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HILL
The Life Fitness-patented HILL workout offers a variety of configurations for interval training. Intervals are periods of intense
aerobic exercise separated by regular periods of lower-intensity exercise. The WORKOUT PROFILE window represents these
high and low intervals as columns of light, which together have the appearance of hills and valleys. The computerized interval
training workout has been scientifically demonstrated to promote greater cardio-respiratory improvement than steady-pace
training.
Each HILL workout goes through four phases, each marked by different intensity levels. The WORKOUT PROFILE window
displays the progress of these phases, as seen in the chart following these descriptions below. As noted in the descriptions,
the heart rate should be measured at two stages in the workout to gauge its effectiveness. To do so, grasp the Lifepulse
system sensors, or wear the Polar heart rate chest strap. The MESSAGE CENTER does not display a request for a heart
rate measurement during a HILL workout.
1 Warm-up is a phase of low, gradually rising resistance, which
brings the heart rate into the lower end of the target zone and
increases respiration and blood flow to working muscles.
2 Plateau increases the intensity slightly, and keeps it steady, to
bring the heart rate to the low end of the target zone. Check the
heart rate at the end of this phase.
3 Interval Training is a series of increasingly steeper hills, alternat-
ing with valleys, or stints of recovery. The heart rate should rise
to the high end of the target* zone. Check the heart rate at the
end of this phase.
4 Cool-down is a low-intensity phase that allows the body to begin removing lactic acid, and other exercise by-products,
which build up in muscles and contribute to soreness.
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†
Defined by the American College of Sports Medicine's "Guidelines for Exercise Testing and Prescription" as equal to 220 minus an individual’s age.
* Target Heart Rate (THR) is a percentage of the theoretical maximum. For example, a 40-year-old user's THR for the EXTREME HEART RATE workout
is 144. This workout targets 80 percent of the maximum, so the equation would be (220-40)*.80=144.