Bowflex machines?

Rocky

Well-known member
Trusted Member
anyone use bowflex machines, the ones where the weights are the bending rods
how do they feel and do you get a good workout in or is it a gimmick?
 
I stole my brothers when the gym closed down. Its alright. You can get a decent pump workout but its really hard to really break down the muscle with it. I put ihooks on the ceiling and added extra bands to mine and that helped. For arms its actually pretty good if you get a rope and bar to go with it.
I needed to buy some dumbbells to make the workout feel fully effective tho.
So i feel its decent but would not spend more then 7-800 on one. There better ways to spend your money
 
I stole my brothers when the gym closed down. Its alright. You can get a decent pump workout but its really hard to really break down the muscle with it. I put ihooks on the ceiling and added extra bands to mine and that helped. For arms its actually pretty good if you get a rope and bar to go with it.
I needed to buy some dumbbells to make the workout feel fully effective tho.
So i feel its decent but would not spend more then 7-800 on one. There better ways to spend your money
How’s the resistance feel like? Cable machines or is it not smooth

I saw the cheaper home gyms for $500 on YouTube and they looked like a complete gimmick. No way you could get a workout on those, whole machine moves when you use it.

the bow flex seems higher quality though
 
I find it smooth and it doesnt feel cheap but the one shitty thing is, the "weight" is higher the more the bow are flexed. So its lighter at the bottom of a press or lighter at the stretch position of a pull. Also if you are tall and have long arms, this machine would probably be complete shit.
Ya i looked at those cheaper home gyms but they all look like garbage toys
 
I find it smooth and it doesnt feel cheap but the one shitty thing is, the "weight" is higher the more the bow are flexed. So its lighter at the bottom of a press or lighter at the stretch position of a pull. Also if you are tall and have long arms, this machine would probably be complete shit.
Ya i looked at those cheaper home gyms but they all look like garbage toys

I got their dumbells but I’m debating if I should get the boflex machine and sell my power tower it’s a decent deal

I remember though when I used cables & machines at the gym I was a lot weaker.
I was surprised how much stronger I got using free weights

do you find you use the Bowflex more than free weights?
 
Being less resistance isnt always a bad thing as long as you fatigue through all the ranges of motion i would think? so when you get to that weak range and you go to complete failure its possible you could cause better muscle growth?
I use bands and only bands so i guess the logic comes from band usage.
Boflex has always had a good name but man are they over priced, im actually starting to look at squat racks and those cable cross over attachement thingys lol for the racks.
 
I got their dumbells but I’m debating if I should get the boflex machine and sell my power tower it’s a decent deal

I remember though when I used cables & machines at the gym I was a lot weaker.
I was surprised how much stronger I got using free weights

do you find you use the Bowflex more than free weights?
Id love to have those bowflex dumbbells you should sell them iv heard there no good anyway lololol
 
I got their dumbells but I’m debating if I should get the boflex machine and sell my power tower it’s a decent deal

I remember though when I used cables & machines at the gym I was a lot weaker.
I was surprised how much stronger I got using free weights

do you find you use the Bowflex more than free weights?
I use it for every workout. I dont have a wide variety of dumbbells yet. Only some heavier ones and i use to bowflex for a bunch of sets to warm up to those. I can use the bow for presses and then jump to the 120's with no problems.
I have also been doing a lot of supersets with dbs and the bowflex and getting pretty good workouts that way.
Im really glad i have it. Just not sure how much i would be willing to spend on it.
BTW i only have the basic model here
 
Being less resistance isnt always a bad thing as long as you fatigue through all the ranges of motion i would think? so when you get to that weak range and you go to complete failure its possible you could cause better muscle growth?
I use bands and only bands so i guess the logic comes from band usage.
Boflex has always had a good name but man are they over priced, im actually starting to look at squat racks and those cable cross over attachement thingys lol for the racks.

the one Im looking at is about $700 which is expensive but when you add up a bench, weights and squat rack it ends up being the same or more. Just the barbell and 200lbs weights is around $350 retail

I originally bought a cheap bench/barbell/weights and a power tower, regret it but it’s worked. Was still about half the price of the Bowflex and it’s just 100lbs of weights
Might check the Bowflex out today and see if it’ll fit in the car, if it works like a cable machine at the gym I’ll be happy
I use it for every workout. I dont have a wide variety of dumbbells yet. Only some heavier ones and i use to bowflex for a bunch of sets to warm up to those. I can use the bow for presses and then jump to the 120's with no problems.
I have also been doing a lot of supersets with dbs and the bowflex and getting pretty good workouts that way.
Im really glad i have it. Just not sure how much i would be willing to spend on it.
BTW i only have the basic model here
thanks for the info, I think I’ll check out the Bowflex and see if it’ll fit in the car
Basic model like the pr1000?

this one seems like an older model called the Bowflex blaze
 
Found one on amazon called the xceed, was $800 brand new so I ended up getting it. It’s like the cheaper model of the xtreme 2 se

amazons return policy is amazing so I’ll just return it if it doesn’t Do the job
 
You guys got me lookin at boflex now.
What do you think of the revolution
Haha everything about it looks good except the price, I don’t think I would pay $4000, they only go up to a maximum resistance too so it probably won’t work for a typical bodybuilder

I only considered it because I’m just maintaining a lower weight now

I’d wait, I saw Bowflex xtreme se2’s across canada for a few hundred, unfortunately in Toronto though the prices are crazy. 4-5x higher
 
Haha everything about it looks good except the price, I don’t think I would pay $4000, they only go up to a maximum resistance too so it probably won’t work for a typical bodybuilder

I only considered it because I’m just maintaining a lower weight now

I’d wait, I saw Bowflex xtreme se2’s across canada for a few hundred, unfortunately in Toronto though the prices are crazy. 4-5x higher
Yeh 300 lbs i think was max
 
Its a good thread now im looking , mainly would like chest moves , the vecter fitness looked alright. But less weight then the bowflex

I think some of the boflex machines go up to 410lbs of resistance too. I’m thinking that’s the most I would need anyways
 
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