Bowflex what u think?

deup
deup Posts: 129 Member
edited November 13 in Fitness and Exercise
K so I decided not to put a squat cage and such in my second floor apartment. Sad face. Anyways I am now considering a bowflex. Anyone own one and are they any good?. And yes I could hit the gym. But i suffer high anxiety when I am there. So weighing my options.

Replies

  • DresdenSinn
    DresdenSinn Posts: 665 Member
    Prediction: It will become a clothes rack in 6-8wks.
  • vespiquenn
    vespiquenn Posts: 1,455 Member
    edited December 2016
    What are your goals? Honestly, I think I would rather suck up the gym anxiety (which most of us do anyways), rather than pay for something that a gym could provide better tools for. Plus, they do just become expensive clothes racks.
  • deup
    deup Posts: 129 Member
    Mainly looking for weigh loss routine.
  • MichelleLea122
    MichelleLea122 Posts: 332 Member
    Have you considered going to the gym at a nonpeak time? I personally go to the gym right before it's about to close. Since my gym isn't a powerlifter heavy gym, I basically have the whole weight room floor to myself at 10pm.
  • deup
    deup Posts: 129 Member
    I thought of that but my work from 5 pm till 5 am lol. And there non peek hours are nights.
  • deup
    deup Posts: 129 Member
    I probably just over thinking it.
  • sgt1372
    sgt1372 Posts: 3,997 Member
    edited December 2016
    For weight loss, other than just eating 15-20% below TDEE, a Bowflex=a waste of $.

    For an apt and to burn cals, the $ would be better spent on a high quality spin bike or rower, like a LeMond RevMaster Pro or Concept 2, which are in the same price range as a Bowflex and can be sold more easily if need be.
  • Marjael
    Marjael Posts: 111 Member
    edited December 2016
    I have a Bowflex. Used it pretty religiously when I first got it a few years ago, but I never saw the promised results. I should Craigslist it, as now I sometimes use it as a bench, but mostly it just takes up space. I get a much better workout with my dumbbells.
  • cafe1414
    cafe1414 Posts: 1 Member
    I also got a bow flex thinking that it would be a great piece of versatile equipment for a home gym. However the cables aren't exactly smooth, very cumbersome. Now I just use my kettlebells
  • Showthyme
    Showthyme Posts: 23 Member
    The Bowflex is not a good piece of equipment. Agree with other posters who said they are cumbersome. Kettlebells and dumbells are better. You Tube has some good workout routines and these items do not take up a lot of space.
    I have a Total Gym and love it.
  • TwiztedAgony
    TwiztedAgony Posts: 3 Member
    Well I got BowFlex Sport (older model) used around 2 years ago for $100, one of the best things I have ever bought. I used to weigh 270 with a 38-40 waist, I am now down to 31-32 waist and weigh just under 170. If you stick with it they work and are worth it IMO. Sometimes exercises do not match completely so you got to kinda find one the BowFlex can do that uses the same muscle group etc etc .. BUT it will do most. I have no other exercise equipment, I do wish I had a pull up bar and dumbbells to accompany it, but other then that I LOVE IT and so does my body!
  • jessef593
    jessef593 Posts: 2,272 Member
    If it's for weight loss then just eat at a deficit. Also, your progression will stall on it extremely quickly. I've used a friends and I maxed out all of the power bands on every movement on it with ease.
  • cmtristani
    cmtristani Posts: 117 Member
    I have used my bowflex for two years and I love it. I got it for free though - I inherited it. I also have dumbbells, and between the two I can do pretty much everything.

    Don't know that I would pay full price for one new unless you are really driven to use it. They are a little quirky for certain things, but I have made good progress with mine
  • sabulaboys4
    sabulaboys4 Posts: 160 Member
    I have a bowflex ultimate 2. I like it. I can use it anytime of the day that I have time. And I don't have to travel anywhere? I got it so I had something to do in the cold months. It hasn't helped me with any weight loss at all but I wasn't expecting that, and, I'm not expecting to become big like Lou Forigno or Arnold Shwartzenegar. I bought it used off of a for sale site so I only paid $160 for it. It. It is big and fills a room but I have room in my house. It may eventually become a clothes hanger for me but only time will tell.
  • cwolfman13
    cwolfman13 Posts: 41,865 Member
    Honestly, I think you'd be better off investing in something like a good spin bike for cardio...there's quite a few spin class videos on YouTube...I use them all of the time with my indoor trainer.

    For resistance training, if you'd rather not go to a gym, I think you'd be better off doing body weight stuff supplemented with some band work or something...

    That's what I'd do in your position anyway...
  • Navydaddjtc
    Navydaddjtc Posts: 4,166 Member
    I have a BO-flex ultimate I got the thing when my son was getting in shape to enter the Navy Seal program and combat diver program. Both of which succeeded in doing. I have used it also and now after having an Total proctocolectomy with ileostomy I use regularly as it allows me to do what the Navy Doc's want me to do to reset everything in my body. I am limited to what I can lift with the Ileostomy so the Bo-flex allows me to work out at home and not be self conscious about the ostomy. It has and does work for me. Hope this helps. Greg
  • ninerbuff
    ninerbuff Posts: 49,024 Member
    My issue with most Bowflex machine (with the exception of the Revolution) is that there is no eccentric contraction involved.
    Look into a TRX or other suspension system. They're relatively inexpensive, don't take up hardly any room and are portable to take anywhere.

    A.C.E. Certified Personal and Group Fitness Trainer
    IDEA Fitness member
    Kickboxing Certified Instructor
    Been in fitness for 30 years and have studied kinesiology and nutrition
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  • broseidonkingofbrocean
    broseidonkingofbrocean Posts: 180 Member
    edited December 2016
    deup wrote: »
    I probably just over thinking it.

    I think you are. Only way for you to get comfortable with going to the gym is just going. It's like starting a new job if you have high anxiety it usually scares people to death. However you still go cause how else are the bills going to get paid. Apply that same ideology.

  • Bob314159
    Bob314159 Posts: 1,178 Member
    edited December 2016
    Mine was good for rehab after a broken ankle - now its a bookshelf -- i'd sell it - and use the money for my gym membership - but it has to be un-assembled to get it out if this room and down the stairs

    Ditto my Soloflex
  • SonyaCele
    SonyaCele Posts: 2,841 Member
    i dont like the bowflex, its just a novelty. but anything that gets you moving and doing something active is great. check out getting a suspension trainer like a TRX, you can do so many cool body weight exercises in a small area, and its much cheaper and harder to turn into a clothes rack. I much prefer bodyweight exercises over bowflex type.
  • BrianSharpe
    BrianSharpe Posts: 9,248 Member
    The only time I've used a Bowflex is in a hotel gym when traveling. I'd rather do free weights at the gym but if you decide to buy one wait until February or March, there are usually a ton of them for sale on Kijiji.....let someone else take the depreciation.
  • staticsplit
    staticsplit Posts: 538 Member
    I'm taking a break from a gym membership until my husband finds a job again (we just moved city and it's taking a bit). I bought a cheap stationary bike from Amazon and I ride it while I watch TV. It's an easy way to squeeze in a good 40-60 minutes of cardio a day, or I mix it up with running outside. For strength, I'm doing general calisthenics or free videos on youtube or doyogawithme.com
  • Lynzdee18
    Lynzdee18 Posts: 500 Member
    I hate ours. My husband uses it religiously and has for about the past 10 or 12 years.

    Half the year we live in an active adult community with an amazing gym. I love the exercise machines there and would love a home gym full of them. Not happening......
  • rdl81
    rdl81 Posts: 220 Member
    I would recommend what I always do for people looking to do fat burning rountines at home.....kettle bells. Lots of great fat burning HIIT workouts you can do also u can get them cheap especially used
  • slimcharm17
    slimcharm17 Posts: 16 Member
    Bump
  • Destinychngr
    Destinychngr Posts: 103 Member
    I agree with sabulaboys4, Navydaddjtc and TwiztedAgony - I have a Bowflex that I got about 20 weeks ago and I absolutely love it. I am working with a personal trainer that has tons of experience training clients on them, have used it constantly and am in really good shape because of that machine.
  • azsundancer
    azsundancer Posts: 1,140 Member
    Destinychngr wrote: »
    I agree with sabulaboys4, Navydaddjtc and TwiztedAgony - I have a Bowflex that I got about 20 weeks ago and I absolutely love it. I am working with a personal trainer that has tons of experience training clients on them, have used it constantly and am in really good shape because of that machine.

    I have an older Xxtreme.. that I would like to start using again. Is there a specific program you use?
  • sabulaboys4
    sabulaboys4 Posts: 160 Member
    I have been kind of following the workouts in the manual that came with it but not exactly. I think you could probably google bowflex and download manuals specific to your piece of equipment.
  • azsundancer
    azsundancer Posts: 1,140 Member
    sabulaboys4 wrote: »
    I have been kind of following the workouts in the manual that came with it but not exactly. I think you could probably google bowflex and download manuals specific to your piece of equipment.

    Thank you for your input.. I need to look for my manual that came with.
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