RS800CX User Manual

4. PREPARE FOR TRAINING

Plan Your Training

Exercise Types

You can utilize the installed ready-made exercises or create your own using the training computer. Create more versatile ones and transfer them to the training computer by using the Polar ProTrainer 5.

Select Settings > Exercise

The Exercise menu shows a list of exercises. Navigate through the options with UP or DOWN and view the exercise by pressing OK.

  • Free: Free exercise with no preset settings.

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

  • Interval: Basic interval training. Exercise starts with a 15-minute warm-up, followed by a 1km interval and a 3-minute recovery period, repeated 5 times. The session ends with a 15-minute cool-down.

  • OwnZone: The training computer automatically determines your individual aerobic (cardiovascular) heart rate zone. This is called OwnZone. Suggested duration for the exercise is 45 minutes. For further information, see Determine Your OwnZone. Additional background information can be found in OwnZone Training.

  • Add new: Create and save your own basic exercise. You can store a total of 10 exercises + 1 Free exercise in your training computer.

After selecting the exercise, 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 training computer will offer this exercise as a default.

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

    1. Basic exercise with 1-3 exercise zones: target heart rate zone, speed/pace or cadence limits for each zone, timer/distance* for the zone, or

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

  3. Edit Basic or OwnZone exercise according to personal requirements. You can also edit an exercise created with the training computer. For further information, see Create New Exercises. If you created an exercise with the software that includes phases, you cannot edit them with the training computer.

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

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

  6. Delete exercises created with the training computer or the software.

Create New Exercises

Create a New Exercise with Zones

Create your own exercises with the training computer. You can create more diversified exercises by using Polar ProTrainer 5. For further information, see software help.

Select Settings > Exercises > Add new

  1. Set the Number of zones for the exercise (0-3) and press OK. For 0 zones, see Create a New Exercise without Zones.

  2. Choose Zone type:

    • Heart rate

      For heart rate zones, select sport zones, or manual heart rate zones. Press OK.

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

      Polar sport zones are heart rate intensity areas expressed as percentages of your maximum heart rate. Five different sport zones are set in the training 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 usually age-based, but if you know your aerobic and anaerobic thresholds, have had your predicted maximum heart rate (HRmax-p) measured in a Polar Fitness TestTM, tested your maximum heart rate yourself or in a lab, then you can define sport zones to better suit your training needs. For more information, see ProTrainer 5 software help.

        Manual: Set the high and low zone limits as bpm or HR% / HRR% and press OK to continue to step 3.

      • Speed/pace (optional s3/s3+ stride sensor, G3/G5 GPS sensor or cycling speed sensor W.I.N.D required)

        For speed/pace zones, set the high and low zone limits. Press OK to continue to step 3.

      • Cadence (optional s3/s3+ stride sensor or cadence sensor W.I.N.D. required)

        For cadence zones, set the high and low zone limits. Press OK to continue to step 3.

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

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

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

    • Off: Select off for timers and distances 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 during your next workout. Rename the exercise by selecting Rename from the list.

    Create a New Exercise without Zones

    If you 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. Or

    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 during your next workout. Rename the exercise by selecting Rename from the list.

    ↑ Back to top

    Calibrate the Polar s3/s3+ Stride Sensor W.I.N.D.

    Optional calibration of the s3/s3+ sensor* improves accuracy of speed, pace, and distance measurements. It is recommended that you calibrate the sensor before using it for the first time, if there are significant changes in your running style, or if the position of the sensor on the shoe is dramatically changed (e.g. if you have new running shoes). You can calibrate the sensor by running a known distance, or by setting the calibration factor manually.

    You can calibrate one s3/s3+ sensor for each shoe setting.

    Calibrate Sensor by Running a Distance (on-the-fly calibration)

    You can calibrate the sensor at any phase of your exercise with lap distance correction, provided you are not exercising with distance-based targets. Just run a known distance, preferably more than 1000 meters.

    Make sure the sensor function in the training computer is on (Settings > Features > Shoes/bikes > Shoes 1/2/3 > On).

    In time mode press OK once. Select Settings > Shoes/bikes > Shoes 1/2/3.

    Then select Start and start running.

    When you are in a starting point of a known lap distance, press OK. When you have run the whole lap distance, press OK. Then calibrate the sensor by choosing either alternative:

    1. Press and hold LIGHT to go to Settings. Or,

    2. Press STOP once. Select Settings.

    Select Calibrate > Correct lap > Set true lap distance. Fix the displayed lap distance with the distance you just ran, and press OK.

    Calibration complete and the factor are displayed. The sensor is now calibrated and ready for action.

    Set Calibration Factor Manually

    The calibration factor is calculated as a ratio of the actual distance to the uncalibrated distance. Example: you run 1200m, the training computer shows a distance of 1180m, the calibration factor is 1.000. Calculate the new calibration factor as follows: 1.000*1200/1180 = 1.017. The measuring range for the factor is 0.500-1.500.

    There are four options for setting the calibration factor:

    1. Before exercise.

    Select Settings > Features > Shoes/bikes > Shoe 1/2/3 > Calibrate.

    Set the Calibration factor and press OK. The sensor is now calibrated.

    1. During exercise by pausing exercise recording.

    Start exercising by pressing OK twice in the time display. Press STOP once and the exercise recording is paused.

    Select Settings > Calibrate > Set factor.

    Set the Calibration factor and press OK. The sensor is now calibrated. Continue exercise recording by pressing OK.

    1. During exercise without pausing exercise recording.

    Start exercising by pressing OK twice in the time display. Press and hold LIGHT to get to Settings.

    Select Calibrate > Set factor.

    Set the Calibration factor and press OK. The sensor is now calibrated. Continue running.

    If message S sensor calibration failed is displayed the sensor has not been calibrated and you need to try again.

    *Optional s3/s3+ stride sensor W.I.N.D. required.

    ↑ Back to top