Cardio; Manual - Life Fitness 9000 Operation Manual

Hill Program
HILL PROGRAM
Begin a treadmill workout (see beginning of this section).
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After selecting the Hill workout, select a desired workout time from 1 to 99 minutes using
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the keypad, then press START / ENTER.
After selecting a workout duration, choose an incline level between 1 and 12 using the
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keypad and press the START / ENTER key (see Selecting the Correct Incline Level).
Finally, select a belt speed from 1.5 to 4.5 (2.4 to 7.2 Kph) when using the Lifepulse digital
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sensors (if so equipped) or 1.5 to 10.0 mph (2.4 to 16.1 kph) when using an optional heart
rate chest strap, again using the keypad and pressing the START / ENTER key.
The Life Fitness treadmill's patented Hill program offers the ideal configuration for interval
training: periods of intense aerobic activity separated by regular intervals of lower-intensity
exercise. The computerized interval training program has been scientifically demonstrated to
yield greater cardiorespiratory improvement than steady-pace training. Not only does the Hill
program offer the challenge of alternating periods of high and low intensity, but the levels of
intensity become progressively more difficult during the course of the program. The longer the
Hill program, the more amount of time spent on top of a hill and at the bottom of a valley.
Each Hill program session comprises the following phases:.
(1) Warm-up, (2) Plateau, (3) Interval Training, and (4) Cool-down.
Warm-up: Gradually brings heart rate into the lower portion of the target heart rate zone,
increasing respiration and blood flow to working muscles.
Plateau: Increases heart rate so that it is within target zone. Check the heart rate at the end
of the plateau period to ensure having entered the target heart rate zone.
Interval Training: A series of hills and valleys. During this portion of the workout, you are
confronted with a series of successively steeper hills, each separated from the next by a
valley or recovery period. Check the heart rate at the end of the interval training period to
ensure that you have stayed within the target zone.
Cool-down: The cool-down allows the body to begin removing accumulated by-products of
exercise, such as lactic acid, which build up in muscles during a workout and contribute to
muscle soreness.
The Hill profile diagram shows the effort level and recovery periods encountered during a
Life Fitness treadmill Hill program workout. Effort and recovery periods are simulated on
the display console by columns of red lights in the Program Profile window. Each column
represents one interval and 20 intervals comprise the program. The columns move from
right to left during the workout. The higher the column, the higher the incline. Consequently,
you must increase the effort to continue training.
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