bowflex

Is the bowflex really worth all the money i was just wondering i mainly use free weights but im looking to try this out, anyone ever use or have a bowlfex, wanna kno if its worth the money.

type bowflex into the serch bar and you will find a couple of disgussions that i posted to.  i own one.

Age - 24
5'6
Weight- 145
bf % - 9.9
Bench - 250 max
Bench during training 210
leg press - 340
deadlift - 225

I don't try anything, i just do it

I've had the bowflex for four years and finally got serious with it for almost two months now.  Excellent results.  I just modified it with good results, too.  The bowflex allows the lifter to increment resistance 5 lbs at a time, ie the smallest rod is 5 lbs.  For some exercises, that is too much of a step up for me.  I took some 2.5 lb dumbbells and strapped one to each tower cable.  I hook the other end of the tower cable to the power rod hook as needed.  Helps me mucho for bench press, triceps and biceps.  I do a pyramid workout routine to improve strength and definition: 12 reps at lowest resistance, 9 reps after increasing resistance, and finally 6 reps after another increase in resistance.

Whether it is worth the money is tough to say, it does seem a tad expensive.
 
I think it is a valuable and easy to use set of training equipment though. Apparently if you're strong you can max out the squat/deadlift/bench attachments pretty easily, but for the rest it's fine.

The most effective way to use the Bowflex is through Zone Training (zone-training.net). People complain of the extreme tension at one end with little tension at the other. But when working in zones throughout the full ROM, the Bowflex takes on an entirely new life.

In regard to maxing out on the Bowflex, visit the fitness articles are reports section at ExerciseCertification.com (then click on product reviews). There you will find a review for the Bowflex Ultimate (there's also one for the Ultimate 2, but look for the original Ultimate report). It describes how you can attach a $25 Monster band (100 pounds of resistance) to ensure you never will max out on the squat, leg press or deadlift.

Hi,
 
I would personally reccommend that you concentrate on using the free weights that you have been using.
 
They take up less space and are a lot cheaper. But the main advantage is the way you have to support the weight through the whole range of motion. No machine can replicate this.
 
I would reccommend increasing the amount of free weights you have instead with the money you have available

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As well, and don't laugh, check out Bodylastics.com

This may look mickey mouse, but you can add enough bands (and they are very low cost) to challenge anyone. I think it was the last Mr. O or the Arnold Classic whereby Bodylastics was the provider of backstage pumping equipment.

I am a physical therpist and find the bow flex being an excellent piece of equipment. I can safely bench or military press without causing injury to home or myself. I can do any movement on the device due to the pulley system. I did acquire a set of power blocks too which help with varying the resistence/type. The bow does give you more resistence at the end of the motion, while free weights the resistent is consistent throughout the range. I think the combination is great. I have not tried the new piece they have with spiral resistence (space developed) which is to have same resistence throughout, but the machine appears like a cyclops with arms that need to be adjusted for the pulleys and it seems may cause more back injuries on some of the exercises it says it can do. I think the point of a bowflex (bow) for me is that I can get a great workout at home and I do not need to go to the gym. I have gone to gyms since and I am where I was or better in many of the exercises, but the resistence you train with on the bow does feel different then free weights, which does get you pumped but a benchpress in the gym will be more of a challenge then at home on the bow. So, if you have the money do the bow, and free weights.

Is this the bowflex help line? I need help my brother is trapped in bowflex

This thread has died and been revived 3 times, each time with bad advice.  Buy free weights.  Bowflex is for newbz

 

ORIGINAL: NBSFighter

This thread has died and been revived 3 times, each time with bad advice.  Buy free weights.  Bowflex is for newbz

+1

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The anti-Bow bias is laughable and predictable. I used free weights for years and found the Bow as effective and more convenient. Basically you have a lot of lifters with zero imaginations and huge egos, unable to accept something new and putting it down without a lot of convincing logic.

I don't know if my (new) Bowflex Xtreme is defective, or what.

So, I'm a very skinny guy who is trying to gain a little weight (fat doesn't stick to me). Have been doing excercises with dumbbells for a few months, and finding that I can keep it up, I decided to get a Bowflex Xtreme since I got a very good deal (USD 950).

After assembling it, I'm in a bit of a shock though. With normal, controllable weights, I can do about 110 lbs in a bench press exercise. With the new Bowflex, I could immediately do 200 "lbs" and I feel I could possibly reach 300 of these "lbs" if they were available.

I know the Xtreme does not offer enough resistance for advanced lifters, and I expected that even I might have to upgrade it for some leg excercises, but this is ridiculous. I'm wondering if there's any other Bowflex user here who can comment. I don't see how I could have done anything wrong with the assembly to cause this. I noticed my cables are shorter than in the instruction, and I have to bend the rods slightly to attach them to the cables. But the upper part of the bending is surely not supposed to be the heaviest part anyway!

My one rep max Barbell is 225, I was doing 200 on my friends Bowflex for reps. By reps I mean 8-12 times.