Owner`s manual

65
Q & A
Under no circumstances could 99.99 percent of
American women develop excessively large muscles.
Progressive resistance exercise such as Bowflex®
home gym 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.
The Bowflex
®
Body Leanness Program