Filter
Top Products
Design Your Own Program
You may want to design your own personal program specifically geared to your goals and lifestyle. Designing a program is
easy by following the guidelines below.
Understand fitness and its components
Improperly designed programs can be dangerous.
Take some time to review this manual as well as other
fitness guides.
Know your current fitness level
Before you start any fitness program you should
consult a physician who will help you determine your
current abilities.
Identify your goals
Goals are critical to choosing and designing an exercise
program that fits and enhances your lifestyle, but so is
strategy. It’s important not to rush the process and try to
accomplish too much too soon. That will lead to setbacks
and discouragement. Instead, set a series of smaller
achievable goals.
Select complementary exercises
Be sure to pair exercises that address compound joint
movements and single joint movements. In addition, select
exercises that address complementary muscle groups.
Put first things first
During each session, first work muscle groups that need
the most training.
Remember your cardiovascular component
Any fitness program must contain a cardiovascular
fitness component to be complete. So complement
your resistance training with aerobic exercise such as
walking, running, or bicycling.
Training variables
When designing your own program there are several
variables that, when mixed properly, will equal the right
fitness formula for you. In order to find out the best
formula, you must experiment with several combinations
of variables.
The variables are as follows
• TrainingFrequency:The number of times you train
per week. We recommend daily activity but not daily
training of the same muscle group.
• TrainingIntensity:The amount of resistance used
during your repetition.
• TrainingVolume:The number of repetitions and sets
performed.
• RestIntervals:The time you rest between sets and
the time you rest between workouts.
Once you’ve established a base of fitness,
follow these basic principles
• IsolateMuscleGroups: Focus work on specific
muscle groups.
• ProgressiveLoading: The gradual systematic
increase of repetitions, resistance and exercise
period.
Working Out
A good pre-workout mental routine is to sit and relax, so
that you can focus on what you are about to do and think
about achieving your end goal.
Warming Up
We recommend that you warm up by doing light stretching
and performing light exercises on the Bowflex
®
home gym.
Cooling Down
An essential part of the exercise routine is the cool down.
Gradually reduce the level of exercise intensity so that
blood does not accumulate in one muscle group, but
continues to circulate at a decreasing rate. Remember to
gradually move yourself into a relaxed state.
Breathing
Breathing in or out during the actual performance is
not dependent upon the direction of air flow relative to
exertion. It is, in fact, a mechanical process that changes
the position of your spine as your rib cage moves. Here
are some tips for breathing:
1. Be cautious when you are concentrating or exerting
effort. This is when you will probably hold your breath.
Do not hold your breath. Do not exaggerate
breathing.
Depth of inhalation and exhalation should be natural
for the situation.
2. Allow breathing to occur naturally, do not force it.
Workouts
Owner’s Manual
11