Polar RCX3 Heart Rate Monitor - G5 GPS / White Female

The Polar RCX3 has one key feature that many of the competitive heart rate monitors don't - it will tell you just how hard a session was, and how much time it will take to fully recover (after upload to polarpersonaltrainer.com).  There's nothing quite like the feeling of hitting your training targets.  From challenging yourself to finish your route with a quicker time or smashing your pace.  With the new Polar RCX3 training computer with Smart Coaching, your targets will now be reached quicker than ever before.  This version of the Polar RCX3 comes with the heart rate monitor strap and the Polar G5 GPS sensor for cycling / running speed, pace and distance.

The Polar RCX3 Heart Rate Monitor is packed full of features that enable you to get more from your training.  These include Polar Sports Zones (5 x autoset heart rate zones based on age set or manually entered max heart rate).  The Polar Sports Zones help you train at the right intensity and Training Benefit that gives you instant feedback after every session, so you can monitor your progress each and every time.

The Polar RCX3 is also flexible to your needs whether you are a runner, cyclist, multisport of general aerobic exerciser.  The Polar RCX3 is compatible with several performance sensors (Polar G5 GPS, S3+ stride sensor, bike speed and pedal cadence sensors) to get more out of your training.  The Polar RCX3 Heart Rate Monitor is personalised for you, whatever your sport.

• View all Heart Rate Monitors
• View all Polar Heart Rate Monitors
• View all Polar MultiSport heart rate monitors

Who's the Polar RCX3 Heart Rate Monitor for?

Good question ... and not that simple to answer.  It's NOT a highly technical watch like the Polar RCX5, it does not have interval timers or nor does it have data field customisation.  So, if you are a technical athlete, please consider the Polar RCX5.  What the Polar RCX3 heart rate monitor is, is a competent training aid for anyone who cycles, runs or similar aerobic exercise 3 or 4 times per week - someone who wants the watch to keep an eye on their training, making sure they are not overtraining.  At the same time as giving objective feedback about each session, it will give you the hard facts, how far, how fast and how hard.  In summary, it is suitable for MOST recreational / moderately competitive athletes who want a neat, smart sports training watch (with non integrated GPS).  If you'd like to compare Polar RCX3 heart rate monitor and Polar RCX5 - please click this link (opens a new window on Polar Finland website).

Polar RCX3 for Running (this pack comes with G5 GPS sensor)

When running with the Polar RCX3 heart rate monitor, you can toggle between 5 data screens (depending on how many sensors you have connected).  For ease of navigation - each page has a main label that is briefly displayed when you move between screens but these label tabs can be turned off, if required.  The Polar RCX3 can be configured to give either 2 or 3 lines of data per screen, depending on your preference (and eyesight).

The data displayed on these pages cannot be changed, but between the 5 screens, there was everything we wanted to see at hand in a convenient format.  These data fields include all the essential fields like : lap time, lap distance, total time - total distance, live heart rate (displayed either as BPM or % MAX), HR zones, and running pace (or bike speed). The Polar RCX3 heart rate monitor has an autolap feature which will automatically store the lap data every "x" miles.  I normally set this to 1 mile when running and 3 miles while biking. After the session, you can review your auto saved mile times with associated heart rate data.

At the end of the run session, you can check your Polar Running Index.  Running Index score is calculated automatically after every run, based on your heart rate and from the speed data collected from your GPS or stride sensor.  A higher reading indicates that you can run faster with less effort.  This model comes complete with the Polar G5 GPS sensor.

Polar RCX3 for Cycling (this package comes with the G5 GPS)

The Polar RCX3 heart rate monitor lets you select between RUN, CYCLE or OTHER each time you train.  When running, the Polar RCX3 will display RUN specific data, similarly, when CYCLING the Polar RCX3 will provide bike specific data like SPEED in MPH instead of minutes per mile.  The Polar RCX3 provides bike speed from either the Polar G5 GPS or a wireless WIND bike speed sensor.  If you want pedal cadence, then there is also an option to add a Polar WIND cadence sensor to the crank (magnet) and chainstay / seat tube.  For people with more than one bike, the Polar RCX3 can store setting for 2 bikes (wheel size, cadence on/off etc).

Other Sport training with Polar RCX3

The Polar RCX3 heart rate monitor is designed for all aerobic exercisers, not just running and cycling.  In the "other sports" mode, you still get the essential data views like, heart rate, calories, speed and distance (if enabled), training time etc.  In the "other sports" mode, the Polar RCX3 will NOT pair for a bike speed sensor, nor a cadence sensor or a stride sensor - it will only pair with the heart rate belt and the G5 GPS unit.  We found this "other sports" mode was useful for sports like swimming, gym training, walking etc.

Polar RCX3 heart rate monitor and Swimming

Swimming ..... the Polar RCX3 heart rate monitor is 30m water resistant - this means it can be used for surface swimming ... BUT ... as it comes with a WIND digital strap, there is no heart rate while swimming.

Polar Training Benefit

Motivating feedback that’s delivered straight to you immediately after exercise is something we can all benefit from.  So if you want to know the effect of different training sessions, this feature will tell you exactly what you need to know.  You get a quick overview after each session, and for more detailed feedback, you can either check your training file or you can get further in-depth analysis at polarpersonaltrainer.com.

Polar Fitness Test

If you’re looking to improve your fitness and want to keep up-to-date with how well you’re doing, the Polar RCX3's Smart Fitness Test will tell you exactly what you need to know in just five minutes.  By regularly comparing your test results, you can see what progress you are making and how your fitness is improving.

Polar RCX3 Training Load

The Polar Training Load on the Polar RCX3 helps you to find the perfect balance between rest and training.  Find out your training load status at polarpersonaltrainer.com.  It shows you at a glance your cumulative training load for every day, advising if and when rest days are needed and when it’s best to train harder in order to maintain your performance improvement.

Polar Zone Optimiser

The Polar Zone Optimiser feature of the Polar RCX3 ensures that you always train at the right intensity.  Knowing how hard to train can be a challenge but by using ZoneOptimizer, you can get the exact training effect you’re looking for as the feature adjusts your five heart rate training zones to perfectly match your body’s current physiological condition.

Polar Own Calories

OwnCal is the most accurate calorie counter on the market.  It calculates the number of calories expended during a training session based on your weight, height, age, gender, your individual maximum heart rate (HRmax) and how hard you’re training.

What's In The Polar RCX3 GPS Heart Rate Monitor Box ??

• Polar RCX3 training computer / heart rate monitor watch - WHITE female
• Polar G5 GPS Sensor with clip for cycling / running speed + distance
• Polar H3 heart rate sensor
• Polar RCX3 "Getting Started" Guide

Polar RCX3 Heart Rate Monitor Video

Next Polar Heart Rate Monitor model UP ??

Is the Polar RCX5 Heart Rate Monitor - you are able to do intervals, whereas you can't on the Polar RCX3, it has pace/speed alarms and also has the Race Pace feature, which allows you to set a target speed/pace for a certain distance.  It then helps pacing the run or ride by showing the current speed/pace and by telling in time, how much you are behind or ahead of the set target.  Please also consider the Polar RC3 GPS heart rate monitor with integrated GPS, which has similar functionality to the Polar RCX3 with built-in GPS.