How to Use the Bowflex Adjustable Pulley
The Bowflex is a versatile exercise machine designed to deliver fitness results in the comfort of your home. The adjustable pulley system incorporated into the Bowflex can help you to work more muscle groups, strengthen stabilizer muscles and increase proprioception abilities.
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Instructions
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Chest
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1
Look over the pulley system. If any cords are out of the pulley grooves, realign them.
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2
Attach the nylon hand loops to the clips on both sides of the Bowflex. Make sure the loops are not twisted and hang at about the same distance.
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3
Set a weight you can do at about 20 percent intensity. If you've only done more stable exercises, such a bench press, this will help you build the small stabilizer muscles in your arms and core.
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4
Sit on the bench facing away from the Bowflex and grab the nylon straps, one per hand. Keep your back straight and a few inches from the backrest of the machine. You should be sitting up with your feet planted firmly on the ground.
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5
Activate your core and glutes by tightening your behind and sucking in your stomach a small amount. This will help to keep your back straight while doing the chest exercise and increase the proprioception abilities of your core.
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6
Push out toward your eye level, breathing out slowly. Go only as far as the point right before your elbows lock. Never lock your elbows, even to rest when tired. This could hurt your joints.
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7
While breathing in, slowly return the handles until your elbows are at a right angle to your chest. Going too far puts unnecessary stress on your rotator cuff.
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8
Repeat Steps 4-7, but push out toward chest level and toward your stomach. This will help work different parts of your chest.
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1
Tips & Warnings
If you are into martial arts or another form of athletics requiring body control, try pushing out one hand at a time. This will further work your core as you will have to keep it stable while pushing the weight with one side of your body.
Always remember to breathe. A common mistake is to hold your breath while working out. This is never good.
To work out your back, you can repeat the steps above. Just sit facing the machine and pull the straps to your higher chest area, middle and lower stomach. You can also do your back exercises one-handed to increase core strength.
Do not lock your elbows.
Do not go too far past right angle.
Do not rock your body to try to do more weight. Real strength comes from control.
This will not help to "bulk you up," but even if you are trying to gain lean muscle mass, switching back to a stabilization phase after heavy lifting is recommended by the NASM cpt course.
