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Polar F11 Heart Rate Monitor (Grey) - NEW 2008 Model | 
 enlarge | Brand: Polar
Category: Sports
Buy New: £92.95
Rating:  1 reviews
Sales Rank: 1801
Media: Misc.
Autographed: No
Memorabilia: No
EAN: 5051638000363
ASIN: B000W4W7MS
Availability: Usually dispatched within 2-3 business days
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| Features:
| • | Polar Keeps U Fit ? - Own Workout Program | | • | Polar Fitness Test? with OwnIndex | | • | Polar OwnCal | | • | Polar OwnCode | | • | ZonePointer |
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| Similar Items:
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| Editorial Reviews:
Product Description
Welcome to the personal trainer on your wrist. The Keeps U Fit program works out how many calories you?ve burned and how hard, how often and how long to train in order to improve your fitness. It also comes with Polar?s comfortable WearLink textile transmitter, to accurately measure your heart rate. Color options: Grey Pepper, Blue Gold, Blue Glow (female), Pink Fizz (female).
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| Customer Reviews:
An excellent tool for encouraging and monitoring exercise May 2, 2008
Peter Stamer (Wilts)
26 out of 27 found this review helpful
I wanted something to encourage me to take exercise and get some fresh air. Going to the gym had become dull and membership expensive as my attendance dropped, and it didn't give me any fresh air or sunshine. Walking, cycling or jogging seemed an attractive alternative but I wanted a tool to highlight improvements in my fitness and, being a bit of a gadget addict, would also make taking exercise seem fun!
After conducting research on the internet, it didn't take long to discover and choose the Polar F11 heart rate monitor (HRM) because it was highly recommended in test reports and user comments. I also managed to buy one for 75 (perhaps it had been factory reconditioned but it seemed new and works perfectly). In the ten weeks I've been using it, it's the one thing that gets me out and walking. Here's why:
Packed into this slightly chunky wrist watch is a very impressive health monitoring computer. You'll glaze over if I go into too much detail (which is described elsewhere on the internet) but if you're not familiar with these devices several features are worth describing.
WORKOUT PROGRAMS
Based on your current fitness level, you choose how many times a week you wish to exercise and whether you want to maintain, improve or maximise your fitness. You'll already have entered your details into the HRM such as your age, weight, gender, and how active you are. The F11 then gives you a program which specifies for how long you should exercise on each individual occasion and how many calories to burn each time. There is a standard formula for deciding everyone's maximum heart rate (based on your age) and the F11 gets you to exercise so that you spend so many minutes at 60 - 70% of your maximum heart rate (a comfortable walk on level ground, I find), so many minutes at 70 - 80% (full speed walk) and sometimes in the 80 - 90% zone (a mixture of jogging and walking achieves this in my experience). Exercise sessions last typically 45, 55, and one hour 25 minutes. The latter has become my Sunday walk as it targets the lowest heart rate (fat burn) so one has to walk pretty slowly. In addition to this, The F11 fine tunes these heart rate zones during the first 1 - 5 minutes of your exercise periods during which it senses how variable your heart rate is as you warm up (you may be feeling stressed or ill, so it makes allowances).
AEROBIC FITNESS TEST
As the handbook states: `Aerobic (cardiovascular) fitness relates to how well your cardiovascular system works to transport oxygen to your body. The better your aerobic fitness, the stronger and more efficient your heart is. Good aerobic fitness has many health benefits. For example, it decreases your risk of cardiovascular diseases, stroke and high blood pressure.'
Undertaking the test could sound rather intimidating but it is in fact the easiest bit - you simply lie on the floor and relax for five minutes in peace and quiet.
The Polar F11's test is based on your heart rate and heart rate variability at rest in addition to the personal data that you will have entered into the HRM. You are recommended to repeat the test every 2 to 4 weeks to monitor your progress.
EXERCISE RESULTS
The results of the last 24 exercise sessions are recorded in the HRM (I transfer them to an Excel file on my PC). These include the duration of the session, calories burned and the fat percentage, maximum and average heart rates (in beats/min and as a percentage of maximum), and how long you spent in each of the three heart rate zones.
Serious sporting types will probably appreciate the ability to upload their results to the Polar Personal Trainer website. Here you have your own training diary, plus the facility to choose from a variety of fitness programs (cycling, fitness, outdoor sports, running) and where you can nominate the level of fitness you desire. The program on the website then produces a suggested training schedule for the next few weeks which you can adjust as required. Your results are aggregated on a weekly basis and displayed as bar charts showing number of exercise sessions per week, duration, distance, energy expenditure, and heart rate comparisons. As you can see, the Polar F11 is no gimmick and is a serious tool for sports enthusiasts.
In addition, what is really neat is the method the HRM uses to upload the data to the internet - you'll need a microphone attached to your PC and the Polar Weblink software (downloaded free from Polar's website). You simply put the metal plate on the back of the HRM (which is normally against your skin) close to the microphone and select Send from the HRM's menu. The F11 chirps away for 15 seconds like a budgerigar on speed giving a horse-race commentary, and that's it! Log on to the Polar Personal Trainer website and your results will be there along with all your previous uploads. Pretty clever.
`WearLink' CHEST STRAP / TRANSMITTER
The chest strap has been improved from the previous, uncomfortable, hard-edged model which inconveniently had to be returned to the manufacturer for the battery to be replaced.
This new Wearlink model is waterproof to 100 feet, has coded transmissions to prevent crosstalk between neighbouring HRMs, and has a soft, washable elasticated strap which incorporates the embedded mesh electrodes. (These electrodes need a thorough wetting under a tap each time before use). The transmitter and battery-housing block sits over your sternum and is connected to the strap by a simple snap fastener on each side. Detaching the strap switches off the transmitter and allows the strap to be machine washed (washing bag recommended). The battery can now be replaced by the user (big relief) and a spare O-ring is thoughtfully provided to ensure the battery compartment remains water tight. A CR2025 battery (replacement cost: 1.27 for a pair of Tesco-branded batteries) is estimated to last 2 years. I saw somewhere on the internet that Triumph (not the motor bikes) in cooperation with Polar produce a sports bra with the transmitter built into the lower edge; this would provide a neat solution for the lasses.
HRM BATTERY
The wrist unit battery is estimated to last 1.5 years and Polar recommend returning the unit to an authorized Polar Service Centre to ensure the unit's water resistance is not compromised. This doesn't prevent you doing it yourself - the battery is a CR2032 - just be careful not to damage the waterproofing seal.
BUY THE 2008 MODEL OF THE POLAR F11
There are 4 versions of the latest 2008 model of the F11 which, I believe, only differ in colour and size, all of which come with the Polar Wearlink chest strap (described above). The two designed for men have either a grey or darkish blue strap, whereas the two intended for females (sometimes called Polar F11F) are a little smaller and have either a pinky red or light blue strap. A little confusingly these 4 versions appear to be advertised independently on Amazon.
CONCLUSION
A really clever, interesting and useful device that has successfully encouraged me to walk/jog over 200 miles in the last couple of months whilst achieving the targets it sets. Serious sporting types will get even more out of it.
What is more, it's even paid for itself in 10 weeks because I cancelled my gym subscription. Plus I get fresh air, rain and sunshine ... Easy 5 stars.
POSTSCRIPT FOR FELLOW SPORTS UNENTHUSIASTS
If you haven't yet found a route round which to exercise, you might try the following:
Find an Ordnance Survey map or go to their website (ordnancesurvey.co.uk/oswebsite/) and tap in your postcode. You will see on the 1:25,000 map all the public footpaths and bridle ways marked by green dashed lines. If you then view these paths on Google Earth, you can relate the lines to the actual hedgerows and find yourself an interesting circuit. Using the Ruler tool in Path mode, you can measure the exact distance around your circuit. A route of around 4.5 miles I find works very well and can be walked fast in just over one hour whilst you listen to music or the radio via an MP3 player (e.g. see my other reviews). Going out at 6 a.m., the air's fresh, the light soft, and you're back before you know it with the whole day in front of you. Pretty good for kicking depression!
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www.pcprotech.co.uk | |
