Bowflex?

MightyMom4

Anyone have a Bowflex? My husband and I don't have time to get to a gym, and are talking about maybe purchasing a Bowflex for our home. Anyone have any experience with these? Is there a lot of time involved in switching out the machine to do different exercises? OR anyone have a better home gym recommendation. Also, we are kind of limited on space.

Sumo813

Anyone have a Bowflex? My husband and I don't have time to get to a gym, and are talking about maybe purchasing a Bowflex for our home. Anyone have any experience with these? Is there a lot of time involved in switching out the machine to do different exercises? OR anyone have a better home gym recommendation. Also, we are kind of limited on space.

I don't have one of the machines. I was able to find the 90lb Select Tech dumbbells for cheap about 2 years ago, so I bought those. LOVE them. But cant speak to the "home gyms". Although, I think a Revo would be nice.

sass30

I have a Bowflex Extreme 2 SE and I am in love with it. I do not feel that it takes to long to change out the resistance on it. It takes a little getting used to on how to perform the exercises with proper form. In my opinion it was a great purchase for me. I did the 6 week body leanness program and lost 20lbs! Of course that was before I had my second child so I gained it all back. My bowflex takes up little space but is very tall. The only thing I will say is do your research and make sure that it is something that you will really use.

jewelzz

Yes I have one and its ok,the problem is unless you use the whole cable weight its half the weight you put on.I really want a gym membership

amycdsteinberg

Yes, we have one-it does take up a little space as the weights have to move out to the side when pulling them, but it's not too bad-switching things around is fairly easy and gets easier with practice-a 1 hour workout is definitely worth it!

pyro13g

I own an Extreme II. Switching between exercises is quick and easy on a Bowflex. Quick enough for high intensity circuit training.

murf19

Had one with all the bells and whistles, used it for a while, It became a playground for the kids. Sold it and became a dedicated beachbody junkie and coach. Night and day for my workouts then and now. I'll never go back to something like that.

Everybody's different, I got bored and you need alot of room especially with the leg and pull downs

mtbmattp

I would recommend against a bowflex or any other machine. You would get a much better workout with dumbells, a pull up bar, and an exercise ball. Dumbells will keep you symetric and work your stabilizer muscles. If you don't want to store all of the weight plates for the dumbells you can get a Power Block but they are a liitle pricey IMO. If you have room for a weight plate tree (2' square), you can buy some plates with 1" holes and create dumbells of any weight in 2.5 lb increments. As you get stronger buy more plates. If you find you are switching weights too many times during a workout, buy more handles. There are plenty of dumbell workouts online.

pyro13g

You would get a much better workout with dumbells, a pull up bar, and an exercise ball.

Very untrue.

MightyMom4

Yes I have one and its ok,the problem is unless you use the whole cable weight its half the weight you put on.I really want a gym membership

I would love a gym membership too, but we have 4 small children and it's hard to find time to go to the gym...and the added cost of getting a sitter to go just doesn't make sense. We are just trying to find something to hold us over until they get a little older and can be left home for an hour or so while we go. I already have an elliptical and some resistant band unit that hangs on a door...but need a little more for strength training.

pyro13g

As you use your Bowflex you will figure out ways to fully contract the power rods if it's one of those models.

MightyMom4

I would recommend against a bowflex or any other machine. You would get a much better workout with dumbells, a pull up bar, and an exercise ball. Dumbells will keep you symetric and work your stabilizer muscles. If you don't want to store all of the weight plates for the dumbells you can get a Power Block but they are a liitle pricey IMO. If you have room for a weight plate tree (2' square), you can buy some plates with 1" holes and create dumbells of any weight in 2.5 lb increments. As you get stronger buy more plates. If you find you are switching weights too many times during a workout, buy more handles. There are plenty of dumbell workouts online.

We do have some free weights with bars...the only problem I have with them is when we have them out my two smallest kids are trying to pick them up can carry them all over...I am afraid they are going to drop them on their feet or smash fingers. So, I am afraid to say...they are still in storage

mlb929

Had one with all the bells and whistles, used it for a while, It became a playground for the kids. Sold it and became a dedicated beachbody junkie and coach. Night and day for my workouts then and now. I'll never go back to something like that.

Everybody's different, I got bored and you need alot of room especially with the leg and pull downs

Ditto! I haven't sold mine yet, it is still set up in the garage, but I like P90X so much better. I don't like having to stop and change things up all the time on the bowflex. I'd much rather have dumbbells and a pull up bar, I feel like I get a better work out.

jane77

I had a machine like bowflex really got bored didnt use it long now collects dust in garage. All so just a thought if your're going to workout toghether there's going to be a lot of waiting around and wasted time. I love to lift! started with firm dvd than P90 then Jarie Love, now P90x all really lifting basic nothing fancey (well not firm but a great starting place). And as far as keeping weights safe from kids I put mine in the colest hang a board on the wall screwed in nails and line the dumb bells on that Lock the door all is safe and cheap.

wiggleroom

We have one -- it does take up a lot of space because, as others have mentioned, you have to account for the arcs of the resistance cords (or whatever they're called). So it's in the garage, and we always plan to use it, but we'd have to move both cars out in order to do so ... I don't think we've used it in two years. (I used it daily when we lived in a bigger house, though, and really liked it.)

I swear by The Firm workouts. Strength + cardio. Not nearly as intense, I'm sure, as the Beachbody stuff, but that's not what I'm looking for. I have definitely toned up and gotten leaner and stronger with The Firm, and I love the variety of dvds.

pyro13g

Ditto! I haven't sold mine yet, it is still set up in the garage, but I like P90X so much better. I don't like having to stop and change things up all the time on the bowflex. I'd much rather have dumbbells and a pull up bar, I feel like I get a better work out.

Part of staying with exercise is liking it so that's good.

There is a difference though between feeling like it's a better work out and it actually being one. There's better options then using P90X weightlifting round after round if you want to build muscle. There are much better(and possibly safer) exercises, lower volume, lower frequency, much higher intensity, full body vs split, circuit, and of course a Bowflex.

P90X is Weightlifting 101 that minimizes equipment needed. It's great for the price to get people to lift some weights and add some muscle. You'd have to have a monster dumbell set to do a High Intensity SSTF lift that can easily be performed on a Bowflex in 20 minutes. And, you still wouldn't be able to do some exercises that are standard fare on a Bowflex.