Bowflex VERSATRAINER User Manual

VersaTrainer

BOWFLEX

Owner’s / Assembly Manual

Preface

7 ! 2 . ) . '

! 4 4 % . 4 ) / .

$ ! . ' % 2

Congratulations on your new ﬁtness program.

In choosing resistance training, you‘ve chosen a ﬁtness program that can enhance your ﬂexibility, increase muscle endurance, power and strength; offer both aerobic and anaerobic exercise; and improve your sports performanceon the tennis court, on the basketball court, or in the last leg of a road race. And in choosing the VersaTrainer®, you’ve chosen the most advanced resistance training equipment of its kind.

DRAFT

Work the middle and upper body, put on muscle or take off weight; work with ﬁve or up to 210 pounds. The VersaTrainer adapts to your capacity, your needs, and your goals smoothly and quietly, without the clanking of stacked weights. Exercise quickly and easily, without the complicated adjustments and equipment changes typical of other gym equipment. That’s because the VersaTrainer® is an exercise in great design. Its

patented Power Rod® unit provides dynamic, progressive resistance - the smoothest on the market today. Because the rods are unaffected by inertia, you can’t throw the weight and lose the beneﬁt of the exercise - as you can with a free weight. For the same reason, the VersaTrainer® challenges the muscle throughout the movement, maximizing your gains. Meanwhile, the cable pulley system allows a free range of movement, which develops muscle ﬂexibility, endurance and power, as well as strength.

We are sure that these and other features of the VersaTrainer® will enhance your ﬁtness and your enjoyment. To help you get started, this manual includes ﬁtness information that will help you deﬁne your goals. We hope you’ll take a look and plan your moves accordingly. To get the best results and keep your machine in peek operating condition, carefully read and follow the guidelines presented in this manual.

DRAFT

THIS SYMBOL APPEARING THROUGHOUT THIS MANUAL MEANS

PAY ATTENTION! BE ALERT! YOUR SAFETY IS INVOLVED!

Always obtain a physical exam from your physician or health care professional before beginning any exercise program. If at any time during exercise you feel faint, dizzy, short of breath, or experience chest pain, stop exercising immediately! If the condition persists, you should consult your physician or health care professional before resuming exercise activities.

A Word of Warning About Exercise

Bowﬂex® VersaTrainer® Owner’s Manual

TABLE OF CONTENTS

DRAFT

Bowﬂex® VersaTrainer® Owner’s Manual

Important Safety Precautions

7 ! 2 . ) . '

IMPORTANT SAFETY INSTRUCTIONS

The following deﬁnition applies to the word “Warning” found throughout this manual:

Used to call attention to POTENTIAL hazards that could result in personal injury or loss of life.

PRIOR TO USING THIS EQUIPMENT,

DRAFT

• Read and understand the Owners Manual prior to using this machine.

• Read and understand all Warning Labels on this machine.

• Keep children away from this machine and / or supervise them closely if they are near the machine or present during its operation. This machine is not suitable as a children’s toy. There is a natural tendency for children to want to play on exercise equipment and parents and other in charge of children should be aware of their respective responsibilities. Moving parts that may appear to present obvious hazards to adults may not appear to do so to children. Keep the Power Rod resistance rods bound when they are not in use to immobilize the machine.

• Consult a physician prior to commencing an exercise program. If, at any time, you feel faint or dizzy, or

DRAFT

experience pain, stop and consult your physician.

• Inspect this machine for loose parts or signs of wear. Pay special attention to Cables and Belts and their connections. Do not use if found in this condition; contact Nautilus Customer Service.

OBSERVE THE FOLLOWING WARNINGS.

• This machine contains moving parts. Use Caution. Do not wear loose clothing or jewelry.

• Set up and operate this machine on a solid level surface.

• This machine is for Consumer use only

• Do not use additional means to increase the resistance (lifting load) of this machine

• Be sure that the Selector Hook is correctly attached to the Rod End

• Set up the machine so that there is a free area around the machine of 7’ x 9’ (2.1 m x 2.7m) of free space for safe operation of the Bowﬂex® VersaTrainer® home gym. Keep third parties out of this area when the machine is in use

• Operate the machine in the manner described in this manual. It can be hazardous to over-exert yourself during exercise

• Make sure that all positional adjustment devices are securely engaged.

• This machine is designed for a User’s Weight Limit of xxx pounds ((xxx/2.2) kilograms.) Do not use if you are over this weight.

Bowﬂex® VersaTrainer® Owner’s Manual

7 ! 2 . ) . '

$ ! . ' % 2

Important Safety Precautions (continued)

• When hooking up Power Rod® unit do not position any body parts directly over the top of the rods. Position yourself to the side while attaching rods.

• Never attempt to exercise with more resistance than you are physically able to handle.

• Keep cables and Power Rod® unit bound with rod binding strap when not in use.

• Before exercising, make sure the cable pulley system is properly secured, properly attached, and in perfect working condition.

• All exercises in this manual are based on the calibrated resistance and capacity levels of the Bowﬂex® VersaTrainer® home gym. Exercises not in this manual are not recommended by Nautilus, Inc.

To reduce the injury to persons, always fasten tie downs and lap belt before exercising.

DRAFT

Safety Warning Labels

The following safety warnings are located on the Bowﬂex® VersaTrainer and warning information prior to using your product. Be sure to replace any warning label if damaged, illegible, or missing. If you need replacement labels, please call a Bowﬂex Representative at (1-800-628-8458).

** NEED LOCATION AND TEXT OF

ALL WARNING LABELS.**

exercise machine. Please read all safety precautions

DRAFT

Bowﬂex® VersaTrainer® Owner’s Manual

VersaTrainer® Beneﬁts

Power Rod® Unit

• Provide progressive and continuous resistance, which challenges the muscle throughout the movement, and helps minimize joint and ligament shock.

• Develop both positive and negative contractions for balanced conditioning.

• Develop muscle endurance and power, as well as strength.

• Allow you to tailor your program to your needs; general conditioning, aerobic training, speciﬁc training for speciﬁc sports, body building and rehabilitative work.

Cable Pulley System

• Allows for free range of motion to assist in developing muscle ﬂexibility.

• Functions smoothly and quietly.

DRAFT

Independent Hand Grips

• Allows for both unilateral and bilateral development, enhances coordination, body symmetry alignment and posture, and will not allow strong side to compensate for weak side.

• Can be gripped or worked with relaxed or open palm, allowing persons with limited grip to workout more easily and allow you to isolate speciﬁc muscles and motions and address speciﬁc needs.

• Address sport related skills such as the tennis backhand or overhand throw, as well as the physical demands of daily living, such as transferring, and curb jumps.

Total Exerciser Concept

• Varied exercise positions help you meet your individual exercise goals.

• Adapts to all ages and injury or skill level.

• Provides a wide range of exercise options, which increases exercise variety and quality.

User Friendly Design

• Requires no transfers.

• Compact.

• Easily adjustable, allows you to spend more time exercising.

TWO KINDS OF EXERCISE

You are no doubt familiar with one form of exercise, aerobic: aerobic activity is movement that is fueled with oxygen. Its opposite, anaerobic activity, is fueled without oxygen. Aerobic activities focus on the slow, enduring ﬁbers of the muscle. The more you condition a muscle for endurance and tone using low resistances and high repetitions the more efﬁcient the muscle becomes at using oxygen and the ﬁrmer and tighter it becomes. Increased muscle endurance improves and complements cardiovascular development, but it is not the same thing. Think of the difference between circuit training on the VersaTrainer®, which can be aerobic, and anaerobic activity that helps improve both muscle and cardiovascular endurance, versus pushing a long distance which focuses mostly on the cardiovascular system.

Every muscle also contains fast twitch ﬁbers which are fueled by stored energy (glycogen). These ﬁbers relate to speed and power and they’re quick to fatigue. When building a muscle, you are working the fast twitch ﬁbers to failure; the muscle responds by overcompensating and grows larger.

DRAFT

All exercise conditions the muscles aerobically or anaerobically, and all exercise conditions the heart to some extent.

For overall conditioning - for health, ﬁtness, and a balance of strength, endurance, and power - it’s important to consider both aerobic and anaerobic exercise as you deﬁne your goals and choose your exercise program.

Bowﬂex® VersaTrainer® Owner’s Manual

VersaTrainer® Features

Neck Support

Foam

Hand Grips Cables

Side Rails

Power Rod® unit

DRAFT

Locking

Mechanism

Platform

Pulleys

VersaTrainer® Speciﬁcations

Throughout this manual, all references to the left or right side and to the front or back are made as if you are facing the VersaTrainer® machine, ready to exercise.

The dimensions and general speciﬁcations for the BowFlex® VersaTrainer® exercise machine are as follows:

Physical Dimensions

Length: 6 feet Width: 4 feet Height: 6 feet Weight: 200 pounds Shipping Weight: xxxxxx

DRAFT

Bowﬂex® VersaTrainer® Owner’s Manual

Parts and Hardware Guide

Contents of Box One:

 One VersaTrainer® Base Assembly  Two Posters  One Owner’s/Assembly Manual  One Video  One Foam Neck Support  One Bolt Bag

Containing:

• Four (4) #12 x 3/4” Pan Head Screws

• One (1) Allen Wrench, Short Arm 5/16”

• One (1) 3/8” x 3-1/4” Bolt  One Belt Bag Containing:

• Two (2) Tie Down Straps

• One (1) Lap Belt

Contents of Box Two:

 One Power Rod® Assembly

DRAFT

Belt Bag Parts Guide:

Item #: Qty: 2 Descr: Tie Down Straps

Item #: Qty: 1 Descr: Lap Belt

Bolt Bag Parts Guide:

Item #: Qty: 4 Descr: #12 x 3/4” Pan Head Screw

Item #:

DRAFT

Qty: 1 Descr: 3/8” x 3-1/4” Bolt

Item #: Qty: 1 Descr: Allen Wrench, Short Arm 5/16”

Bowﬂex® VersaTrainer® Owner’s Manual

Assembly Guide

7 ! 2 . ) . '

TOOLS NEEDED:

Phillips Head Screw Driver 5/16” Allen Wrench (included)

NOTE: Set-up of VersaTrainer® may require two

people.

STEP 1: Rotate extrusion to upright position

(see Figure A-1).

STEP 2: Lift pivot arm until extrusion screw holes align

(see Figure A-1).

STEP 3: Tighten pre-placed 3/8” x 4” bolt in bottom hole

(see Figure A-2).

STEP 4: Place 3/8” x 3-1/4” bolt into top hole and tighten

(see Figure A-2).

STEP 5: Tighten all bolts securely using enclosed Allen

wrench.

DRAFT

Vertical Extrusion

3/8” x 3-1/4” bolt

3/8” x 4” bolt

Power Rod® Assembly

Pivot Arm

Figure A-1

Figure A-2

Figure A-4

STEP 6: Slide Power Rod® Assembly onto top of vertical

main frame (see Figure A-3). Make sure that it is all the way on so that the holes on each side line up.

STEP 7: Secure the Power Rod® Assembly to the main

frame by tightening four of the #12 x 3/4” Pan Head screws through the four holes (two on each side) on the black Power Rod® Assembly (see Figure A-4).

STEP 8: Now that you have assembled your VersaTrainer®

exercise machine, it is VERY IMPORTANT to tighten all screws and bolts, and visually inspect the VersaTrainer® machine. Make sure that your VersaTrainer® machine has been assembled correctly and securely, and that there are no loose, or unattached parts prior to use.

Figure A-3

#12 Pan

Head Screw

Failure to visually check and test assembly

DRAFT

before use could jeopardize your health.

Bowﬂex® VersaTrainer® Owner’s Manual

Vertical

Main Frame

Using Your Machine

7 ! 2 . ) . '

$ ! . ' % 2

Power Rod® Resistance

Power Rod® units are made from a special composite material. Your Power Rod® rods are sheathed with a protective black rubber coating. Each rod is marked with its weight rating on the rod cap.

Adjusting and Understanding the Resistance

The Bowﬂex® VersaTrainer® home gyms come with 210 lb. (95.25 kg) of resistance {one pair of 5 lb. (2.25 kg) rods, two pairs of 10 lb. (4.5 kg) rods, one pair of 30 lb. (13.5 kg) rods, and one pair of 50 lb. (22.5 kg) rods}.

Hooking the Power Rod

Safety Precautions

DRAFT

You may use one rod or several rods in combination to create the desired resistance level. To hook multiple rods up to one cable, simply bend the closest rod toward the cable and place the cable hook through the rod cap. Then, hook up the next closest rod.

Hooking up the most forward rod prevents rods from crossing over the top of one another.

Rod to the Cables

When hooking up the Power Rod® rods, do not position any portion of your body directly over the tops of the rods. Remain to the side while connecting and disconnecting the Power Rod® rods from the cables.

When You Are Not Using Your Bowﬂex® VersaTrainer® Home Gym

Disconnect the cables from the Power Rod® rods when you are not using your Bowﬂex® VersaTrainer® home gym.

Use the rod binding strap included with your machine to bind all the rods together near the middle to top of the rod pack. This keeps them neat in appearance and makes your Bowﬂex® VersaTrainer® home gym as compact as possible.

DRAFT

To reduce the injury to persons, always fasten tie downs and lap belt before exercising.

Bowﬂex® VersaTrainer® Owner’s Manual

Getting Started

CARE OF THE VersaTrainer

The VersaTrainer® design uses very few moving parts, therefore the machine needs minimal maintenance. The following are some areas you will want to check and maintain to keep your VersaTrainer® exercise machine in good working condition.

1 - Pulleys: The pulleys may develop some noise or

squeaks with use. If noise occurs simply spray some silicon or other lubricant on the pulley. This should eliminate any noise.

2 - Rod Caps: The rod caps are attached to the rods with

screws. Check screws periodically and tighten as needed.

3 - Power Rod® Rods: The Power Rod® rods should

DRAFT

always be bundled together when not in use. Binding the Power Rod® pack together extends the life of the rods (see Figure 3-1).

Figure 3-1

4 - General: Before using your VersaTrainer® check all

fasteners to be sure none has loosened with use. Tighten as needed.

C A U T I O N

Prolonged direct exposure to sunlight will cause the Power Rod® rods to deteriorate.

DRAFT

Bowﬂex® VersaTrainer® Owner’s Manual

Getting Started

ADJUSTING THE RESISTANCE

Select your resistance. Resistance levels are marked on the rod caps. You will see one 5 pound rod pair, two 10 pound rod pairs, one 30 pound rod pair, and one 50 pound rod pair. You may use one rod or several rods in combination to create the desired resistance.

STEP 1: Hook up one side at a time.

STEP 2: Bend one or more rods toward the pulley, making

STEP 3: Hook the cable clip onto the rings at the ends of

STEP 4: Now hook up the other side. You may use two

Make sure you understand the nature of resistance training and your current level of ﬁtness before working with the VersaTrainer® exercise machine. In general, start with lower resistances appropriate for your capacity and your goals.

DRAFT

sure not to criss-cross them (see Figure 2-1).

the rods (see Figure 3-1).

different resistances on the two sides.

Figure 2-1

DRAFT

Figure 3-1

Bowﬂex® VersaTrainer® Owner’s Manual

7 ! 2 . ) . '

$ ! . ' % 2

Getting Started

STANDARD CHAIR POSITIONS

Facing the Power Rod® unit: (See Figure 1)

Back to the Power Rod

Side at 90% to the Power Rod

(See Figure 3)

Side at 45% to the Power Rod

(See Figure 4)

unit: (See Figure 2)

DRAFT

unit:

Figure 1

Figure 2

To reduce the injury to persons, always fasten tie downs and lap belt before exercising.

Figure 3

Figure 4

DRAFT

Bowﬂex® VersaTrainer® Owner’s Manual

Getting Started

ADJUSTING PULLEY HEIGHT

Adjusting the height of the pulleys is simple. If you follow these general guidelines:

To adjust pulley height:

STEP 1: Keep Power Rod

raising or lowering pulley frame as this will help offset the weight of the frame.

rods under tension when

DRAFT

STEP 2: With casters facing foot plates lock wheel locks

to ensure stability.

STEP 3: Grasp handle as shown in Figure 3-1, pulling

upward to release locking mechanism.

STEP 4: Adjust pulley height to desired level. Release

hand grip to engage locks (see Figure 4-1).

STEP 5: Release the handle if you feel unstable as locking

mechanism will automatically stop the pulley frames downward motion.

STEP 6: IMPORTANT!

Be sure locks are engaged before exercising.

Figure 3-1

These and all other safety tips will help to ensure a safe and satisfying workout. If you are in any way unsure of the techniques presented please contact Nautilus, Inc.

DRAFT

Figure 4-1

Bowﬂex® VersaTrainer® Owner’s Manual

+ 30 hidden pages