Sample Session

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ACES - A sample exercise session

This section illustrates through a sample session, how the ARIEL CES system is used. The purpose of this session is to acquaint the user with the steps to be followed in signing on to the system and in performing an exercise. The specific types and modes of exercise will be discussed in more detail in later sections.

STARTING THE COMPUTER

Turn the �master� switch on to boot-up the computer and supply power to the monitor and stepper motor. In a few minutes, the computer monitor will display the Microsoft Windows desktop.

Double-click the CES_System icon located on the Microsoft Windows desktop. The CES and Program software modules will be displayed. The CES icon is selected to perform an exercise session in either the Manual or Program mode. The Program icon is selected to create the pre-programmed exercise session. Each of these modules will be discussed in detail in later sections.

Types and modes of exercise

The previous section introduced a few of the types and modes of exercise available on the Ariel CES. This section will consider in more detail the various types of exercise that may be performed, as well as the different training modes that may be used with each of the exercise types.

The sample session showed how a typical subject would train from a pre-established program stored in a user file. This is the simplest method to exercise on the CES. In this section we will introduce another mode of operation - MANUAL mode. As the name implies, this mode is useful for demonstrating the many and varied capabilities of the system. Manual mode is initiated by selecting the Manual Mode button from the Log On menu. This will open the Exercise Parameter menu.

Keep in mind that the full compliment of exercise types and modes discussed in this chapter may be performed from the program mode as well as from the manual mode.

EXERCISE TYPES

When using the manual mode, the system prompts the user to select an exercise type from a list of available choices. An exercise type is selected by clicking on the desired exercise.

You will notice that there are one or more exercise types listed as User Defined. The Ariel CES allows the user to define custom exercise types, or re-define existing types to tailor your system to specific requirements.

An exercise type is a name that is associated with an individual exercise. As such, it informs or reminds the user of the type of exercise that will be performed. It usually implies a certain body position and orientation, such as with the Bench Press/Pull, and often indicates which muscles or muscle groups will be trained, such as with the Biceps/Triceps. However, the Ariel CES cannot tell if you are actually performing the exercise type selected, although it is to your advantage to do so. There may, of course, be times when a variation on some exercise is desirable to achieve a particular training effect.

All exercises are bi-directional which means that resistance is controlled on both the up stroke and the down stroke. This permits the training of complimentary muscle groups such as biceps/triceps and quadriceps/hamstring in a single exercise if so desired. All exercises are assumed to start with the upstroke or upward movement of the bar except for the Squat which is assumed to start with downward motion first. Default starting positions may be changed when exercise types are defined or redefined.

EXERCISE MODES

After selecting the exercise type, the next step is to select the exercise mode. The exercise mode refers to the particular physical aspect of the exercise that is measured and controlled by the exercise system. A discussion of each mode follows.

VARIABLE RESISTANCE is the mode most similar to traditional weight training. In this mode, the resistance or force level at which the user must push to move the bar is maintained at some pre-selected value. In addition to maintaining a constant resistance, the ARIEL CES can be programmed to vary the resistance as a function of bar position in any pattern that the user may desire - thus the name Variable Resistance. It is a well-known feature of anatomy that the mechanical advantage of most muscles changes as the associated body joint is flexed or extended. The variable resistance mode allows an exercise to compensate for this change, becoming progressively easier or more difficult and thus maintain a more constant muscular exertion through the entire range of movement.

In VARIABLE VELOCITY mode, the velocity or speed at which the bar is permitted to move is maintained at some pre-selected value, regardless of how hard the user pushes against it. In addition to maintaining a constant velocity, the ARIEL CES can be programmed to vary the velocity as a function of bar position in any pattern that the user may desire - thus the name variable velocity. Velocity mode exercise has a distinct advantage over resistance mode exercise - one does not need to know the strength level of the subject to set up this exercise, nor is any �adjustment� necessary as the subject trains and increases in strength. The user always pushes as hard as he or she can against the bar, and the computer controlled hydraulic resistance automatically adjusts to maintain the desired bar velocity.

WORK TRAINING is a velocity mode exercise with an additional feature. Rather than specifying the number of repetitions to be performed, work training specifies the total amount of work to be performed. Work is defined as the product of the force on the bar times the distance the bar is moved, and thus is proportional to the energy expended during exercise. Work training exercises, when performed at a continuous pace with a reasonable high amount of work, have a cardiovascular training effect as well as a muscular training effect.

FATIGUE TRAINING is a velocity mode exercise with an additional feature. Rather than specifying the number of repetitions to be performed, fatigue training specifies the degree of muscular fatigue to be achieved during exercise. Fatigue is measured by comparing the average force for each repetition (upstroke portion) with the highest average force measured for all repetitions. This measurement is expressed as a percent of the highest average force, so that your fatigue level starts at 100%, and drops as your average force level drops. For example, a 75% fatigue exercise would continue until the average force produced in two consecutive repetitions was 75% or less of the average force for the strongest repetition. Fatigue training is a desirable mode for exercises designed to build endurance. The goal is to continually increase the number of repetitions performed before a certain degree of fatigue is reached.

A DIAGNOSTIC EVALUATION is not actually a mode of exercise, but rather a method of measuring a user�s maximum capabilities for that type of exercise. These measurements are used in a variety of ways by the ARIEL CES. This �mode� will be discussed in more detail in a separate section below.

There is an additional mode of exercise that is not selected from the exercise mode menu. This is the TIMED EXERCISE. A timed exercise is an exercise performed in either the variable resistance or variable velocity mode, with the amount of exercise specified by a period of time rather than by a number of repetitions. The selection of a timed exercise will be explained in the next section.

EXERCISE PARAMETERS

After specifying the exercise type and mode, the next step is to specify the exercise parameters. Exercise parameters include the actual magnitude of resistance, or velocity for this exercise, the amount of exercise per set (expressed in repetitions, time, work, or fatigue), the number of sets and time between sets, the bar range, and four additional exercise options. These parameters appear with an initial value that is either an estimate by the exercise program, or the values that you set previously, provided that you have not changed the exercise type. You may enter new values for the exercise parameters by typing them at the keyboard and pressing the TAB key to advance to the next field. The blinking cursor indicates the current parameter being entered. If you wish to skip a parameter, just press the TAB key. After you enter or skip the last parameter, the cursor will cycle back to the first data field again. Make changes or corrections by re-entering the parameter in question. To �back-up� to the previous parameter, the Shift-Tab keys can be pressed.

The first four parameters describe how the motion or resistance of the bar will be controlled for the upstroke and the down stroke. If this is a VARIABLE VELOCITY, WORK, or FATIGUE mode exercise, these values are bar velocities in the units for which your system is set (usually degrees/second). If this is a VARIABLE RESISTANCE exercise, these values specify bar resistance in the appropriate units (pounds or kilograms). You will notice that there are two values for BAR UP and two values for BAR DOWN. The first value is for the low point of the range of motion and the second value is for the high point of the range of motion. Intermediate values are automatically computed to cause a smooth transition in values from low to high. Entering the same value for both selects constant velocity or resistance throughout the range of motion. A series of 5 buttons ranging from 15 to 35 allows the user to set all four values with a single click.

The next parameter, # Reps, specifies the number of repetitions to be performed in a single set of the exercise. The default value of 5 has intentionally been chosen to be low to allow �experimenting� with different exercises. More typical values for training exercises are 8 to 10. If the TIME option is active, this parameter will change to TIME (SEC). This allows you to specify how long the exercise is to continue in seconds, rather than how many repetitions are to be performed.

For a work training exercise, the reps/time parameter would be replaced by QTY WORK. The value you would enter for this parameter is the quantity of work to be performed in a single set of this exercise in the units selected for your system (usually foot-pounds). Two thousand foot-pounds is a typical value for strength training exercises, while values of 5000 to 10,000 foot-pounds are typical for cardiovascular training sessions.

For a fatigue training exercise, the reps/time parameter would be replaced by % FATIGUE. The value entered for this parameter is the strength level at which to terminate this exercise, expressed as a percent of your maximum strength level (strongest repetition). Values in the range of 65 to 75 percent are typical for strength training exercises. Values below 50 percent usually result in prolonged exercise sessions, especially for well trained subjects.

The next parameter, #SETS/TIME, specifies the number of sets to be performed, and the time (delay) between sets. If time between sets is zero, then the user must signal with the bar to advance from set to set. This is the normal mode of use. If the time is set to some value, then after that number of seconds, the ARIEL CES will proceed to the start of the next set.

BAR RANGE specifies the amount of bar motion in the appropriate units (usually degrees) that is required for one full upstroke or down stroke of this exercise. Normally one does not enter a value here, as the range of motion can vary considerably from person to person and exercise to exercise. When the Auto Range option is activated, the ARIEL CES will automatically measure your range of motion by requesting the user to perform one repetition without bar resistance prior to beginning the exercise. This is the AUTO RANGE facility and is the normal mode of operation in manual mode. Once your range has been measured, it will remain set until the exercise type is changed.

SELF PACE allows the user to advance to the next screen by simply moving the exercise bar. This option is useful when exercising in the program mode since the user can advance through a complete exercise routine without ever touching the keyboard. When this option is activated, a colored square will appear in the lower right corner of the color display. In order to advance the screen, the bar must be moved up and then down past the original starting point.

STARTING THE EXERCISE

After the exercise parameters have been entered, select the BEGIN button to start the exercise. The monitor will display the user specified graphs. The system will prompt the user to assume a comfortable starting position for this exercise. The starting position is the position of the bar at which one would normally start the upstroke (down stroke for the Squat) of your exercise. Hold this position until prompted by the system to proceed (this time is set to approximately 6 seconds).

If the AUTORANGE option is selected, the system will prompt the user to perform one repetition of the exercise in order to set the range of motion. There is no need to push hard or move excessively fast. Just move the bar up and then back down (down and then up for exercises starting at the top) an amount that is comfortable. Do not overextend when setting the range of motion as you are moving the bar without resistance. It will be harder to reach full extension when exerting with resistance. The audible beep indicates when the bar has returned to the starting position.

The column at the left will display the range of motion as a function of the full station range. If the bar has moved beyond the starting point, the system will prompt the user to move the bar to the starting point again. Once at the starting point, the monitor will sound a beep to signal that the exercise has begun. The screen will display the repetitions, the timer in the upper right corner will start, and the initial values for work and the exercise limit will be displayed.

Perform the exercise by pushing up on the bar until you hear a high tone, and then pulling down on the bar until you hear a low tone (again, exercises that start at the top will be just the reverse). Make certain that the bar is moved in each direction until you hear the tone. This indicates that the range has been completed. The user may pause briefly between the upstroke and the down stroke, if desired. It is not recommended to change bar direction suddenly with a jerking motion, as this will cause an abnormally high force value to be measured on the bar.

As the exercise continues, one will notice that the high beep tone changes from repetition to repetition. This is an audio �feedback� mechanism that can be used to compare the average force or velocity for each repetition to the initial force or velocity level. The higher the tone the higher the value, and the lower the tone the lower the value relative to the first repetition. This allows the user to monitor the performance level without the need to watch the monitor.

The exercise is complete when the specified number of repetitions has been completed, or the desired quantity of work has been completed, or the desired level of fatigue has been reached, or the specified time period has expired. The system will play a brief tune to signal the end of the set and the bar resistance will be removed.

STICKING POINTS

Sticking points are particular points in the user�s range of motion where the ARIEL exerciser will abruptly stop the motion of the bar causing the user to change from an isotonic to an isometric mode of training. After the user has pushed against the locked bar for the specified time interval, the bar will again start to move in the manner selected for that exercise. Sticking points are designed to build strength at a particular point in the user�s range of motion.

Sticking points may be optionally added to any exercise by selecting the STICK menu tab from the exercise parameter display. When selected, a sample exercise result curve will appear on the monitor designating the user�s range of motion for both the up and down directions.

Up to ten Sticking Points are allowed for each exercise session. By default, the Stick # field will default to 1. Set the stick point duration (in seconds) using the up/down arrow keys in the Duration field. Next use the mouse to �click� on the result curve where the first stick point should be placed. An arrow key labeled with the stick point number and duration will be displayed on the result curve. Additional stick points are entered by incrementing the Stick# and repeating the procedure above. The illustration shows a one second stick point at one-quarter and three-quarters through the range of �up� motion. An additional half-second stick point has been applied midway through the range of motion in the �down� direction. Individual stick points can be removed by selecting the Stick# and then pressing the REMOVE button. All stick points can be removed in a single process by pressing the REMOVE ALL button. When the sticking points have been set, select the Parameter tab to return to the exercise parameter menu.

EXERCISE DIAGNOSTICS

As mentioned earlier, exercise diagnostics measure certain aspects of the user�s performance for a given exercise. Specifically, exercise diagnostics measure the Range Of Motion, the Maximum Speed at which the user can move the bar throughout the range of motion, and the Maximum Strength throughout the range of motion.

The user has the option to select any or all three of the diagnostics (range, speed, strength) to be performed by left-clicking the mouse to toggle the desired choices either on or off. This information allows the ARIEL exerciser to optimally adjust to the user�s particular training level for this exercise.

Performing exercise diagnostics is similar to performing a two set exercise (one repetition per set) using the AutoRange feature. First, the system will prompt the user to move the bar through the range of motion. Then with the range displayed, the user will be prompted to perform one repetition with low bar resistance, moving the bar as fast as possible. After viewing a graph of the results, the user is prompted to perform one repetition with low bar velocity, pushing as hard as possible both up and down. Again, the results will be displayed, after which the system saves the results for future use.

When exercising from a pre-programmed user file, diagnostics will be performed once for each type of exercise in the program the first time the program is performed. The diagnostic results will be saved in the program for subsequent use during normal exercise training. As an option, the user may specify that diagnostics be performed on a regular basis (such as every tenth time that the program is performed) to allow the program to be updated with new strength and speed information as progress is made in the training.

When exercising from the Manual mode, exercise diagnostic information is saved only until another exercise type is selected. Each time a new type is selected, the system chooses �standard� diagnostic values for that exercise. Personal values may be set by running the exercise diagnostics from the exercise mode display, then performing the desired mode of regular exercises.

Exercise Results Exercise Program

See also

ACES FAQACES - Frequently asked questions
Exercise ProgramACES - Setting up an exercise program
Exercise ResultsACES - Exercise results
InstallationACES - Installation and calibration
IntroductionACES - Introduction
Sample SessionACES - A sample exercise session
SoftwareACES - How to run the software
TechnicalACES - Technical description: limits and resolution of measurement

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This page was last modified on 12/07/2008 at 22:47 PST. Copyright � 1994 - 2002, all rights reserved, Ariel Dynamics Inc. Please send your comments or feedback to webmaster@arielnet.com or proceed to our feedback form. This page has been accessed many times since Dec 12, 2002. Our privacy policy is here.