Bowflex Ultimate 2 Owners Manual - Page 15

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