Why is it that the heart rate monitors on gym equipment NEVER work?

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StageLeft

No Lifer
Sep 29, 2000
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This is a truism across nations and gyms and brands. I have found that in many years of working out at the gym that the heart rate monitors built into the things, like the bar on a treadmill, do not work. I've tried one hand. I've tried both. Generally I'll put both on, it will realize I have two on there and start to "read my HR" and then like freaking 30 seconds later (why it takes that long nobody knows) it will spit out an insane number like 215. Or 90. The other day on a multi-thousand dollar treadmill, without even touching the pads, it was reading 190 and then spike down to 160, just all over the place.
 
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SlitheryDee

The only ones that I've seen that "seem" to work are the ones that clip onto your ear. Those are rarely on the professional quality stuff; I guess because most people wouldn't use something that's been clipped to a thousand sweaty ears before them.
 

xboxist

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Jun 25, 2002
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The monitor on the elliptical machine at my gym seems to work fine. I've not noticed any real spikes or absurd readings. A minute or two after being on it I'm at 115-120, my "normal" pace puts my rate at about 140, and it tops out near 165 when I'm running the final 10 minutes rather hard.

I wouldn't lie to you Skoorb!
 

LongTimePCUser

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Jul 1, 2000
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All the gym hr monitor readouts seem to recognize the Polar chest strap and read it directly.

You can buy a Polar chest strap for $30 - 40 without buyin a Polar heart rate monitor.

If you want to use the hand monitors and your hands don't get sweaty during a work out, then you could try wetting them with water before getting on the equipment. You do need to have both hands in contact.
 

brikis98

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Jul 5, 2005
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The ones at the gym near my house work fine. The ones at my office gym don't work at all and seem to try to get a heart rate reading even when I'm not in contact with the sensors. Apparently the ghost running on the treadmill with me has a heart rate of 190 most days.
 

Snapster

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Oct 14, 2001
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Originally posted by: brikis98
The ones at the gym near my house work fine. The ones at my office gym don't work at all and seem to try to get a heart rate reading even when I'm not in contact with the sensors. Apparently the ghost running on the treadmill with me has a heart rate of 190 most days.

lol, I had similar. My ghost was up to 240 then suddenly 0, I think he died. :(
 

MrMatt

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Mar 3, 2009
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Originally posted by: Skoorb
This is a truism across nations and gyms and brands. I have found that in many years of working out at the gym that the heart rate monitors built into the things, like the bar on a treadmill, do not work. I've tried one hand. I've tried both. Generally I'll put both on, it will realize I have two on there and start to "read my HR" and then like freaking 30 seconds later (why it takes that long nobody knows) it will spit out an insane number like 215. Or 90. The other day on a multi-thousand dollar treadmill, without even touching the pads, it was reading 190 and then spike down to 160, just all over the place.

some people have ones that are wireless that transmit to treadmills. I found this out one day when I was doing a light jog and without touching the bars it said 190. I couldn't figure out what was going on. The guy next to me had a wireless arm-band type deal that transmitted his pulse. The signal was so strong it hit my treadmill, his, and the one next to him.
 

StageLeft

No Lifer
Sep 29, 2000
70,150
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Damn, I didn't know about the wireless pickup on the treadmills. I have thought about buying a chest strap and watch but realized it would be more fun than actually beneficial to my workouts, so I've not gone that route yet.
I wouldn't lie to you Skoorb!
Thanks!
 
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