Suunto and social sports network Movescount need little introduction. The Suunto sports watch range includes more than thirty different models designed for people who are fond of diving, rock climbing and do not imagine life without sports. I was also interested in a lineup designed for everyday training, fitness and providing constant cardio control.
Suunto M5 is a true personal trainer, ready to calculate your heart rate and calories burned during your workout in real time. In addition, Suunto M5 offers its own training programs for a wide range of fitness levels.
First impression
The watch comes in a small box, at the sight of which you immediately understand that a sports accessory of impressive quality has fallen into your hands. Unfortunately, the presence of the Russian language is not provided either in the instructions or in the watch settings. In order to understand the necessary settings and settings of Suunto M5, you can use a short illustrated manual.
The watch case is made of high-quality plastic: the bezel is glossy, and the back side is made of matte plastic. The rubber strap has three rows of evenly spaced perforations, which makes it possible to wear the watch on any wrist. Despite the rather austere look, Suunto M5 can be categorized as «unisex», especially, in addition to the black I’m considering, the dial is available in lilac and yellow solutions (the strap and case are available only in black).
Equipment
The main feature of Suunto watches is a very good package out of the box. The highlight of the M5 kit is the Bell pacemaker. To synchronize with a computer, you will need a Bluetooth transmitter, also included in the kit.
«Bilateral» acquaintance
There are only three navigation buttons on Suunto M5. Unlike most models of the same Casio G-Shock, Suunto M5 looks extremely minimalistic.
To turn on Suunto M5, press the center key and then hold the top key for 2 seconds. After a few seconds, you have to go through a small «questionnaire» and tell the clock about what its owner looks like. You will need to set the following parameters:
– measurement system;
— time, date, year (if necessary — set an alarm)
— year of birth;
— floor;
— weight;
— height (when you first enter this parameter, I recommend being especially careful, since I personally did not succeed in changing the height later, a general reset was required);
— the level of physical fitness.
After setting your physiological characteristics, the watch will immediately report your physical condition: with a height of 183 and a weight of 92 kilograms, Suunto M5 reported that I had a clear “overweight” of 9 kilograms. Arguing with the clock, perhaps, is not worth it, but it is better to immediately start training.
Workouts, Bell pacemaker and operating experience
After the “first acquaintance”, the watch will offer you to take a fitness test, which is highly recommended, after putting on the Bell heart rate belt in the chest area.
The work of the heart sensor begins immediately after you click the passes on both sides. Bell has its own battery and is completely autonomous. After starting a fitness test or any training, the watch will instantly detect the connected Bell and start displaying the current heart rate.
During training, the status of the daily program will be filled in around the circumference of the dial. As a guide, Suunto M5 will suggest you the duration of your exercise and your optimal heart rate. If the heart rate during training is lower or higher than the specified allowable range, the watch will emit a characteristic beep.
Critical heart rate parameters are calculated from the wearer’s age and gender.
Once you hit your “daily value” but still want to keep exercising, Suunto M5 will alert you to rest by giving you the exact time your body needs to fully recover.
Every morning you will see an alert on the main screen of your watch: “rest day” or “training day”. With an average level of training, the transition to the next level of physical improvement of one’s own body is calculated after 6 weeks of training. Suunto recommends training every other day, gradually increasing the intensity, intensity and duration of your workouts.
What Suunto M5 can and can’t do
The Suunto M5 sports watch should never be confused with either sports bands or smart watches. This sports accessory is completely autonomous and does not sync with the mobile phone directly. Updating statistics requires a connection to a computer and registration in a social network for users familiar with the Suunto sports watch series — MovesCount.
Suunto M5 is positioned as a cardio tracker and personal e-trainer that provides a complete training program for people of all fitness levels and goals.
Suunto M5 is not afraid of water and is ready to withstand diving to a depth of 30 meters.
Suunto M5 sports watch does not need to be charged regularly as it has a self-contained battery. According to the developer, with the standard operation of the watch, it will be enough for continuous operation of the M5 throughout the year. The same battery is installed in the cardio sensor.
Conclusions, tips, recommendations:
After a month of active use, the Suunto M5 sports watch has received a very positive opinion. And the first thing I want to note is that the watch really makes you not only give all your best in the gym, but also reconsider your attitude to training, as such. Having stepped over the threshold of the locker room and started the treadmill, the finger already intuitively reaches for the “Start” button of the Suunto M5 watch, and on days when it’s really “too lazy to do anything”, it’s a shame to leave the gym before completing 100% of the training norm set by the watch. This gadget is really becoming a habit and a very good habit.
I have never encountered the fact that the watch disobeyed me or behaved somehow strangely: neither frost, nor moisture, nor dust were a hindrance — Suunto M5 still regularly continued to measure the pulse and count calories.
After getting to know the watch and training for the first time, you might think that the Suunto M5 training program is too primitive. But, believe me, once you continue classes for at least a few weeks, and you will realize that you were very mistaken. For beginners who have just ventured into regular exercise, the Suunto M5 sports watch is the best fit. You just need to do active exercises and keep the heart rate in the specified range (there will be no squealing — Suunto will start beeping alarmingly, hinting that the heart rate is not high enough, or vice versa, it is too fast). The intelligence of the watch is thought out to the smallest detail: it will tell you how long it will take your body to fully recover and will definitely remind you that you should train today.
With each subsequent week spent with Suunto M5 on your wrist, the watch will set a new and new bar for you. And after a month or two you will feel how you have become more resilient and stronger.
Suunto M5 is a high-quality, well-thought-out, friendly (despite some ascetic design) sports watch that will become a great companion for any workout, for people of all fitness levels.
Buy a watch
Suunto M5 Black
Suunto M5 Black
