Bowflex Ultimate 2 - Manual (Page 80)

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Bowflex ® machine will make your muscles larger—
but not excessively large—and larger muscles will
make your body firmer and more shapely.
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.
Q & A