Life Fitness 93X - Manual (Page 21)

H
ILL
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, wear the chest strap. Note that the MES-
SAGE 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, alternating with valleys (or periods
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.
Each column, as seen in the WORKOUT PROFILE window and the chart above, represents one
interval. The overall duration of the workout determines the length of each interval. Each work-
out is made up of 20 intervals, so the duration of each interval is equal to the duration of the
entire workout divided by 20.
10 to 19 minutes: The interval durations initially are set at 30 seconds for a 10-minute workout.
For every minute added by the user “on-the-fly,” each interval increases by three seconds.
A 15-minute workout consists of 20 intervals at 45 seconds each.
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