kldavis99's Full Review: Polar Heart Rate Monitor Coral 1 Ea
Fitness has become an important factor for many across the nation/world. Being 12 years to the date in the fitness game and 110 lbs lighter, chronicling my performance and progress have been the forefront in maintaining a healthy lifestyle. Polar F11 is a great watch that is a little more advanced than the standard heart rate monitor. Polar does make a simple heart rate monitor but I would spend a little more to get more beneficial information. F11 is one of many in the Polar fitness/cross-trainer group. As you can imagine, the more features the next watch has the more money you can expect to pay. I chose F11 because of the features and the price. This is my second Polar watch. I have had my current watch for over a year and a half and I have yet to be disappointed.
The F11 offers the fitness enthusiast all the information they need without breaking their pocket book. Not only does the watch keep up with your heart rate, it also keeps up with the number of calories you burn during workouts, and your exercise zones. You can also conduct a fitness test that you can perform to set a benchmark in your fitness journey. I use my watch while instructing my aerobics class, spin class, while I am running, on the elliptical trainer, stair stepper, and weightlifting.
Side note:the monitor can transmit your heart rate information to Precor ellipticals, treadmills, and steppers. This allows you to see your heart rate on the machine monitor instead of the watch. This increases the safety on the machines. I am sure it will interface with other fitness machines.
Ease of use
Polar has made using the watch both easy to use and see. The display is a lot cleaner and easier to see whether you working out in the wee hours of the morning or during your afternoon session.
Starting the heart rate monitor is as simple as pressing one button 3 times. Press once to activate the monitor to check your pulse rate. Press the button a second time, it will let you know what workout zone(s) your are about to begin. The third time is to start your workout session. Press the stop button to pause the workout or end the workout.
Features I find beneficial
There are a number of features I enjoy and could list but I will list the ones that truly stood out for me.
One feature I enjoy is the number of calories that I am burning. I also enjoy the workout zones that are displayed during the workout session.
Polar has the ability to send information via the internet. I enjoy the Polar Web Link feature which makes it easy to upload information to a website that helps you track your progress. The information is sent to http://www.polarpersonaltrainer.com/ website. Once you have set up a free account, you will be able to see your workout information in a graphical form, making it easier to understand how you have progressed. Very cool in my opinion.
Another feature I enjoy is the button lock. This locks out all buttons while you are working out. I really enjoy this when lifting weights because my gloves have a tendency to stop the monitoring during the workout.
One hiccup:
Every now and then the watch will lock up. Honestly I believe it is due to user error. :-) I have a habit of not emptying the memory banks. The simple remedy is to press all four buttons at the same time and hold for 5-10 seconds. That happened twice in the year and a half of ownership.
This is a great watch for any one who is starting out a fitness program or have been in the game for sometime. Tracking your progress and achieving your fitness goals only become easier with this little companion.
Fantastic prices with ease & c...(Stock status: N/A)
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