True Z8 User manual

Quick Start: Get on and Ride!
Z8/Z8m Elliptical Owner’s Guide
(Table of Contents Begins on Following Page)
Begin pedaling. The display will start up in WORKOUT SETUP.
QUICK START into a manual workout by pressing .
SELECT A DIFFERENT WORKOUT by pressing the program keys.
Press program keys more than once for more programs.
ACCEPT EACH SETTING AND MOVE TO THE NEXT ONE by
pressing . Enter your personal data — weight, age, and
sex — for best results.
BEGIN YOUR WORKOUT by pressing at any time.
ADJUST YOUR EXERCISE WORKLOAD by using the or keys
or the numeric keys.
VIEW DIFFERENT DISPLAY DATA by pressing the Change Display
key to alternate between two different sets of data.
CHANGE WORKOUTS on-the-fly by pressing other program keys,
or by pressing the Workout Setup key for a completely
different workout.
The elliptical will retain your workout data for about 15
seconds after you stop pedaling.
STARTING UP:
DURING YOUR
WORKOUT:
PAUSING YOUR
WORKOUT:

12 - Other
Functions
Happy workout,
attract mode, and
CSAFE.
1 - Introduction
Describes and guides
you to key features.
2 - Riding Your
Elliptical
Basic operation of
everything except the
console.
3 - The Display
Describes each key
and data display
feature.
4 - How the
Elliptical Controls
Your Exercise
The unique Personal
Power control system.
5 - Workout
Setup
Setting workout
parameters and
Smart Start operation.
6 - Manual
Control
The three different
manual modes.
7 - Pre-Set
Programs
The hill and interval
programs, plus
custom intervals.
8 - Heart Rate
Control
Five different kinds of
heart rate feedback
workouts.
9 - Calorie Goal
Workout
An easy way to
achieve your workout
goal.
10 - Designing
Your Own Workout
Program your own
custom workouts.
11 - Fitness
Test
An improved YMCA
protocol VO2max
estimate.
Table of Contents
Z8/Z8m Elliptical Owner’s Guide
page 5 page 13 page 23
page 31 page 37 page 43
page 49 page 59 page 71
page 77 page 85 page 99

Table of Contents
Z8/Z8m Elliptical Owner’s Guide
13 - Creating
an Exercise Plan
Advice on using your
elliptical in a
rewarding exercise
program.
14 - Setup
Mode
Customize low-level
elliptical functions.
15 - Test Mode
Several kinds of
electronics tests.
16 - Care and
Maintenance
Keeping your elliptical
in the best shape.
17 - Important
Safety Instructions
Be sure to familiarize
yourself with this
section.
Appendix A
Maximum Heart Rate
and Target Heart Rate
Appendix B
Maximal Oxygen
Uptake and METs
Appendix C
Details on How the
Z8/Z8m Elliptical
Controls Your Exercise
Intensity
Appendix D
American College of
Sports Medicine’s
Position Stand on
Exercise and Fitness
Appendix E
Specifications
Bibliography
References and
Selected Readings
page 103 page 115 page 123
page 131 page 135
page 141 page 147 page 153
page 159 page 165 page 169

Introduction
In This Chapter:
Top Features
Fancy Features
Basic Features
chapter one
Z8/Z8m Elliptical Owner’s Guide 5
CHAPTER 1: Introduction
CHAPTER 2: Riding Your Elliptical
CHAPTER 3: The Display
CHAPTER 4: How the Elliptical Controls Your Exercise
CHAPTER 5: Workout Setup
CHAPTER 6: Manual Control
CHAPTER 7: Pre-Set Programs
CHAPTER 8: Heart Rate Control
CHAPTER 9: Calorie Goal Workout
CHAPTER 10: Designing Your Own Workout
CHAPTER 11: Fitness Test
CHAPTER 12: Other Functions
CHAPTER 13: Creating an Exercise Plan
CHAPTER 14: Setup Mode
CHAPTER 15: Test Mode
CHAPTER 16: Care and Maintenance
CHAPTER 17: Important Safety Instructions

Top Features
INTRODUCTION
Z8/Z8m Elliptical Owner’s Guide 7
Your new Z8/Z8m Elliptical console, the Z-Console, is the most
sophisticated exercise computer in the fitness industry. Even
the simplest operation, Manual Control, works in a special and
useful way. But the Z-Console is also extremely easy to use;
the user can ignore all the fancy stuff and use it with just one
or two keystrokes.
Smart Start:Intelligently picks useful workout settings —
every workout, even an advanced one, is easy to set up.
Always-available Workout Setup: Switch to this at any time in
any workout. Adjust your current workout settings, or set up a
whole new workout.
Personal Power:Adjusts workload to compensate for
different body weights, so the elliptical feels the same to each
rider. Uses a new next-generation formula.
Calorie Goal: Tell the elliptical how many calories you want to
burn and how long you want to work out, and the elliptical
figures out what workloads you need to maintain — including
warmup and cool down.
Constant Heart Rate Control:The elliptical takes you to your
target heart rate within five to eight minutes, then keeps you
there.
INTRODUCTION
TOP FEATURES:
YOU'RE GOING TO LIKE
THESE THE MOST
INTRODUCTION

Z8/Z8m Elliptical Owner’s Guide
Fancy Features
INTRODUCTION
8
Interval Heart Rate Control:Pick both a work target HR and a
rest target HR, and the elliptical will take you back and forth
between those two targets.
Fitness Test: An enhanced version of the YMCA protocol to
estimate maximum oxygen uptake (VO2max).
Advanced Custom Programming: Create up to three different
program profiles, up to 60 segments long, using any of four
different programming methods, including a Record mode.
Custom Intervals:Choose your own interval workload and
duration.
Improved Maximum Heart Rate Estimates: Instead of the
“220 - age” formula, the Z-Console uses a newer, more
accurate formula created by exercise physiologists in 1994.
Happy Workout:If riders want to think they're burning lots of
calories when they are actually hardly working at all, this
workout is for them.
Gender-compensated Workload Control:Uses ACSM-
documented gender differences to allow men and women to
compare workouts fairly.
Long Pause:Optionally stop a workout, then return within an
hour, and begin right where you left off.
INTRODUCTION
FANCY
FEATURES:
YOU’VE NEVER SEEN
THESE BEFORE

Fancy Features (Cont.)
INTRODUCTION
Z8/Z8m Elliptical Owner’s Guide 9
Three-mode Manual Control:MET-based, Runner’s Mode, or
10-watt increments.
Four Pre-set Programs:Easy intervals, speed intervals, rolling
hills, and one big hill.
CSAFE Network Communications:Full Level 3 compliance to
work with CSAFE hosts.
CSAFE Audio Control:Volume and channel remote control of
compatible systems.
CSAFE Power:Supply power to an external audio remote
control.
Fully Configurable Setup Mode:Choose default operational
mode, metric or U.S. units of measure, maximum workout
time, default workout time, pause time, wireless or contact
heart rate priority, sound on or off, and default manual
workload control.
Multiple Odometers:Miles, hours, total starts, and program
selection counters.
Test Mode:Monitor raw rpm, target vs. actual workload, and
keypad function.
For your maximum safety and comfort, make
sure you read Chapter 18, Important Safety
Instructions.
INTRODUCTION
BASIC
FEATURES:
FUNCTIONS YOU'D
EXPECT TO GET
FOR YOUR
SAFETY

Riding Your Elliptical
In This Chapter:
Workout Program Basics
Heart Rate Monitoring
Chest Strap Use
Contact Heart Rate Use
Getting the Most From CHR
chapter two
Z8/Z8m Elliptical Owner’s Guide 11
CHAPTER 1: Introduction
CHAPTER 2: Riding Your Elliptical
CHAPTER 3: The Display
CHAPTER 4: How the Elliptical Controls Your Exercise
CHAPTER 5: Workout Setup
CHAPTER 6: Manual Control
CHAPTER 7: Pre-Set Programs
CHAPTER 8: Heart Rate Control
CHAPTER 9: Calorie Goal Workout
CHAPTER 10: Designing Your Own Workout
CHAPTER 11: Fitness Test
CHAPTER 12: Other Functions
CHAPTER 13: Creating an Exercise Plan
CHAPTER 14: Setup Mode
CHAPTER 15: Test Mode
CHAPTER 16: Care and Maintenance
CHAPTER 17: Important Safety Instructions

Getting Started on Your Elliptical
RIDING YOUR ELLIPTICAL
Z8/Z8m Elliptical Owner’s Guide 13
Set your weight before every workout. This
allows the Z5 Elliptical to control your
workout more effectively.
The body weight setting does not affect the
calorie expenditure calculation. Unlike
treadmills or other weight-bearing
exercises, calories burned during exercise
biking does not change with different body weights.
Place your feet anywhere on the foot
pads.
Most riders prefer their feet to be as
close together as possible, but choose
your own position for maximum
comfort.
The Z8m's stride length can be
adjusted from 18 to 24 inches.
Rotate the adjustment wheel
counter-clockwise to lengthen the
stride, and clockwise to shorten the
stride.
Most users will be comfortable near
the center of the adjustment range, from 19 to 22 inches.
Slightly different muscles are used at different stride lengths,
so changing stride length during your exercise may give you a
better workout.
RIDING YOUR ELLIPTICAL
SETTING YOUR
WEIGHT
Variations in human
exercise efficiency are
another potential
source of error, with
differences of plus or
minus 10% common
in the population.
FOOT POSITION
ADJUSTING
STRIDE LENGTH

Z8/Z8m Elliptical Owner’s Guide
Using the Exercise Arms
RIDING YOUR ELLIPTICAL
14
You have three hand and arm options when exercising:
Use the upper-body exercise arms.
The elliptical's motion will complement your body's natural
rhythm, encouraging extra exercise from your upper body and
making for an easy exercise balance.
Grasp the exercise arms in a position so that you are well-
balanced and your arm motion is comfortable. Grip the
handles with a relaxed, not tight, grip.
You can use the exercise arms for mainly balance, or you can
use them for significant upper-body exercise. Any power you
apply to them will be accurately recorded by the elliptical
console.
RIDING YOUR ELLIPTICAL
USING THE
EXERCISE
ARMS

Other Options
RIDING YOUR ELLIPTICAL
Z8/Z8m Elliptical Owner’s Guide 15
Use the balance bar.
Again, grasp the handles with a relaxed grip.
Keep your hands free.
Use caution with this method, as this requires good balance
and exercise form.
Many exercisers use all three options during their workout.
RIDING YOUR ELLIPTICAL

Z8/Z8m Elliptical Owner’s Guide
Monitoring Your Heart Rate
RIDING YOUR ELLIPTICAL
16
Breathe in a regular and relaxed manner. Many exercisers do
not breathe enough, which reduces their exercise capacity and
comfort. You might want to try breathing deeper and more
frequently to see if it helps your exercise regime.
The Z8 Elliptical has two ways of monitoring your heart rate:
...By using a chest strap that transmits your heart rate to the
elliptical via radio...
...or by using the metal contact heart rate pads on the
handlebars.
Although your elliptical functions fine without using the heart
rate monitoring feature, this kind of monitoring gives you
valuable feedback on your effort level. Chest strap monitoring
also allows you to use Heart Rate Control, which is the most
advanced exercise control system available.
RIDING YOUR ELLIPTICAL
MONITORING
YOUR HEART
RATE
BREATHING

Chest Strap Use
RIDING YOUR ELLIPTICAL
Z8/Z8m Elliptical Owner’s Guide 17
When you wear a Polar® or compatible transmitter strap, the
elliptical will display your heart rate as a digital beats-per-
minute (bpm) readout.
The transmitter strap should be worn
directly against your skin, about one
inch below the pectoral muscles/breast
line (see picture below). Women should
be careful to place the transmitter
below their bra line.
Some moisture is necessary between the strap and your skin.
Sweat from your exercise works best, but ordinary tap water
may be used prior to your workout if desired.
RIDING YOUR ELLIPTICAL
Examples of Heart Rates
Found in Daily Life
An average 30-year-old
might have a resting heart
rate, when sitting totally
still for several minutes, of
65. During hard exercise
that can be sustained for
10 to 15 minutes it might
be around 140 continuous-
ly. A maximum heart rate
that requires maximal
exercise for several min-
utes to attain is 185.
A 30-year-old in good
shape might have a rest-
ing heart rate near 55,
and might exercise for 20
minutes at a heart rate of
160.
A world-class distance run-
ner or professional cyclist
might have a resting heart
rate near 45.
CHEST STRAP
HEART RATE
MONITORING

Z8/Z8m Elliptical Owner’s Guide
Contact Heart Rate
RIDING YOUR ELLIPTICAL
18
The contact heart rate system lets you monitor your heart rate
without wearing a strap.
Gently grasp the contact heart rate pads
as shown below.
When the system detects your hands, a red heart will appear
in the Heart Rate field of the data display and will flash in
time with your heart beat. During this time, the system is
analyzing and locking in your heart rate. Within about 15
seconds, your digital heart rate in beats per minute (bpm)
should be displayed.
RIDING YOUR ELLIPTICAL
CONTACT
HEART RATE
(CHR)
A Note on CHR
Accuracy
CHR monitoring may be
a bit less accurate than
a chest strap, since the
heart rate signals are
much stronger at the
chest.
About 5% of the popula-
tion cannot be picked up
by any CHR system. This
is because their heart is
positioned in a more up-
and-down manner in
their chest, as opposed
to leaning over to one
side.

For Best Results
RIDING YOUR ELLIPTICAL
Z8/Z8m Elliptical Owner’s Guide 19
1. Exercise with smooth body motions.
2. Breathe smoothly and regularly, and avoid talking. (Talking
will cause unrepresentative heart rate spikes of 5 to 10
bpm.)
3. Grip the pads lightly, not tightly.
4. Make sure your hands are clean, free of both dirt and hand
lotions.
When using a Heart Rate Control (HRC) workout, it is best to
use chest strap monitoring. These workouts work best with
the extra accuracy gained from a chest-contact heart rate
monitoring system.
RIDING YOUR ELLIPTICAL
FOR BEST
RESULTS: