Polar CS300 Heart Rate Monitor - Science and Art Combined

Cycling training is a science and an art.  On one hand, you have to apply scientific principles in order to achieve optimal performance during training sessions and, consequently, on competitions.  On the other hand, you may also apply certain personal principles that have served your training purposes in good stead - an art in and of itself.

In both instances, the Polar CS300 heart rate monitor is an invaluable tool.  You can either wear it on your wrist on mounted on the handlebar with the transmitter securely strapped by elastic band to your chest.  In this way, you can easily look at your speed, distance and duration in addition to monitoring your heart rate for every lap finished. 

As can be expected from one of Polar's cutting-edge products, the CS300 boasts of many features.  Don't worry about paying top price for said heart rate monitor as the features more than make up for the price tag. 

Polar OwnZone

Training with a heart rate monitor means setting training zones, which the CS300 offers in two modes.  You can set it manually depending on your training goals related to cardiovascular endurance, which is usually stated as a percentage of maximum heart rate.  This is where the art of training comes in as each training zone will vary from one individual to the next. 

You may also accept the automatic calculations of the Polar CS300 heart rate monitor, which is usually set at 65 to 85 percent of maximum heart rate.  Your own rate is computed after a 5-minute walking or jogging test, thus, representing the science part of the monitor. 

Well, of course, manual or automatic, arriving at your heart rate training zones is almost always a combination of science and art.  You have help in the form of audio and visual alarms that can be set to 4 automatic zones, namely, hard, moderate, light and basic, as well as the manual zone.

Polar OwnCal

Many cyclists are also concerned about their calorie-burning capacity during the training sessions for the obvious reasons that information in this regard is valuable in diet formulation.  It must be noted, however, that this feature can only be activated in cycling mode. 

With so many resources about calories in cycling, you will be able to understand the science behind the feature.  Of course, the art comes in the form of how well you apply the principles to your own advantage. 

Polar Cadence

An optional feature on the Polar CS300 heart rate monitor, the Polar Cadence feature provides accurate information on the number of pedal revolutions per minute. It also comes with an alarm so that you can stay well within your cadence goals and, thus, pace yourself so much more efficiently.

For example, if you have set your cadence at 80 to 95 rpm, an audible alarm will sound off if you are under or over your limits.  The science is in calculating your optimal pace while the art comes in the form of how you stay within your limits, which is borne of experience. 

Other features of the CS300 include countdown timers, time of day and exercise files with almost 100 hours memory capacity logged on daily, weekly and seasons totals. The technology behind these features is from science, of course, but, again, the applications are within your control.