Bowflex Ultimate 2 Owners 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: • T raining Frequency: The number of times you train per week. We ­recommend daily activity but not daily training of the same muscle group. • T raining Intensity: The amount of ­resistance used during your repetition. • T raining Volume: The number of ­repetitions and sets performed. • R est 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. • P rogressive Loading: The gradual ­systematic increase of repetitions, ­resistance and exercise period.