New type of HR Monitor needed

[Catrin]

I doubt this already exists but I hope someone here can enlighten me if I am wrong. I hope so, but haven't found any information on it if there is.

I want a HRM that doesn't have to be on the wrist or pocket. Say...A necklace or even an ankle bracelet. It just needs to pick up from the transmitter! On the bike my HRM watch causes me to break out, but a pocket would suffice if this were my only fitness activity..

For a lengthy kettle bell workout, well, let's just say that the watch gets pretty beat up and as it is between my guard and arm, its presence does cause problems. Most of my fitness clothing are sans pockets. So right now I attach it to my fitness tank and bra strap & move it to my back so it doesn't get in the way of cleans but that isn't a very elegant solution. Not that "elegant" matters at the gym, but it does if I forget it is there and go to the floor to perform floor presses or something else on my back.

So I don't want much:

A necklace or ankle bracelet that would pick up my existing Polar transmitter so I can still use my original watch when running :)

All joking aside, does anyone know of an alternative that would serve the same purpose of showing heart rate and training zones?

[Veronica]

Do you need to wear the monitor when you do weights?

On the bike a lot of HRM have a bike mount that you can purchase separately.

Veronica

[malkin]

http://store.sensoriafitness.com/products/

?

[Catrin]

Do you need to wear the monitor when you do weights?

On the bike a lot of HRM have a bike mount that you can purchase separately.

Veronica

I like to use it for my endurance based kettlebell workouts, no so much for KB (or other) workouts focused on strength. Some of them take an hour or more for the kettlebell work and I like to use the HRM for record keeping afterwards. I don't pay attention to it during. For example, this weekend I've a workout planned that will feature 300 cleans with 75 deadlifts, it is just a good metric to track along with everything else. The idea is as my body becomes more conditioned to this type of work that my HR will eventually decrease a bit (not that it is too high now). I've hopes of eventually competing in kettlebell lifting (which is very endurance based), so this is all good information to track. My new coach is having an amazing effect on my shoulder stability and strength! It really is amazing what improvement with my shoulder and neck I've seen after just a few weeks working with this man!

That doesn't mean that my shoulder stability will increase enough to make competition a possibility, but I want to see just how far I can take this without injury. If anyone can get me there my new coach can!

[Catrin]

http://store.sensoriafitness.com/products/

?

I may look into this further as budget permits now that my home KB herd/gym is complete. Their bras are VERY limited in size, perhaps something else might work. This is likely a new technology and they can't afford to offer an expanded set of bra sizes, but the sports bras look great, as long as you need a larger band than I and are a B cup (I am a E/F depending on the maker). They even have a SOCK solution! Interesting concept, and the Blue Tooth removes the need for a watch entirely.

[nuliajuk]

I had a club-mate years ago who made a monitor mount for his handlebars from one of those oval forms that watches come mounted on, when they're still in the manufacturer's packaging. He had a reputation for being a bit of a cheapskate, but that particular innovation was kind of clever. Last winter I mounted my Polar on my handlebars by winding an old sock around the bar and strapping the Polar watch to it. A necklace wouldn't work for the model that I have because holding it next to the chest strap changes the mode.

[OakLeaf]

http://store.sensoriafitness.com/products/

?

Oh man, pressure sensing SOCKS!!!! I am such a data wh*** ... I NEED these to make my world complete!

[Catrin]

Oh man, pressure sensing SOCKS!!!! I am such a data wh*** ... I NEED these to make my world complete!

hehehehe, I am thinking the same thing myself - good for my budget that they don't also serve as a HRM :)

Nuliajuk, I've thought about that :) The real concern isn't on the bike (I've a thingie I strap my watch onto the bars if I want to see it when riding). I am more concerned with my long kettlebell lifting sessions. I don't always track, but there are workouts I would like to. So, for now, I just wear a tank top and strap the watch to my tank/bra straps and move it around to my back. I think hanging it around my neck puts it at risk if it swings to either side and I hit it when I clean the kettlebell. That also wouldn't feel very good...

Pity the sensorial fitness site has such a tiny choice of sizes for bras, I've no chance of that working for me. That would be the ideal solution and it really isn't any more expensive than my favorite sports bras.

[Becky]

Will your watch fit around your ankle, or can you get a replacement band for it that's long enough to wear it there?

[OakLeaf]

Looks like the Sensorial devices require BTLE (aka Bluetooth Smart) - which is a feature of only the very latest phones. There are other apps that will read Bluetooth HRMs, but at least the Polar BT-enabled HR strap (http://www.polar.com/us-en/products/accessories/Polar_WearLink_transmitter_with_Bluetooth) requires BTLE. I'm guessing that's going to be universal, since BTLE is a lower powered protocol that's better for battery life on these little devices.

I don't know what kind of phone you have now, but ANT+ dongles for iPhones have been available for a good long time now. If a phone-based solution is what you're looking for (I'm assuming you have an upper arm armband in mind), you probably ought to be able to find an armband that can accommodate the dongle, and just about any HR strap uses ANT+.

ETA: List of ANT+ capable Android devices/plugins/accessories: http://www.thisisant.com/consumer/ant-101/ant-in-phones



As far as a necklace, lots of the smaller drybags designed for phones come with a cord that can be used for wearing around your neck. You can find those at any store that sells boating gear. But a phone would be more weight than I think you'd really want to wear around your neck, especially with your injuries.

[Blueberry]

If you can't get a long enough band for an ankle, what about getting a cheap neoprene phone pouch that will fit your leg, and putting the watch you have now in there? Or you could do upper arm. Or you could wrap the watch around a lanyard and tuck in your shirt.

[Catrin]

My phone is a huge Samsung Note II, so it won't be on my arm :) It doesn't have to be though, the kind of workouts where I couldn't actually wear my watch as intended has me in a stationary position in that I am not walking around. So depending on the optimum distance for the pairing to work, this might be the most elegant solution.

I greatly appreciate all of the suggestions as they are helping me to think through this. I will explore the Android ANT+ solution further, and also follow up with the ankle/leg solution. The more I think about it the more I can see that any necklace/lanyard/arm solution just isn't going to work due to neck injury and the nature of a KB clean - especially as I go up in weight. The only upper body solution is the one I'm currently using.