Polar CS600X User Manual

4.  PREPARE FOR TRAINING

Plan Your Training

Exercise Types

You can utilize the installed ready-made exercises or create new ones on your cycling computer. Plan and create more versatile exercises and transfer them to your cycling computer by using the Polar ProTrainer 5 training software. For more information on how to transfer the exercises, see 8. Training Program.

Select Settings > Exercise

The Exercises menu shows a list of exercises.

Navigate through the options with UP or DOWN

  • Free: Free exercise with no settings.

  • Basic: Training with moderate intensity. Duration around 45 min.

  • OwnZone: OwnZone-based exercise with moderate intensity. The cycling computer is able to automatically determine your individual aerobic (cardiovascular) heart rate zone during warm-up. This is called OwnZone. Suggested duration 45 minutes. For further information, see Determine Your OwnZone. For additional background information, see OwnZone Training.

  • Interval: Interval training starts with a 15-minute warm-up, followed by a 5 km interval (work phase) and a 5-minute recovery period, repeated 3 times. The session ends with a 15-minute cool-down.

  • Add new: Create and save your own exercise. Store a total of 10 exercises + 1 Free exercise in your cycling computer.

After selecting the desired exercise (Free, Basic, OwnZone, Interval or Add new), the following options are displayed. Select the desired option and press OK.

  1. Select the exercise as a default exercise. The next time you train, your cycling computer will offer this exercise as default.

  2. View the exercise settings. Scroll UP or DOWN to view:

    1. Exercise in 1-3 exercise zones: target heart rate, speed/cadence*/power* limits for each zone, timer/distance for the zone, or

    2. Exercise using phases: name, description, target exercise time. (Press and hold LIGHT to view the exercise phases and chosen sport profile.)

  3. Edit Basic or OwnZone exercise to fit your needs. You can also edit exercise created with the cycling computer. For further information, see Create New Exercises With Your Cycling Computer. If you created exercise with the Polar ProTrainer 5 software that includes phases, you cannot edit them with the cycling computer.

  4. Rename Basic, Interval or other exercise created with the cycling computer.

  5. Default Return to default settings of Basic, Interval or OwnZone exercise.

  6. Delete exercise you created using the cycling computer or the Polar ProTrainer 5 software.

* Optional sensor required.

Create New Exercises With Your Cycling Computer

Create a New Exercise with Zones

Create your own exercise with the cycling computer.

Select Settings > Exercises > Add new

1. Set the number of zones for the exercise (0-3) and press OK. Also see Creating a New Exercise Without Zones.

2. Choose zone type:

A. Heart rate

B. Speed

C. Cadence*

D. Power*

Press OK.

A. For heart rate, select Sport zone, or Manual to set heart rate zone manually. Press OK.

  • Sport zone: Select one of the sport zones (e.g. Z1: 50-59%HRmax) for your exercise. Press OK to continue to step 3.

Polar sport zones are heart rate intensity areas expressed in percentages of your maximum heart rate. Five different sport zones are set in the cycling computer as a default: very light (50-59% HRmax), light (60-69% HRmax), moderate (70-79% HRmax), hard (80-89% HRmax), and maximum (90-99% HRmax). Default HRmax value is age-based, but if you know your exact aerobic and anaerobic thresholds, have had your maximum heart rate (HRmax -p) predicted in a Polar Fitness Test™, tested your maximum heart rate yourself or in a lab, then you can define sport zones will better suit your training needs.

  • Manual: Set the high and low zone HR limits as beats per minute (bpm) or HR% / HRR% and press OK to continue to step 3.

B. If you selected speed, cadence* or power* zones, set the high and low zone limits. Press OK to continue to step 3.

  • If you choose cadence as a zone type, the zones will be expressed in rounds per minute (rpm).

  • If you choose power as a zone type, the zones will be expressed in watts.

3. Set Zone guide to change zones after a specified time or distance. During your workout, the cycling computer will alert you when changing zones.

  • Timers: Set a timer for the zone (minutes and seconds) and press OK.

  • Distances: Set distance for the zone and press OK.

  • Off: Deactivate timers and distances off and press OK.

Once you have defined the first zone, Zone 1 OK is displayed. For more than one exercise zone, repeat steps 2 and 3 until all zones are defined.

When the exercise is ready, New exercise added is displayed. The new exercise (NewExe) is stored in the Exercises menu, where you can select it for your next workout. Rename the exercise by selecting Rename from the list.

Create a New Exercise Without Zones

To create a new exercise without zones, you can use timers or distances to guide your training.

Select Settings > Exercises > Add new

  1. Number of zones: Set the number of zones to 0.

  2. Guide type: Choose to sound a timer during workout (reminding you to drink, for example), or set a distance (for following lap times without recording them).

Timers

  • Number of timers: Choose the number of timers (1-3) for the session. Press OK.

  • Timer 1: Define minutes and seconds for the timer and press OK.

Distances

  • Number of distances: Choose the number of distances (1-3) for the session. Press OK.

  • Distance 1: Enter the distance(s) and press OK.

Repeat step 2 until you have defined timers or distances. When the exercise is ready, New exercise added is displayed. The new exercise (NewExe) is stored in the Exercises menu, where you can select it for your next exercise. Rename the exercise by selecting Rename from the list.

* Optional sensor required.

Create New Exercises with Polar ProTrainer 5

Create more diversified exercises by using Polar ProTrainer 5. For further information, consult Polar ProTrainer 5 help.

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Wear the Heart Rate Sensor

Wear the heart rate sensor to measure heart rate.

  1. Moisten the electrode area of the strap.

    In demanding conditions e.g. during long-lasting events, we recommend using conductive electrode lotion or gel to improve the contact, after which, it is very important to wash the heart rate sensor carefully.

  2. Attach the connector to the strap.

  3. Tie the strap around your chest, just below the chest muscles, and attach the hook to the other end of the strap.

  4. Adjust the strap length to fit tightly but comfortably. Check that the moist electrode areas are firmly against your skin and that the Polar logo of the connector is in a central and upright position.

Detach the connector from the strap after every use, to maximize the battery lifetime. Sweat and moisture may keep the electrodes wet and the heart rate sensor activated. This will reduce the battery life. For more detailed washing instructions, see Care and Maintenance.

For a video tutorial, go to http://www.polar.com/en/polar_community/videos.

The Polar H3 heart rate sensor can be used with specific apparel that has built-in soft textile electrodes. Wet the electrode areas of the apparel. Clip the connector of the heart rate sensor straight onto the apparel without the strap so that the connector’s Polar logo is in an upright position.

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