Heart Monitor and bra

[love2bike]

Hi!

I just took my first spinning class this week. I loved it! My instructor suggested that I get a heart monitor watch. I'm looking at the Polar F4, based on previous discussions here...

Has anyone here used the "Heart Bra" that Polar makes? I found it on Amazon. Also, I think there is another one out there, but I can't remember the brand at this point. I'm a 36D, and have used a monitor on a treadmill before and the strap was really uncomfortable for me.

Or is there a way that I can adapt a Nike or Reebok sports bra to accomodate the strap?

You ladies have given me such great advice in the past, I wanted to ask the question before I run out and spend a bunch of $$$$.

Thanks, Patty

[Bikingmomof3]

Patty,
I have the Polar F4 and wear the strap right under my sports bra. I have never had any difficulties. I bike, run, weight train, and do aerobics in it.

[mimitabby]

omg!

About a month ago DH decided to strap me up to his heart monitor.
I took off everything from the waist up and he tried to fit me. On his own very flat chest, he just puts the strap about an inch below his nipples. Doesn't work on me. So he tried putting it on me every which way. I could barely stand up I was laughing so hard... I didn't know either so didn't know how to advise him.
we finally figured it out.. the bra line.

[Bad JuJu]

Mimi--My and DH's HRM story is almost opposite of yours. I'd been using one for a while when dh decided to try it. He asked me where to put the strap, and my reply was, " I just tuck it under the edge of my bra." As soon as the words were out of my mouth, we looked at each other and cracked up--of course my advice was not the least bit useful for him.:rolleyes:

[Steph_in_TX]

I've tried the Polar bra and it just doesn't work for me. I'm a 36C, in case that's important to the conversation. The bra works fine as a bra, but it doesn't hold the strap against my body so it doesn't read the heart rate. Regular sports bras work fine with the chest strap. I just put the strap under like everyone mentioned. You kind of just forget it's there after a while.


Also, Polar makes two different straps. One where the whole front part is hard plastic and one where only the transmittor piece is hard. Sorry, I can't remember what's it's called and I'm being too lazy to look it up. I like the softer one.

[Googlie Wooglie]

I don't have a problem with the chest strap but I was just looking at these in passing:

http://www.rei.com/product/47963115.htm

Supposed to monitor your pulse from the wrist . . . anybody used one?

[mimitabby]

I don't have a problem with the chest strap but I was just looking at these in passing:

http://www.rei.com/product/47963115.htm

Supposed to monitor your pulse from the wrist . . . anybody used one?

if its like the one i bought, you need to use two hands to get a reading.
not good for on a bike.

[cherinyc]

I have been trying to figure out what the best HRM would be for me, so I am glad to see this thread. There is just so much out there, and such a range of prices. I have a tendency to bore of things quickly as well, so I don't want to spend too much $$$.
What do the more expensive HR monitors tell you that the cheaper ones don't?

[mimitabby]

Cheri i think one of the things you are paying for is accuracy.

[cherinyc]

hmmm interesting. I would've thought that accuracy would be a given. What good is a heart rate monitor if it's not monitoring...my heart rate accurately? might as well just be a watch then.

[Fredwina]

Cheri,
I think accuracay vis a vis the Hr displayed is a given, It's just the more accurate have more features
As an example,
I wound up with both a Polar F4 and F6
The f4 will do all the "usual" stuff, like beep at you when you're too slow or too fast. It also does calories, but can only monitor one zone at a time .During the course of ridie, I may be in several trianing zones.
The F6 has a backlight, and a more accurate algorithim to determine your BMR(calorie burn) and your target zones. You can supposdley download the info from it, and it has a coded Strap. The non coded straps can pick your nieghbor's pacemaker, or High Voltage power could throw them off. The more expensive Polars have an "even Better" strap, and can do more things
So it's more what do you want to do and what do want to spend?

[love2bike]

Thanks for the suggestions ladies....In talking to a friend today, she said there is sometimes a problem in spin classes where your monitor will pick up the heart rate of the person next to you, if they have the same brand of transmiller that you do??? Is this true?

[susanm8048]

When I was running longer distances, I would use place the chest strap just below the bottom of my underwired sports bra. I find it needs to be quite tight to to get a reliable reading. It would chaffe after a couple of hours which was REALLY uncomfortable. Bodyglide around the area before the run did the trick. Likewise I put it on my feet to avoid blisters.

It is good stuff!

[Fredwina]

Thanks for the suggestions ladies....In talking to a friend today, she said there is sometimes a problem in spin classes where your monitor will pick up the heart rate of the person next to you, if they have the same brand of transmiller that you do??? Is this true?
Yes, that could happen with a non-coded Transmitter, like the F4 has. The coded ones supposedly ellminate the problem.

[emily_in_nc]

Yes, that could happen with a non-coded Transmitter, like the F4 has. The coded ones supposedly ellminate the problem.

Yes, I have a coded Polar HRM (Model #S210), and it is great if you are riding next to others, so you don't pick up each other's readings. I really like this model, though it is a bit more complex than I need most of the time (lap timers and the like). All I really use is the average HR, max HR, time in each zone, and calories burned. It has always worked flawlessly for riding or hiking (I've had it for at least 1.5 years), and I too just tuck the strap under the band of my sports bra.

Highly recommended!

Emily

[ChickWithBrains]

I found that the cuts in the elastic that the maker creates in the bottom elastic of the bra really compromised the integrety of the bra. I hated it.

Now, I take my well-fitting sports bra, and the monitor without the strap, lick the electrodes (yes it really does help transmit better, just like sweat does) and stick it *above* the girls (I'm a 34C) just under the uppermost edge of the sports bra. Looser bras = too much jiggle when I run, so I end up with a nipple monitor -- still reads HR but looks pretty funny. When I ride, it stays in place, reads well, I have no extra strap, and the bottom elastic of my bra does what its supposed to -- keep me in place. I've done this for two years and am thrilled. I don't know anyone else who does this, but for medium to larger busted women whose bras do decent compression/snug fit I think it'd work like a charm... does for me!

[alpinerabbit]

The non coded straps can pick your nieghbor's pacemaker, or High Voltage power could throw them off.

I have a coded transmitter and the fabric "wear link".
It gets thrown off when I ride or run near a railway line anyway, and also in a crowded spinning room. So much for the coding.
Right now I think it's broken as it reads nothing at all or an imaginary value.

I like the idea of putting it on "above the girls".