Bowflex Ultimate 2 - Manual (Page 16)

14
Defining Your Goals
supplemented with cardiovascular training, such as
rowing on the Bowflex Ultimate ® 2.
Reaching Your Goals
To reach your goals you must follow a consistent,
well designed program that provides balanced
development to all parts of the body and includes
both aerobic and strength exercise. Only then will
you meet your goals safely and efficiently.
The workout routines found in this manual are
professionally designed and written to target
specific fitness goals. Should you not find one
specific program to your liking, you can design
your own, based on sound information and the
principles found in this manual.
Designing Your Own Program
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 these guidelines.
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
those 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, bicycling or rowing on the
Bowflex Ultimate ® 2.
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 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.