But things changed, and last year I decided to get my own HRM (Heart Rate Monitor), I went with the Polar FT4, which was recommended by my instructor and most people over the internet. I won't deny that I was still skeptical about it, I mean yes it measures your Heart Rate so what?
Well after a couple of weeks of using it I was converted, and I am here today to tell you why you need one of this:
You will feel full of energy. In the past, I would go to the gym and leave very tired with no energy left to do anything else. I remember arriving home and just wanting to sleep, after I started using the Polar FT4 I noticed that I left the gym feeling energized, and this is basically because I am now aware of my heart rate, and I know now when I need to slow down a bit
It is easy to use. I have tried other hrm's from the brand Timex (one of my cousins had one), and found them very difficult to program and use for the first time; with the Polar I just had to read the manual once and configuring the settings was pretty buy polar heart rate monitor watches easy.
It will tell you how many calories you burn. If you are in a weight loss plan this is very important to know, especially if you need to keep track of your burned calories per day, what is interesting about this hrm is that it stores up to 10 trainings.
It will help you be in zone. When you program the settings, it allows you to choose training zone limits depending on the type of exercise you will perform. If by any chance you are below or above the zone the hrm starts beeping (you can disable this setting if you find it bothering), letting you know that you need to either slow down or you need to give an extra push.
It graphs your trainings. As I mentioned before the Polar FT4 stores up to 10 trainings and graphs them all, this gives you an idea of how your performance has been in the past.
It is water resistant. It can be used up to 30 meters under water.
You can replace your own battery. Believe it or not this is handy because not a lot of monitors allow you to do this.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nWwAkufauS8
It tells you Happy Birthday. That is right, as you need to save your birth date the Polar FT4 will tell you happy birthday by showing a cake on that special occasion. The good thing is that this cake won't make you fat.
All in all, I think that the Polar FT4 heart rate monitor is a great choice if you want to keep good track of your fitness routine. The only downside is the price, this one costs around $100.00 USD, but you can find them at eBay at lesser value and most of the times they are new and unopened.
