Time To Get In Shape - Part 4

It has now been almost 3 months with the BowFlex and it is working for me! So far I have lost 2” from my waist and 16 pounds total. Since my last installment I purchased a decent scale and I weight myself before each workout wearing the same clothes every time (normally my sleeping clothes). I watch my weight go down a little each week and sometimes up a pound or so on some days. This makes me more conscious of my weight, especially at lunch time where I tend to choose better things to eat now.

Several people in town have noticed my weight loss. They ask me, “Hey, are you loosing weight? How?” They want to know which diet plan I am on, or what pills I am taking, or if I am starving all the time. I tell them that I am trying to eat better and I bought a BowFlex. I do feel like a salesman but when I like a product I don't mind doing a little selling.

I use my BowFlex most weekday mornings right after my first cup of coffee. Over the past few weeks I have increased my workout length from 15 minutes to 35-40 minutes and I doubled the number of exercises I do. I try to group them together so that I can use a common configuration of the BowFlex and just change weight amounts when I need to. This saves a lot of time based on the time estimates the BowFlex software gives you for your total workout. I have also more that doubled the amount of weight, or resistance, I have for each exercise. Right now I do 4-6 workouts a week with most every workday morning starting with a workout. Saturday's workout is normally done in the afternoon or on Sunday.

Every routine is logged on a checklist that I printed from the BowFlex software with the number of reps performed, the amount of weight used, and the total time to complete the entire workout. This information is put back into the BowFlex computer software every weekend and periodically I print out the reports to see how I am doing. Most exercises are up, that is up in the amount of weight and/or reps performed. Some dip now and then but overall are going up.

I have also developed, with the help of the BowFlex software, multiple workout routines. There are common exercises between each workout but I tried to keep about half of the exercises different. There are so many exercises available with the BowFlex so there are many to choose from. I twist the order of the common exercises for each routine around so that I am varied with my routine. I am also trying to work a few evenings in there also. Since my goal is loosing weight and getting back in shape I figured a few extra workouts would not hurt.

But the best part is that I enjoy doing the exercises. I know I must but I don't find that I am being bored. The BowFlex is almost like an addiction. I had a friend about 12 years ago who was way out of shape but refused to exercise because he knew too many people who were addicted to exercises of one type or another. Well, as far as I can tell, this is a good addiction. It can reduce my chance of heart attack and even lengthen my life.

So I will continue to work with my BowFlex. I look forward to getting up and working out each morning and I look forward to occasionally working out in the evening. I feel better, look better (at least that is what some friends have said) and I feel more energetic. People have notice that I have lost some weight and I walk with a spring in my step. Where is the bad in this picture?