Nautilis makes the popular Bowflex home gyms and the slightly less expensive Schwinn machines using the same set-up and technology. These machines are fitting for beginners and intermediate exercisers because they offer as little as 5 lbs. of weight and up to over 200 lbs. without additional upgrades. You can use either machine for full-body beginner workouts from weeks one to six, and then try an upper and lower body beginner workout.
Introductory Workout
The first two weeks that you begin strength training on a Nautilis machine are for introducing your body to a new style of exercise. This is also appropriate for people who have not worked out in a long time because the body becomes deconditioned without stimulus. Perform one set of these exercises for eight repetitions: leg curl, leg extension, bench press, lying biceps curl, seated shoulder press and seated abdominal crunch. Work up to 12 reps and then lift a weight 5 percent heavier than what you were using, but do not go above 12 reps.
Introductory Workout Weeks Three and Four
Weeks three and four use the same reps, a single set and then same 5 percent increase guidelines, but you perform an additional exercise. Also, rest for no longer than 45 seconds between exercises. This increases the overall difficultly of your workout, but not by too much. Add the rear deltoid rows exercise after the seated shoulder press. This way, you'll work the front and side of the deltoids with the shoulder press, but also the back of the muscles too.
Final Portion of Introductory Workout
For the last portion of a beginner's introductory workout time, add the leg press and the
reverse fly to the workouts from the previous two weeks. Shorten your rest time to 30 seconds and work up to one set of 12 reps per exercise. The leg press follows the leg extension, giving your lower body a challenging workout. Perform the reverse fly before the rear deltoid rows. Replace the
seated shoulder press with the lying shoulder pullover. Perform this workout three days a week for two weeks and then you can try the upper and lower body workouts.
Beginner Upper/Lower Body Workout
Full-body workouts are easiest for beginners because you can just do the same exercises each time. After preparing your body with one set of exercises, add a second or third set and do four workouts per week, splitting them into an upper body workout one day and a lower body the next. Increase the reps to 15 at most. For the upper body, do the bench press, narrow pulldowns, standing lateral shoulder raise, standing biceps curl and french press exercises. For the lower body workout, do the leg extension, standing hip extension, standing leg kickback, low back extension, seated abdominal crunch and reverse crunch.
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