Bowflex Elite™ Plus home gym - Manual (Page 52)

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Q & A
Q. I’m pleased that I lost the fat I wanted to
lose. What do I do to maintain my new body
weight?
A. Once you’ve lost your excessive fat, your next task is
to maintain that status. Here are the adjustments you
need to make to your current practices.
Adhere to a carbohydrate-rich, moderate-
calorie
eating plan.
Instead of eating from 1000 to 1500 calories a day, you’ll
be consuming from 1600 to 2400 calories per day. Maybe
you can eat even more after your new body weight has
stabilized. Trial-and-error experimentation is a must.
Women should start with 1600 calories, and men with
2000 calories per day. Note what happens after a week.
If your body weight keeps going down, raise the calories
by 100 or 200, depending on how much weight you lost
during the last week. Soon, you should reach a level
where your body weight stabilizes. That level is your
daily calorie requirement. Naturally, you’ll be able to
consume other foods than those listed in the Bowflex
eating plan. By then, however, you should know the
value of being a smart shopper and a wise eater. Read
labels. Compare nutritional information. Be conscious of
the ideal 60:20:20 ratio for carbohydrates, proteins, and
fats.
Eat smaller meals more frequently.
You’ve been limiting your five meals per day to 300
calories if you’re a woman, or 500 calories if you’re a
man. You may now up the calories by 100. What happens
if during a single meal you eat more than 400 calories
if you’re a woman, or 600 calories if you’re a man?
Don’t panic. Simply understand that you will sometimes
backslide. Learn to anticipate these urges and take
corrective action.
Drink at least 1 gallon (3.8 l) of cold water each day.
You should realize by now the benefits of consuming
plenty of water each day. Make your water bottle a
permanent part of your lifestyle.
Train on Bowflex at least twice a week.
There are two primary differences between
maintenance and strength-building routines. First,
for maintenance, you do not have to increase the
resistance each week or so. If you can do 100 pounds
for 12 repetitions on the leg extension, then keep it on
100 pounds and do not go up to 105 pounds. You can
maintain the 100-pound level much easier that you can
increase it. Second, you do not need to train three times
a week. You can maintain your strength at twice a week.
Add variety to your Bowflex routines.
Now is the time to introduce more variety to your
routines by adding some new exercises while removing
some old ones. Below are two sample routines.
Maintenance Routine 1
1. Seated Hip Abduction
2. Seated Hip Adduction
3. Seated Straight Leg Calf Raise
4. Chest Fly
5. Incline Bench Press
6. Shoulder Pullover
7. Shoulder Shrug
8. Standing Biceps Curl
9. Seated Wrist Curl
10. Seated Wrist Extension
Maintenance Routine 2
1. Leg Curl
2. Leg Extension
3. Standing Lateral Shoulder Raise
4. Seated Shoulder Press
5. Rear Deltoid Row
6. Decline Press
7. Reverse Curl
8. Seated Triceps Extension
9. Low Back Extension
10. Abdominal Crunch
Look in your Bowflex Owner’s Manual for descriptions
of the new exercises.
Be consistent with your Bowflex exercising,
healthy eating, and superhydrating — and your
accomplishments may well exceed your goals.