Bowflex - They Any Good?

[Slingblade]

I've been thinking of buying one of these cause the gym (and the cheap techno music they play all day everyday) sucks, but I don't know anyone that's used one and don't know if they're actually worth a shit.

Anyone ever use one? If so how is it?

[peam]

They'll make you look good, but they won't make you strong.

[Fallen]

I have used one, and didn't care for it as much as I liked the Total gym. Any interest in that piece of machinery?

[Slingblade]

Originally posted by peam
They'll make you look good, but they won't make you strong.

How does it make you look good (I'm assuming you mean by building muscle mass) without getting stronger in the process?

Or did you just mean they're only good for toning up?

As for the Total Gym, I tend to be skeptical about products that rely on celebrity endorsement. What did you like about it?

[Edited on 2-28-2005 by Slingblade]

[Sean of the Thread]

In my honest opinion you should go with a set of free weights. Olympic bar and 300lbs of weights and bench will run you alot cheaper and you control the results.

[Fallen]

AsAs for the Total Gym, I tend to be skeptical about products that rely on celebrity endorsement. What did you like about it? >>

Range of movement. Alot of the difference between lifting free weights and lifting machines is that you need to use stabilizer muscles.

The Total gym is also pretty damn versatile, both in exercises and in storage options.

I just do push-ups, sit-ups, crunches, flutter kicks, scissor kicks, and leg lifts for my work out. Works just fine for me.

- Arkans

[Sylph]

Being a gym rat... Ill go ahead and tell you to stick to your gym.


If you dont want to? Buy a flat bench, barbell(and weights for squats, deadlifts, and cleans) and a big set of dumbells(They give the best workout for chest, shoulders, biceps, and triceps)

and get a Chinup bar for working your shoulders more....


Don't get a stupid machine.

[Latrinsorm]

Is there any all-in-one or weight system that works for legs besides squats?

[Tsa`ah]

I used a solo flex in HS during the off season, it was a pretty good all round work out, but like the blowflex, it's not something you'll want to use for other than toning. You can build muscle mass, but nothing compared to what free weights can offer.


Originally posted by Latrinsorm
Is there any all-in-one or weight system that works for legs besides squats?

If the system has a leg extension, you can work the quads and hams pretty well, but that's about it. You'll need to work in squats and calf raises at some point.

[4a6c1]

^What everyone else said. Bowflex worked for me as far as toning goes but dont count on it to give you the definition. Free weights and a flat bench is best for getting the muscle you need.

[Sylph]

Free weights can give you strength and bulk... but for real power coming from all muscles working together...


Dumbells is the only way to go... Using dumbells for basically everything works all sorts of stabilization muscles that you didn't even know existed.

[Fallen]

Dumbells is the only way to go... Using dumbells for basically everything works all sorts of stabilization muscles that you didn't even know existed.>>

This is true. Watch someone that has never worked out with them before, their form will be crap. The weights will be all over the place. After 3-4 workouts, they will level out and be able to push up the weight cleanly. Pretty cool to witness, actually.

[Sylph]

Fallen... the best part... is you start to become aware of muscles you didn't know how to flex and isolate before hand with the dumbells.



Even though I am experienced with dumbells(My form is always good) I sometimes will have a hard time keeping them going up straight and such without immense effort if i just kicked up weight and am on my last set or so.

[AnticorRifling]

I've never tried a bowflex but it looks like a solid piece of gear. I'm not, personally, big on machines I'd rather have free weights or manual labor.

I haven't heard anything real bad about them though and normally a piece of fitness gear that is bad will get shredded by most magazines and word of mouth.

You need to ask yourself what you're looking to get out of a workout and then judge from that answer what would best meet your needs given your bugetary constraints (if any).

I say nothing beats running coupled with weights. Or if you're like me nothing beats weights coupled with more weights.