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
•
Training Frequency:
The number of
times you train per week. We recommend
daily activity but not daily training of the same
muscle group.
•
Training Intensity:
The amount of
resistance used during your repetition.
•
Training Volume:
The number of
repetitions and sets performed.
•
Rest Intervals:
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
•
Isolate Muscle Groups:
Focus work on
specific muscle groups.
•
Progressive Loading:
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
12
Owner’s Manual
13
