When I found my true exercise bliss, working out anywhere but the gym, I noticed I was exercising way too hard. I would sprint, make myself sore, hurt my knees, and just be plain miserable. Then, after recovering, I noticed I was not exercising hard enough. I felt like I was jogging in place in order to avoid all the next day soreness.
I knew that getting a heart rate monitor was the best tool to make sure I was working out at just the right intensity. But, I had the toughest time choosing one. Price, features, compatibility with my fitness tracking software, etc., made choosing a heart rate monitor a daunting task.
After about six weeks of online research, in store gawking, and figuring out the features I wanted the most, I scored a Polar FT60 Heart Rate Monitor and GPS device. The tool combo is normally $300, but for some reason, the fitness gods were on my side that day, and I scored exactly the tool I was looking for on sale at 75% off at Best Buy. What was the killer selling point that led me to this monitor over all others? The built in coach! Yes, a coach.
Now, there are a gazillion options out there for heart rate monitors, and Polar is the industry leader. The coaching option, is, and was something I needed to provide, that little extra motivation and monitoring. Once the watch is set up, you can choose your goal. There are three options, the two that caught my eye were the ‘weight loss’ and ‘ultimate performance, kick your butt exercise program.’ Its really not called that, but I like to call it that. The watch tells you how long to work out each week, how many calories to burn, and it sets heart rate zone time targets for you. And, in case you are wondering, I picked the ‘ultimate performance, kick your butt exercise program.
The coaching function is seriously cool. After each work out, the ‘coach’ gives you immediate feedback about how good your routine was. It’ll tell you if you burned fat, maximized performance, improved fitness, or a combination of a few. After a week, the ‘coach’ will adjust your program based on your results from the previous week. It’ll tell you to work out harder, take a break, or stay the course and adjust time zones for you.
Reading about the coaching tool really does not do it any justice. I remember reading about it, and my bull S meter went through the roof. I’ve seen cheesy little computer programs before, but this is not one of them. It really works well, and is not just a gimmick. I would recommend this watch to anyone. In addition, it actually looks nice. I wear it to work in preference to a normal dress watch. The pictures you’ll see online look butt ugly, but in real life, it’s a decent looking thing.
If you do not get the FT-60, Polar also has some other good options. I would not go any cheaper than the FT-60 if you want all the bells and whistles. If it were not for the coaching option, and now knowing how often I use this monitor, I would consider paying the full $300 or more for a watch that provides more detail. I am not so fond of the GPS receiver or function on any of the watches. I always know where I’ve been and where I am going. However, it is very cool to know your exact distance, and speed, pace, etc.
