need something compact and lots of workouts on it. (bow flex)

[ironford]

hello everyone im looking to get in better shape, mainly weight loss im not trying to get ripped or nothing, thing is i don't have much space to use, i would go to the gym but the closest is like 45 min from here. i do run and im looking for something with good upper body workouts and leg workouts, i see a lot of people on here don't like the bowflex but like i said im not trying to get huge just trying to get a little better body. and do some leg workouts to help my running. and i need something compact i think a power rack would be too big also i don't have anyone to spot me for anything this would have to be something i could do solo.
any suggestions?

thanks

[C Man]

With a power rack you don't need anyone to spot you. A power rack doesn't really take up much more space than a bowflex type machine either. If you're concerned about height you can get shorter ones like this:

http://newyorkbarbells.tv/92565.html

Or, get a bench and use dumbbells and you won't have to worry about someone spotting you.

[ironford]

what about for squating and stuff still don't need a spotter?

[C Man]

No, no spotter needed. With a power rack you just set the safety bars to the correct height and then if you get to the bottom of the movement (bench, squat, shoulder press) and can't complete the next rep you just put the weight down on the safety bars.

http://www.fit-senior.com/acatalog/wppr82.jpg

With dumbbells, you can just drop them if you're stuck at the bottom and can't complete the next rep.

[ironford]

now right now im just going for weight loss and better looking body i can run good and i last month i was running about 5.5 miles every other day. but then i got really drunk got the cops called on me had a bad night lol that was 3 weeks ago and some reason didn't feel like working out for a bit after that. anyways is this stuff worth spending money on now you think or would i be better off just with some push ups and sit ups and running for now? i do have a cheap k mart bench with a plasic type bar with sand weights and a curl bar, shoudl i mabye just use that for now for a little bit.

what do you recomend?

thanks

[lokischild]

With a power rack you don't need anyone to spot you. A power rack doesn't really take up much more space than a bowflex type machine either.

I have to respectfully disagree with this. The bowflex folds up, at least the model I have does, to an extremely small footprint, much smaller than a power rack(something like 2 by 3 of floor space, maybe less). That was one reason I ordered it back when I did. I lived in very cramped conditions and moved around a lot. You can do things like fold it up, wheel it to a place where there is room to use it, use it, then fold it back up when you're done and wheel it back to the place you store it. Folding it and moving it is a fairly trivial one person job.

[PopeyeFAFL]

hello everyone im looking to get in better shape, mainly weight loss im not trying to get ripped or nothing, thing is i don't have much space to use, i would go to the gym but the closest is like 45 min from here. i do run and im looking for something with good upper body workouts and leg workouts, i see a lot of people on here don't like the bowflex but like i said im not trying to get huge just trying to get a little better body. and do some leg workouts to help my running. and i need something compact i think a power rack would be too big also i don't have anyone to spot me for anything this would have to be something i could do solo.
any suggestions?

thanks

Maybe this will fill the ticket:

http://www.powertecfitness.com/workbench_lev_gym.htm

Very compact, no spotter needed, sturdy, price is ok, etc.

Search on this forum, lot of thread on this.

[writeknight]

I think you should get started with your cheap bench and barbell set for a month or so. During that time keep learning and figuring out what to do next. If you do deadlifts instead of squats the only major movement with a safety concern is bench press. For a month you could do slow pushups instead. Getting started with your current equipment also takes some pressure off so you can bargain-hunt and be sure you're getting the right equipment for your needs and budget.

[Dinotrainer]

hello everyone im looking to get in better shape, mainly weight loss im not trying to get ripped or nothing, thing is i don't have much space to use, i would go to the gym but the closest is like 45 min from here. i do run and im looking for something with good upper body workouts and leg workouts, i see a lot of people on here don't like the bowflex but like i said im not trying to get huge just trying to get a little better body. and do some leg workouts to help my running. and i need something compact i think a power rack would be too big also i don't have anyone to spot me for anything this would have to be something i could do solo.
any suggestions?

thanks

There's alot of good info here http://www.bodyweighttraining.org/forum/ for what you're looking to do.