The Bowflex machine offers a wide variety of exercises to tone and build muscle and strength in every part of your body. It is important to set goals for yourself and to understand which exercises will give you the best results and help you meet your goals the fastest. Prioritize your workouts and exercise the part of the body you feel needs the most attention first. You should also aim to work out opposing muscle groups on the same day for the best results.
Legs
The seated leg curl and the seated leg extension work your hamstrings and quadriceps respectively. Sit on the flat bench with your back toward the main part of the machine and the belt attached around your waist. Place your heels on the far side of the bar to support yourself and to assist in pulling your body forward. Keeping your back straight, bend your knees and pull your body forward by gripping the bar with your heels. Slowly release and allow your body to slide back along the track until you return to the starting position. For the leg extension, sit on the seat with your knees close to the pivot point of the leg attachment and your feet hooked behind the lower portion of the leg attachment. Extend your legs so they are parallel to the floor, hold, then slowly release your legs to the starting position.
Arms
Aim to work out both the biceps and triceps in the same workout, since they are opposing muscles. One exercise for the biceps is the standing biceps curl using the handles. Stand in front of the machine so you are facing it and grasp the handles in each hand with your palms facing upward. Lock your elbows at your sides and use them as your pivot points as you pull the handles up toward your shoulders. Hold this position for a couple of seconds, then release your hands back down to the starting position. The incline triceps extension focuses on your triceps and is performed by positioning the bench at a 45-degree angle and grabbing the handles above your head. Extend your hands outward until they are straight, then return to the starting position, keeping your upper arms still throughout the exercise.
Abdominals
The resisted crunch provides added resistance over traditional crunches using the Bowflex. Sit on the 45-degree bench and grasp the handles over your head. Tighten your abdominal muscles and sit up slightly, keeping your hands up near your ears. Hold, then release to the starting position. You can work your oblique abdominals by sitting sideways on the flat bench and grasping the closest handle with both hands. Keeping your arms straight in front of you, rotate your upper body away from the machine as far as you can, then return to the starting position. Repeat on the opposite side.
Chest and Back
The bench press and the bent-over row work your chest and back, respectively. To perform the bench press, sit on the 45-degree bench and grab the handles overhead with your palms facing forward. Push the handles forward until your arms are straight, hold, then release to the starting position. For the bent-over row, stand with your back facing the machine, bend at the waist and grab the bar with both hands. Keeping your back flat, pull the bar up toward your abdomen, pointing your elbows behind you. Hold, then return to the original position.
Warnings
Check with a doctor before starting your workout program. Always wear shoes that cover your toes and that have a non-slip sole when using the low pulley/squat attachment. Check fasteners, cables and pulleys before each workout to make sure there are no snags, frays or other problems that could be hazardous to your workout. Warm up and cool down your muscles before and after each workout to avoid muscle cramps or strains during the workout. You should plan on tacking on at least five to 10 minutes on each end of your workout for a warm-up and cool-down session.
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