I have had this Heart Rate for 2 months now (since mid jan) and absolutely love it. Despite being an aspiring athlete aiming for high performance, I was also on a very tight budget and found that many of the other features available in some of the more expensive models (I found this for £35) just weren't really necessary.
All you need for training using an HRM is to know your heart rate, not calories expended or fat burned, it is very simple to work out what levels to exercise at with guidance from the instruction booklet provided. This is the cheapest and most reliable form of HRM that you are going to find. Polar are a world renowned brand and the product is of top quality, the strap worn is comfortable and you soon forget that you are wearing it, yet provides ECG accurate heart rates.
FEATURES: Heart rate in real time Elasped Time Average heart rate
LOOKS: A plain blue watch with one button operation, shows your HR in large figures meaning it is easy to check. The chest strap that is provided is very comfortable and you soon forget you have this on. Both are fully waterproof, meaning if you are a swimmer it can be useful as not all HRM's allow this to be used underwater- most are just splashproof.
GYM USE
The Polar HRM's are almost always compatible in every gym, and this is no exception. The machines will display your heart rate on screen, and in some cases you can set the machines to work you at a particular heart rate very useful as you do not need to worry about whether you are at the right intensity, the machine just changes the resistance or speed to keep your heart rate at your target heart rate.
OUT AND ABOUT
I have used my HRM on several occasions whilst running and still find it easy to keep an eye on my HR with a quick flick of the wrist. In short the Polar A1 provides a quick and easy method of training at the right levels, whether it is for weight loss or athletic performance.
Its other useful function is its ability to work out an average HR for a workout, giving you a good indication to whether you have kept training at the right level throughout the exercise, although this is usually lower than your target HR due to your HR starting off at rest.
An Excellent investment!!
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Why did you buy it?
Recommendation, Low price
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