Bowflex Ultimate 2 Owners Manual - Page 80

78 Q & A 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 -s­ econd lowering style. Here are the proper ­breathing guidelines to follow: • Breathe normally during the first five repetitions. • T ake 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 ­m­ uscle-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.