Determining Your Goals

• Your goals will determine how you use the Bowflex Xtreme 2. Those looking to build muscle mass might want to try performing many individual exercises for each muscle or muscle group. Try following the five-by-five protocol, which requires doing five sets of five repetitions at about 80 percent of the maximum weight you can lift in that exercise.
  
  If you're looking to get a total body workout in as short as time as possible, try doing the compound lifts, which work several muscle groups at once. To build strength, perform several warm-up sets with light weight and then do anywhere from one to five repetitions per set per exercise, building up to a high degree of intensity (amount of weight lifted).
  
  To develop muscular endurance, perform three or four sets of 12 to 20 repetitions for each compound lift, using a weight that makes it difficult (but not impossible) for you to finish the last one or two repetitions.
  
  

Compound Lifts

• Upper-body exercises that primarily target the chest while also working the shoulders and arms simultaneously include the bench press, the incline bench press and the decline bench press. Additionally, the French press, though primarily working the triceps, will also partially engage the chest and shoulders.
  
  Upper-body exercises that primarily target the shoulders while also working the arms and chest include the lying shoulder pullover, seated shoulder press and the military press.
  
  Upper-body exercises that primarily target the back while also working the shoulders and arms include wide pull-downs, narrow pull-downs, lying lat pull-downs at elbows, lying lat pull-downs at palms, reverse-grip pull-downs, lying narrow lat pull-downs and seated lat rows.
  
  The Bowflex Xtreme 2 also provides users with the ability to work the entire legs at once by performing squats, deadlifts, stiff-leg deadlift, or by using the leg press.
  
  

Exercises Targeting Specific Muscles or Muscle Groups

• Individuals interested in maximizing strength or muscle growth in any particular muscle group can use the Bowflex Xtreme 2 to achieve these goals.
  
  To target the chest specifically, try doing the chest fly, or lying cable crossovers. To work your back muscles, try doing the functional low back extension, one-arm seated lat rows, lying lat fly, scapular retraction or barbell bent-over row.
  
  The Bowflex Xtreme 2 enables you to target the triceps with the following exercises: triceps kickback, triceps extensions and push-downs, all with a variety of attachments that work the muscle from different angles.
  
  And those interested in building big biceps or forearms can do the many variations of curls the Bowflex Xtreme 2 makes possible, plus the wrist curls and extensions.
  
  Specific shoulder exercises include shoulder raises, rear deltoid rows, the scapular and shoulder rotator cuff exercises, shrugs and reverse fly.
  
  Users can work specific muscles of the legs, targeting the thighs with leg extensions and hip flexions and extensions, the calves with raises and ankle lifts, and the hamstrings and butt with leg curls.
  
  Finally, the Bowflex Xtreme 2 allows you to target your abdominals with a variety of crunch exercises.