this case. She often reads, watches TV, or whatever else between sets. Like I said, she's not a terribly compliant client. Setting off the home smoke detectors is more what I'm looking for. :)

-S-
 
What about something with an electric shock :eek:

Good idea.

Do you two train together?

No.

She someone got the idea - good - that it's OK to train grinds in widely separated sets, so she's taken to watching TV and doing presses during commercials, and things like that. She seems to think this applies to conditioning work - bad - and I won't be able to dissuade her from her habit, so having some sort of alarm go off when it's time for the next set is the solution.

-S-
 
We don't want a watch, I'm pretty sure. We something that works with the phone, especially since there may be presses and/or snatches and/or other things where a watch could get squished.

When I'm using my watch with lifting, I just set it on the shelf. The chest strap has pretty decent range.

I'm using a Forerunner 15 and it does have a heart rate alarm that will chirp at you when you go below/above, although I personally wish I had gotten one of the bluetooth chest straps to pair with my phone (one less gadget I have to charge and manage).
 
@Steve Freides I can confirm, that there are no HR-alarms within Polar apps, but Runtastic definitely has that. I wanted that feature as well. Instead am now using a timer, but that required me to figure out the weight and rest times for a while. Of course, not everyday is the same, but its a good approximation.

@Anna C Here is a link to the new H10, not available, yet. Biggest improvement in my opinion: Built in memory for one session to be able to workout without additional phone or watch to carry around with.
 
@Tobias Wissmueller, Runtastic is an app that runs on iPhone, so that will work for us in principle.

What I want is simple - an alarm or bell to sound when the heart rate reaches a lower threshold so my wife can know it's time to do her next set of swings. There are apparently quite a few in-app purchases - do you know which, if any, I will need to make this happen?

-S-
 
No.

She someone got the idea - good - that it's OK to train grinds in widely separated sets, so she's taken to watching TV and doing presses during commercials, and things like that. She seems to think this applies to conditioning work - bad - and I won't be able to dissuade her from her habit, so having some sort of alarm go off when it's time for the next set is the solution.

What I was getting at is that you could be her alarm.
 
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