what do you think of the bowflex?

haunted · 03-15-2004, 08:30 PM

I see people on tv all the time pushing bowflex is it any good or is it just another pice of junk someone is trying to sell

**Mudge** · 03-15-2004, 09:47 PM

I wouldnt use it, and the full package is like $699 or something?

Something like 410,000 were recalled for safety issues as well.

Alaric · 03-15-2004, 10:11 PM

maybe good for a beginner, but I'd rather invest my money in dumbells, plates, and a bench. Take it from someone who knows, I made the mistake of buying one a couple years back, and it only took me a couple weeks to realize it was a bad investment. I ended up buying myself weights, dbs, and a bb.

**Prince** · 03-15-2004, 10:18 PM

all of those infomercial fitness gadgets are a waste of $$ IMO.

kvyd · 03-16-2004, 03:15 PM

dude cheapest one brand new is like 800 plus like 50 shipping I think with the same money buy some weights and build real muscle.

**Mudge** · 03-16-2004, 03:32 PM

Doggon those guys are getting rich.

Quality weights and benches are way cheaper than when I was younger and that wasn't that long ago, my $300 bench could hardly hold a candle to one of todays $150 benches. Standard freeweights cost what an Olympic set does today.

derekisdman · 03-16-2004, 04:26 PM

It's not a bad machine, but there's no sense in getting one for the price when you'd be MUCH better off investing in some free weight equiptment for cheaper.

miamiguns · 03-16-2004, 04:43 PM

OVERPRICED GARBAGE!!!

The base model starts at $800 and goes to $1800 depending on the attachments you get. Nautilus owns the brand Bowflex and they are losing money. I was researching the company as an investment. My setup is a Nautilus cage and I have nothing bad to say about it. I have it 2 years already.

Michael D · 03-17-2004, 12:20 AM

I don't own one but looking at one it seems like a waste of money.

My friend has one and he was talking about being stronger than me because he was benching 200 lbs 10 times. I finally got him to push some real weights on my friends bench. He couldn't do 180 once. Case closed.

Big Smoothy · 03-17-2004, 01:23 AM

I know quite a lot of people that went and bought home workout equipment like the Ab Rocker by "Body by Jake," and other stuff. Crap-stuff that costs money. Brilliant idea for those who are making and marketing it, though....

**Mudge** · 03-17-2004, 01:50 AM

$3 in tube steel

LazyByNature · 03-17-2004, 08:07 AM

Total waste of money.

Just as a comparision, assume that a gym membership costs $50 per month and the bowflex costs $800. You could go to the gym for 16 months and use all of the equipment for the same cost. Even if the bowflex was a great machine , what kind of gains would you be making after using it after 16 months.

You could also go cheap. Push-ups, situps, and pull-ups provide a good, although basic, workout for the price of a mat and a pull-up bar.

Sweep14 · 03-17-2004, 05:53 PM

It's been the best clothes hanger I've ever owned, not much good for anything else though.

derekisdman · 03-17-2004, 06:27 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by Michael D
I don't own one but looking at one it seems like a waste of money.

My friend has one and he was talking about being stronger than me because he was benching 200 lbs 10 times. I finally got him to push some real weights on my friends bench. He couldn't do 180 once. Case closed.

This is kinda a difficult thing because the resistance is so different, I've used the bowflex because my mom has one. You definitely have to adapt to both kinds (bowflex & free weights). Like for you I bet it would be hard to do 200 lbs. 10 times on the bowflex because you've never used it before. It feels VERY awkward.

The difference is that free weights are actually real, dead weight so they are a much better gauge of sheer strength as it pertains to real life.

lovetolift · 03-17-2004, 11:57 PM

I was thinking body by jake! Please, don't waste your money! Unless your a little old lady.

haunted · 03-18-2004, 01:07 PM

thanks for the input i wanst really thinking about buying one i just wanted to see what eveyone thought of it i figured that the bowflex would alow the same natural movment as free weights would

Premiere · 03-20-2004, 07:10 AM

the bowflex is a TOTAL waste. My unlce has LOTS of gym equip. in his basement (likes to workout A LOT) and he has the bowflex, and i told my dad i wanted one and my dad said he won't gonna get it for me, because his brother (same uncle) said it was not worth it bc it really doesnt do anything, it's definetly not nearly as good as free weights n benches etc..etc...so ya no

**Mudge** · 03-20-2004, 11:54 AM

Quote:

Originally posted by haunted
thanks for the input i wanst really thinking about buying one i just wanted to see what eveyone thought of it i figured that the bowflex would alow the same natural movment as free weights would

The only way it will allow for fully natural movement is to not have it tied to anything, this means anything with cable on it is not a freeweight. Plus I honestly dont see how a bar would bend in a linear resistance, I dont believe the bowflex is going to accurately simulate a freeweight resistance.

Michael D · 03-21-2004, 11:39 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by derekisdman
This is kinda a difficult thing because the resistance is so different, I've used the bowflex because my mom has one. You definitely have to adapt to both kinds (bowflex & free weights). Like for you I bet it would be hard to do 200 lbs. 10 times on the bowflex because you've never used it before. It feels VERY awkward.

That is what I was thinking too. I tried it and did do it although it was tough the last few reps. It felt really weird. I did not like it. I bet you develop way more stabilizer muscles with the Blowflex. But breaking him down on the real bench was fun. He is such a hardheaded ass sometimes even when I try to help or make suggestions.

squanto · 03-22-2004, 09:18 AM

bowflex sucks. i can max out the machine in many exercises like 10 times (bench, rows) and im not a big guy, especially not as big as the guys onthe infomercials. it says im doing like 260 but i can only max my bench out at like 220 in reality. plus the range of motion sucks, it hurts my joints and just doesnt feel right at all. get a real bench! i dont have any idea why these things sell at all.

**Mudge** · 03-22-2004, 12:30 PM

Generally speaking I dont like anything with a fixed range of motion, especially since machines are often built for average to shorter people.

Bowsuck

Here you go, Bowflex Recall:
http://www.google.com/search?hl=en&i...recall&spell=1

Phred · 03-22-2004, 01:10 PM

I have a cross bow (very similar to the Bow flex, about 1/3 the price). I maxed out on all the exercises. For someone just recreation exercising, it is OK. It is not for the serious body builder or power lifter at all. They do have extra bows you can purchase to increase resisitance. But I opted to invest in free wts instead. I use the cables for tri presses and the bench. Yesterday I bought a much better Oly bar than I have been using. Knurling is much better for grip and it has 700lb capacity. It is a Hampton. Mucho better than the chrome CAP one that came with my Oly wt set.

jonbth · 03-28-2004, 10:30 PM

I think it's a nice piece of equiptment but you will outgrow it eventually. I used to have a Solo Flex and found after a while my muscles needed more stimulation. The gym is the best place for that.

Skib · 03-29-2004, 06:03 AM

take your $ and invest in a gym membership

$800 would get you roughly 2 years... that's plenty of time to get huge if you keep focused

squanto · 03-29-2004, 06:46 PM

or spend a third of that and get a home freeweight set, and keep it for 5 years.....

Bubba · 11-13-2005, 06:55 PM

I've worked out with free weights for many years and injured my neck while lifting heavy. The injury resulted in an ACDF (anterior cervical discectomy and fushion). I now have a titanium plate in my neck!! I allowed myself a couples months to heal after surgery and needed something to rehab myself with since I declined to commit to going to an "official rehab". I bought a bowflex from a guy I work with that used it for a towel rack for about half of what he paid. The 20 minutes a day for a bowflex body is good for the genetically gifted few' but it wasn't for me. but I will say "it's all that"!!! I've had a lot of success with it, it builds muscle and burns fat and it's not easy at all. I once had a 315 lb bench before my injury and on this machine I can barely hit 200 lbs. I did have alot of muscle apathy in my right tricept due to the nerve damage and I've been working with it and it's coming slowly, it's not visibly noticable as it once was. Bottom line is, it works! If your circling forty and/or you don't have alot of space to work with I highly recommend it.

stucknsc2005 · 11-13-2005, 07:09 PM

Bowflex and all those other predecessors = PIECE OF CRAP

The13ig13adWolf · 11-13-2005, 07:26 PM

garbage.

that is all.

ATOMSPLTR · 11-13-2005, 07:35 PM

My dad is 77 and he has one. He had never worked out in his life but got one for a free trial and fell in love with it. He has been using it religiously 3 times a week for two years. He looks great and it has prompted him to eat better and be more active.

I agree you're not going to reap the bennies like a good free weight workout does, but in his case it definitely has served its purpose well. I'm very proud of him for starting and sticking with his program. He's hooked, and has to be very sick to miss a workout.

BigDyl · 11-13-2005, 08:18 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by ATOMSPLTR

03-15-2004, 08:30 PM	#1
haunted Registered User Join Date: Mar 2004 Location: Iowa Posts: 11	what do you think of the bowflex? I see people on tv all the time pushing bowflex is it any good or is it just another pice of junk someone is trying to sell

03-15-2004, 09:47 PM	#2
Mudge Pizza the Hut Super Moderator Join Date: Jun 2002 Posts: 22,997 Photos: 1	I wouldnt use it, and the full package is like $699 or something? Something like 410,000 were recalled for safety issues as well.
	Kinesiology Vote @ Top 25 Deads Comp Bench Motivation Bench form MaxCalc Charles Poliquin When I let go of what I am, I become what I might be. Lao-Tzu I don't know any sources so don't ask - thanks

03-15-2004, 10:18 PM	#4
Prince the one & only Administrator Join Date: Nov 2000 Location: Colorado Posts: 33,520 Blog Entries: 25 Photos: 313	all of those infomercial fitness gadgets are a waste of $$ IMO.
	SBMuscle.com - Discount Supplement Superstore AlltheWhey.com - Bulk Protein Powders CEM Products - Research Chemicals & Supplements MusclePharm - Complete Nutritional Arsenal BigBackGrips - If you lift weights you've got to try these grips!

03-16-2004, 04:26 PM	#7
derekisdman RAWR! Elite Member Join Date: May 2003 Location: Michigan Posts: 1,294	It's not a bad machine, but there's no sense in getting one for the price when you'd be MUCH better off investing in some free weight equiptment for cheaper.
	Homer: Hey! I saved your life! That egg sandwich could have killed you by cholesterol. Lenny: Pfft, forget it, Homer. While it has been established that eggs contain cholesterol, it has not yet been proven conclusively that they actually raise the level of serum cholesterol in the human blood stream.

03-17-2004, 12:20 AM	#9
Michael D Working on a new me! Join Date: Oct 2003 Location: East Coast US Posts: 393 Photos: 4	I don't own one but looking at one it seems like a waste of money. My friend has one and he was talking about being stronger than me because he was benching 200 lbs 10 times. I finally got him to push some real weights on my friends bench. He couldn't do 180 once. Case closed.
	"Fear profits man nothing."

03-15-2004, 10:11 PM	#3
Alaric Hungry Join Date: Jun 2003 Location: Ontario, Canada Posts: 711	maybe good for a beginner, but I'd rather invest my money in dumbells, plates, and a bench. Take it from someone who knows, I made the mistake of buying one a couple years back, and it only took me a couple weeks to realize it was a bad investment. I ended up buying myself weights, dbs, and a bb.

03-16-2004, 03:15 PM	#5
kvyd Registered User Join Date: Feb 2004 Location: Nor MI Posts: 1,130	dude cheapest one brand new is like 800 plus like 50 shipping I think with the same money buy some weights and build real muscle.

03-16-2004, 03:32 PM	#6
Mudge Pizza the Hut Super Moderator Join Date: Jun 2002 Posts: 22,997 Photos: 1	Doggon those guys are getting rich. Quality weights and benches are way cheaper than when I was younger and that wasn't that long ago, my $300 bench could hardly hold a candle to one of todays $150 benches. Standard freeweights cost what an Olympic set does today.

03-16-2004, 04:43 PM	#8
miamiguns Registered User Join Date: Jul 2002 Location: Miami Posts: 133	OVERPRICED GARBAGE!!! The base model starts at $800 and goes to $1800 depending on the attachments you get. Nautilus owns the brand Bowflex and they are losing money. I was researching the company as an investment. My setup is a Nautilus cage and I have nothing bad to say about it. I have it 2 years already.

03-17-2004, 01:23 AM	#10
Big Smoothy Windy City Elite Member Join Date: Jan 2004 Location: Chicago Posts: 2,692	I know quite a lot of people that went and bought home workout equipment like the Ab Rocker by "Body by Jake," and other stuff. Crap-stuff that costs money. Brilliant idea for those who are making and marketing it, though....

03-17-2004, 01:50 AM	#11
Mudge Pizza the Hut Super Moderator Join Date: Jun 2002 Posts: 22,997 Photos: 1	$3 in tube steel

03-17-2004, 08:07 AM	#12
LazyByNature genetically predetermined Join Date: Jun 2003 Posts: 192 Photos: 3	Total waste of money. Just as a comparision, assume that a gym membership costs $50 per month and the bowflex costs $800. You could go to the gym for 16 months and use all of the equipment for the same cost. Even if the bowflex was a great machine , what kind of gains would you be making after using it after 16 months. You could also go cheap. Push-ups, situps, and pull-ups provide a good, although basic, workout for the price of a mat and a pull-up bar.

03-17-2004, 05:53 PM	#13
Sweep14 Registered User Join Date: Jul 2003 Location: Tennessee Posts: 58	It's been the best clothes hanger I've ever owned, not much good for anything else though.

03-17-2004, 11:57 PM	#15
lovetolift Registered User Join Date: Mar 2004 Posts: 30	I was thinking body by jake! Please, don't waste your money! Unless your a little old lady.
lovetolift Registered User Join Date: Mar 2004 Posts: 30

03-18-2004, 01:07 PM	#16
haunted Registered User Join Date: Mar 2004 Location: Iowa Posts: 11	thanks for the input i wanst really thinking about buying one i just wanted to see what eveyone thought of it i figured that the bowflex would alow the same natural movment as free weights would

03-20-2004, 07:10 AM	#17
Premiere Registered User Join Date: Nov 2003 Posts: 317	the bowflex is a TOTAL waste. My unlce has LOTS of gym equip. in his basement (likes to workout A LOT) and he has the bowflex, and i told my dad i wanted one and my dad said he won't gonna get it for me, because his brother (same uncle) said it was not worth it bc it really doesnt do anything, it's definetly not nearly as good as free weights n benches etc..etc...so ya no
Premiere Registered User Join Date: Nov 2003 Posts: 317

03-22-2004, 09:18 AM	#20
squanto Fitness Celebrity Join Date: Nov 2003 Location: Cheese Cottage Posts: 1,461	bowflex sucks. i can max out the machine in many exercises like 10 times (bench, rows) and im not a big guy, especially not as big as the guys onthe infomercials. it says im doing like 260 but i can only max my bench out at like 220 in reality. plus the range of motion sucks, it hurts my joints and just doesnt feel right at all. get a real bench! i dont have any idea why these things sell at all.

03-22-2004, 12:30 PM	#21
Mudge Pizza the Hut Super Moderator Join Date: Jun 2002 Posts: 22,997 Photos: 1	Generally speaking I dont like anything with a fixed range of motion, especially since machines are often built for average to shorter people. Bowsuck Here you go, Bowflex Recall: http://www.google.com/search?hl=en&i...recall&spell=1

03-22-2004, 01:10 PM	#22
Phred On a journey....... Elite Member Join Date: Feb 2004 Location: Back in Sacramento, CA again Posts: 672 Photos: 4	I have a cross bow (very similar to the Bow flex, about 1/3 the price). I maxed out on all the exercises. For someone just recreation exercising, it is OK. It is not for the serious body builder or power lifter at all. They do have extra bows you can purchase to increase resisitance. But I opted to invest in free wts instead. I use the cables for tri presses and the bench. Yesterday I bought a much better Oly bar than I have been using. Knurling is much better for grip and it has 700lb capacity. It is a Hampton. Mucho better than the chrome CAP one that came with my Oly wt set.
	If you always have a great day, you will always have a great life. "The gym offers force and pain and relief. It provides challenge and struggle and satisfaction." Dave Draper

03-28-2004, 10:30 PM	#23
jonbth Registered User Join Date: Dec 2002 Location: MA Posts: 2	I think it's a nice piece of equiptment but you will outgrow it eventually. I used to have a Solo Flex and found after a while my muscles needed more stimulation. The gym is the best place for that.

03-29-2004, 06:03 AM	#24
Skib Registered User Join Date: Apr 2003 Location: London, Ontario, Canada Posts: 412	take your $ and invest in a gym membership $800 would get you roughly 2 years... that's plenty of time to get huge if you keep focused

03-29-2004, 06:46 PM	#25
squanto Fitness Celebrity Join Date: Nov 2003 Location: Cheese Cottage Posts: 1,461	or spend a third of that and get a home freeweight set, and keep it for 5 years.....

11-13-2005, 06:55 PM	#26
Bubba Registered User Join Date: Nov 2005 Location: PA Posts: 1	Those that can do, those that can't teach! I've worked out with free weights for many years and injured my neck while lifting heavy. The injury resulted in an ACDF (anterior cervical discectomy and fushion). I now have a titanium plate in my neck!! I allowed myself a couples months to heal after surgery and needed something to rehab myself with since I declined to commit to going to an "official rehab". I bought a bowflex from a guy I work with that used it for a towel rack for about half of what he paid. The 20 minutes a day for a bowflex body is good for the genetically gifted few' but it wasn't for me. but I will say "it's all that"!!! I've had a lot of success with it, it builds muscle and burns fat and it's not easy at all. I once had a 315 lb bench before my injury and on this machine I can barely hit 200 lbs. I did have alot of muscle apathy in my right tricept due to the nerve damage and I've been working with it and it's coming slowly, it's not visibly noticable as it once was. Bottom line is, it works! If your circling forty and/or you don't have alot of space to work with I highly recommend it.

11-13-2005, 07:09 PM	#27
stucknsc2005 rantandrave.info Join Date: Nov 2005 Location: Birmingham, AL Posts: 60 Photos: 1	Bowflex and all those other predecessors = PIECE OF CRAP

11-13-2005, 07:26 PM	#28
The13ig13adWolf IM Ball Buster Join Date: Jul 2005 Location: I win... Posts: 1,367	garbage. that is all.
	Some people get lost in thought because it's such unfamiliar territory. -G. Behn

11-13-2005, 07:35 PM	#29
ATOMSPLTR Uranium powered Join Date: Jul 2004 Location: Idaho Posts: 286	My dad is 77 and he has one. He had never worked out in his life but got one for a free trial and fell in love with it. He has been using it religiously 3 times a week for two years. He looks great and it has prompted him to eat better and be more active. I agree you're not going to reap the bennies like a good free weight workout does, but in his case it definitely has served its purpose well. I'm very proud of him for starting and sticking with his program. He's hooked, and has to be very sick to miss a workout.