Bowflex 2 Home Gym User Manual


 
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Leg Exercises
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Muscles worked: This exercise strengthens
and develops the muscles on the outside of
your lower legs (peroneals). These muscles are
essential for standing balance and lateral
agility of the ankle.
Pulley position: Narrow.
Starting position:
• Sit on the bench with one side of your body
facing toward the Power Rods.
• Attach the handle around the ball of the foot
farthest from the pulley.
• Straighten the attached leg and sit up
straight.
• Allow the foot to rotate inward toward the
Power Rods.
Motion:
• Keeping your leg stationary, slowly rotate
your foot outward, away from the Power
Rods.
• Slowly return to the starting position
without relaxing.
Key points:
• The only movement that occurs is at the
ankle, keep the rest of your body/leg
motionless.
• You should feel tension in the outside of
your calf throughout the entire motion.
ANKLE EVERSION
Muscles worked: This exercise is very similar
to the squat and is also considered a total body
exercise. It involves the glutes, adductors,
hamstrings and quads – which are primary
movers – and the spinal erectors and trapezius,
– which are key to stabilization.
Pulley position: Low pulley
Starting position:
• Remove the back support and straddle the rail.
• Use the bar harness to adjust strap length
allowing tension at the appropriate depth.
This will require experimentation. Increase
depth slowly according to your ability, knee
conditions, etc. Most orthopedists
recommend that healthy knees not go any
lower than a 90 degree angle (between the
thigh and calf) when using extra resistance.
Many people go lower for their goals, but
this dramatically increases the risk to the
knee cartilage and increases the probability
of degenerative/arthritic changes. To go
lower than the harness allows, connect the
cable snap hook directly to the D-ring of the
bar.
• Position your feet in line with the
cable/pulley.
• Place your feet shoulder width or wider and
point your toes outward slightly. Direct the
thighs to the same outward angle as the feet.
Motion:
• Using control, slowly squat down by sticking
the hips out as the knees start to bend. Keep
the chest up and back flat as the hips
continue to move backward.
• Lower to approximately 90 degrees at the
knees (unless otherwise determined).
• Grasp the bar with an overhand grip and
slowly stand erect maintaining the alignment
as indicated.
• Keep the pressure through the middle of the
arches/feet, not through the toes or heels.
• Slowly lower to the predetermined range,
maintaining tension from the cable.
Key points:
• Keep knees pointed the same direction as the
toes.
• Keep the head/neck in line with the trunk.
• Pay close attention to all alignment and
stabilization issues on every part of each and
every repetition!
DEADLIFT