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Bowflex
®
Body Leanness Program
75
Q. Why is it so important I perform the Bowflex
®
exercises with a 4-second count on the lifting and
lowering?
A. Because a slow, smooth 4-second lifting followed
by a 4-second lowering involves more muscle fibers
more thoroughly than faster speeds of movement.
The more completely each involved muscle fiber
works simply means you’ll get better muscle-
building results.
Q. I
’m confused about how to breathe during each
Bowflex
®
exercise?
A. Let’s say your goal is to do 10 repetitions on a
specific Bowflex
®
exercise that is performed in
the recommended 4-second lifting and 4-second
lowering style. Here are the proper breathing
guidelines to follow:
• Breathe normally during the first five repetitions.
• Take shorter, more shallow breaths during the sixth,
seventh, and eighth repetitions.
• Emphasize exhalation more than inhalation,
especially during the ninth and tenth repetitions.
Focus on good form and slow movement.
• Do not hold your breath on any repetition. Practice
relaxing your face and neck. Do not grit your teeth.
Keep your eyes open and remain alert.
Q. I
’m not as disciplined and patient as I’d like
to be. How can I better stay on track with the
program?
A. One suggestion is to team up with a partner. Most
people are more motivated and make better
progress if they go through the program with a
friend. In selecting a training partner, here are
several things to keep in mind:
• Your partner should be similar to you in age and
condition.
• Your partner should be serious about getting into
shape and making a commitment. That commitment
means you’ll be exercising together one hour, three
times per week. Each of your joint training sessions
should take approximately 50 minutes: 25 minutes
for your workout and 25 minutes supervising your
partner’s workout.
• Your partner should be someone with whom you’ll
share a spirit of cooperation, not competition.
• Your partner should not be your spouse, brother,
sister, or other family member. You do not want
normal interpersonal problems to interfere with the
training.
Q. Why won
’t you allow me to do aerobic dancing on
my off-days to speed up the loss of body fat?
A. Because doing so doesn’t speed up fat loss.
Aerobic dancing – and other activities such as
running, swimming, cycling, stair-stepping, and
racquetball – do not contribute significantly to
the fat-loss process. In fact, when added to proper
strength training they can actually retard the
reduction of fat.
Fat loss is retarded in two ways. Too much
repetitive activity prevents maximum muscle
building by using up your recover ability. A well-
rested recover ability is necessary for muscle
growth. Too much activity – especially if you are on
a reduced-calorie diet – causes you to get the blahs
and quickly lose your enthusiasm. If this happens,
you’re sure to break your diet.
The primary purpose of this program is to lose fat
in the most effective and most efficient manner.
Fat loss is prioritized and maximized by building
muscle at the same time. The muscle-building
process is optimized by a well-rested recovery
ability, which necessitates keeping your strenuous
and moderately strenuous activities to a bare
minimum.
Once you get your body fat to a low level, you can
add other activities – and I encourage you to do
so – to your weekly fitness schedule. For now,
follow the plan exactly as directed.
Q. What happens after six weeks? How do I continue
the program if I need to lose more weight?
A. You should repeat the program for as long as it
takes you to reach your goal. For example, it took
Barry Ozer three six-week sessions – 18 weeks
– to lose all of his excessive fat, which amounted
to 75 pounds (34 kg). There are, however, a few
guidelines and modifications to apply.
Repeat the eating plan exactly as before: Men, go
back to 1500 calories a day for two weeks. Women,
go back to 1200 calories a day for two weeks. Then,
descend your calories in the same manner.
Keep your superhydration schedule at the highest
level. In other words, sip 1 5/8 gallons (6.2 l) of
ice-cold water each day.
Q & A
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