Bowflex Xtreme
®
2 SE Owner’s Manual
13
Your body will do what you train it to do. That’s why it’s important to define your goals and focus them. Here are some
fitness components that will help you define your goals and choose your fitness program.
Muscle Strength
is the maximum force that you can
exert against resistance at one time. Your muscle
strength comes into play when you pick up a heavy bag
of groceries or lift a small child. It is developed when a
localized muscle is worked both positively (concentric)
and negatively (eccentric) at a resistance – great enough
so you can perform only five to eight repetitions of the
exercise before the muscle fails. Each set of repetitions
is followed by a rest interval that typically runs three
times longer than the set. Later, between exercise
sessions, the muscle overcompensates for the stress
and usually increases in both strength and size.
Muscle Endurance is the ability to perform repeated
contractions. It comes into play when you cross-country
ski or work on your feet all day. Endurance training
addresses the slow twitch, endurance muscle fibers,
which depend on oxygen for energy. To develop muscle
endurance, use low resistance and high repetitions –
about 15-20 repetitions in each set, three sets to each
exercise, working the muscle only to fatigue.
Muscle Power is the combination of strength and speed
of the muscular contraction. This is often misinterpreted
as A) being directly associated with certain skill or
sport and/or B) meaning that you must move fast. Load
is actually a more important factor than speed when
attempting to improve power. When training to achieve
muscular power, pick a resistance that fatigues you
in the 3-5 repetition range. When performing these
reps, it is more important to think of contracting the
muscles faster rather than attempting to move faster.
Performing sport simulation exercises usually results
in a deterioration of the motor pattern or skill. The bio-
mechanically sound method of improving power in
your sport is to train for power using the correct joint
movements, as described in this manual. Then practice
the skill associated with your sport, learning to apply this
newly achieved power.
Body Composition
is the ratio of fat weight (fat) to lean
weight (muscles, bones and tissue). As you age, the
ratio shifts. The fat weight increases and the lean weight
decreases. Training for muscle strength will generally
increase muscle size and aerobic conditioning will
help burn extra calories. Performing these two forms of
exercise, either at different times or together, will create
the greatest changes in body fat weight.
Balanced Strength
and alignment are the result of equal
strength developed in all parts of the body. It comes
into play in your standing and sitting posture, and in
your ability to perform just about any activity safely and
effectively. An over-development of the back will round
the shoulders; weak or stretched abdominals can cause
lower back pain. You want a balance of muscle strength
in front and back. In addition, you need a balance of
strength between your middle, lower and upper body.
Flexibility
is the ability of a muscle or group of muscles
to move the joint through a full range of motion. Flexibility
comes into play when you execute an overhand serve or
stretch for the top shelf in the kitchen. It is a cooperative
movement of opposite muscle groups. When a muscle
contracts, its opposite muscle group must relax for the
action to occur. Increased flexibility means an increased
range of motion, made possible by this simultaneous
contracting and relaxing. Good flexibility is important
in protecting the body from injury and can be achieved
through the balanced strength training programs that are
included in this manual.
Cardiovascular Endurance
is the ability of the heart
and lungs to supply oxygen and nutrients to exercising
muscles over an extended period of time. It comes into
play when you jog a mile or ride a bike. It is a critical
component of overall fitness and health. You may want to
design your own personal program specifically geared to
your goals and lifestyle. Designing a program is easy, as
long as you follow the below guidelines.
Define Your Goals
