How do you guys find it? My strength has increased over the last month ( 5th week in ), I am doing 200 X 12 on the bench ( with proper form ). This is way up from when I started. I am just wondering if anyone who uses BF ever went to a gym as well, and how do freeweights compare to the rods.

i.e. if I can do 200 X 12 on BF, what would i do with weights?


Just curious.

I have asked this question also. The ansewer I got was they break easier but once flexed they are very close to the free weight. We have an extreme 2 and love it!! Check out my progress thread and see for yourself.

Anyone? ........

i never got one because im always scared something might snap or crack and fly into someones eye :/

I've had a bowflex for 5 years and never had any rods break. As for the weight using the rods I have found it to be approximately 75% equivalent to free weights (200 lbs = 150lbs). I like the bowflex but you also need free weights to get full development. The bowflex is limited and only isolates muscles groups as opposed to free weights allowing you to use stabilizer muscles. As I said I like my bowflex but I only use it as a small piece of my total workout routine.

Originally Posted by css925

I've had a bowflex for 5 years and never had any rods break. As for the weight using the rods I have found it to be approximately 75% equivalent to free weights (200 lbs = 150lbs). I like the bowflex but you also need free weights to get full development. The bowflex is limited and only isolates muscles groups as opposed to free weights allowing you to use stabilizer muscles. As I said I like my bowflex but I only use it as a small piece of my total workout routine.

yeah I figured as much... I maxed out the 210 on bench already.. need the other 100 lbs.

Yea I have 310 on my bowflex and probably need to up it another 100 also.
It's a great machine for and allows you to do a lot of varations but the weights just don't equal to true weights as in free weights.

I have the Extreme XTLU and like it. We are, however, planning on getting a plain bench with a barbell and more dumbbells to round everything out since the Bowflex pretty much does only isolation exercises.

I have found the squats to be incredibly awkward. I don't like them at all, I much prefer using a Smith machine, which I don't have (although I know more can be gained from a pure barbell).

I haven't maxed out the 210lbs yet, but my husband has, so we need to get more rods.

It's definitely of better quality than a lot of home workout stuff I've seen. I'm accustomed to the commercial grade stuff at the gym, so most everything made for home use feels totally flimsy to me, but the Bowflex really doesn't.

I love my Ultimate XTLU! I've been using it for over a year now with great results. I have it decked out with all the gym type attachments, curl bar, tricep rope, V-bar, revolving straight bar, D-handles and 410lbs of resistance. The resistance is progressive, starting at around 60% and ending at 100% when fully bent. I've found that strength training works really well with the progressive nature of the resistance, 4-6 reps to failure. The only problem I have with it is I've maxed out on legs. I wish they had a 510# upgrade . I really don't miss the gym membership I had for the last 10 years.

I love how the BF feels, it's so smooth and quiet... this might sound weird, but it feels like you are a part of the machine.

Yeah, the smoothness of the resistance is a must have after going to a nice gym for so many years.

Originally Posted by css925

I've had a bowflex for 5 years and never had any rods break. As for the weight using the rods I have found it to be approximately 75% equivalent to free weights (200 lbs = 150lbs). I like the bowflex but you also need free weights to get full development. The bowflex is limited and only isolates muscles groups as opposed to free weights allowing you to use stabilizer muscles. As I said I like my bowflex but I only use it as a small piece of my total workout routine.

I have to disagree with you here. The bowflex works the stabilizer muscles just as much as free weights. Coming straight from free weights to the bowflex it took a few weeks to get to where I could keep my arms stable during the exercises. The cables don't move in a single plane like a smith machine or other machines do, so it forces you to work the stabilizer muscles just like free weights. Also, I do mainly compound exercises because I have been doing the Max-OT strength training workout for almost a year, it's hardly a machine for just isolation exercises. The big difference between free weights and the BF is the nature of the resistance. Say you're doing bicep curls, with free weights the first part of the rep is easy, getting hardest at the 90 degree point, then easier past that. With the BF it starts easy and gets harder through the whole rep. Same with a bench press, the second half of the rep is harder on the BF than with free weights, you won't be able to do those partial reps on the BF after failure, you won't need to either. Also, you can't cheat using the weights momentum (like I see a lot in the gym) on the BF.

i like my bowflex but it seams like rods lose some resistance when you use them more. i can also tell that the weights off from free weights. i use my bowflex and i use freeweights though so it helps

The stated weight on the bowflex is going to be different from that of free weights just like every machine in the gym is different from free weights. I don't worry about the total accuracy of the numbers as long as they are going up (I'm not trying to impress anyone else like in high school). I think a set of dumbbells and a bench model bowflex would be a perfect combination (I have my eye on the powerblocks because of limited space and the others don't go heavy enough, but I hate to have to pimp out the wife to get them $$$$$ LOL!). I imagine the rods will fatigue a bit over the years, you can rotate them 180 degrees in the holder if they start looking bent (or have Bowflex replace them under the lifetime warranty). I haven't noticed any decrease in the last year, but I think doing 4-6 heavy reps per set like I do, will double their life as opposed to 8-12 reps because they're getting half the use. We have a small gym in our trailer park (the owners like to call it a "manufactured home community" hahaha!) but the Hoist multi gym doesn't have enough weight and the dumbbells only go up to 50#. It's free to residents but I still chose to buy a membership to a real gym until a year ago.

Well I am loving the bowflex, quick workout, at home, quiet and smooth. No complaints.