I've written about my Polar FT4 Watch previously, but since creating my second Instagram account @sometimessweaty (the name still makes me laugh) I've gotten a ton of new questions about it and thought I'd answer them here.
First things first, there are two parts to it: the watch and the chest strap/sensor. To use the heart rate feature you simply wet the strap with a bit of water, put it on, and pop the sensor onto the front. When I first got it in the mail I called my sister, so annoyed that I would have to wear the strap anytime I wanted to get an accurate read on the heart rate monitor. She explained to me though that once I had it on it would be no thing at all, and she was right; I never even notice it once it's in place. I wear it right under my sports bra, under my chest, and it's quite comfortable and truly no big deal at all.
So once you have the chest strap and sensor in place you turn on the watch and get to it. The device tracks your heart rate, which in turn tracks calories burned. It tells you when you're in your "zone" (this is determined when you set up the watch, based on your age, weight, etc.), and summarizes your workout at the end- how many calories burned, how long you worked out for, time spent in/out of the zone.
When I first got the watch and worked out with it I had to laugh, because it was actually kind of shocking how many times in my exercising life I thought I was really exerting myself, but I wasn't at all. I can't even tell you how motivating it is to be able to SEE when I'm working hard, and keep that momentum up, especially on a cardio machine when it's easy to kind of just coast along.
Things I love:
1 // The motivational aspect. Like I mentioned above it allows me to really see when I'm working hard, and in turn pushes me to workout even harder. Since having Charlie I've felt really motivated to get into the best shape ever, and this has been a helpful tool to have on hand. It's so rewarding to complete my workout and see a big "500-something calories" starting back at me, and equally exciting to know I'm making progress towards my goals.
2 // Accountability and efficiency. Having a little blinking reminder to work harder makes me work out when I'm there to work out. I'm not on the elliptical reading a magazine, I'm not chatting on my phone. I have 60-90 minutes and I don't mess around, I get in and I get out. And this is a must for me, because I don't have a lot of time at the gym between taking care of the boys and everything else. So efficiency is key and this allows me to be as efficient as possible.
3 // For weight training. Although I don't do CrossFit anymore I still incorporate the idea of constantly varied, high intensity training into my weights program. I do a lot of workouts designed by Krissy Mae Cagney and she's all about that- and it's pretty crazy to see the impact on my Polar watch. Between the lifting (and keeping my heart rate up the entire time) and the HIIT that follows, I'm burning more calories in 60 minutes than I ever burned in two hours before. So cool.
So yes, I love this thing. And if you're interested in getting one now's the time- they're on sale at Amazon right now. Happy exercising, and come follow along at @sometimessweaty if you already aren't!
*this was a totally unsponsored post
I used Amazon Affiliate linking in this post.
To visit the site without my link, click here.
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