anyone have a bowflex?

[etrin]

I had surgery on my back last oct. Well with the holidays and everything I am now 15 lbs overweight.

Thinking about a bowflex. I saw their dvd and talked to them and at no time will they mention how long it takes to setup for different exercises. Even the video cuts out that part.

Also $119 shipping is a rip off

 

[CalvinHobbes]

We got one a few years ago for our excercise room. We actually use it very little. It's not difficult going from say bench press to leg exercises but I really wish we had used the money on one of those mult-station weight setups.

 

[paulxcook]

I think you would be better-served taking the money you would spend on a bowflex and putting toward a gym membership. Aren't those things thousands of dollars? I pay $35 a month and have access to way more equipment than a bowflex could possibly mimic.

 

[KoolDrew]

Originally posted by: paulxcook
I think you would be better-served taking the money you would spend on a bowflex and putting toward a gym membership. Aren't those things thousands of dollars? I pay $35 a month and have access to way more equipment than a bowflex could possibly mimic.

:thumbsup:

A MUCH better alternative. If you really want to workout at home, get a power rack and a bench. Don't waste your money on a bowflex.

 

[HN]

*edit*
comment zapped. i kept thinking soloflex

 

[Scarpozzi]

If you want a home gym, consider spending a little to get some free weights. (dumbells, bar, weights, bench) If you really want to bulk up, consider the gym membership as you will get all the weights you need without having to store them.

It will be about $800 cheaper and you'll probably use it more. The only real advantage resistance training gets you is that you don't need a spotter. Other than that, free weights are often more effective.

 

[Randskey]

I own a Bowflex Revolution (spiraflex, not power rods). Pretty happy with it so far. I have free weights as well but my intent is not to bulk up like a bodybuilder but be trim and lean. I am by no means a pro but I can say that it is a nice complement to a 40 min. treadmill walk (approx 2 miles on a brisk pace) while flipping channels in the comfort of your home (in my case, a finished basement). Fun part is cool down time which is spent sneaking a bit of Hellgate London gaming time or a quick Bejeweled round. . .hehehehe.

Whatever decision you make, the key is to commit to using the equipment and working out. I've kept at this routine since summer of 2007 and I like the feeling of being able to flex back, neck, pecs in addition to the arms - definitely in much better shape compared to before starting on it. Losing 2 pant sizes down is also a good motivator. I've been off the wagon a lot of times but somehow, having this cool machine and seeing the results makes it hard to not work out for even at least 20 minutes.

I probably have not even done 1/3 of the exercises the machine can allow you to do but hey, who's in a big hurry? Oh yeah - I do keep a pair of 35 lb dumbbells that I use mostly for shoulder shrugs and bicep curls (which you can also do on the Bowflex).

This is not a plug for any machine - just feedback on my experience.

 

[indamixx99]

How much was the Revolution?

 

[BlahBlahYouToo]

bowflexes can be had for $600 on amazon.
it's different from free weights of course and can be effective if used regularly.

 

[Randskey]

Originally posted by: indamixx99
How much was the Revolution?

bought it brand new and off e-bay for $1,500 - had to be picked up - probably why it did not attract a lot of attention. At the time, this thing was selling for about $2,500 + shipping.

 

[TalonOP]

NO!

I get that you are trying to lose weight, but have you thought about keeping your weight but gaining muscle? If I were you I would ditch the bowflex idea, and spend a fraction of that cost on a quality bench and a set of plates. I don't know your stats but I get the feeling you're not a fatass. Bowflexes are basically useless machines (unless you're looking to do a little bit of toning for a $2000+ machine); you'll get much better returns lifting free weights. Since you're recovering from surgery, I'd start low, but in the long run the bench will be much more beneficial to your workout regimen than a bowflex.

 

[etrin]

Several things got be to thinking this way. I used to work construction and was 6f 2in and 179 lbs......after going back to collage I now have an office job and it shows.
Last summer I was 194. Then back surgery for a 40 year problem and I am 202 after the holidays...I used to work out more toning than anything else and
stayed about 188-190...now I can't find the time to do anything like a gym but I can do something in my home.
I need something that I can do 20-40 minutes 4 times a week and get a good heartrate and some muscle.
Randskey hit it right on the head...that is exactly what I am looking for in his motivation statement.

The bowflex offers one thing that I really need one thing in a compact package that can do a lot of things and not take up all the den.
But I am real put off by their shipping ....I am going to check amazon and ebay and see what I can find

 

[BlahBlahYouToo]

here's the thing about the blowflex. i don't own one because i don't have the space for it, but if i did, i might buy one.

i've used one at my friends house a couple of times for a complete chest workout and i was sore the next day, even though i was regularly working out at the time, and usually that doesn't happen (the getting sore part).
bench pressing feels pretty different because you'll be shaking a lot, using a lot of strength to keep your arms stable.
the secret to success in using the blowflex from what my friend told me is not to lift like you lift free weights, which is drop on as much weight as you can, and repeat the reps as quickly as possible for the sake of pumping out reps.
with the bowflex, you might have to lower the weight some, and then use 4 secs in both lifting and lowering phases. i've tried lifting fast and can do twice the reps as lifting 4 second reps, but it wasn't as effective.

i would definitely say taht if you get a bowflex, supplement with free weights as well. one plus of the bowflex is that you dont' have to deal with dangerously heavy plates/weights and can work out with a spotter.
but there are just certain things you can do better/easier and more effectively with free weights. bowflex is good for bench pressing and lats/rows since most home gyms don't have those attachments. and since the bowflex is a bench, you can use that bench to lift free weights as well.

to those that say a gym membership provides a better workout, i won't disagree but lets factor in cost.
$30-50/month versus $600-800 for the life of the machine, there's no comparison. lets just call it $40 a month. @ $40/mo., your membership will last you a little over a year and a half when compared to the cost of owning a machine. if you treat any machine right, it will last well over a decade.
plus, it gets worse if you don't go to the gym. many people get lazy and can't stay devoted to go to the gym regularly. i have friends who signed up with me, go 3x a week for the first month, slowly tapers off until they completely stop going. its even easier to skip out if you're far away from the gym.
the convenience of having the gym in your home can go a long way. it's always available, privacy, cleanliness, etc.

weigh the pros and cons based on availability, cost, distance, convenience, time, etc.
one pro of going to the gym, the hot chicks on the ellipticals

 

[wheresmybacon]

My former roommate got a bowflex once. She used it once or twice then it sat in our living room for a few years untouched before she sold it on Ebay.

Bowflexes could be a good tool for some people to attain their goals but IMO the money would be better spent on a real home gym startup or a gym membership.

 

[BlahBlahYouToo]

Originally posted by: hungfarover
My former roommate got a bowflex once. She used it once or twice then it sat in our living room for a few years untouched before she sold it on Ebay.

Bowflexes could be a good tool for some people to attain their goals but IMO the money would be better spent on a real home gym startup or a gym membership.

exactly my point, if u don't use it, it obviously won't do a thing for you.

she sounds like the type of person that would sign up for a gym membership, go the first month and then stop going but continue paying th emonthly dues.
or if she bought a different "real" home gym, it would be no different.

i recommend that the op try to find a store where you can test it, or a friend that has one, before purchasing. i understand that it may not be for everyone.

 

[Capt Caveman]

I have a Bowflex and use it 4-5 times a week. I supplement with dumb bells, a curl bar and dip/pull-up station. I think it gives really good work out. I did have to upgrade to the 400lb rods though.

Space is an issue for me and the Bowflex allows me to fold it up and roll it into a corner of the room. If space isn't an issue, I'd recommend a power rack/cage.

 

[BlahBlahYouToo]

$599 shipped at checkout.

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