Friday, August 3, 2007

Exercise for BFL

I really like the format for weight training BFL offers. It's different than the standard 3 sets of 12 reps. You don't have to kill yourself with cardio. Here's the breakdown, straight from the BFL Starter Guide. I think "Intensity Level" is subjective, and more a perceived level of exertion.

Cardio
  • Warm up the first 2 minutes at Intensity Level 5
  • Minutes 2-3 move from Intensity Level 5 to 6
  • Minutes 4-5, 6-10 and 11-14 work your way from Intensity Level 6 to Level 9, maintain for one minute.
  • Minutes 15-19 work your way from Intensity Level 6 to Level 10 (High Point at Level 10), maintain for one minute.

Weight Training
  • Weight train intensely, three times per week on alternating days with aerobic exercise three times per week. Make sure to hit your "high points" during your workout.
  • Alternate training the major muscles of the upper and lower body.
  • Perform two exercises for each major muscle group of the upper body.
  • Select one exercise and conduct five sets with it, starting with a set of 12 reps, then increasing the weight and doing 10 reps, adding more weight and doing 8 reps, adding more weight for 6 reps. Then reduce the weight and do 12 reps. Immediately perform another set of 12 reps for that muscle group using the second selected exercise.
  • For each muscle group, rest for one minute between the first four sets. Then complete the final two sets with no rest in between, wait two minutes before moving on to your next muscle group, complete this pattern five times for the upper body training experience and four times for the lower body training experience.
  • Always plan your training before hand.
  • Record all your weightlifting exercised in a journal indicating the exercise selected and weight lifted.


If you can read a magazine while on the treadmill, you’re nowhere near your High Point.

If you can speak to the person next to you, you still have a way to go.

If you haven't reached 80% of your maximum heart rate (220 minus your age and multiplied by 0.8), take it up a notch.

When you feel a burning sensation in your legs and arms, you may be at level 9.

When you reach the point where you can't take another step or lift another rep, you've reached level 10. Hold on for another 60 seconds and finish with an easy cool down.


So, exercise for a two week cycle looks like this:

Upper Body (chest, shoulders, triceps, biceps, back)
Cardio
Lower Body (quads, hamstrings, calves, abs)
Cardio
Upper Body (chest, shoulders, triceps, biceps, back)
Cardio
Rest
Lower Body (quads, hamstrings, calves, abs)
Cardio
Upper Body (chest, shoulders, triceps, biceps, back)
Cardio
Lower Body (quads, hamstrings, calves, abs)
Cardio
Rest

The exercise guide BFL offers is kind of limited in terms of variety, but it's a good start.




No comments: