Bowflex BodyTower Owner's Manual page 9

Workouts
muscle strength in front and back. In addition, you need a balance of strength between your
middle, lower and upper body.
Flexibility is the ability of a muscle or group of muscles to move the joint through a full range of
motion. Flexibility comes into play when you execute an overhand serve or stretch for the top
shelf in the kitchen. It is a cooperative movement of opposite muscle groups. When a muscle
contracts, its opposite muscle group must relax 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 that are included in this manual.
Cardiovascular Endurance is the ability of the heart and lungs to supply oxygen and nutrients to
exercising muscles over an extended period of time. It comes into play when you jog a mile or
ride a bike. It is a critical component of overall fitness and health. 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 the below guidelines.
Design Your Own Program
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 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, or
bicycling.
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