BowFlex Home Gym Workout Systems

I ordered this back in 2020. 5 years later it's still in perfect working order. The seat has slightly worn but nothing drastic. This is probably one of my best purchases of 2020. This machine has lots of different work outs you can do with it. It's basically a total gym. The only issue i have is that I have maxed out on the weights, they are to light for me now. I just need to look into Buying a heavier resistance bar set. I have also been through 2 moves with this machine, the first time I took it mostly apart to load it into a SUV, it survived. The 2nd move i loaded it into a uhaul. It survived that. Yes it does take a bit of time to take it apart to then load it into a vehicle but honestly it's worth it. Putting it back together is pretty easy. You can also find instructions on how to put it back together online if you lost the instructions manual. One thing to note, because these are resistance bars and not normal weights you have more control over them so it feels different vs normal weights. Also make sure when you are done using it you unhook the resistance bars from the cables so it releases the tension on them, otherwise they will lose their resistance.

I waited about 18 months to write this review, as I felt that how the thing aged and how I felt about it after using it a while would be important elements in giving useful feedback. Tl;dr version: it's a solid, well-built machine that is a great fit for certain people, but probably not for everybody. I've used every imaginable piece of workout equipment, and this one is pretty unique amongst the resistance training options out there. I feared that the resistance would feel hokey, maybe more like resistance bands with pulleys and handles than real weights. However, this is not the case. While it does not feel exactly like a weight stack, it's a reasonable facsimile up through medium resistance levels (really high resistance does feel funny and unsatisfying). What you get in exchange for this sacrifice is a machine that can work any possible muscle and muscle combination with a fraction of the weight and floorspace of an equivalent free-weight setup. I've religiously tied the rods back up after every workout with a strip of velcro, and they're still providing similar resistance to what they provided out of the box. The $100 plastic gizmo they sell for this is not at all necessary to achieve this: an shoelace is just as effective. Having to change the pulleys and carabiners between exercises was annoying at first, but once I got used to it it was fine. I know there is a more expensive model that has extra sets of pulleys and thus less changing between exercises, but I don't think it's worth it. At the end of the day, it doesn't take any more time than changing plates on a bar, changing machines, or racking dumbbells like you would in a gym. Who this is NOT for, in my opinion, is the following: --Someone looking to seriously bulk up and get ripped. I'm pretty sure the guy in the promo photos did not get that way with a Bowflex machine. It's less effective and less natural at high resistance, and I'm pretty sure buying the extra power rods to really challenge a serious weightlifter would not change this. --Someone obsessed with tracking improvement over time in a very precise way. The power rods are numbered with weight values, but they don't seem to have much to do with actual pounds, and the resistance they provide is such that it can be hard to know what's progress and what's a rod that you've been using for an hour and is just getting a little tired. --Someone for whom the machine is meant to be the primary fitness outlet. I don't think it's meant for that. On the other hand, if you want an endlessly variable set of resistance exercises to stay tone and/or support other primary activities (running, cycling, golf, etc) and you don't have a ton of space for a stack and a mountain of free weights, this is a solid option. Setup was time-consuming but straightforward, and after maybe 100 workouts it's as good as new.

Needing to get back in shape after a debilitating injury, I decided to give the Bowflex a try after reading the positive reviews. This review will be an 'initial impressions' review, and once I've had a few months on the machine, I plan to update it. PACKAGING: **** The PR3000 arrived in a single large box of considerable weight. The freight delivery service consisted of one guy, who was reluctant to take this to the 2nd floor of my house. I needed it up there, so I offered to lift one and and carry it up the stairs. Trust me, you WILL want this box to be delivered to the room where you will use the machine. It took almost probably 45 minutes just to unpack the box - every part was wrapped in large quantities of bubble wrap and duct tape. Also, many of the components were zip-tied together with heavy-duty ties (your typical scissors might not be up to the task). I used wire cutters. ASSEMBLY INSTRUCTIONS: *** I've seen much better assembly instructions. The system contains 20 pulleys, almost all of which were numbered with a stick-on number. Nowhere in the assembly document were any of these numbers referenced! Threading the cables through the pulley system had to be done by CAREFULLY inspecting the drawings. Also, the leg assembly has three different positions for the ankle pads, but there is no advice for determining which position you should use. Similarly, the seatback has holes for permanently attaching it at one of 3 positions, but again there is no advice for where to properly position the seat-back. Finally, if you do order the extra 50lb rods (which I did), there is no mention of how/when to install them. I can tell you that you will have to tilt the Bowflex on its side to add them after the fact, because there are bottom-mounted screws. EASE OF ASSEMBLY: **** As long as you are very good at following instructions and are detail-oriented and mechanically inclined, assembly is fairly straight-forward. None of the attachment hardware is labelled, so some intelligent deduction is required. QUALITY OF CONSTRUCTION: **** There are many powder-coated steel parts in this unit - everything fit together well, with no hole alignment issues. I am subtracting one star for the quality of the seat and seat-back. It is obvious that they tried to save some money there, with a vinyl-covered padded seat (covering plywood, I think). The seat is somewhat slippery, and the vinyl is attached with not-too-many staples. I don't expect the seat to hold up. I used to own a Soloflex back in the 90s, and it had a molded rubber bench attached to a metal plate. I would have MUCH preferred a seat like that, and would have no concerns about its longevity. EXERCISE FLEXIBILITY: ***** This unit provides enough flexibility to work all of the same muscle groups I used to work at the gym. For the most part, moving from one exercise to the next is pretty simple. Bowflex advertises a cable change-free system, which is not entirely accurate. In order to go from an exercise like the bench press (which uses the lower set of handgrips) to any standing leg exercise, you will need to: 1) Disconnect each of the lower cables from the leg attachment; 2) Remove the leg attachment; 3) Remove one set of handgrips from the middle or upper pulleys; and 4) Attach the handgrips to the lower pulleys. This is an annoyance to be sure, and you will want to structure your exercise routine so as to minimize any changes other than changing weight. They should have included an extra set of handgrips to allow you to keep the other ones in place at all times. At least they can be ordered as an accessory. NOISE: ***** The system has the potential of being very quiet, although I am getting some grating sounds when the pulleys shift on the metal loops that attach them to the supports. I think a little strategically placed lithium grease will take care of it. RESISTANCE FEEL: **** The change in resistance feels pretty good to me. It is much better than the resistance band-based Soloflex was, with the changes being more gradual as you reach the end of travel for a rep. One note for taller people - there is very little, if no resistance at the beginning of a lat pulldown. There simply isn't enough distance between the seat and the handgrips if you have a long torso and chimp arms like me. My arms are not even fully extended when the seat is at its lowest position. If you're used to a pulldown machine at a gym, you'll be a bit disappointed. More vertically challenged people will not find this objectionable. VALUE: *** For the number and type of exercises you can do with one machine, it's a decent value. I purchased it at a "Lightning Deal" price, but wouldn't have paid Amazon's regular price for it. The warranty is stated as: Machine: 1 year Parts: 60 days Power Rods: 7 years They don't explain what they consider to be 'Machine' and what they consider to be 'Parts'. After 3 hours of assembly time, I consider it all to be parts. I wouldn't expect anything on this system to fail in less than a year. OVERALL RATING: **** I think I will be able to accomplish my objectives using this machine (namely a full-body workout with minimal down time between exercises). It is fairly compact in size, although to perform all of the exercises listed in the manual, you will need a free space of almost 8 feet in width and 9 feet in depth (for the standing leg kickbacks). If you don't have that much depth available, you can still do a lot of exercises with about a 7 foot depth. That's all for now... will be back in a few months with an update.

excelente gym. buena calidad de los materiales y facil de armar.

Llego antes de lo esperado, el montaje es sencillo (3 horas uno solo) . Por algunas opiniones que hablan de que podía faltarle algo de potencia pedí por separado a otra empresa la ampliación a 310 lb. pero cuando esto me llegó, ya había montado la máquina, no he puesto la ampliación y de momento no la pondré, (quizás más adelante) pues como está ahora me parece perfecto para todos los ejercicios posibles que son muchos. En definitiva,.. muy buena máquina, perfectamente fabricada, muy buena presencia, potencia suficiente para personas no expertas, (es mi caso) fácil ampliación para quien o cuando se necesite ( 82 € ) tiene potencia y a la vez es silenciosa y suave, colocada a 20 cm. de una pared ocupa 1,60 por 1,25 m. Hay muchas opciones de máquinas en el mercado pero esta es sin duda de las mejores posibles.

In my opinion, the resistance is not enough for an average guy who goes to the gym and expects to replace the weights with the bow flex( that was my plan). Not also for body builders from what I have seen. More suitable for beginners who do mild Weight's .

I absolutely love this machine. I wish I purchased it years ago. It gives me a great workout. Easy to change weight. So many different exercise you can do. I’ve had it for two months now and I feel stronger and I am building muscle. Honestly, people are telling me. I love it. Look, I’m 55 years old and my bones hurt every time I got up from a chair. Now I feel great. I workout four times a week. It makes working out fun. After two months, no complaints, great product. Never thought power rods could give me a workout, but man does it ever. I purchased extra handles and equipment to make the workouts even better. I’m 6’3” 260 pounds and it gives me no issues. I did have to buy a few links to extend the handles for some exercise just because of my height. I am so happy with this machine. I hope I stay motivated and get long use out of it. I feel stronger and bone pain is gone. Love it. Highly recommend and enjoy. Thanks

Bello, resistente e per niente rumoroso. L'ho acquistato durante il lock down per fare esercizio e devo dire che non potevo scegliere niente di meglio. Non costa pochissimo, ma li vale tutti. Il venditore è stato disponibile e mi ha contattato per delle informazioni aggiuntive. Complimenti, è così che si lavora.