Warm-Up and Cool-Down Exercises
Warm-Up and Cool-Down Exercises*
* Source: Jay Blahnik's Full-Body Flexibility, Second Edition, 2010. HumanKinetics.com.
To maintain good health, lose weight and improve your cardiovascular endurance, you may use the cardio machines a minimum of 3 times per week, around 14 minutes each day.
If you are new to exercise (or returning to a regular exercise program), and you are unable to comfortably complete 14 minutes of continuous exercise at one time, just do 5 - 10 minutes, and gradually increase your workout time until you can reach a 14 minute total.
If your schedule is busy, and you are unable to fit 14 minutes of continuous exercise into your day, ty accumulating 14 minutes by doing multiple shorter workouts on the same day. For example, 7 minutes in the morning and 7 minutes in the evening. This may be a great way to start your cardio training if you are new to vigorous activity.
For best results, combine your cardio machine workouts with a strength training program using dumbbells, and follow the Body Weight Loss Guide included in this manual.
Busy work schedules, family obligations and daily chores can make it difficult to fit regular exercise into your life. Try these tips to increase your chances of success :
- Schedule your workouts the same way you schedule meetings or appointments. Select specific days and times each week, and try not to change your workout times.
- Make a commitment to a family member, friend or spouse, and encourage each other to stay on track each week. Leave messages with friendly reminders to be consistent, and keep each other accountable.
- Make your workouts more interesting by alternating between steady state (single-speed) workouts and interval training (varied speed) workouts. The Bowflex Max Trainer® cardio machine is even more fun when you add this kind of variety.
It is important to wear appropriate, safe and comfortable footwear and clothing when using the Bowflex Max Trainer® cardio machine, including :
- Rubber-soled athletic walking or running shoes ;
- Exercise clothing that allows you to move freely, and keep comfortably cool ;
- Athletic support that provides stability and comfort ;
- Exercise friendly water bottle for constant hydration.
* Source: Jay Blahnik's Full-Body Flexibility, Second Edition, 2010. HumanKinetics.com.
Before you use any of the equipment in our gym facility, consider doing these dynamic warm-up stretches, which will help prepare your body for the workout :
Stand with the feet together. Bring one knee forward and up toward the chest. Place the hands around the shin and pull the knee into the chest. Release the stretch by putting the foot on the floor. Each repetition of the sequence should take 1 to 3 seconds. Repeat as a continuous, controlled, fluid sequence 10 or 20 times. Repeat the stretch with the other leg.
Stand with the feet together. Hold onto a wall for balance with one hand, if necessary. Raise the heel of one foot toward the gluteals. Release the stretch by putting the foot on the floor. Each repetition of the sequence should take 1 to 3 seconds. Repeat as a continuous, controlled, fluid sequence 10 or 20 times. Repeat the stretch with the other leg.
Stand tall and hold one leg up with the hands at hip height, keeping the knee bent. Hold onto a wall for balance with one hand, if necessary. Straighten the knee as far as comfortably possible. Release the stretch by bending the knee. Each repetition of the sequence should take 1 to 3 seconds. Repeat
as a continuous, controlled, fluid sequence 10 or 20 times. Repeat the stretch with the other leg.
Stand with the feet shoulder-width apart Bend the elbows; hold the arms out to the sides. Twist the upper body to one side and then the other side as far as comfortably possible. Each repetition of the sequence should take 1 to 3 seconds. Repeat as a continuous, controlled, fluid sequence 10 or 20
times.
Stand with one foot forward and one foot back, hip-width apart and feet facing forward. Hold onto a wall for balance with one hand, if necessary. Bend both knees putting weight on the back heel. Release the stretch by returning to the start position. Each repetition of the sequence should take 1 to 3
seconds. Repeat as a continuous, controlled, fluid sequence 10 or 20 times. Repeat the stretch with the other leg. Touch a wall or hold onto something for balance, if necessary.
Stand with the feet apart, the knees slightly bent and the arms at the sides of the body: Reach with one hand above the head and lean over to the opposite side. Release the stretch by returning to the start position. Then reach with the other hand to the opposite side. Use the other arm to support the body weight on the thigh, if necessary. Each repetition of the sequence should take 1 to 3 seconds. Repeat as a continuous, controlled, fluid sequence 10 or 20 times.
Follow these guidelines to ease yourself into a weekly exercise regimen. Use your judgment and/or the advice of your physician or health care professional to find the intensity and level of your workouts.
⚠ Consult a physician before you start an exercise program. Stop exercising if you feel pain or tightness in your chest, become short of breath, or feel faint. Contact your doctor before you use the machine again. Use the values calculated or measured by the machine's computer for reference purposes only. The heart rate displayed on the console is an approximation and should be used for reference only.
Steady State and Interval Training are 2 types of workouts you can do on your Bowflex® Max Trainer cardio machine :
- Steady State workouts. A Steady State workout involves slowly increasing your workout speed to a challenging, but comfortable, speed you can hold for most of your workout. Getting your Heart Rate up into the Fat-Burning, Heart Zone zone for an entire workout would be a great Steady State workout. For example, holding a 6 calories per minute Burn Rate pace for the entire workout, except during the warm-up and cool-down. Steady State workouts help you build exercise confidence, stamina and endurance, and are essential to a well-rounded cardiovascular training program.
- Interval Training workouts. An Interval Training workout involves adjusting your workout intensity for specific lengths of time to raise and lower your breathing rate, heart rate and calorie burn. This form of workout allows you to burn more calories than a standard workout in a shorter period of time. Using the Calorie Burn Rate display you can adjust the Intensity of your workout quickly to achieve your goals.
The Bowflex Max Traine® cardio machine combines 8 "ACTIVE" and 8 "REST" segments to create an Interval workout. During an "ACTIVE" segment, push yourself to a level of high calorie burn that can be repeated for the 8 segments. Then during the "REST" segments, allow yourself to decrease the Intensity and prepare for the next "ACTIVE" segment. These extreme changes in Intensity, along With pushing your body toward exhaustion, is where the maximum benefits are gained from Interval Training workouts.
Interval Training workouts provide variety, help minimize overuse injuries (that sometimes occur from doing only Steady State workouts), maximize calorie burn and improve fitness.
The Bowflex Max Trainer® cardio machine is designed to cushion your joints and muscles, and both Steady State and Interval Training workouts should feel much more comfortable than walking or running outside cn a hard surface or a treadmill.
At the end of an intense Interval Training workout, your body will actually need to expend additional energy to replenish your body's reserves. This additional amount of energy that your body will be using is the After Burn Rate, or EPOC (Excess Post-exercise Oxygen Consumption). The level of this additional energy requirement for your body is directly related to many factors. Some factors are your physical fitness level, intensity level of the interval training workout, length of oxygen deprivation during the workout, and physical demands during the recovery phase.
In summary, your body may be burning more calories after your workout. So after an intense MAX Interval workout, you may feel the effects for hours afterwards.
You may use this log template to track your workouts and progress. Tracking your workouts helps you stay motivated and achieve your goals.
* Source: Jay Blahnik's Full-Body Flexibility, Second Edition, 2010. HumanKinetics.com.
When you are done using your cardio machine, consider doing these relaxing stretches, which will help your body recover from the workout and make you more flexible :
Lie on the floor face up with the legs slightly bent. Lift one leg up toward the ceiling, keeping the knee straight. Place the hands (or a strap) around the thigh and move the leg closer to the head. Hold the stretch for 10 to 30 seconds. Repeat the stretch on the other leg. Keep the head on the floor and do
not round the spine.
Lie on the floor on one side of the body and rest the head on the lower arm. Bend the top knee and hold the ankle with the same-side hand then pull the heel toward the gluteals. Hold the stretch for 10 to 30 seconds. Lie on the other side and repeat the stretch with the other leg. Remember to hold the knees close together.
Lie on the floor face up with the legs bent. Place one foot across the thigh of the opposite leg in the figure four position. Reach for the leg on the floor and pull it toward the chest. Hold the stretch for 10 to 30 seconds. Repeat the stretch with the other leg. Keep the head on the floor.
Sit on the floor and extend the legs straight out in front of the body with the knees slightly bent. Place one hand on the floor behind the body and the other hand across the thigh. Twist the upper body as far as comfortably possible to one side. Hold the stretch for 10 to 30 seconds. Repeat the stretch on the other side.
Sit on the floor and extend one leg straight out in front of the body. Place the foot of the other leg across the thigh in the figure four position. Move the chest toward the legs, pivoting at the hip. Hold the stretch for 10 to 30 seconds, Repeat on the other leg. Use the arms to support the back.
Place the ball of one foot on the edge of a step or staircase. Place the other foot slightly in front. Hold onto a wall for balance with one hand, if necessary. Lower the heel of the back foot as far as comfortably possible, keeping the knee straight. Release the stretch by lifting the as high as comfortably possible. Each repetition of the sequence should take 1 to 3 seconds. Repeat as a continuous, controlled, fluid sequence 10 or 20 times. Repeat the stretch with the other leg.
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