User Guide

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1
Operation
TRAINING INDEX AND TERMINOLOGY
Purpose of Exercise
• Don't you feel out of breath after climbing a flight of stairs or after a brisk walk?
While walking, running and even sleeping, our body is taking in oxygen and generat-
ing energy. Oxygen taken in by the lungs is sent to the entire body via the circulatory
system. If the function of the circulatory system , i.e. aerobic power, is insufficient, we
may experience being "out of breath" or experience yet other physical problems.
• We therefore perform "health for the heart" (aerobic exercise), which causes the
heart to work a little more a few times a week, thus increasing the oxygen supply to
the body via the circulatory system. The purpose of exercise with the Ergociser is to
improve both your physical condition and the functioning of the circulatory system:
to improve our aerobic power.
Exercise Plan
• To effectively perform "health for the heart" it is necessary to find out the appropri-
ate target pulse rate for your age and fitness level, and to continue the exercise at the
pulse rate close to such a target. If the exercise intensity is beyond your current fit-
ness level, you may damage your health, and below your target rate you may not
receive any improvement.
• The Ergociser EC-5000 has the Automatic (= target heart rate) training mode, in
which the pedal speed is adjusted by the computer to keep your pulse rate close to
your target, plus 4 different types of exercise modes.
How to decide your target pulse rate
When you input your age, the EC-5000 automatically sets your target pulse rate at
[160–age]. This target pulse rate corresponds to 50-60 % of the exercise level for the
twenties, 40-50 % for the sixties. (Refer to "Exercise Level" on page 19.) The older
you are, at the less intense level your target pulse rate is set because of such pro-
gramming of the EC-5000. The exercise level automatically set by this unit could be
too hard even for a young person, if he is a beginner. If you feel it too hard, you may
decrease the target pulse rate by 10 bpm from the original level. If you feel too easy,
you may increase it by 10 bpm so that you can continue exercise in the appropriate
target zone as illustrated. If you can continue your exercise at the target pulse rate
of [180–age], your exercise can be considered as effective enough. Upgrade your
exercise gradually so that you can reach the suggested final target of [190–age].
Exercise Time for Each Session
A minimum of 30 minutes exercise is necessary for each session of exercise. A 5 minute warm up period, and
20 minutes of exercise time, with a 5 minute cool down period, is suggested as a standard exercise. For weight
reducing exercise, over 30 minutes exercise time at the low level of the target pulse rate is recommended with
a 5 minute cool down.
How many days a week for exercise
Minimum two exercise days a week is required just to maintain your present fitness level. With 3-4 exercise
days you can expect improvement. Always consult with your doctor before proceeding with any exercise
program.
Caution Concentrated and repeated exercise in a day may produce an adverse result.
For a person who has built up enough physical strength
The setting limit of the target pulse rate is (Upper pulse limit–10), but if you wish to exercise at a higher
target, you can first modify the Upper pulse limit and then input the target pulse rate. The maximum settable
Upper pulse limit is 199, so you can set the target pulse rate to 189 bpm at maximum. In case you raise the
upper pulse limit beyond the automatic setting, be careful with your physical conditions while you exercise.
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Terminology
Maximum Heart Rate
The heart rate increases according to the intensity of exercise, there is however
a limit. The maximum heart rate that a person can sustain is called the "maxi-
mum heart rate". Generally the heart rate declines as we get older, this differs
however between individuals, and is largely due to how much one exercises.
Difference Between the Heart Rate and Pulse Rate
The heart rate is the rate of the heart beat per minute measured by an electro-
cardiograph. On the other hand, the pulse rate is measured as follows.
1) By palpating an artery near the skin surface, such as the carotid artery, mea-
sure the pulse count of a blood vessel.
2) Transmit a sensor light to an earlobe or finger tip, and measure the pulse
count via the subtle changes of the sensor light transmission caused by the
heart beat.
Although the measurement principle and method are different, both the heart
and pulse rates have the same value per minute, and are therefore regarded as
synonymous.
Since earlobes move very little during exercise and are not influenced very
much by physical movement, it is appropriate to use an earlobe to measure the
pulse rate during exercise. The Ergociser EC-5000 therefore measures the
pulse rate by detecting changes in the circulation of the earlobe.
Pulse Limit
As a standard maximum heart rate, "220–Age", "204–0.69 x Age", etc. are
used. In this EC-5000, however, "200-Age" is adopted taking into account a
certain safety margin, and incorporated in the computer setting. This setting
can be revised upward when desired, though it should be done prudently.
Target Pulse Rate
The pulse rate you should maintain during the workout is called the "target
pulse rate". The "Automatic training" allows you to stay close to this target,
but you are recommended to always be conscious of your pulse rate even when
performing different types of training programs, referring to the "Target Pulse
Rate Chart" shown on the left. The maximum settable value is "Upper pulse
limit - 10".
Exercise Level Based on the Pulse Rate
The pulse rate increases according to the intensity of the exercise. In other
words, the pulse rate during exercise is a barometer for the exercise level. The
exercise level can be determined in percentages by the following formula.
Pulse rate during exercise – Pulse rate at rest
Exercise Level (%) = x 100
Maximum heart rate – Pulse rate at rest
Therefore, if you want to discern the target of the exercise level from the pulse
rate (target pulse rate), you can calculate as follows.
Target pulse rate = (maximum heart rate – pulse rate at rest)
Exercise Level (%)
x + pulse rate at rest
100
Note The "Exercise level" mentioned above represents a different
concept from the exercise level that you select when inputting the exer-
cise conditions in the EC-5000.