Bowflex Home Gym , any comments

[DJ Dan-E]

THis is my First Post.............heard that the Bowflex are very effective and the resistence are great even tho they cost alot, any comments?

[odin999]

Man I hate to break the news to ya, but those home gym things suck. You would be better off buying a bench some weights and a power rack.

[DJ Dan-E]

Yea, but my friend has one and it is very effective it has resistances. i am using weights and other stuff, i'm wondering if other people are sayingif it is truly a effective training

[sietchring]

it's good for maintence and novices but don't expect to be Mr. O using it

[odin999]

Don't get me wrong, it is better than nothing. As a general rule of thumb freeweights are better than machines. If you have to use machines use Hammer Strength or a Smith machine. Finally resort to the Soloflex or other stack weight machines.

One thing people always complain about with Soloflex is the limited exercises you can do with it. I mean if you have dumbells and a bar you can do almost an infinte number of movements.

The thing I really have against a Soloflex is the cost. Flat out it is a monster ripoff, unless you can find a used one. Which there are alot of for a reason.

But having said if you work hard, and that is the key, it will work for you....

[DJ Dan-E]

Yea, that is true, i wonder who had even used it here b4 for BBing

[Andrew]

I used to have a bowflex (dad got), its not great for bodybuilding but it also isn't a piece of junk. for the price I sold it at i was able to get an entire free weight gym rack,bench,lat and much more, which is much better.

[DJ Dan-E]

Originally posted by Andrew
I used to have a bowflex (dad got), its not great for bodybuilding but it also isn't a piece of junk. for the price I sold it at i was able to get an entire free weight gym rack,bench,lat and much more, which is much better.

LOL!

[jimwe]

I'm in Korea and there is no gym within a reasonable distance from where I live. I bought a Soloflex to work out as it's better than nothing. I was looking at their website and saw that they sell these hollow but strong iron bars that fit into the crossbar and allow you to put free weighs onto the bar. Instead of buying these at their overpriced $25.

I bought two dumbell bars and use them instead. I've done benches with them with as much as 280 lbs. and it holds them with no problem. There is a bit of a balancing problem as you put the weights on, but with practice, it's rather easy.

The Soloflex is OK for alot of the upper body things you'd want. But for legs, it's pretty much a joke. For use with weights, I use it for bench, incline bench, sitting press, standing curls, shrugs and a few other exercises. You can buy used Soloflexes for $300-$400 and if you have the space and not alot of time to workout, it's better than nothing. I like it because I can do benches without a spotter. Hope this helps.

[joeshmoe321]

Not worth $1200.

[impala_01]

I have had my Bowflex for about a year now and have no problems at all. It is a great machine for toning and lossing fat, but it is a machine so it lacks putting on mass as fast as free weights. Any more qustions on the Bowflex just ask me

[BenLee]

I have to say, it's a great machine for getting a workout but you're not going to be a bodybuilder with this thing. It's got an endless amount of exercises you can perform on it and it only costs a few hundred dollars. I would recommend it for anyone looking to get in shape but I like to rely on free weights more.

[maximusthegreat]

I actually have a Bowflex and while I agree it is an expensive piece of equipment, I would strongly disagree that one can't get big using it.....

Try using one 1st......The max bench press on my bowflex is 410ibs resistence....I would like to see someone bench that and not be "BIG".....While I am cut lean...I do have a few friends who are bulked up power lifters......there max bench comes in around 350lbs free weights....they have use my bowflex and have found it to be very comparable to the free weights in resistence, but more difficult because they must balance the resistence. I agree that by balancing the resistence the muscle groups become more cut up then bulky but I'm not complaining.

For chest, back, biceps and abs...I would highly recommend the bowflex......but if you have the room building your own free weight gym would be more cost effective.

I hope I could be of help.

[GettnHuge]

I just cant stand that little 5'6 'i own the company'
david foley lookalike guy

[chunckylover16]

i know i am a little late to this thread but, be for i started working out i could do all the bowflex weight.

[HardKore79]

i know i am a little late to this thread but, be for i started working out i could do all the bowflex weight.

You think?

[fishingeek]

i know i am a little late to this thread but, be for i started working out i could do all the bowflex weight.

Wow, do paints chips go good with dip?

[Riggaman]

This is one of the best necroposts I've seen in a while.

[MHuskey6729]

I use bowfled to stay in shape. I was using free weights for about a year, but here recently, I have been using bowflex only because something is wrong with my hand. With free weights, my hand hurts bad and I have to quit for a week or two. With bowflex, my hand doesn't hurt. I have no idea what is wrong with my hand, but I don't want to do severe long term damage to it. The hand that hurts is the hand I use to do art with. I'm an artist. I don't want to lose that ability or have to train my left hand, because my right hand is useless. My right hand is the one that I get this severe pain in after lifting with my weights. As well, I hate not doing any kind of physical activity.

[Hybrid98]

I use bowfled to stay in shape. I was using free weights for about a year, but here recently, I have been using bowflex only because something is wrong with my hand. With free weights, my hand hurts bad and I have to quit for a week or two. With bowflex, my hand doesn't hurt. I have no idea what is wrong with my hand, but I don't want to do severe long term damage to it. The hand that hurts is the hand I use to do art with. I'm an artist. I don't want to lose that ability or have to train my left hand, because my right hand is useless. My right hand is the one that I get this severe pain in after lifting with my weights. As well, I hate not doing any kind of physical activity.

Sounds like tendonitis to me. Have you checked with a doctor? Just a thought.

[MHuskey6729]

Sounds like tendonitis to me. Have you checked with a doctor? Just a thought.

No, not yet. But tendonitis is what came up in my thought as well.

[lod254]

I have had my Bowflex for about a year now and have no problems at all. It is a great machine for toning and lossing fat, but it is a machine so it lacks putting on mass as fast as free weights. Any more qustions on the Bowflex just ask me

I'd have to agree with this. My step dad had one and I stole it just so I had something. At 5'7 167lbs I can max out the bench on an old PowerPro model. I'm by no means a hulk like some of these guys. A ~250lb bench on a BowFlex is probably the equivalent of me doing 160lbs. I'm still living in an apartment, so I keep it around rather than buying weights.

I've had a horrible time gaining weight, but at you can see from my pic, it at least does something. I'm trying to shy away from it and get advice for gaining. You should be able to maintain some lean mass and be in reasonably good shape using one and supplementing exercises that don't require weights per say like pull-ups, ab exercises, etc.

[yitmy]

I use bowfled to stay in shape. I was using free weights for about a year, but here recently, I have been using bowflex only because something is wrong with my hand. With free weights, my hand hurts bad and I have to quit for a week or two. With bowflex, my hand doesn't hurt. I have no idea what is wrong with my hand, but I don't want to do severe long term damage to it. The hand that hurts is the hand I use to do art with. I'm an artist. I don't want to lose that ability or have to train my left hand, because my right hand is useless. My right hand is the one that I get this severe pain in after lifting with my weights. As well, I hate not doing any kind of physical activity.

Where specifically is your hand pain and doing what exercises does it bother you? Your age? Any previous injuries? If you got a pic post it with an x where the pain is, that would be great.

[MHuskey6729]

Where specifically is your hand pain and doing what exercises does it bother you? Your age? Any previous injuries? If you got a pic post it with an x where the pain is, that would be great.

It hurts kind of inside my hand, on the side of my right hand, and closer to the palm rather than the back of my hand. Sorry, I have no pic at this time, but I will post one later. Right now, I am busy. It hurts the most when I do curls, hammers curls, and I can't do reverse curls at all because of it. I guess they are called reverse curls. By the time I am finished with my workout, it is as if I pulled a muscle. I have to rest a while before I can lift again.

[Dr.Griefo]

I figured this may be the best place for my first post because I bought the bowflex against the advice of several persons on here (I read the reviews a few months ago).

It's not great but it's okay. I let myself lapse over the last few years and after a hockey injury (something snapped in my forearm, wasn't a tendon phew) so I figured I needed to get back into weight lifting. I actually have a rack and 350 pounds of Olympic weights but bought a bowflex because my middle aged body takes too much of a pounding from free weights and hockey.

I used the bowflex for the full six weeks but didn't quite look like the people in the ads, or even close for that matter. I did put on some muscle and my gut went down (which was a surprise cause I really wasn't looking to reduce the mini keg).

I still use it (3 months now) but supplement the workouts with dumbells and workout on my power rack with the barbells once a week (hockey is over for a few months). It is kind of like having all the cable exercises from the gym in one convienient package.

What I like: It's a quick workout and not hard on the joints. Also, when I am absolutely bagged I can still rattle off a 20 minute workout. It seems to work great for chest, tricep and biceps and has provided the best calf workout I have ever had. It would be great in an apartment because it is silent. It does give a good burn if I push myself hard.

What's so so: Back

What is awful: Legs and abs. I think the ab attachments are spine destroyers. The squats are just dangerous. I can max out the 410 rods (not pounds, there poundage is a joke).

Advice: A real gym is the best, the barbell, dumbell bowflex set-up I have is second best (but really expensive). Barbells and dumbells would be third (could supplement with cheap elastic bands as well), dumbells only fourth and a bowflex alone is fifth. Personally, I really do not feel anyone can build real muscle with this but it definitely tones well. If I just had a bowflex, I would be supplementing it with a pull up bar, one of those big rubber balls (for abs) and pushups and doing dips using chairs.

Once hockey starts up I'll use mostly the bowflex with some dumbell exercises and hit the rack and weights in the summer. For me personally, it was always a dream of mine to have a fantastic home gym after several years, I have it, so it was worth the price. The bowflex did cost more than the olympic weights nad bars, rack (with cable attachments), hex dumbells (10-40), dumbell and plate racks, medicine ball, pull up bar and a host of other items but having all of these together is almost like being at the gym....almost.

[pumping4life]

This is one of the best necroposts I've seen in a while.

I've never seen that term before - love it.

Sorry to add nothing to the thread, but it is a Bowflex thread, after all.

[dskoo65]

Advice: A real gym is the best, the barbell, dumbell bowflex set-up I have is second best (but really expensive). Barbells and dumbells would be third (could supplement with cheap elastic bands as well), dumbells only fourth and a bowflex alone is fifth. Personally, I really do not feel anyone can build real muscle with this but it definitely tones well. If I just had a bowflex, I would be supplementing it with a pull up bar, one of those big rubber balls (for abs) and pushups and doing dips using chairs.

.

so your contention is that dumbbells and a bowflex are greater than dumbbells and barbells?

[tedsheckler]

so your contention is that dumbbells and a bowflex are greater than dumbbells and barbells?

I think he's saying he'd rather pay $1500 for a Bowflex than $300 for a pulley attachment on a cage.

[FatGymRat]

Congratulations.
You now have an exceptional place to hang your laundry.

[yitmy]

Ah yes the power rack does have several holes and with the bar on top yes it would make a fine addition to hang your out of season wardrobe. Great post!