Posts Tagged ‘Target Zones’

« Older Entries

Polar F11M Heart Rate Monitor Watch Grey Pepper New Design

Monday, March 1st, 2010

Polar F11M Heart Rate Monitor Watch Grey Pepper New Design




The F11M is a revolutionary heart rate monitor watch that creates a workout program that tells you how much, how hard and how long to exercise in order to reach your goals. The Keeps U Fit - Workout Program guides you to your personal goals. OwnIndex will determine your fitness level, track your improvements, and provide motivation. The OwnCal feature counts the calories and fat that you burn and the OwnZone feature will automatically determine each day’s target zone. The F11 also features the WearLink Coded transmitter made from a soft, fabric material. The electrodes, which pick up the heart signals, are integrated right into the strap for added flexibility and comfort. The Coded feature eliminates interference from other heart rate monitors. The F11 is the closest thing to having your own personal trainer. It has special features to optimize walking, running, and biking workouts so you’ll get the most performance. Did we mention that it is also a full-feature watch? Polar Keeps U FitT - Own Workout Program Target zones with visual and audible alarm Fitness Bullets (for every ten minutes in target zone) SonicLink, exercise data download from wrist unit to Polar web service or SW UpLink, settings upload from Polar web site or software to wrist unit SonicLink, transfer of OwnIndex results and Keeps U Fit - Own Workout Program to Polar web service Exercise file info page with date and time Exercise Time (total) Time in target zone Target zone limits Average heart rate of total exercise Last OwnIndex Calorie expenditure (Exercise/Total/Fat%) Fitness Exercise Diary with personal targets Heart rate (displayed as bpm and % of maximum heart rate) Visual and audible alarm in target zones Heart touch, button-free operation of wrist unit Heart rate sets - pre-program favorite exercise settings Manual target zone (% / bpm) Automatic age-based target zone (% / bpm) Time of day (12/24h)

User Ratings and Reviews

5 Stars Second time around with Polar F11
New PolarF11 is first rate, in particular, i like the new chest strap…the old one needed to be wet down on the sensor cloth areas, and sometimes, i had to put a little salt on it. New chest strap does not have the cloth covered sensors, much better chest strap.

The first Polar F11 watch failed after three years.

4 Stars Love it!
I bought this watch to help track calories burned during my workouts. It has a soniclink to send the workouts and data to the polor web site. Making it easy for me to track the calories burned, amount of time exercising and the min/max for my heart rate.

I give this a four star and not a five because the back light does not display the information very well in low light. But I other than that, I love this watch!!!

2 Stars Reliably Unreliable
I’ve used my Polar F11 for 3 1/2 years, and after watching the heart monitor read “00″ for most of my long run today, I’ve decided it’s time to try Garmin 305.

There’s a lot of computing power in this little machine - but not enough engineering and quality control behind it. You can generate a training program based on your goals, determining the number of workouts and times in each of 3 heart rate zones - that’s good - but if you adjust the settings the watch inexplicably renames the exercises. It’s confusing and a sign that they skipped some quality testing steps.

Over the years I’ve suffered with the unpredictable failures in the heart monitor - sometimes it’s fine for weeks and months at a time, and then it just goes erratic. To have have the unit serviced, you get so shell out $59-79 and have to wait 2-3 weeks for the authorized dealer to return it to you.

If you like to synch your workouts with a computer, Polar has a very nice web-based fitness toolset - IF you are a PC user.

My wife has an F5 unit and finds similar issues as well - so while Polar was the leader in creating this market, they’ve failed to keep the quality and features up to date. If you’re in doubt, go look at the ratings on a competing Garmin 305 (same price point on Amazaon) and you’ll see 500 5 star ratings and 300 4 star ratings.

5 Stars Great Weight for loss.
I bought this hrm a month ago and have lost 9lbs. I purchased just to see how many calories I was burning during my work outs. I found with the calorie counter it motivates me to work harder and longer than before. The only thing I would change is I wish it would be able to track distance. At first I couldn’t get the watch to upload to the website. After a few days I realized that if you were signed in to the website the upload works. Otherwise I got nothing. Awesome HRM! The chest strap is adjustable and fairly comfortable too!

5 Stars Best HRM I’ve ever used
I’ve had alot of crappy HRMs before, but this one has been consistent, and the contacts don’t tend to dry out or stop picking up your heartbeat regardless of what you’re doing.

The features are great; I specifically bought this one to monitor my calories burned during exercise, and it does that well. The diary is useful, and will even give you a little trophy if you did well with your exercising during the week.

Buy/More Info

Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,
Posted in Sports | No Comments »

Polar RS200sd Heart Rate Monitor Watch Black

Friday, February 26th, 2010

Polar RS200sd Heart Rate Monitor Watch Black




In order to reach your fitness goals, you need to exercise at the right intensity. Designed for goal-oriented runners, the Polar RS200sd wrist heart rate monitor helps you to easily and accurately measure your heart rate to help you get to just the right intensity or your exertion level. It’s great for both beginning runners or more experienced runners preparing for competitions. With the included S1 foot pod, you’ll be able to take advantage of the RS200’s Speed and Distance functions, such as speed, distance and pace per kmph/mph, target pace (with alarms and differential), trip odometer, run distance, totals for mileage, calories and time training, and summaries for distance and speed/pace.

Use the Polar Sports Zones and the Event Countdown Timer to manage your training for that key running event. You can even upload your settings to your running computer and then download your workout files to the Polar Running Coach Web Service for analysis. The RS200 offers up to 16 exercise files with summaries, date and time, and total calorie expenditure. This model features a black and silver face and strap, but it also comes in red.

Heart rate monitoring includes maximum heart rate (fitness test-based and age-based), maximum/average of total exercise and of each lap (up to 99 laps), three target zones, and audible alarms. It also offers such timing features as time of day (12/24-hour display), dual time zone, day and date display, stopwatch, and alarm with snooze. It features an oversized display, easy to manipulate buttons while on the run, and a comfortable WearLink fabric transmitter.

It’s a great choice for using in large groups, where other exercisers might be using wireless training gear that could interfere with your own signal. The RS200’s coded transmission prevents crosstalk with other monitors so you’ll get a personalized workout–even in a class environment. It also includes the following exclusive Polar features:

  • Polar Sport Zones: Polar sport zones provides an easy way to select and monitor the intensity of your training and to follow Polar

Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,
Posted in Sports | No Comments »

Polar FT60 Mens Heart Rate Monitor Watch Black with White Display

Friday, February 26th, 2010

Polar FT60 Mens Heart Rate Monitor Watch Black with White Display




Get fit. One way to help you get there is with the aid of the Polar FT60. Now you can train as you want and reach your fitness targets with the FT60’s personalized training program. It sets new targets by adapting to your personal training habits, helping you stay motivated and carry on improving your fitness. The adaptive training program features weekly targets, feedback and guidance so you’ll achieve your training targets more efficiently and effectively. Heart rate (displayed as bpm) HeartTouch button-free operation of wrist unit WearLink+ 31 coded transmitter (changeable battery) KeyLock Manual target zone (% / bpm) - %/bpm Sound volume level setting Visual and audible alarm in target zones Water resistant - 30m Offers GPS capabilities when used with optional G1 GPS sensor Data transfer capable - Compatible with polarpersonaltrainer.com with Polar FlowLink - optional Polar Fitness Test with OwnIndex - A fitness test that measures your aerobic fitness at rest in just five minutes. The result, Polar OwnIndex, predicts your maximal oxygen uptake (VO2max ). With the Polar Fitness Test you can measure your aerobic fitness by yourself, automatically and without any exertion. No other equipment other than a heart rate monitor is needed. The Polar Fitness Test is as accurate in predicting the VO2max as any submaximal fitness test. The test is based on gender, age, height, body weight, level of physical activity, heart rate and heart rate variability at rest. The result, OwnIndex, ranges usually from 20 to 95 and is comparable to VO2max, the golden standard of aerobic fitness. Alarm with snooze Date and weekday indicator Dual time zone Low battery indicator Time of day (12/24h) with alarm User replaceable battery Displays text in English, German, Finnish, French, Portuguese, Spanish and Italian

User Ratings and Reviews

5 Stars Works flawlessly with Macintosh Computer
There is a lot of discussion at [...] about wanting polar software that works natively under Mac OSX. However, I have worked with this fantastic HRM and was able to upload all the data acquired by it to the website blindingly fast on the first try using the Flowlink interface. I am running Windows XP under bootcamp. The polarpersonaltrainer website gives you lots of ways to analyze your workouts and to understand what you need to do to improve. This should not be undervalued when looking at HRMs from the various manufacturers.

I do note that the FT60 does not record your actual heart rate as a function of time for upload but it does record a whole bunch of metrics derived from your heart rate and performance over the course of a workout that are useful for understanding and improving your performance. (Frankly, I don’t know why one would want to stare at a graph showing how your heart rate varied as a function of time.) The FT80 does make an actual record of your heart rate together with these other metrics. For me, this did not really matter as the FT60 has everything I need to keep me motivated and to help me to understand my progress. You must be clear on this before deciding between the FT60 and FT80. (The FT80, as of April 15, 2009 has lots of problems and flaws from what I can tell. I wouldn’t buy it - it is an extra $100 for a bunch of misery.)

What I was after is a set of metrics or some rubric that I could measure my performance against. I now understand that just looking at your body weight is not going to do it and may be quite detrimental to your progress. The FT60 gives you several great ways to keep tabs on how you are doing and also offers a weight log so you can record that to the website as well.

By the way, the picture give for this product does not do justice to it. It is a fantastic looking watch! I wear business casual most days and frequently a suit out to dinner. This fits my wardrobe perfectly! Very handsome. It would certainly go with bluejeans and a baggy sweatshirt, too.

I have already recommended this fantastic product to co-workers and other gym rats.

1 Star Flow Link and Web Sync don’t work good enough , its almost a beta product. Both are too important for FT60
Polar FT60 Men’s Heart Rate Monitor Watch (Black with White Display)

Web Sync its very important for the Polar FT 60 and unfortunately Web Sync don’t work good enought , its almost a beta product.

If you don’t believe me go to the Polar Forus , then to websync and you can see all the problems.

5 Stars Works well, highly motivating
I’ve had the FT 60 for a week and find it easy to use, and highly motivating.

I’m already curious about what next week’s training targets will be. I wouldn’t want to work out without this monitor.

The Flowlink accessory works perfectly and there have been no problems with the Polarpersonaltrainer web site so far. I recommend this HRM to anyone who is serious about fitness and who understands the crucial role of heart rate in measuring intensity of exercise.

5 Stars So far so good!
I had some Reward points to use from AMX so I settled on this watch. I thought it was too many points and now I realize why - I wound up getting a model with the GPS unit included… Now I have to start running!

It is very easy to set up right out of the box. My main reason for owning it was to get a measure of my fitness level as well as my heart rate. Basically, I put on the chest strap, start the exercise DVD (thank you, Gilad) press the button twice, the stopwatch starts, my heartbeat is picked up and it tells me how fast I am beating by glancing at the watch, and afterwards it tells me my average heart rate, my maximum heart rate, calories burned and how much time I spent in each “zone” I found that when doing cardio with Gilad I am mostly in zone 3, and when doing “sculpting” I am in zone 1 and 2. I do not have the “flowlink” yet, as I do not mind inputting the data manually on the website (its only 5 or 6 numbers to put in for each session- and I think I am more apt to “look” at the numbers if I type them in manually. Plus, it does not work with a mac yet.

The watch is not gorgeous. The display is very large. Looks fine but is a lot thicker than my dress watch, which is not surprising.

5 Stars Great Product - Highly Recommend
My wife wanted a HRM for her birthday and after alot of research I ordered the FT40 for her. She loves it so much that I decided to get one for myself. I opted for the FT60 instead, since it has the option where it simulates a personal trainer telling how long to work out and at which intensity based on what you tell it you want to accomplish (weight loss, fitness improvement or Max fitness level). Set up is very easy and documentation is good. You enter your height, weight, age, etc and then your goals and it creates a profile for you based on that information.

I have only had the FT60 for a week, but I find myself working out longer and at the correct intensity for my goals. Before I had no real logic to my workouts, I would just break a good sweat. With this HRM I target certain levels of intensity to be more productive and accomplish my goals. After entering all the required data and doing the fitness test built into the watch, it gave me my goals for the first week. It included overall time to work out and how much time to spend in each of the 3 zones of intensity. It tracks your progress in data and bar graph form and is real easy to understand and keeps you motivated to accomplish all the goals they give you for the week. I am a person who is competitive and find myself working out more on days where I might not have simply b/c I want to meet the goals for the week.

The watch is a great size and actually can be worn outside of the gym as its quite attractive. The Chest strap is very comfortable being made of cloth instead of plastic,like some competitors versions. A very cool feature that was a suprise to me is that the equipment at my gym picks up your HR from the chest strap wirelessly and displays your HR, which matches the watches display. Much easier to look at that then to keep glancing at your watch. This works all the cardio equip in my gym (Life Fitness treadmills, Precor ellipticals, and the Stair Master).

I also ordered the FlowLink so I can upload the data to polars personal trainer website. It works great so far. You can join competitions on the website to “compete” against others in all kinds of categories (ie. Most calories burned in a month, most miles run in a week, most weight lost, etc. You can also create your own competitions).

All in all a great product and I highly recommend it. If you don’t think you will want/use the built in “personal trainer” option, then save yourself $40 and get the FT40.

Buy/More Info

Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,
Posted in Sports | No Comments »

Polar F7 Mens Heart Rate Monitor Watch Blue

Friday, February 26th, 2010

Polar F7 Mens Heart Rate Monitor Watch Blue




Are you getting the most of what you want to get out of your work-outs? Are you pushing yourself too hard or can you tolerate more? These are important questions if you’re trying to get or stay fit. Depending on your body’s daily condition, you might benefit from either a low or high intensity training session. This monitor checks your daily condition, and guides you to a suitable intensity. If you want to be sure that you are training at the right intensity, this is the right product for you. Check your heart rate and discover how many calories you are actually burning. It’s water resistant and only displays time and date. Go active and get this Polar F7M Heart Rate Monitor Watch today! HeartTouch, button-free operation of wrist unit KeyLock Manual target zone (% / bpm) - %/bpm Sound volume level setting Visual and audible alarm in target zones Water resistant - 50m Computer Connectivity for data transfer to create a database of your performance Wireless ECG Heart Rate Date and weekday indicator Low battery indicator Time of day (12/24h) with alarm

User Ratings and Reviews

4 Stars Nice heart monitor
Looks good, works great. I am working on becoming proficient - it does look like a little work.

4 Stars Good HRM but beware of a few points
This heart rate monitor works great. I have no problems getting a reading from the watch or from the gym equipment that support Polar “broadcasts”. Having said that, the rest of the review will be about “Buyer Beware” points. Buyer Beware Point 1.) From what I can tell, the F7 offers the same features as the F6. In fact the F7 came with the F6 owners manual. I say this because at the time of this review, you can purchase the F6 on amazon for around $96 vs the $119 for the F7. The F7 does though come with a material elastic chest band for the monitor where as the F6 comes with a plastic chest band. The elastic is supposed to be more comfortable and this is why I justified paying the extra $25 for the F7. Buyer Beware Point 2.) You have to wet the connectors of the chest band to get it to read your heart beats. Now many of you may already know this. Being a first time buyer, I didn’t. So I can imagine how gunky this thing is going to get over time. They recommend rinsing and wipe it down after every use and after 3 to 5 weeks of use to wash it in the washer machine in a washer bag and limited detergent (NO BLEACH!). The probes on the strap are a material mesh and look like if I were to repeatedly wipe it down as suggested, will fray. Buyer Beware Point 3.) The battery in the watch is stated as lasting approximately a year. It will be shorter if you use that backlight. In order to have the battery replaced, Polar advises that you have to send it to an authorized Polar service center or it will no longer be under warrantee (which I believe is 1 year so if the battery lasts that long, you are in good shape) and it will no longer be water resistant. I live in the NY City area and there are no Polar service centers near me. In fact, the Polar web site only lists 4 of them in the USA. So when the battery dies, I will be left without my heart rate monitor for days if not weeks while it travels to and from the Polar service center. Given, all of this, I still recommend the product as it works great. I just have to adjust my expectations that this may not last for years and years which is what I was hoping for.

2 Stars Other options might be better
I’ve used several Polar HR monitors in the past, but haven’t for three years due to an injury. Now that I’m back to working out I thought I’d celebrate by getting a new Polar. The F7 I bought was defective in that the receiver wouldn’t pick up the transmitter occasionally so I returned it. But even if it functioned properly I was disappointed with this unit compared to monitors I’ve had in the past.

Pros:

-The chest strap is more comfortable than previously.

- Transmitter works with Precor exercise equipment.

Cons:

- Alarm sounds come from the wrist unit directionally. Louder from one side than the other. Best worn on the right wrist to get the full sound.

- Even worn on the right wrist the alarm sound is weak.

- Comes with F6 directions. A mystery to me.

- No interval timer. For the price it should have one.

-Doesn’t appear to be able to change HR zones during a workout.

-OwnZone utility is more gimmick than useful for me.

Bottom Line: Beginners can opt for a less expensive basic model and get the results/options they need. More experienced or aspiring athletes needing an interval timer, multiple zone workouts, and a loud alarm should step up several models or consider another brand. I finally settled on a Timex.

1 Star Try another brand
I bought a Polar F7 in Nov. 2008. It worked well. For three and a half months. Then it started giving bizarre readings that were totally inaccurate. I registered the product on the Polar website the night I bought it but, for Polar to honor the warranty, it must be accompanied by the original sales receipt, which I should have kept but didn’t, thinking registration would be enough.

I ordered a Timex heart monitor to replace the Polar. The Timex was rated Number 1 by Consumer Reports and you don’t have to send it back to Polar to change the battery. Also, it is probably easier to set than the Polar, which required a lot of fiddling and has a manual that’s little help.

Buy/More Info

Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,
Posted in Sports | No Comments »

Polar F4 Womens Heart Rate Monitor Watch Black Amber

Saturday, February 20th, 2010

Polar F4 Womens Heart Rate Monitor Watch Black Amber




The F4 is the first women’s specific unit from Polar, combining all the necessary heart rate features with a new, slim design. It includes the popular Zone Pointer feature that helps keep you in your Target Zone, and OwnCal to track the calories you burn in real time during your exercise. This well-rounded monitor offers automatic age-based heart rate target zones that will keep you exercising on the right track. You can also override the automatic setting to manually change this zone for fine tuning to fit your particular metabolism. With stopwatch and convenient button free operation, the F4 is a valuable fitness tool. Includes Wrist Unit with CR1632 battery, Transmitter with built-in lithium cell, and Elastic Strap to hold transmitter on chest.

User Ratings and Reviews

5 Stars Just what I needed!
I’ve wanted a HRM since I started working out about a year ago, but I couldn’t muster the courage (or money!) to get this one until recently. I bought another one that only gave you your heart rate on demand (instead of constantly), and it drove me up the wall. So I sucked it up and bought this as a replacement.

I LOVE this watch. I was floored at how easy it was to use. I didn’t even have to read the handbook to figure it out. The chest strap is surprisingly comfy. Yes, you will probably need to wet the probes before you start working out, but I put it on, run around the house picking things up or doing laundry and it usually works when I’m ready to go out for a walk/run. I love that the watch blends in and looks like a regular watch so you can wear it without feeling like you are wearing a man’s watch or a small computer!

The only problem I have with the watch is that I can’t get it as tight as I would like because the strap kind of sticks when trying to attach it or take it off. Nothing major, I just have to remember that I have to be more aware of it than I would of a normal watch.

**If you are a larger woman, the watch automatically comes with a size “medium” strap, but it fits me with room to spare. I highly suggest trying the one it comes with before ordering a larger one!**

Bottom line: LOVE this product. If you want something that will work easily and well, buy this HRM!

5 Stars A real life saver.
This little device actually saved my life while running…. A great investment at any price….

1 Star Can’t use it with Sun Tan Lotion
I got this F4 as a Christmas present in 2008. Two weeks later the buttons cracked and fell off. Polar sent me new buttons, and two weeks later the buttons cracked again. I sent the unit to polar two more times and the buttons only lasted 2 weeks each time.

I called their service department and escallated the issue. I spoke to Albert, who said that sun tan lotion damages the buttons so they break. He suggested either not using sun tan lotion or wearing a wrist band under the watch. GIVE ME A BREAK!!! I live in San Diego and I wear sun tan lotion 360 days per year. Polar said their new units do not have that problem, but they would not replace my F4 with a good one.

I will never buy another Polar product.

1 Star Polar seems to need some competition
First, if you buy one of these be aware that it’s extremely easy to accidently wipe out all the personal and cardio info it stores. There isn’t any way to lock this monitor to protect such loss.

I sent this monitor in for repair. They emailed me to tell me they received the monitor. They emailed me to tell me they replaced the circuit board. They had my monitor over a month. I got this monitor back and it works exactly the same as before I sent it in. They did nothing to it. Yes I know how to read and I always read the manuals for everything I buy. This monitor does not display the time when brought to the transmitter belt like it say’s it will in the manual. There isn’t any way for me to have this display the time while it is monitoring.

4 Stars Good Buy
I am very satisfied with this purchase. The only reason im not giving it five stars is because it doesnt have a stop watch or a pedometer. I have a small wrist, and the watch face is a good size especially if you dont like a bulky look. It is comfortable and the band stays put. It is easy to operate, and set up. you can easily turn the sound on or off. The strap is probably the same as all others and occasionally when i switch from doing cardio to weight training the clasp will pop apart, but that only happens occassionally.

Buy/More Info

Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,
Posted in Sports | No Comments »

« Older Entries